Great Trial Dogs are Built with Real Work

Joni Tietjen

I have raised and trained border collies for more than three decades. My husband and I operate a large cattle ranch in north-central Wyoming, where working dogs are not simply trial dogs. I began training dogs in 1990 and started competing in sheepdog trials in the mid-1990s where I also began my life as a stockman raising cattle and sheep. My dogs are used extensively for gathering, sorting, and moving livestock before they ever step onto a trial field. 

That practical foundation shapes my training philosophy. I want dogs that can think independently while remaining highly responsive to the handler. I think it's important that dogs are allowed to keep that natural feel and be able to think rather than over-controlling them. My approach relies heavily on dogs learning to read livestock, building confidence, and using real stock work to develop instinct and judgment. 

Some of my accomplishments include:

• 2016, 2017, and 2023 USBCHA Nursery Championships (the first to capture back to back Nursery Championships)

• 2025 NCA Reserve Nursery Champion

• 2021 MSSA Ultimate Stockdog Nursery Champion

• Nursery Champion and Breeder of the Year - Central Cattle Dog Associaton

• 2018 Soldier Hollow Classic Reserve Champion - with home-raised and trained Star

• 2017 Meeker Classic Reserve Champion - with Star 

• 2023 Meeker Classic Reserve Champion - with Monster, who I raised and trained and who is by my two time nursery champion, Ben

• 2025 Meeker Classic Champion - Monster won with Jamie Spring handling

• Multiple USBCHA National Top 10 Nursery finishes

• Multiple USBCHA National Top 20 Open finishes

How I give back

I have welcomed people to the ranch to learn about dogs and handling for over 20 years, and taught occasional clinics across the country, but what I really enjoy is pairing people with the dogs I enjoy seeing them go on and do well for that person. I believe the best stockdogs are not created solely in training arenas but through years of purposeful breeding, real work, and partnership between handler and dog.

I have judged the USBCHA National Finals, the Soldier Hollow Classic, and many other large open trials. Judging a sheepdog trial effectively requires a combination of technical knowledge and instinctive feel for the livestock. A judge must be able to score how effectively the handler and dog communicate, how well the dog reads livestock pressure, and how calmly the sheep respond. It's important to me to remain consistent from the first to the last run, and to give each competitor the same amount of attention so that judging is fair. 

The Dogs I’m Proud Of

In breeding, my goal is always to combine natural stock sense with a calm temperament, biddability, and strong work ethic. I value dogs that are calm, confident, stylish, and free moving. My dogs are bred to be working dogs first because usefulness on the ranch must come before trial success. Some of the dogs I am proud to have bred and/or trained are: 

• Slash J Eve (bred and trained by me) - 2025 MSSA National Nursery Cattle Champion 

• Slash J Annie (bred by me) - 2025 MSSA National Open Cattle Champion

• Slash J Mona (bred and started by me) - 2025 Meeker Classic Reserve Champion

• HR Jess (bred and trained by me) - 2024 NCA Nursery and Open Champion and 2025 USBCHA National Nursery Cattledog Champion

• Slash J Lily (bred and trained by me) - 2025 USBCHA National Cattledog Nursery Reserve Champion

• Slash J Haze (bred and trained by me) - 2026 NCA National Cattledog Open Champion

I belong to the following associations: 

• American Border Collie Association (ABCA)

• United States Border Collie Handlers Assoctiation (USBCHA)

• National Cattledog Association (NCA)

• Mountain States Stockdog Association (MSSA)