How To Make Your Herding Dog Feel More Like Family!- Part I

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August 5, 2025 • 65 mins

‪@YFDPodcast‬ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@YFDPodcast

Herding dogs- they're gorgeous, energetic, loyal, and scary smart. We all love them, and many of us love the idea of having one of these beautiful, faithful dogs by our side. But are they really the right dog for every family?

Emily Priestley is the founder of Wild at Heart Dog Training, where she specializes in helping people successfully manage herding dogs in pet homes. She came on the show today to share her expertise. Join us as we chat about both the very real challenges and the very real joys of sharing a life with herding dogs.

Guest Biography

In 2021, Emily Priestley left a long shelter career to focus on helping dogs whose guardians are at the end of their rope—especially those facing fear, aggression, reactivity, and herding breed challenges like compulsive disorders. She specializes in working with herding breed dogs struggling in pet homes. If you’re dealing with a reactive border collie, Australian Cattle Dog, Aussie, or another herding dog, she can help.

Emily offers virtual group classes for reactivity, fear, aggression, and other issues that interfere with daily life. She also provides webinars designed for both trainers and pet guardians.

She holds the following certifications and credentials:

CTC from The Academy for Dog Trainers
Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant (CDBC) through the IAABC
Certified Cat Behaviour Consultant (CCBC) through the IAABC
Certified in Shelter Dog Behaviour (CSB-D) through the IAABC
Completed Julie Naismith’s Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer Program
Certified Death Doula, specializing in pet loss
Former member of the BC SPCA’s AnimalKind program (2021–2023)

During her career with the BC SPCA, Emily personally handled over 2,000 dogs. With experience across many breeds and behaviour issues, she has worked with dogs needing serious intervention. There’s nothing she hasn’t seen.

Emily lives on the west coast of British Columbia with her Australian Cattle Dog, Mozzie, and her three working line border collies—Griff, Mitch, and Stormi. She works with clients across North America, Mexico, the UK, and beyond. She is a regular webinar presenter, hosts the Wild at Heart Podcast, and co-hosts Conversations From Under the Bus with Jean Donaldson, Kristi Benson, and Lisa Skavienski, available on YouTube and through The Academy for Dog Trainers on Facebook.

Resources:

Wild at Heart Dog Training

Urban Sheepdog by Emily Priestley

YFD 171: Breed Matters

Time Stamps -

0:00 Introduction

1:00 Introducing Emily

2:00 Emily's History

5:19 How these dogs often struggle

7:19 All roads lead to mouthing

11:48 Adolescence

17:48 Before you bring a herding breed into your family