Catbird Stockdog Training

Gordon Watt Clinics & Lessons - April 16 - 21, 2026

For those that don't know Gordon, he has a pragmatic and straight forward approach to working with dogs and handlers. He has won the World Trial as well as both the Irish and English National Championships. A rare opportunity for those of us on the wrong side of the Mississippi river.

Thursday, April 16: Private Lessons

Friday/Saturday, April 17/18: Regular Clinic

Sunday, April 19: Driving Clinic
(most of us have such sucky driving flanks, I'm looking forward to this one)

Monday, April 20: Shedding Clinic

Tuesday, April 21: Private Lessons

As per her usual extraordinary self, Julie has created an online form to sign up:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVXSokiNEEI7eOxhrckcfkbnyQyljTfWz234u3_m0KoASLXA/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawPP_UBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFNbkE0QUJOTjNwT1FvZXBOc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrDUKbkwgDDfMYKaHM81FfLJYHWIMN4v4aVV8bVQp3W7Yixx2ruTeu6is-wX_aem_Q2t2DsNwR5GCJ_MWp86lbg

Catbird Farms: Gordon Watt Sign-up Thank you for your interest in signing up for a lesson and/or clinic spot with Gordon Watt. Submitting this form does not guarantee your spot. We will keep the form open for a few weeks and then do a draw if needed. We will email everyone no later than January 15, 2026 with the status of your accept...

Catbird Farms SDT is open now through midnight on Friday, July 11!

We promise the obstacles will be off the field by September 🤣

Click here for entry info: https://www.catbirdstockdogs.com/opentrial

Hello Open Handler Friends!

Here is some basic info on our 2025 Open SDT.

Dates: Sept 19-22, 2025
Entries Open: July 7-11, 2025

Updated info will be posted on our website and here as well. https://www.catbirdstockdogs.com/opentrial

Please let us know if you have any questions, we're looking forward to a fun 2025 trial year!

Due to scheduling issues we will not be offering a Pro-Nov/nursery weekend as we have in past years.

Open Sheepdog Trial Info | catbirdstockdogs We will have four one day open trials September 19-22, 2025. There will be a different course each day run on a commercial flock of Targhees. They are the same flock we have run on for the last 8 years, and have shown to be fair and fabulous, so long as they are treated well. They will be run once ...

We've put the USBCHA Judging video, a link to a quiz about the USBCHA Judging Guidelines, and a link to the Guidelines themselves on page the Catbird Stockdogs Website. A world of information and education. Give it a go... if you have the time! :)

USBCHA Judging Education | catbirdstockdogs

We had the Judging Video Clinic today!

We discussed the guidelines for a bit then went upstairs to watch and judge runs. We watched and judged a non-narrated run then watched the same run narrated by the judge on the video. Great opportunity to learn and understand. A wonderful day.

Experienced Hands and Judges!!!

If you want to do something similar and want to use runs used in the Judging Video, let me know. I can send you the pre-narrated runs as well as the runs narrated by the judges on a flash drive to use in your clinic.

Cost is $12 to cover the flash drive and shipping.

Great tools for an engaging clinic

For those of you I see on a weekly basis or every now and again, or anyone else that might be interested, I've started to consolidate a few videos on this page. We are getting a few young dogs started as well as working through some handling kinks with more established dogs. Hoping these videos help. I'll be adding more videos as we move on through the depths of winter!

Training Videos | catbirdstockdogs

We are so happy to have Lyle Lad coming over to judge our October Open trial and provide clinics and lessons the week after. Lyle has been working and training dogs for 33 years with significant success winning the Bluegrass Classic three years in a row, making the double lift championships at the 2011 World Trial, winning the 2012 Nursery National Championship and judging our National Finals twice.

We have a few working spots open for our Lyle Lad clinics and lessons in October. You can find more information and entry forms here! https://www.catbirdstockdogs.com/events

We are looking forward to seeing you!

catbirdstockdogs | Events

Tip!

Decide what you want to do, commit to it, focus on improving and you will succeed.

We are providing a sheep dog demonstration at the Northwest Pet Expo later this month.

Northwest Pet Expo | Spokane Pet Expo | Home | March 30th, 2019 Do you love pets? Then this is a must see event for you. The Northwest Pet Expo is a one-day event all about pets and fun for the whole family!

Actually not new but just formalizing something I've already been doing... Video Lessons.

Structured a bit differently, this will be a 3 - 4 hour lesson held in one morning or afternoon.

~ We'll start with handler and dog working, with Dave on the camera and keeping quiet.

~ We'll complete an in-depth review and discussion of the video and work completed.

~ Back out to the field to work through the same exercises and activities worked on previously. This time with coaching and instruction and, again, being videoed.

~ Lastly, back into video review looking for improvement and additional areas to continue working on.

You will leave with all the video work on a flash drive.

Let me know if you are interested!