Dogs That Work
Purpose-Driven Dogs — Mush!
Skyelark counts sheep, studies the herd, and begins her Fair Isle internship as a very determined deputy dog.
A Dog With a Job
While many dogs are simply man’s best friend, other dogs have additional serious jobs. Working dogs generally have natural instincts that are carefully honed with intensive training to perform a specific task.
The AKC and dog-breed organizations categorize certain breeds into working groups that include herding, tracking, and guarding. That includes our lovely Scottish Terrier, a farm dog who can herd cattle and who, here on Fair Isle, is having her internship in tracking sheep.
Call it OJT: on-the-job training.
Counting the Herd
Skyelark Counts Sheep on Fair Isle
Glen Looks After the Herd
Skyelark’s boyfriend keeps watch.
Learning the Shape of the Herd
Working Dogs Everywhere
Many canine jobs beyond herding include service dogs, police dogs, military dogs, detection dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, bird dogs, tracking dogs, sight dogs, and herd dogs.
We love our dogs. Skyelark’s training draws on a course I created and compiled from the wisdom of professional and amateur dog whisperers alike.
War Paws
Dogs With Serious Work
Service, security, companionship, and trust in the field.
Eat. Pray. Bark.
What Makes a Good Leader?
Leadership matters in many situations. Good leaders keep the world moving smoothly. They make wonderful bosses, raise amazing children and, for our purposes today, raise and train wonderful dogs.
Read Eat Pray BarkTake My Dog-Leadership Course
The course brings together practical guidance from professional and amateur dog whisperers and turns it into a usable training path.
Take the CourseDeputy Dog Reports for Duty
On Fair Isle Today
Skyelark’s internship continues.
Watch. Track. Learn.
Skyelark in Training
The Internship Continues
Field observation becomes field practice.
From the Fair Isle Field Notes
Skyelark and the Herd
The original Instagram embed has been converted into a stable, Blogger-safe link card.
Open Instagram PostDeputy Dog on Duty
A second Fair Isle field post, preserved without the external Instagram script.
Open Instagram PostPurpose Gives Instinct a Direction
Skyelark watches. Glen guards. The sheep keep moving. On Fair Isle, the lesson is simple: the best training happens where attention meets real work.
We love our dogs. The internship continues.