Welcome to Wisconsin Working Stock Dog ASSOCIATION

Since its incorporation on March 17, 1983,  The Wisconsin Working Stock Dog Association (WWSDA) has grown to serve members from across the Midwest United States. Its core mission is to advance the interests of working stock dogs and those who breed, train, and partner with them in farm work, recreation, and competitions. 

Since 1986 the WWSDA has staged an annual sheepdog trial that has become one of the premier competitions in the nation. The Annual WWSDA Trial is currently held over Labor Day weekends near Hudson, Wisconsin.

The organization also puts on an annual indoor sheep and cattle herding clinic the first weekend in February, with world famous trainer Jack Knox. 

Through its member relations, bi-monthly newsletter, Facebook page and this web site, the club encourages and supports clinics, competitions of various kinds, and other activities for the advancement of stock dogs. 

SAVE THE DATE!

WWSDA MIDWEST CHAMPIONSHIP SHEEPDOG TRIAL

AUGUST 29 - SEPT 2, 2024

The trial will be held at the Badlands Recreation Area in Hudson, WI. USBCHA Sanctioned Nursery & Open will be offered. Visit our event page for more information as it becomes available.

CROOK & WHISTLE STOCKDOG TRIAL

SEPT 6-8, 2024

The trial will be held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. Head on out for family fun and watch a sheep herding trial while you’re there. You can visit our event page for more information.

New this year: Booth at Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival September 6-8. 

See the Crook and Whistle Stock Dog Trial and also venture to the Activity Hall to see the WWSDA table.

BLOG POSTS
Thunder Phobias

Isn’t it wonderful to have a dog who will respond to you when hundreds of yards away? That’s part of why we love Border Collies for sure, but also means that some of them are so sensitive to loud sounds that they become phobic.

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How To Buy Sheep
How To Buy Sheep

When considering buying sheep, one should address some fundamental questions. Some of these questions include: Why do I want sheep? What kind of sheep are desired? How many sheep are wanted? What is the budget available? Where can sheep be purchased? The remainder of this article will be devoted to answering these and other questions.

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Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship

We have all heard the expression, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” I feel the same is true about sportsmanship. Although it may seem that bad sports make more of an impression, get more attention, and are noticed more with a bad reputation of sportsmanship, what they are actually doing is drawing attention away from what the focus should be on, the dog

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Read All About It! WWSDA Midwest Championship Sheepdog Trial
Read All About It! WWSDA Midwest Championship Sheepdog Trial

Come watch the country's wisest dogs and wiliest handlers compete for the coveted Midwest Sheepdog Championship at Badlands Sno-Park outside of Hudson, WI. Bring a lawn chair and loll on a sun-drenched hillside, watching dogs and handlers compete under time pressure to move sheep through a complicated course.

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Lambing Time is Here
Lambing Time is Here

Warm sunny days and dog trials seem a world away when the Midwest has been in the throws of a polar vortex, blizzards, and freezing rain! However, we jump our clocks ahead in less than 3 weeks and the first day of spring is less than 2 weeks later. Lambing time is near and some have already started!

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Avoid Foot Rot Like The Plague

By Mike Neary, Extension Sheep Specialist: Purdue

(reprinted with permission from July/August 1993 The Working Border Collie)

Foot rot in the ewe flock is a frustrating situation. Anyone who has fought foot rot can attest to this. Seldom is the battle completely won. Foot rot always seems to win a partial victory, whether through decreased production, increased labor and medication costs, decreased ewe longevity and higher culling rates. Foot rot can be a wicked health problem in sheep or can be a mild annoyance.

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Getting Started As A Stock Dog Handler

If you are reading this, chances are you are right there at the beginning--wondering what it takes to start training and handling a stock dog.

Great! You’ve come to the right place. Not that we can tell you everything you need to know in this little article; but the Wisconsin Working Stock Dog Association has the people and the resources to help you along this road.

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Let's Work for Working Dogs

It is right for us to be proud of our “working dogs.” That word, “working” has been in the title of at least a couple good stock dogs magazines. These are not show dogs. We do not breed for beauty, but for brains.

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Volunteers Needed!
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Members Gather to Brainstorm No-Frills Trials

A group of members and friends of the Wisconsin Working Stock Dog Association met on Saturday, January 14 at John and Connie Seraphine's farm in Sycamore, Illinois, to share ideas about how to hold trials that are as free of stress and as full of fun and learning as possible.

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