Association promotes working dogs on farms
By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/06/2010 9:24 AM
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JORDAN, Minn.— Graham Phillipson can't picture how he would accomplish the work he does on his farm without the help of dogs.
He has seven border collies and a sheep flock of approximately 120 ewes in southwest Wisconsin.
Phillipson is a founding member of the Wisconsin Working Stock Dogs Association. The group recently decided to reach out to livestock farmers to get them more interested in working with stock dogs.
The association wants to promote working dogs on farms because herding dogs' work with livestock keeps those breeds practical, said Susane Hoffman of Jordan, the association's vice president.
The group originally started around 1980 to support farmers who used dogs for livestock control, said Phillipson. Over the years, more people joined who worked with their herding breeds as a hobby and their focus shifted to herding competitions.
"This is an idea of going back to farmers interested in these dogs," said Phillipson. "That was where we started from in the beginning."
Farmers who want to have working dogs on their farm will only be successful if they take the time to learn how to handle the dog and train it, he said. Buying a trained dog can cost thousands of dollars— money many farmers aren't willing to spend— and the training will only last if the farmer knows how to handle the dog.
For those that put in the time, the rewards are great, said Phillipson. The work he can do with a dog in five or ten minutes can take hours without the help.
"The dog can help you and it will save you time and expense on either having to hire people or yourself running around," he said.
The farmer can also benefit from companionship.
"They're great fun and they're you're friends. They're not only just working, too, and they're a living creature that becomes part of your family," he said.
John Seraphine, one of the association's board members helping to lead this initiative, has been brainstorming with members through their e-mail list. So far, the group plans to reach farmers at events they already attend, such as county fairs or state fairs, for demonstrations and to talk about the benefits of working dogs. They've also discussed hosting film showings of movies that depict working dogs.
The association recognizes that their usual events, such as sheep herding trials or clinics, aren't attractive to farmers because they are expensive or take time off the farm.
"I think the most common thing I hear from farmers is: I can't afford a dog like that," Seraphine said. "...We want to try to find things where people can enter into an understanding without breaking the bank, but learning themselves. Really, the most important thing is how the handler learns how to use the dog."
Seraphine said the group realizes stock dogs aren't going to be for everyone, but for some they'll be a great asset.
"I can guarantee if you have cattle— sheep or cattle— or pigs, a border collie can certainly be much more than you can imagine over its lifetime. It's going to do an immense amount of work for you. You have to know what it takes to handle them."