Aussie Links | Working Aussie Clubs | The Working Aussie in Art
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AUSSIE LINKS
Aussies are a popular breed; there are literally thousands of websites devoted to them. Below are a few important sites with relevance for working Aussie owners.
Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA)
The independent Aussie registry, unaffiliated with AKC. Sponsors stockdog trials and awards working titles (as well as other events such as conformation shows and agility trials). Good general articles about Aussies, including health issues. To read the minutes of the ASCA Stockdog Committee online, email them and ask to subscribe to the SDC News.
Australian Shepherd Trialing Association (ASTA)
This new venue was established to provide a non-judged time-and-points type trialing venue designed specifically for Aussies. Trials, except for the national final, are open to all herding breeds.
Aussie Info
An extensive collection of articles and photos on working Aussies. This site was created by those who supported the creation of the ASCA working description (read the ASCA Working Description which was adopted)
Australian Shepherd Genetics Institute
The center for current, scientific information about Aussie genetic health issues
Australian Shepherd Pedigree Search
Searchable database of pedigrees with some emphasis on working lines.
Aussie-Herders
Yahoo discussion board devoted to the working Aussie.
workingaussies
Another Yahoo discussion board devoted to the Aussie as a practical stockdog.
Raising an Australian Shepherd: Temperament and Development
Excellent long article by trainer Lisa Giroux, covering Aussie personality traits, and what to expect at different life stages.
These are not registries, but ASCA-affiliated clubs which primarily sponsor working trials and clinics. (other ASCA-affiliated clubs may also do so, but don't have working Aussies as a primary focus; the ASCA website has a complete list of all ASCA affiliate clubs)
USA
California:
C.O.A.S.T. Australian Shepherd Club
This club sponsors agility and obedience events as well.
Silver Bullet Australian Shepherd Association -- email: Boyce Baker
Tri-County Australian Shepherd Working Association
Idaho:
Australian Shepherd Club of Idaho
Indiana:
Hoosier Working Australian Shepherd Club
Michigan:
Southeast Michigan Australian Shepherd Association
New Mexico:
Lobo Australian Shepherd Association
Montana:
Australian Shepherd Club of Montana
New York:
Seneca Territory Australian Shepherd Club
Oregon:
Three Rivers Working Australian Shepherd Club
Texas:
Southwest Working Australian Shepherd Club
Utah:
Wasatch Working Australian Shepherd Club -- email: Judy Boone
Virginia:
Working Aussies of Virginia
Washington:
Black Sheep Australian Shepherd Club<
Australian Shepherd Club of Washington
Columbia River Working Australian Shepherd Club -- email: Chris Caldwell
CANADA
Working Australian Shepherd Club of Alberta
EUROPE
Western Europe Working Australian Shepherd Club
Dutch Working Australian Shepherd Club
Although it's easy to find art online featuring Aussies, it is harder to find portrayals of Aussies in working settings. Here are a few sources of prints, jewelry, and gifts, and just plain viewing.
Jean Barrett/Earth N Dogs Handpainted ceramic scuptures of herding breeds working, including Aussies. Also gifts (tiles, mugs, shirts). Does custom work.
The Border Collie Museum "An online museum dedicated to the shepherd's dog,
its history, culture, and lore . . ." despite the name, the majority of the historical paintings, prints, verse, etc. in this extensive collection depict old British farm collies much like the Aussie. Beautiful stuff.
Jennifer Curtin/Cowdog Art small hand-carved and painted wooden herding breed dogs and livestock. Toys, trophies, "herding sets" (for clinician lectures), custom work.
Robert Duncan one painting, "April Storm" features an Aussie. print for sale.
Golden Wonders jewelry (pins, pendants, keychains, earrings) showing Aussies in various poses including herding.
Martin Grelle Western-themed oil paintings which often feature Aussies. Prints for sale.
Rick Guthrie Designs/Steel Blu Aussies Laser-cut metalwork home decor and gifts.
Terry Martin/Slash V Model Dogs Handpainted custom reworks of commercial resin dog figurines, mostly Aussies, some in diorama herding settings.
Marie Murphy/Diamond Aire Kennel Prints, wearable art, gifts.
Raven O'Keefe custom animal portraitist with an interest in herding breeds. Notecards etc. also for sale.
Tom Pickerel One lovely drawing of an old shepherd and his Aussie moving the flock. Print for sale.
Julie Rogers Western-themed watercolors which often feature Aussies. Cards and prints.
Paula Waterman sculptor and painter with an interest in Aussies. Prints, custom portraits.
Jay Sisler Home Movies on YouTube Part One Part Two
Jay Sisler and his famous rodeo and movie trick dogs were part of the foundation of Aussies as a breed. Read more about Jay in the Stockdog Library: Andrea Scott's Jay Sisler, the Man Behind Those Famous Blue Dogs, and Kay Spencer's review of Stub, Greatest Cowdog in the West.
Las Rocosa Australian Shepherd History Page
Section of the website of the foundation kennel of the Hartnagle family. A discussion of the possible origins of the Aussie, illustrated with current photos of conjectural ancestors, including the Pyrenean Shepherd, the German Tiger, the Welsh Bobtail, and the Australian Koolie. On the same site is a Time Line of Aussie History, illustrated with many photographs.
Slash V Australian Shepherds
Terry Martin, a long-time working Aussie breeder, has a high-content website with useful articles and historical photos of many dogs behind todays' working lines.
Aussie Roots
a collection of photographs from the past, sorted by geography, put together from the photo libraries of the Hartnagles and of Sandy Cornwell.
The Border Collie Museum "An online museum dedicated to the shepherd's dog, its history, culture, and lore . . ." despite the name, the majority of the historical paintings, prints, verse, etc. in this extensive collection depict old British farm collies much like the Aussie. Beautiful stuff.
Collies: Back To The Future
A collection of articles on the old working collie/shepherd landraces, which includes the Aussie.
Collie Family Tree
Linda Rorem's hypothetical family tree of the collie breeds, showing where the Aussie comes in.
Collie Ancestry
a long article by Iris Combe and Pat Hutchinson on the roots of the collie breeds. Includes a somewhat different family tree than Linda Rorem's, above.
See also the large History Section of the Working Aussie Source Stockdog Library
American Herding Breeds Association
A trialing venue. Conducts arena and ranch trials, awards titles and herding instinct certificates. Defines "herding breeds" broadly; provides opportunities for all herding breeds at any level of skill/talent to compete. Generally relaxed and inclusive.
American Working Farmcollie Association
A registry. Dedicated to the preservation of the landrace of 'the Old Farm Shepherd', described as English Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, and other descendents of British general purpose farm collies, aka Scotch Collies. Considers role of farm dog to be herding, hunting, and guarding. Mostly registers English Shepherds, but other collie breeds and mixes thereof are eligible. Registration based on video or onsite inspection of dog working.
Bud Williams Stockmanship School
Low-stress cattle handling, sometimes using dogs. Essays, stories, and calendar of clinics.
Cow Dog News
All breeds of serious working cowdogs, but mostly Border Collies. Emphasis on USBCHA and independent stockdog club trialing; has an excellent cowdog trial calendar. A extensive site with breeder listings, links section, dogs for sale pages, calendars of clinics, etc.
Cowdog Central
Information website.Working cowdogs, emphasis on Kelpies and Border Collies (owner has Kelpies). Has a fun "stories" section.
GSD Vom Insel training articles
Website of Dot DeLisle, breeder and successful trainer of herding German Shepherds. A small library of well-written articles, many applicable to Aussies. She also has a links page worth looking at.
Herding Canada
a herding/stockdog portal for Canada. Includes events calendar, trainer list.
Herding On The Web
Linda Rorem's popular site. Has well-written herding articles and extensive links and resource listings. Probably the best place for a herding novice to start on the web. No breed emphasized or preferred.
Littlehats
This site is devoted to the novice Border Collie sheep-herding enthusiast, but has useful information for any novice at herding, such as how to choose an instructor, how to find sheep to practice on, etc. (Border Collie trial pros are known as Big Hats).
Midwest Herding Connection
Trainers, facilities, events, and connections for the herding community of the midwestern U.S.
Northeast Herding Info
Trainers, facilities, events, and connections for the herding community of the northeastern U.S.
Stockdogs4sale
Yahoo bulletin board for real working stockdog breeds and livestock guardian breed sales. Working bred Aussies appear fairly regularly. Worth monitoring if you are shopping for a pup or started dog.
Stockdog Server
Oldest general stockdog site with many links, good articles. Updated rarely. Has an Aussie section.
The Stockdog Journal
Website of a print magazine dedicated to working stockdogs.
Was Stockdogs Magazine and still uses the same website.
It is important to choose an instructor who understands and respects upright, loose-eyed breeds. Those listed below give clinics and/or provide private instruction that has proven useful to some Australian Shepherd owners. Many are Aussie breeders: ASCA kennel name, if any, is in CAPS. If they have a Working Aussie Source ad, clicking on the kennel name link will take you to that page, with all their contact info. If you have a trainer to recommend, or would like to correct any contact info below, please email us. See also the article on How To Choose An Instructor.
LISTS OF TRAINERS (individual trainers' links follow)
Stockdog Trainer Locator
AHBA Training Facility Directory
Willow Acres Herding Trainers List
Stockdog Server Trainer List
Herding Trainers in Canada
USEFUL TRAINERS/CLINICIANS/INSTRUCTORS
Sherry Baker TWIN OAKS Galt CA website: twin oaks email: tocowdog@softcom.net
Becky Bailie STARSTUFF Manchester MN
Linda Bell WINSLIDE Georgetown TX
James Bergert BERGERT 10123 150th Street, Alden, IA 50006 / Phone: 507-440-7310 email: jameshogdogs@hotmail.com
John P. Carter Hope, British Columbia, Canada / Phone
604-860-3355
email: jpcarter@uniserve.com
Angie Coker Route 2 Box 1965/ Cranfills Gap, TX 76637/ Phone 405-323-0898
email: angieccoker@aol.com
George Costa WORKIN CLASS 5426 San Felipe Rd. / Hollister CA / Phone: 831-635-0569
Chris Davies FLY AWAY Oxford, Pennsylvania (Southeastern PA)
email: flyaway@mailaka.net Website: Fly Away Aussies
Judy De Shazo BERET Waller, Texas
Tenley Dexter MAKIN 8 Gaylordsville CN and Fairplay KY
Gary Ericsson RR 5, Box 515 / Coalgate, Oklahoma 74538 / Phone: 580-428-3011 Website: Hangin' Tree Cowdogs
Rick Hardin HARDIN'S Calhan, Colorado
Kaye Harris CROWN POINT 18636 Weld Co. Rd. 3 / Berthoud CO 80513 / Phone: 970-535-4343
Jim Hartnagle LAS ROCOSA Kiowa, Colorado
John Harvey BAR JH Somis California
Kent and Lori Herbel Route 1 Box 52A/ Putnam, Oklahoma 73659 / Phone: 580-661-2262 email: xpranch@pldi.net website: xpranch.com
Kathy Knox Ettrick Kennels Rt. 5, Box 147 / Butler, MO 64730 / Phone: 660-679-5578
Lynn Leach 58428 McKay Road/ Hope, BC V0X 1L2 CANADA / Phone: 604-869-7656 Email: downriver@uniserve.com Website: Downriver
Dana MacKenzie HEARTHSTONE Breckinridge, TX
Barb Moe C HANGIN 5 Lewistown, Montana
Marie Murphy DIAMOND AIRE N3029 945th St. / Hager City WI 54014 / Phone: 715-792-5174 Email: diamaire@redwing.net Website: Diamond Aire
Tony Padgett COOSAWATTEE Calhoun, Georgia email: tonypadgettstockdogs@yahoo.com Phone 770-608-6861
Marti Parrish JUSTUS Everett Washington
Cappy Pruett Fort Morgan, Colorado Email: cappy@cappypruett.com Website: Cappy Pruett
Elsie Rhodes LC'S Winlock, Washington Email: frogs@myhome.net
Jerry Rowe J BAR D 1771 South 85th Avenue / Osborne, KS 67473 / Phone: 785-346-2227 Email: jrowe@ruraltel.net Website: Twin Creek Farm
Sharon Simmons WESTWIND 6491 Tjossem Rd. / Ellensburg, WA 98926 / Phone: 509-968-4000 Email: wkdog@elltel.net Website: Westwind
Steve Shope LEGENDS Estancia New Mexico
Bob Vest VEST 5063 Hwy 124 West / Hoschton GA / Phone: 706-654-2512
Dave and Trudy Viklund Battleground, WA. websites: Top Stockdog and Double V Stockdogs
Kathy Warren WINDSONG 4328 Villa Creek Rd. / Cayucos CA 93430 / Phone: 805-995-2449 Email: villacreek@aol.com Website: Villa Creek
Jan Wesen CHUCKANUT Bow, Washington
Betty Williams W LAZY J Lewiston, Montana
LIVESTOCK LINKS
General Livestock | Poultry | Sheep and Goats | Cattle
GENERAL LIVESTOCK
Aglinks: Farming On the Web
An international agricultural links site
Agricola
The US Dept. of Agriculture searchable database. Huge livestock section.
American Heritage Livestock Breeds Conservancy
The only organization in the U.S. working to conserve rare breeds and genetic diversity in livestock.
Capital Press
Online agriculture newspaper for the Western states. Breaking news which affects ranchers and farmers. Big classified section including help wanted, livestock, machinery, real estate etc.
Graze
online and print publication devoted to promoting management-intensive grazing and family-scale livestock farms. Centered on the upper Midwest.
Oklahoma State University Dept. of Animal Science Livestock Page
Info about all livestock breeds. A very large and complete site.
RanchWorldAds Magazine
online agricultural classified ads site. Animals, machinery, jobs, feed, etc.
The Stockman Grass Farmer
"Devoted solely to the art and science of making a profit from grassland agriculture." Covers all pastured stock from bison to chickens (but a strong emphasis on cattle).
Tractor Supply Livestock Supplies
All livestock supplies
POULTRY
Dorothy DeLisle's Duck Info Page
Information directed at keeping ducks for herding practice. Includes good links list.
Ideal Poultry Company
Largest non-commercial poultry company, lots of information about breeds and care.
Murray MacMurray Hatchery
source of all types of poultry, wide variety
SHEEP AND GOATS
The Boer and Meat Goat Information Center
very large commercial site with many ads and links.
Caprine Supply
mail order just for goats.
Dairy Goat Care and Managment
Sue Reith's extensive and well-written collection of articles, particularly helpful on how to be your own vet
Dairy Goat Journal
Deer Run Sheep Farm links page
thoughtful and extensive list of sheep-related links
Maryland Small Ruminant Page
This site has articles covering most issues to do with sheep and goats. Excellent breed description section. Also a vast number of links to other sites.
Premier 1
Sheep and goat supplies, fencing.
Ranching With Sheep/Dog Tale Ranch
low-energy-input sheep ranching using the natural rhythm of the seasons. Articles and blog from a Saskatchewan ranch.
Sheep! Magazine
CATTLE
Cattle Today
This a very large site with a zillion links and ads.
Cattle Learning Center
Beef Magazine
Anti-animal ownership laws, disguised by the professed goal of reducing shelter populations, are being proposed and passed all over the US, at the state, county, and municipal levels. These laws will have a very direct effect on the working stockdog. Sometimes there are some exemptions from mandatory early spay/neuter and other restrictions and expenses for show dogs/show kennels in these laws, — there are none for working dogs. The laws now being proposed typically rely upon complaints from neighbors (these complaints often need not be verified) and mandatory reporting by veterinarians for enforcement. Please educate yourselves about the real force behind this wave of laws ("Animal Rights" organizations PETA and HSUS), and what it means for you and your dogs and livestock.
AHBA letter protesting Callifornia AB1634
An excellent overview of how these laws will affect stockdogs, with facts that can be used in any protest letter.
American Kennel Club Legislative Tracking
The AKC provides a daily-updated page of all the animal-related proposed legislation in the US, by state, with dangerous proposals marked and linked to their own page of discussion.
Americans Supporting Animal Ownership
New clearinghouse site with a good links page and a page of printable flyers on various aspects of the issue, including a basic one titled "Your Pets and Livestock Extinct?!" intended for wide distribution at animal events of all kinds.
National Animal Interest Allliance
"The Mission of NAIA is to promote the welfare of animals, to strengthen the human-animal bond, and safeguard the rights of responsible animal owners and professionals through research, public education and sound public policy." Well-organized and informative.
PETA Kills Animals News site which reports on the real PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Not pretty, folks.
Pet Law Yahoo group
Devoted to the subject of how to fight anti-pet legislation. A large and fast-moving site with the breaking news.
Pet-Law.com
The website associated with the Pet Law Yahoo group, with concise factual information about how to fight anti-pet legislation.
The Impact of Mandatory Spay/Neuter on Working Dogs
excellent article archived by the California organization
Save Our Dogs
Sportman's and Animal Owner's Voting Alliance
"...nonpartisan group of volunteers ... working to protect both sportsmen and animal owners, natural allies, in the legislative and political arenas. ..."
Researches and reports legislators' positions re: Animal Rights laws. Good place to check on how your local representatives are voting.
Activist Cash: Humane Society of the United States
This conservative watchdog group 'follows the money' and tracks down the where, how, and what of activist groups. Reveals truth about this huge and wealthy organization, its radical Animal Rights agenda, and how it uses its name to confuse ordinary animal lovers who think it is like the local Humane Societies which run shelters (it has no connection nor similarity to these shelters).
The Truth About Humane Society of the United States
Nathan Winograd is a nationally known prizewinning author, attorney, and animal welfare expert. His articles detail HSUS's coverups of their "one generation and out" goals and policies.