Dogs are a human’s best friend. They won’t judge you for eating a tub of ice cream, they will be there for you after a breakup, and they won’t care about your poor movie choices on Netflix.
But some dogs were bred to work, and those dogs get bored just snuggling with you on the couch. High-energy dogs like Border Collies, Australian Shepherds and Cattle dogs were bred for rounding up stock.
A stock dog, also known as a herding dog, is trained to help farmers and ranchers herd and manage livestock, such as sheep or cattle, or even kids if you let them!
Scott Glen is a professional stock dog handler with more than 25 years of experience under his belt. He makes a living training stock dogs and is pretty damn good at it too. He grew up on a farm near Pincher Creek, raising cattle and ranch dogs with his family.
The New Dayton-based trainer’s passion for stock dogs was ignited when he started raising sheep.
At a sheep shearing demonstration, he was drawn toward a nearby Border Collie sheep herding demonstration. Since then, Glen has been hooked on training herders, earning more than a dozen competitive titles.
The titles include six-time USBCHA National Champion, four-time Canadian Champion, Bluegrass Champion, Solder Hollow gold and silver medalist, Meeker Champion, and a multi-year World Trial Competitor.
But Glen didn’t earn his impressive titles alone. He did it with the help of some incredible stock dogs, such as Pip, his four-year-old Border Collie.
Glen and his wife Jennifer imported Pip from Scotland as a ten-week-old pup. When the couple first saw Pip, they knew he had potential.To say Pip was born for herding wouldn’t be a stretch.
Border Collies have been bred for more than 200 years for rounding up herds. They are one of the most popular breeds of stock dogs due to their intelligence, athleticism, and obedience.
Glen and Pip recently competed at the 2023 World Sheep Dog Trials in Ireland, securing third place in the finals against 240 dogs worldwide.
“The worlds — that was probably the pinnacle of my career because no North American has made it near as far as I did this year,” Glen told Global News.
Pip is just one of the incredible stock dogs Glen has trained during his career. Alice, nicknamed “The Queen,” was his most successful stock dog. She is remembered as the most accomplished Border Collie in North America.
A few weeks after winning the 2021 Meeker Classic, Alice was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Her condition worsened quickly, and Glen decided to have her euthanized.
“Alice’s attitude was that she was 10-feet tall and bulletproof. She was a pretty honest stock dog. During her career, Alice won every major trial at least one time. At Meeker, she ran as nice a run as you’ll see. Alice always found a way to get things done. She was a good dog,” Glen told the Purina Pro Club.
“With any animal relationship, there’s some that just gel perfectly, and she was one of them for me…She was my buddy, and we understood one another, argued a little once in a while,” said Glen.
Pip has some big shoes to fill, but Glen will be there every step of the way. He has no plans for retirement and claims he is running things better now than ever.
Glen’s efforts have earned him a spot in the American Border Collie Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame, recognizing people who have made key contributions to the ABCA and its mission.
Glen has earned tens of thousands of dollars through different competitions. But nothing is more valuable than the bond he shares with his pups.
Glen will continue to compete and raise talented stock dogs like Pip and Alice. After a rigorous day of training, it’s unlikely his dogs will herd him from some well-deserved R&R in front of the TV.
