A Good Dog for Jared

Black and Tan English Shepherd

In the summer of my twenty-fourth year, I earned my living by working as camp tender on a Montana sheep ranch. The great western ranges, unlike other sheep countries of the time, were devoid of sheep fence. As a result, we herded sheep every day of the year except during the winter when we kept … Read more

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Tony Bierman, "A Good Dog for Jared," OBTESA, Accessed January 11, 2025, http://esbt.us/ee.

Down By The Creek

Black and Tan English Shepherd

I turned eighteen in the spring of 1968.  That was a controversial time in our country’s history.  But my family has a long tradition of military service, so I enlisted in the U.S. Army on the very day of my majority.  I was due to ship out to basic training in early June.  By late … Read more

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Anonymous Contributor, "Down By The Creek," OBTESA, Accessed January 11, 2025, http://esbt.us/ee.

Raising Liberty

Black and Tan English Shepherd

As a pup, Liberty was put through advanced enrichment training. He and his siblings began their training as neonates, at 3 days old. Over a period of ten weeks, Liberty and his siblings were put through a detailed course that started with Early Neurological Stimulation. They were exposed to Startle Recovery Training. To Ambient Noise … Read more

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Tony Bierman, "Raising Liberty," OBTESA, Accessed January 11, 2025, http://esbt.us/ee.

Uncle Pete’s Black and Tan English Shepherd Dogs

Black and Tan English Shepherd

A year ago last January, I spent my mornings and evenings moving a herd of seventy-five yearling steers. I over-nighted the herd in my barn lot. But each morning, I would move them about a half-mile to a crimson clover pasture. Those steers would liked to have run me and my horse half to death. … Read more

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Tony Bierman, "Uncle Pete’s Black and Tan English Shepherd Dogs," OBTESA, Accessed January 11, 2025, http://esbt.us/ee.

The First Duke

Black and Tan English Shepherd

I grew up on a farm in Appalachia. We were a small community that was still isolated even when I was growing up in the seventies. I cannot imagine they ever used dog breeders there. At least not as we know them now. I recall so many dogs in the area that looked pretty much … Read more

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Anonymous Contributor, "The First Duke," OBTESA, Accessed January 11, 2025, http://esbt.us/ee.

Tribute to Abby

Black and Tan English Shepherd

Twelve years ago this past March, my husband Arlo came home with a six-week-old puppy. He had stopped off at a dairy farm in Liberty, North Carolina to make a delivery for work. There he found a litter of puppies who reminded him of the farm dogs his family had owned growing up in Tennessee. … Read more

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Anonymous Contributor, "Tribute to Abby," OBTESA, Accessed January 11, 2025, http://esbt.us/ee.

Newsletter Vol.1 Issue 2 Mailed Today

The 2021 2nd quarter full-color newsletter from the Old-fashioned Black and Tan English Shepherd Association was mailed today. If you had subscribed online, thank you for your patience. Now that I’ve done the newsletter process, I should be more efficient at it. If you mailed me a check, I held-off on cashing your check until … Read more

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Tony Bierman, "Newsletter Vol.1 Issue 2 Mailed Today," OBTESA, Accessed January 11, 2025, http://esbt.us/ee.