Bernice is a five-year-old border collie, and her job is to tell the goats and sheep where to go, and to keep them in tight formation when they’d rather split up and wander during moves.  

Her story is kind of epic. I got her as a puppy from a ranch in Williams. Her prey and chase drives were out of this world (in a bad way) and I couldn’t keep her from biting the stock.  Lessons were difficult and I wanted to give up so many times, but it was obvious Bernice wanted to work. 

With a lot of practice and some additional behavioral training to help her relax and focus, Bernice is now a high-functioning, confident stock dog. I don’t even want to do routine chores without her help. When she is not working the stock, Bernice likes to nap on the sofa and go for long hikes.