Dog Days of Summer: Incorporating Working Dogs on Your Farm
Steam Valley Fiber Farm
Trout Run, PA
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
10am - 4pm
$15 PASA & PA WAgN members, $25 all others; lunch will be provided.
Click here for a photo essay by Donald Gibbon. Thanks for this contribution, Don!
Phylleri Ball, Steam Valley Fiber Farm and Cynthia Knowlton, Knowlton's Dog Obedience & Owassi ACDs
Join us for a day in on Steam Valley Mountain. We’ll talk about two types of working dogs - herding dogs and guardian dogs – each of whom have very different jobs. We’ll see how these different jobs require dogs of different temperament and abilities and how within each job there is room for individual styles of performance. We’ll explore various breeds and combinations of breeds and comment on their specific characteristics and suitability for the job at hand.
The day will be spent touring the farm and talking about the different functions of these dogs. Using the herding dogs as examples, Cynthia will lead a discussion about training and the natural style of these different dogs (how they work). Depending on where the sheep are, we’ll intersperse our conversations with dogs working stock.
Phylleri will talk about her experience with guardian dogs over the years. She’ll cover a wide swath of information including how they differ from herding dogs; their roles and behaviors with stock, humans and predators/intruders; socialization, training and discipline. There will be ample time available for questions – both general and specific.
Lunch will be provided. Please wear sturdy footwear and be prepared for time spent outside (hats, sunscreen, etc). Please leave your dogs and other pets at home for this trip, too, and ensure that any children who might be attending this day will be under firm parental control.
This event is being sponsored by the Pennsylvania Women's Agriculture Network (PA WAgN), supporting women in agriculture by providing positive learning environments, networking and empowerment.
About the Presenters
Phylleri Ball is the shepherd at Steam Valley Fiber Farm, assisted by her husband, Gregory Pais, and their sons, Skylar and Star. They’ve had experience with Border Collies for 14 years and Maremmas for 6 years as working dogs with our stock. Steam Valley Fiber Farm raises Colored Angora Goats, Nubians & Border Leicester Sheep. They also market fiber from the animals as dyed fleece, yarn, roving, socks and sheepskins.
Cynthia Knowlton has been training dogs since 1983. In 2000, her interest turned to herding due to having an Australian Cattle Dog that had a tremendous amount of natural herding instinct. Currently Cynthia has a small flock of Border Cheviots in north central Pennsylvania and says that she would not want to handle the farm with out the help of her dogs. She has three Cattle Dogs and one Australian Kelpie. Cynthia competes at herding trials and has just finished the requirements to be herding judge for AKC.
Click here for directions, available on the Google Maps page.
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