Willow Acres Dog Training (Agility, Obedience, Herding, Clicker)

	Willow Acres offers training for AKC, ASCA, and AHBA tests and trials or for practical farm work. Group classes are taught on the weekends.
Marco at Dana Mackenzie clinic 1999
Please see the list of scheduled classes on the Class Schedule Page. Click here to access the Release Form. Your dog must have passed an instinct test or earned a title before they can enter class. For more information on instinct tests, click here.	Calais at Bouvier National Specialty 1991
	Marco working Call ducks at Sunbriar Farm in Pamplin, VA. Working ducks requires finesse and self-control on the part of the dog. At DIXIE's, working ducks is considered a fine art and both Terri and her students have taken many High In Trials and First Places in both AKC and ASCA duck trials.
Alice & Jive (Sheltie)-successful Willow Acres students	Herding classes are open to any breed of dog whose original purpose was to control the movement of livestock. This includes, but is not limited to, Australian Cattle Dogs, Australian Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds, Bearded Collies, Border Collies, German Shepherds, Old English Sheepdogs, Pulis, Rough Collies, Samoyed, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Corgis, as well as many other breeds too numerous to mention here.
Entelbucher Sennenhund, Caanan Dogs, Norwegian Buhund, Standard Schnauzer, Swedish Vallhund and Polish Lowland Sheepdogs are just a few of the more unusual breeds that have trained at Willow Acres. The only AKC breeds that have NOT trained here are the Briard and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. * FREE instinct test to the first Briard, GSMD or English Shepherd. *	Corgi at Willow Acres classes
Lily herding sheep at Willow Acres	Requirements for herding class - Dog must be at least 9 months old and have passed an instinct test. The dog should also know how to down and come when called.
OTHER USEFUL LINKS - HERDERS-L (web site for mailing list, also has calendar of herding events) American Herding Breeds Association American Kennel Club Australian Shepherd Club of America Herding On the Web (Linda Rorem's web page)	Rottie at instinct test at Willow Acres
Just what is an instinct test? An instinct test is a controlled introduction of your dog to livestock, typically sheep. It is usually held in a small round pen, roughly 50' to 80' in diameter. The dog needs no training other than to sit or down and come when called. The tester, an experienced herding trainer, goes into the ring with you and your dog. You are expected to stay close to the tester and BE QUIET, while the tester stimulates and encourages your dog to start chasing the stock, then works with your dog to bring out the instinctive herding behaviors within him. Instinct tests are still my favorite herding activity. It is such a thrilling site to see a lightbulb go on in the dog's head and they realize this is what they have been waiting for all their life.


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