We have enjoyed raising the old time working Australian Shepherd. Our Aussie dogs have been full of old foundation Australian Shepherd working bloodline such as Hanging Tree, Slash V, 45 Ranch and others. We believe that it is this working instinct that makes Aussies the dogs they are: smart, loyal, eager to please. Our Crosshill Working Aussies have this instinct. We have been known as a reputable kennel that produces working Aussies for everyday ranch, farm, and family use.

Quality not Quantity is a term that you hear occasionally, but here are Crosshill Stockdogs it is one we adhere to. I believe a dog has to have heart and instinct and that it comes from the breeding and not training. I can always put a little better handle on a dog that is very strong, but I can’t put heart into a dog that doesn’t have it! One of my greatest pet peeves is a dog that quits before we are through. It doesn’t matter how good he starts out, it’s that heart that keeps him going until we are finished!

Our 2 boys ensure that our dogs are played with regularly as well as being the official puppy socializing team! Combined with my wife Jennifer’s’ approval, that makes Crosshill Working Aussies “kid tested’ as well as “mother approved”!

We do not get to trial much due to our regular jobs and the ranch duties on the side so please don’t fault the dogs because of our hectic schedule. Dog trials are a lot like Church… It is a great place to go, but the real measure is what happens during the other 6 days a week! These dogs work and we use them. They are specifically bred to be a cattle dog although we have used them for sheep in the past. We have sent Aussie pups to large working ranches, smaller ranchers, and family homes. These are proving to be good all around Aussies.  Since the loss of our foundation Aussie female, we will not be producing more aussie pups in the futue. I will always have a soft spot for a good working aussie but I am afraid that the same qualities that make them so popular will eventually be their ruin as they are placed more and more into non-working homes.

We guarantee the health and working instinct of our dogs and can ship via air if necessary. Please don’t hesitate to contsct us if we can answer any questions or just to talk dogs. I will be glad to provide references of people who have bought our pups in the past.

DOG TRAINING
We are glad to answer questions, work with, and help those who purchase a pup from us. I sure don’t know all the answers and don’t claim to even come close, but between us we can usually figure out how best to work with your pup and get the most out of your Crosshill Stockdog. I also start pups for the public on a very limited basis. Please contact me if you’d like to talk about this.

I do have a few thoughts on training working dogs. I have been guilty in the past of trying to command a dog too much. What I mean is I was always giving (yelling) commands while the dog was working, thinking that I obviously knew better than he did! What I noticed was that my dogs began watching me instead of watching the cattle. I’ve begun to train my dogs by doing one simple thing …. Shutting up more! I want my dogs to work from instinct, not mechanical commands. When something starts to go wrong, I just wait an extra few seconds before saying anything to see if the DOG REALIZES IT HIMSELF, and moves to correct it. That instinct is what I’m after in my dogs. Think about it! You’ll end up with better dogs. For more on this type of dog handling and low stress livestock methods in general, check out the link to Bud Williams on our Links page.