Sheepdog Demonstrations

I can’t begin to say enough great things about the experience my family of five had today at Joyce Country Sheepdogs. We showed up in the morning after having only communicated with Joe through email so not really knowing what to expect. Right away Joe turned his 8 week old puppies loose for my kids to play with and they had an absolute blast. Joe was extremely friendly and is very passionate about what he does. We had great conversation with him about all things dog herding and owning sheep and just about anything we could think of pertaining to Ireland. We got to see a demonstration with the dogs which he explained in depth as they were moving sheep into and out of different fields and into a pen. My kids were so fascinated they even paused playing with the puppies. Shortly after, Joe took us down to see his Pygmy goats and the kids had a blast feeding them. All the while Joe kept the conversation going, fielded questions from my talkative 6 year old and was just as pleasa...

Joe is the very best host, his talk on sheep farming in the area and about the wonderful dogs he raises and trains is just as interesting and entertaining as the demonstrations he and the dogs put on for the visitors. We were treated to having 2 young pups running amongst us and demonstrations from Nell and Spot two very different Border Collies but both amazingly skillful at their jobs. Nell was a sweetheart and joined the group while feeding the orphaned lambs..... If you are in Joyce Country do not miss out on spending an hour with Joe and his Sheepdogs!!

This past week my family (9 of us) toured the southeast area of Ireland. We saw some of the most beautiful land and landmarks in the country. We also had the pleasure of visiting Joyce Country Sheepdogs. This visit was overwhelmingly the highlight of our trip. We were warmly greeted by Joe Joyce and his dog Jimmy and were quickly surrounded by the latest litter of Border Collie pups who enchanted us as only 8 week old puppies can! Joe explained to us all that goes into choosing a dog with the qualities necessary to make a good sheep dog, how he begins and progresses through the training process as well as interesting information about the sheep industry itself. His brilliant dog Spot then demonstrated sheep herding as Joe stood with us and gave commands. It was fascinating to experience. I was not prepared for such an interesting and enjoyable experience. The unsurpassed beauty of the countryside, the sound of bleating sheep, the delightful dogs, and the knowledge and kindness of...