Promise Pastures Herding and Training facility

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Calhoun, LA
Promise Pastures Herding and Training facility

The stock dog training facility in North LA. Training herding, agility, obedience for 30+ years A herding, training and trialing facility.

I am dedicated to the development and training of all dogs. (I do not work herding with some breeds not familiar with) The facility is equipped for all types of stock training, ranging from small pens and calm sheep to large fields and light sheep. No matter what the skill level of dog and handler, we have what you need! Ducks are also available for training/trials
We have clinicians and trials t

hroughout the year and also rent for herding trials. I also participate in agility, rally and obedience with my dogs. Message [email protected] or call/text.

08/30/2025

Double team to sort for lessons this morning.. it was not as cool as I hoped.

08/29/2025

Working some on an early morning. Rhea the kelpie and Spartan the Shetland Sheepdog.

08/09/2025

Working before putting up sheep….balancing and driving

08/04/2025

Cyndi came in this nice morning to work her two GSD..

07/25/2025

Kuawarri Rhea helping out..

07/16/2025

There are very few shortcuts that don’t cost double later—

The key to training success isn’t found in achieving the perceived next step, employing a more sophisticated technique or trying a new gimmick. A dog achieving his best, directly correlates to the quality of his foundation training and your mindset.

When trainers don’t see the progress in their dog they expect or desire, they sometimes get frustrated; their response is often to press harder, hyper focus on the specific area or force their dog….the exact opposite of what many dogs need.

We see this with young dogs or when teaching a new concept.
Specifically, handlers believing when their dog makes a mistake, it is the chance to ‘correct’, instead of recognizing, it is the chance to teach.

While everyone knows it’s not reasonable to correct for something your dog doesn’t yet understand , handlers can, inadvertently, do just that.

Whether it’s a shout, a yell, a “no”, or other correction, when a dog doesn’t yet understand a concept, doing this isn’t productive and can be detrimental.

‘Correction’ is defined as a rebuke or punishment, assumption of comprehension to know differently/better.
It doesn’t offer explanation, foster understanding and worse, it can deliver the message that trying (offering behavior), has negative consequences.

Dogs can develop an unpleasant association with the behavior that was ‘corrected’ such as:
a wrong flank direction, attempt at the shed, heading the sheep, shape of the flank, lifting off of a person, turning back, the list is endless.

It can affect overall enthusiasm, enjoyment, understanding and the willingness for a dog to want to try.
While the intent of the ‘correction’ is to speed up the learning, it can actually slow it down and cause many additional problems.

It’s ok and even productive, to let your dog be wrong when learning a new concept—
and also important he understands, it is not a big deal.
Instead of correction, employ connection; it’s a teaching opportunity.

Dogs, and trainers alike, learn from being allowed to make mistakes.
Training epiphanies are not common; the majority of the time the ‘sudden improvement’ is actually a reflection of the body of work that preceded it, which includes being wrong.

Mistakes aren’t the opposite of success, they are part of it and overcoming them helps develop confidence and mental fortitude.
Every dog learns at a different speed and the training time is dependent on the individual.

Understanding mistakes are inevitable and ultimately, pave the road to excellence empowers your bond and partnership.
macraeway.com

06/10/2025

I needed Spartan to go get sheep and goats to come in. I didn’t know where they were.

02/13/2025

Working stock is a good day.

12/10/2024

Our dogs recall quickly, shed enthusiastically, outrun eagerly, turnback positively and try harder than most, for one simple reason, they want to—
You can't force or bully a dog into wanting to try for you,
especially when conditions are hot or the task difficult; you have to earn it.
Key to this is helping him enjoy aspects of training he finds difficult; it’s an integral part of gaining trust .

Your dog recognizes situations that make him feel uncomfortable. When you help overcome that discomfort and turn it into something he enjoys,
he connects the positive feeling comes from working with you.
It elevates your connection and empowers your bond, growing confidence both in himself and you.
You’ll need to also be fair, consistent and teach in a way your dog understands.
It’s your responsibility to communicate clearly; it’s not your dog’s burden to interpret accurately.
The more unambiguous and intuitive your method, the less room for misinterpretation.
You empower your dog’s development by setting him up to succeed and this includes keeping reasonable expectations of gradual improvement.
Training should never be about ego or an agenda to compete in X trial.
Success at competition is the knock on effect of good training.

A dog’s ‘try’ is ultimately a reflection of his desire and enjoyment. There are different methods that are successful but there’s a big difference between training in a way that makes sense to your dog that he enjoys
versus only drilling or imposing your will. The latter doesn’t result in your dog giving you his heart—
You can just train or you can partner.
macraeway.com

11/25/2024

AKC ALL BREED HERDING TRIAL scheduled February 22-23, 2025, held in NORTH LOUISIANA at Promise Pastures. Courses A sheep and ducks, course B ducks, HT and PT. Judge is Kelly Fonkalsrud.
I can email a premium. [email protected]

11/18/2024

What a great weekend we had of sheep dog clinic with Joy Hall! We had BC, Aussies, Shelties, GSD, Beardies, MAS, Kelpies… all were very happy with results and how to proceed! Quality of numbers, not quantity is what is best….. great teams made a great weekend!!! Thanks to everyone that came!!

09/27/2024

UPDATE: ONE SPOT OPEN due to a cancellation.

Promise Pastures Herding and Training facility , located in Calhoun LA, is having a herding clinic (sheep) NOVEMBER 16-17, 2024, with Joy Hall. Cost is $200, which includes both days, (plus lunch, water)working at least twice per day. Limit is 12 teams. (Pm if interest)

Joy has been training border collies and Aussies for years and is an AKC and AHBA judge. Payment should be made by September 20 for a spot.

Joy Hall has been training dogs to work stock for over 37 years. She started with Catahoula and Texas Lacys, moving to Australian Cattledogs for many years. In 1999 a friend convinced Joy to give lessons, then trial her Border Collie. Before long, Joy was helping multiple herding breeds learn the intricacies of stock work.
Roux Crew students and dogs have earned over 300 titles with multiple HITs and RHITs at National Specialties like Belgian Shepherd, Belgian Tervuren, Bearded Collie, Border Collie, Cardigan Corgi, German Shepherd, Pembroke Corgi and Shetland Sheepdog. 😇 Joy won the ASCA National Finals Duck Championship with a fourth in Finals Cattle and a seventh in Finals Sheep with a three year old Aussie in the first year of competing. She has placed in the top ten in all three stocks as well as winning the coveted Texas Shootout.
Her Border Collies excel in both ranch work and trialing, working cattle, sheep, ducks and geese with ease. She won at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, and the Fort Worth Stock Show. She competes successfully at the Open level in USBCHA as well.
Her belief is that a person should never stop learning and should always strive to improve their level of competence.

Address

299 Old Mineral Springs Road
Calhoun, LA
71225

Telephone

+13186149241

Website

https://www.promisepasturesherd.com/

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