IHerd

Helping people and their herding dogs build real working partnerships. Lessons, clinics, and online training with Lisa Wright at iHerd Dog Training.

I’m Lisa Wright, a professional dog trainer with 30+ years of experience. I offer herding lessons, clinics & stock dog training near Athabasca, Alberta — plus online courses & remote coaching for beginners to experienced handlers.

08/21/2026

Confession: I'm a way better dog trainer than I am a marketer. Case in point — I have a free course called I've Got Your Back and most of you probably had no idea.

So consider this my shameless plug. Will it teach you everything about training a herding dog? Nope! But it'll give you some real tips and tricks, and just as important, a feel for how I teach — so you know if my style is a good fit for you.

Grab it here: https://www.iherdonline.com/

And if you've got a friend who's herding-curious, send them this way too.

08/17/2026

This is a simple and inexpensive trick for marking sheep.

I don't have a fancy handling system anymore. When I need to treat sheep I pack them into one of my sorting pens.

In the past I used wax crayons - harder to apply than expected, and I had to order online from Woolgrowers, or marking paint - which usually meant I was well marked too!

Then I switched to Bingo daubers - what a game changer! They are inexpensive and easy to find. I grab mine at the dollar store. They come in a variety of colours, which can come in handy if you need to mark sheep for a variety of jobs. They are easy to apply.

08/17/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟯 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 (and why they're not true).

I started training dogs professionally about 35 years ago, and I've been competing at herding trials for 20 of those. The places I've been because of these little dogs? Incredible! What an adventure they've led me on. ❤️

But I remember when I was starting out with herding - I had so many fears and insecurities, and honestly, I didn't know where to begin.

So today I want to walk through a few of those same worries and, hopefully, put your mind at ease. I've got your back and I want you to succeed. Ok, lets go:

"𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗽."

I was right there with you. I didn't own sheep either, and I drove hours for lessons. Access like that is sporadic and expensive, and it's really hard to make progress when weeks go by between sessions, and you don't feel like there's anything you can do in between.

Now I know better. There 𝗮𝗿𝗲 skills you can build with your dog away from sheep entirely. Our winters here in Alberta are long. My dogs go for months without access to sheep because of cold weather and deep snow. I still work with them through it, and it shows come spring when we head back to the fields.

"𝗠𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴."

This is one of the most common misconceptions out there - that you need to wait until your dog is almost a year of age to start training them because they aren't mentally and physically strong enough.

Waiting until your dog is a teenager before setting boundaries and building a good working relationship is a recipe for 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 down the road. My motto: "𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿". 😉

Your young dog is a sponge right now - take advantage of it.

"𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄."

I get it, we're all busy! It's so easy to say "I'll start after this project" or "after this trip"...you know how it goes.

The beauty of foundation work is that it can be done in sessions shorter than 5 minutes. Fold it into your daily routine, no special equipment required. Instead of putting it off (and feeling guilty about it), you can start working towards your goals today. - so that when you 𝘢𝘳𝘦 ready, you're 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆.

That's why I built 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲. Because I know how much fun it is once you've got past the "I don't knows" and have moved on "Let's do this." Herding is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done with dogs. I want you to see and feel what it's like to watch your dog do what they were bred for.

https://www.iherdonline.com/herding-starts-here

PS. Got questions before you jump in? Comment below. An actual human (me!) reads every one of them. ☺️

08/13/2026

Boring is boring, except for when it isn't.

Practicing a skill until you can do it without thinking? Might feel boring or frustrating in the thick of it - like you'll never get there. But on the other side? When you've mastered something that seemed impossible?

Worth. Every. Repetition.

What's something that felt impossible for you, until it didn't?

08/12/2026

You know a good stop is integral to herding success. Watch any top handler and it looks so... easy. Stock moves calmly, quietly, like the handler, dog and stock are all on the same page.

Here's the secret: it's not that they're stopping their dogs constantly. It's that they know they can. A rock-solid stop is sitting in their pocket, ready the second they need it.

I see this play out at clinics constantly. Even "open handlers only" clinics that are supposed to be about shedding, turn backs, giant outruns — and by the second go, everyone is back in a small pen fixing stops.

As instructors, we're good at telling you your stop needs work. We're not as good at explaining how you got here — to a dog that slows down half a step when you shout Lie Down! — and we usually just say "work on it" with zero specifics.

That's why I built STOP In The Name Of Love (Lie the F*CK Down!). One subject. No muddying the waters with pace, flanks, or outruns.

But here's the funny part: fix your stop and your dog's flanks improve. Their pace improves. Probably their outruns too. Once your dog understands what their actual job is, they'll understand WHY you're asking them to stop — and once you understand what YOUR job is, you'll stop fighting each other over it.

Start with your dog's stop. Fix that one thing and everything else gets easier.

https://www.iherdonline.com/stop-in-the-name-of-love

08/11/2026

Puppies are born understanding pressure and release.

You might not have been.

Learning how to use pressure and release properly is one of the most important skills in training herding dogs.

The earlier you start, the easier it is for you AND your dog.

I built 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 so that you can practice those skills, whether you have sheep...or not.

Start learning how to use pressure and release right now. Details 👇

08/10/2026

There is a misconception that all herding dogs instinctively know exactly what to do when presented with sheep for the first time.

That couldn't be farther from the truth. Just like humans, every dog is different. If you remember Ted from earlier videos, you'll remember he was a bit "hell on wheels" to start.

Roy was a different kettle of fish. He was worried. Desperate to please - I could have easily turned him off by being too harsh, or expecting too much too soon.

So I took things slow with him, ignored a few errors, and just let him relax into it on his own.

He's now one of my favourite dogs to go work.

If you are just starting out, and your dog didn't look like a total rock star the first (or second, or third!) time they were put on sheep...don't lose hope. Even the most talented dogs go through phases where they are "not so shiny".

Work with them at their pace. Relax. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲.

Some day you'll be looking through old videos, and think to yourself "𝗪𝗼𝘄, 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴."

This lesson is from my 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗢𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗽 course. Want to learn how to herd with your dog? I can help. More details 👇

08/06/2026

Have you been told your dog is "too soft"?

Maybe a trainer scared them off? Maybe your timing was a bit off? Maybe you got frustrated and now you're worried you've ruined your dog?

Here's the thing: you can't teach a dog to work stock without using some pressure. The reward comes in the release.

Unfortunately sometimes dogs learn that escaping pressure releases it too... and they lose interest in working, go off contact, or try to leave altogether.

The good news? You can teach a dog who escapes pressure to feel comfortable instead. That's how you build confidence, resilience and a deeper partnership.

It all comes down to good timing, and an understanding of how pressure and release actually works.

Thank you Travis for putting up with me and being such a good sport! ☺️

Have a dog that's struggling with this? Tell me your story in comments.

Want to learn how I teach beginners learn how to use pressure and release effectively? Details 👇

07/29/2026

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸

I screwed up Roy a bit this summer. I noticed that he had gotten tight and fast on his Away side, and was starting to blow up.

That’s right folks, this 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒐𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 30 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 made a mess of things.

I don’t think we talk about (publicly) this aspect of dog training enough. Beginners assume that experienced handlers have all the answers. That those gorgeous videos of dogs doing amazing things means that no one has ever put a foot wrong with them.

Why should we talk about it more? Because all of that “Big Hats on pedestals” talk intimidates the heck out of beginners. And if you’re a beginner and afraid to talk to someone who’s experienced, where the heck are you going to get help?

Every time I post a video on social media I am painfully aware of the errors in my handling and the imperfections in my dog’s work. I worry (often with good cause) that someone will call me out on it. Point out just how unqualified I really am to put my shingle out.

I pushed him too fast. Most likely because he's so much fun to work. So willing. So talented. I also think I over faced him. I think he's a bit scared now. Hence the tight, fast and occasional grips for no reason.

I had big plans for him this summer - including the trials I've since had to scratch from for unrelated reasons (let that be a lesson to me!).

I also pushed him too fast because our season is incredibly short. I knew I only had 2 opportunities to run him in Nursery due to his birth date. He was coming along so well I figured he could run Open as well…which meant I started working him like a much older dog. I’ll admit it. My ego was heavily involved.

Roy and I have gone back to doing super basic stuff. Every day we go out and he has fun and I let him. Funny thing, I’m having more fun too. Sometimes the universe reminds you that the heart of all this isn’t dog trials - it’s having fun working your dog.

Why am I posting this? Because it’s ok to say you messed up. It’s also ok to slow down. It’s also important to understand that 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 makes mistakes. Making mistakes is all part of the learning process. That every dog teaches us something. Ideally we improve as we become aware of our errors. That being open and honest about our shortcomings helps the next person avoid a few themselves.

Do you have a story about messing up and learning from it? Do you have a question about your own dog or your handling that you’ve been afraid to ask? Comment below.

Interested in learning from someone who admits they are far from perfect? Details 👇

07/28/2026

It's much easier to teach your sheep to load into a trailer first, than it is when you are miles from home and your dogs are already hot and tired. Ask me how I know! 😆

This is how I train all of my sheep to load easily into a trailer. It doesn't take long, and makes like much easier for everyone involved.

I post helpful videos like this for my EweNiversity members. They have access to a private community full of supportive beginners from all around the world, a growing resource library, and two group coaching sessions each month with me.

New to herding and interested in more information? Details 👇

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644029 RR 225
Athabasca, AB
T0G1T0

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http://iherdonline.com/

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