Storybook Farm

Hi! I'm new here (posted first in Rescue forum). There's a 3 yo bitch that has a herding background and has been "socialized" whose family farm is being foreclosed, so the family must give up their dogs. Technically then she's not a rescue dog; I've no idea currently about any more details. MY first question: being green to the world of BCs and stock, can I hope to successfully train such a dog?

Thanks, so much, Julie and Sue You all are so kind about the farm! Sue: Since we're (sort of) neighbors, maybe we can meet sometime IRL! I sure am thinking right now that an older, somewhat trained dog is the way we should go. We live in eastern WV, in Pendleton County; Harrisonburg, VA, is--as much as anywhere--in our "back yard," though Monterey, VA is probably even closer. I have heard that there are some great folks down that way. Thanks for the detailed information on trials, etc. above. Looking at those dates and places, we can be free mid-week, but not today so, do you know how I can find out about the one you, Sue, mentioned above in Harrisonburg next week? (If you want to "teach me to fish" you can point me towards resources where I can figure out where local trials are for myself... ) Thanks again for taking the time to write all that, Ladies! I appreciate the help and advice!

Thanks, all, for your advice. Because of a PM from one of you, I have found a local group of both sheep herders *and* BC lovers/workers! Yay! Now, to learn! Thanks again for the compliments on my farm, and for the great advice. I'll be continuing to glean here, and (I'm sure) be back with questions galore as I go.

Those make total sense, Ruth. THANKS!

Thanks, about farm. So... how would one find a good dog up for sale, and what would be a reasonable price for one? I would think that people would not readily part with a good, trained dog. Wouldn't they need it, if it were a good and trained dog??? Puzzled.

Thanks for the response! I guess to a Westerner, it might look like this picture was taken nowish. In fact, it was snapped last Feb ('12) when all the leaves are down so that you can see the bones of the land. It's about 2/3 of our acreage, and I thought it a good pic to post here so that people could see the kind of project we've taken on! I just purchased *Herding Dogs: Progressive Training* as my first book on this subject. I'm hoping to get some basic terminology and information under my belt as I continue to explore this fascinating new world. Below is a pic of how the farm looks these days... I just love it here! Thanks again for the response! Anyone else have advice?

Hi, all I am a GREEN newbie to this board and to stock dogs. My husband, Scott, and I are 55 and bought an old, run down mountain farm in WV about 2 years ago that we've been nursing back to life. Quite an adventure: we love it! We are now ready to commit to livestock, and have decided to start with Babydoll Southdown sheep who will work to trim our barnyard (about 5 acres, including young fruit trees). We put deposits down for 5 ewe lambs, to arrive next spring, and we plan to get two rams the following year, and do careful breeding in order to increase our flock. Meanwhile, we also have about 35 other acres that, for now, is in mountain pasture for a neighbor's Angus. We envision, at full development, that we will have a modest flock of sheep and probably a small (compared to commercial) flock of meat goats, too. Our general orientation is homesteading, not commercial production. We also envision getting into free-range chickens and turkeys. But, we're moving slowly so as to make sure that we can perform what we commit to. I'm a big researcher, so I've come here. I'm learning a ton by reading through these forums, and my first and biggest question for you veterans is this: how do I know if a young dog (I mean, a puppy) is suited to stock work? Is it simply luck of the draw? Given this question, it seems that rehoming a rescue dog that has been trained, such as with some dogs in posts I read here, makes a lot of sense. But, I'm totally green in my ability to train, and it seems we've missed the window for attending stock trials in our general area. We are dedicated to the farm's success and willing to put in the time/energy to read/research/learn to train and use a working dog. Does a rescue dog's "baggage" disqualify me from considering a rescue dog? Please advise, and TIA! Marcia