Nordika Stockdogs

10/30/2026

This is an oldie but a good one! So much gratitude to the people in places, moments and memories we’ve had over the last few years. ♥️ 🐑 🐑 🐑 🐕

10/28/2026

Not all the work we do around here is stock work. Rest and recharge her also a massive foundation for both the handlers and the dogs. I love these quiet moments.

10/27/2026

Oh where to begin! Retreats, clinics , lessons and my own training. Fall has been so full and I haven’t even caught up with posting about our summer adventures. So to appease everyone, they’ve decided to just give you snapshots of all of the amazing dogs, participants and experiences that ever old through the farm and beyond this year.

10/27/2026

10/26/2026

Fall Fiasco 🍂🐾 A little getaway. A whole lot of heart.

On October 16-18 we hosted our third retreat at Nordika Farm & Retreat We host these ladies’ retreats to bring people together around something we’re all passionate about: our stockdogs, stockmanship, and community.

Three full days of stepping away from the chaos of the outside world. Good food shared around a table, a little learning, a ridiculous amount of fun, and more laughter than you could possibly plan for. Shared experiences, shared stories, and maybe even a couple of shared tears. Soul food for our hearts.

This was our third retreat, and I swear, every time it gets better and better. ❤️

We had handlers and their dogs travel from Washington, Vancouver Island, and all over the Okanagan to join us. Each person brought something special to the weekend. The sound bowl journey led by Up-Cycled Soul was absolutely amazing and added another beautiful layer to the whole experience—a chance to slow down, settle in, and just be.

Something special happens when we give ourselves this kind of time together. Somewhere between working dogs, sharing meals, trying something new, and laughing until our faces hurt, we build friendships that last well beyond the weekend.

A huge thank-you to every single person who joined us, showed up as themselves, and helped make Fall Fiasco what it was.

We provide the container. You fill it with all the heart. 🤍

If you are keen to join the Next Retreat we will be opening 2027 schedule in the next week. Join our Mailing list or sign up for a FREE Membership and Canine training Journal to get first chance at signing up for Clinics, workshops and Retreats. www.NordikaStockdogs.com

Special thanks to the talented for the amazing photos! So Excited to see the rest of them.

10/16/2026

What’s new!!! Where to begin!? Stay tuned for updates over the next couple weeks.

10/15/2026

Well, it’s been a busy fall here at Nordika Stockdogs! So many things have been happening and we’re not even done yet. Winter is usually when we start to slow down and I have been reminded by a few our amazing followers, that it’s time for me to do some updates lol so here I am, doing my social delinquency, improvement plan, giving you guys a little bit of a sneak peek of all the awesomeness we have had here at the farm. Cassie Berkson Aimee MacDonaldAllie McGarva

07/09/2026

One of the most revealing moments in life is watching someone else succeed.

When we see someone growing, building something meaningful, or becoming exceptional at what they do, something happens inside of us. We don’t often talk about it, but we should.

Their progress will usually stir one of two responses.

It can inspire you. It can remind you that growth is possible, encourage you to chase your own goals, and reignite the part of you that’s been waiting for permission to begin.

Or it can pull you toward comparison, resentment, or jealousy. The problem is, those emotions don’t slow the other person down. They only drain the energy you could have invested in becoming the person you’re capable of being.

Someone else’s success isn’t your obstacle. It’s evidence of what’s possible.

Celebrate people who are doing great things. Learn from them. Let their discipline challenge you. Let their courage remind you to have your own.

The world doesn’t need fewer people succeeding.

It needs more people who are inspired enough to pursue their own greatness.

Choose wisely.

07/01/2026

Changing Eyes

One of my favourite traditions from the old California horsemen is the idea of a horse changing eyes.

It wasn’t something they trained. It wasn’t something they could force, and it certainly wasn’t something they judged by a single ride. It was simply something they noticed.

After months, and often years, of thoughtful work, there would come a day when someone would quietly say, “The horse has changed eyes.”

They weren’t talking about the eye itself. They were talking about the horse.

Somewhere along the journey, the horse had become mentally available. It no longer had to defend itself against every question. It could stay present under pressure, search for an answer, and remain connected to the rider instead of becoming consumed by uncertainty. The eye was never the lesson. It was simply the evidence that the lesson had already taken place.

I’ve often wondered why we don’t talk about our dogs the same way. We spend so much time measuring the visible parts of training. Can the dog flank? Can it drive? Will it hold pressure? Can it complete the course or task?

Those things matter. They absolutely matter. But they only tell part of the story. The deeper question is this:

Who is the dog becoming through the work?

The California horsemen understood that great horsemanship wasn’t measured by how much control they had over a horse. It was measured by how much responsibility the horse could carry. Their goal wasn’t to create a horse that depended on its rider for every answer. They developed horses that could think, search, and remain emotionally available when the work became difficult. To me, that’s the very heart of great Stockmanship.

Whether we’re developing a bridle horse or a working stock dog, we’re asking the same thing. Can this animal stay present when pressure rises? Can it feel what’s happening without becoming overwhelmed by it? Can it think before it reacts?

A young stock dog often works with busy eyes. They flick from the sheep to the handler, back to the sheep, scanning every movement, reacting to every ounce of pressure.  They can be so strong they get stuck on their sheep or sucked in. They can be too loose, and lose track of their stock. They’re trying to make sense of a world that still feels uncertain.

However, as understanding grows, something begins to settle. The dog no longer feels the need to respond to every movement. It starts reading instead of chasing. It starts feeling instead of forcing. Pressure is no longer something happening to the dog. It becomes something the dog can organize, understand, and eventually use.

That shift changes everything. The work becomes quieter. The partnership becomes more connected.
Even the stock settle.

I think this is one of the greatest lessons we can borrow from the California horsemen. They understood that the best training doesn’t simply produce better performance. It develops better minds.

That’s why I’ve become so interested in what I call felt sense. Before an animal can make a good decision, it first has to be able to feel what is happening without becoming consumed by it. Before there is behaviour, there is experience. Before there is action, there is relationship. Every behaviour is answering a question the nervous system is asking.

A dog pushing into pressure may be searching for confidence. A dog avoiding pressure may be searching for safety. Another dog may simply be searching for clarity.

If we only change the behaviour, we’ve missed the opportunity to answer the question.

Maybe that’s why the phrase changing eyes has stayed with me for so many years. It reminds me that the most important work is almost never visible. We can all see a polished outrun, a beautiful stop, or a horse carrying itself with elegance, but those things are only the outward expression of something much deeper. The eye isn’t the achievement. It’s simply the place where the inner world quietly begins to reveal itself.

By the time a horse has changed eyes, the real work has already been done. Months, and often years, of thoughtful conversations have shaped the way that animal experiences the world. It has learned that pressure isn’t always something to fear. It has learned that responsibility doesn’t have to feel heavy. It has learned that it can stay present when the questions become difficult. The softness we see isn’t something that was trained into the face. It’s the natural expression of a mind that no longer feels the need to defend itself against every moment.

I believe our stock dogs {dogs in general} deserve the same kind of education.

The old California vaqueros weren’t just creating horses that could carry a bridle. They were developing partners that could think, search, and remain available under pressure. To me, that is the very heart of great stockmanship, whether we are sitting on a horse or walking behind a dog. The work has never been about producing beautiful movements. It has always been about developing a beautiful mind.

Perhaps that’s what we’re all searching for, whether we’re raising horses, developing stock dogs, or simply trying to become better humans. Not perfection, and certainly not the absence of pressure, but the quiet confidence that comes when we no longer have to defend ourselves against every challenge. When we can stay present, remain curious, and meet the moment for what it is.

Maybe that’s what the old California horsemen were really seeing when they spoke about a horse changing eyes. They weren’t admiring the eye at all.

They were witnessing the moment an animal became truly available and present to the experience and relationship with the moment.

06/09/2026

Another two jam-packed weekends in the books, but first, let’s rewind to Spring Fever Retreat here at Nordika Farm.

The purpose of this retreat was simple: bring together women who share a passion for stockdogs and create a space where community, learning, encouragement, and genuine connection could thrive.

Over three full days, we worked dogs multiple times a day, tackled team driving challenges, played our always-entertaining Pass the Sheep game, went on pack walks with up to 16 dogs, explored stockmanship, shared meaningful conversations, enjoyed morning yoga led by the wonderful Victoria, experienced an evening sound bath from Upcycled Soul, tried our hand at glow-stick archery, and consumed what can only be described as a heroic amount of food. Nobody left hungry, that’s for certain.

What stood out most wasn’t the dog work itself. It was the people and the transformation that happened when they were given permission to slow down and simply be present.

We had dogs of all levels attend. Some were experienced working dogs, while others were just beginning their journey of learning how to regulate their nervous systems around livestock, other dogs, and even people. Watching these dogs settle into camp life was incredibly rewarding. Dogs that may have struggled in busy environments were napping peacefully, walking respectfully in large groups, and finding moments of calm and confidence alongside their handlers.

One of the unexpected highlights of the weekend was our round pen sessions with the horses. Each participant had the opportunity to step into the pen and experience firsthand how pressure leaves our bodies and influences the animals around us. Horses have an incredible ability to mirror what we’re carrying internally. They reflect our tension, our intention, our uncertainty, and our clarity with remarkable honesty. Time and time again, participants commented on how powerful these sessions were. For many, it became a favourite part of the retreat.

That lesson sits at the heart of good stockmanship. Before we can influence sheep, dogs, or horses, we must first become aware of ourselves.

As the days unfolded, people settled into a rhythm. Most participants camped on-site, sharing continental breakfasts in the morning, lunches throughout the day, and dinners together in the evenings. There is something deeply grounding about spending your days outdoors with dogs and livestock and ending them gathered together, sharing stories, laughter, and conversations long after the work was done.

The retreat concluded with a beautiful sound bath experience. Wrapped in blankets, surrounded by friends, dogs, and the peaceful energy of the farm, many of us found ourselves reluctant to leave the space when it was over. It was one of those rare moments where time seemed to slow down, allowing everyone to simply breathe, rest, and reconnect.

For me, that is the deeper purpose behind these gatherings.

Stockmanship has always been about more than moving sheep. It teaches awareness, patience, timing, responsibility, and connection. When you combine that with good food, shared experiences, meaningful conversations, and a supportive community, something special begins to happen.

The dogs may have been what brought us all together, but the friendships, laughter, lessons, and sense of belonging are what people carried home.

My heart is full after this one. Thank you to every person who attended, helped, shared a meal, supported another participant, or trusted us with their dogs. Watching this community continue to grow into something so welcoming, supportive, and authentic is one of the greatest gifts of this journey.

And if Spring Fever was any indication of what’s possible when great dogs and great people come together, we are already counting down the days until our Fall Fiasco Retreat, October 16-18. Expect more dog work, more learning, more connection, and more opportunities to slow down and enjoy the journey alongside your canine partner.

Booking is now open through our website.

Special thank you to my beautiful daughter for your photography skills!

Here’s to more dogs, more laughter, more learning, and more opportunities to reconnect with what matters most. ❤️🐑🐕🐎🌲✨

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