TESTIMONIALS

Laura K. S. Shaw

My herding instructor Tanya L Wheeler put out an ONLINE HERDING website and it is thus far amazing!!!! I have just been through the first part of the Dry Land Training course and was a very easy read and great for pups.  This is excellent even if you are not going to work (herd) your dog, these are life issues every dog needs, broken down using a BALANCED training method which I support 100%! Take a look!

Barbara Moore

I have known Tanya for over fifteen years: as an employee of her goose control company, as an owner of two of her Australian Shepherds and most recently as a herding student.

Tanya has an extensive knowledge of herding both for trialing and for genuine farm work. She has a wide experience breeding and training her own dog family of Australian Shepherds and Jack Russell terriers. As a teacher, Tanya is well qualified to assist the experienced student as well as the very beginner. She extends a kind, positive and patient manner to both the dog and the handler. She sees the strengths in every dog and is able to draw on this to make every team successful. Each dog Tanya works with responds positively to her and she is able to bring out their best. I see the joy in my dog, Cheers, as she takes her turn to work with Tanya during our lessons.

Tanya is not a teacher who just tells her students what to do. She actively demonstrates and works with you in the arena so that each student feels successful and each dog is happy!

I would highly recommend Tanya as a teacher, trainer and partner on your herding journey.

Juliane Weiel

Germany

Tanya Wheeler, a very lovely and fun woman with a huge heart for humans and dogs! She has a scientific education in animal behaviours and a big big pocket full of knowledge about Herding dogs. Trialing makes her nervous, like a beginner, but she is the best teacher in the world!!! I’m training with her since 2014 and still every time there is something new for me out of her pocket. I’m into herding since 2006 and I did enter a lot of clinics with very well known Herding teachers out of the states and Europe. Meeting Tanya made me change a lot and opened up my eyes in a lot of aspects. Seeing things from the dogs view, get aware of my body language, pressure and release, building a dog up with its individual needs and not force a dog or punish when it’s not ready, see it’s natural instincts/talents…. are only a few aspects of the whole concept she teaches me. Since then I have huge problems to really like other methods of herding training. Tanya’s philosophy of training dogs and humans fits perfect to my way of teaching children at school as a teacher. I invite Tanya every year back to Germany to give herding clinics at our farm and I’m mega thankful that she still loves to come!

Jodi Ebert

USA

I’ve been to quite a few clinicians over the past 10 years, and Tanya is one  of the best.  She is able to describe what is happening, demonstrates practical exercises, and break things down for easy understanding.

Kristin Tara Horowitz

USA

The Talking Dog introduced me to a new way of looking at the practice of working with the whole dog. I’ve been banging my head against walls for two decades now – and the groundwork she provides, the honest assessment of what to expect from your dog, and the step by step instruction was invaluable for it finally getting through. I’ve had three generations of working dogs and this latest one is going to benefit SO much more thanks to the tools she’s added to my arsenal.

Sharon Peters

Canada

I have enjoyed herding with Tanya now for about 3 years. It all started with the desire to see my dog do what he was bred to do; herd. It has been through Tanya’s emphasis on the foundations of herding and her calm approach that we have gotten to where we are today. As Tanya most recently said to me “It’s starting to gel!”

One of the most impactful programs Tanya offers is her dryland training class. This class emphasizes the foundations of herding and the commands needed for working with live stock.

We are truly fortunate to have such a great caliber of instruction living in our backyard. Thank you Tanya!