Serendipity Stockdog School is the outgrowth of trainer Lyle East’s continuing search for a better stockdog. Lyle firmly believes that anyone who regularly works with livestock can benefit from a good stockdog serving as his or her working partner. In addition to raising and training his own working stockdogs, started and trained dogs, and occasional pups, are available for sale. While Lyle recogn
izes that working instincts and abilities are influenced more by bloodline than breed, Serendipity Stockdog School specializes in Border Collies. Lyle thinks this breed of dog is best suited to the widest variety of needs and can work with just about any level handler. However, that should be a relationship of mutual respect, not of pure dominance. To that end, Lyle spends time every day walking the dogs, developing relationships with each of the dogs and among the dogs as a group. That mile-long walk provides a perfect opportunity, twice each day, for Lyle to gain control of the dogs as well as letting the dogs burn off excess energy. They are then ready to settle down and work during their individual training session. The entire family is involved with the dogs, so Lyle can tell you if a dog responds better to men or women, or if a dog might be skittish or unpredictable around children. Lyle will not knowingly place an unpredictable dog in a home with children. Lots of visitors to the School allow the dogs to build their social skills, and learn to operate with distraction. Lyle East has been training herding dogs, mostly Border Collies, for nearly 20 years. He's placed in the top 10 at National Cattle Dog Finals in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He qualified for National Sheep Dog Finals in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
