In British Columbia training dogs to run with the herd gaining popularity

22-Aug-2025

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Dogs, farm life, and an idea was all Natasha Reichlin, Deborah Armstrong, and Crystal Smith needed to begin Cariboo Stock Dogs in Quesnel.

In 2023 the trio founded the organization after all three of them got puppies from the same litter and wanted to keep the brothers and sisters close. They also were getting started with stock dogs and wanted to bring events in the industry to Quesnel for the community and to lessen travel to other events.

Stock dogs are furry friends that can herd cattle. This past weekend (Aug. 16-17), Cariboo Stock Dogs presented the Wild and Woolly Small Field Trial at Alex Fraser Park, which was free to the public.

Said Reichlin to Black Press Media, “It’s one of the newest events to come to Western Canada and B.C. in particular”.

“It’s a demonstration of the stock dog scale so they can be on sheep or on cattle, this weekend its a sheepdog trial."

Herding/stock events have been popular in England and Wales for a long time and gaining popularity in Western Canada.
explained Reichlin.

Explained Reichlin, “Basically, there’s a dog-human team who practiced many, many hours and worked really hard and they have to try to work a group of sheep through some set obstacles so there will be some gates and some panels and a pen and they have to move them through these obstacles and they get points for every obstacle they do properly". 

Reichlin explained there is different levels of competition from open (the most advanced) to novice/beginner. For those in the open competition, the dog has to herd the sheep through the course in a four-to-five-minute span, listening to its human from their handler's post, who can have up to eight whistles commands for the dog to follow. In the novice/beginner level, the handler can run the course with the dog.

Reichlin further said, “We’ve just started this club two years ago and people love having the opportunity to come showcase their dogs,” who added there were 40 dogs in this past weekend's event from across western Canada (B.C., Alta, Sask.), and even from Washington State, which helps Quesnel economically.