Sheepdog Demonstrations at Our Farm
WE ARE NOW OPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Call us now: +353 087 8141391 or email irishworkingsheepdogs@gmail.com to make a booking.
Our farm at Ballybaught is a wonderful location to experience a taste of pastoral life. In this relaxed atmosphere, our hard working sheepdogs will leave you feeling enchanted. There is a variety of fun for friends and family! See if you can whistle and command the dogs or simply sit back, relax and enjoy as Michael and his sheepdogs do their work with the sheep.
Irish Working Sheepdogs provide the perfect way to spend a day out. Whether it's with family and friends or as part of a tour group, we guarantee an experience to remember. To enquire about our sheepdog demonstrations or training sessions at our farm, simply fill in the booking form and we'll let you know about availability and cost by return.
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Among my favorite things we did in Ireland. Highly recommend.
e Walsh
April 29, 2024This was the best experience! Our family had the best time. We felt like we were a part of Michael's family. He was so warm, welcoming and so funny! The... read more demonstration and explanation of how dogs are trained was amazing! But after the demo he spent a lot of time just chatting with us. He even made a call to a friend of his to find a place we could listen to a live session. Michael went so far beyond what we were expecting. Do not miss this experience! Thank you, Michael! PS...We found a restaurant with delicious lamb last night!
Barb Nott
May 6, 2023Excellent explanation of the working dogs and sheep herding. I have seen this before but not such detailed explanation and demonstration. The different whistles and control was truly amazing. The... read more little store to buy products was good local products.
Joanne Mc
September 30, 2025Fantastic experience. Host was very friendly and provided an excellent presentation. He allowed audience participation and even allowed us to feed a baby lamb. The drive to the location was... read more breathtaking. Highly recommend this experience.
Greg Mull
March 20, 2024 -
Roger Schiesser
April 17, 2023Très intéressant est impressionnant. Je n'attendais pas grand chose de cette attraction et j'ai été très agréablement surpris
Olivier Raoux
October 4, 2025I really enjoyed the visit to Irish Working Sheepdogs. The dogs are amazing and it’s fascinating to see them work. There was good shelter provided during the rain, and the... read more shepherd was very friendly and shared a lot of interesting insights. On top of that, there were some great local products available to buy. A wonderful and authentic experience overall.
Eduard
September 16, 2025Very good explanation and makes you laugh.
Anthony Bianco
April 20, 2024 -
The demonstration and history were fascinating, and the owners were very friendly and incredibly knowledgeable.
Jasper Cook
August 30, 2025A wonderful experience.We went from dublin and we have learned a lot about sheeps, sheepdogs and sheep keeping.Thank you, Michael, for your interesting and funny explanations!Michael was a joy... read more to learn from and to just chat with. Even got to feed a baby lamb. Can't recommend highly enough. Michael not only informed everything about sheep but also guided us to many places for a visit in wicklow and kildare.
prince philip
March 8, 2023Our "host" was fantastic, explaining everything in detail and provided and excellent demo.
Mark Dyslin
September 20, 2023Called in advance, Michael is awesome.
William Tolan
August 20, 2023 -
This is a great spot/experience and well worth a visit
Ann Murphy
September 20, 2023One of my favourite places to bring guests. Highly recommend visiting. Great for adults and children.
Hazel Tucker Fogarty
February 8, 2023This was a wonderful experience from start to finish. The dogs are clearly well-loved and cared for, and an incredible testament to their training. Michael did an excellent job of... read more explaining the training process and sheep farming to us. The sheep were beautiful and the facilities were clean and easy to find, and it started on time. He happily answered questions of all sorts and was a pleasure to learn from. I 100% recommend this experience if you are in the Dublin area and want to enjoy a sheep dog demonstration.
Nora Grenager
September 30, 2025 -
Best thing we did in Ireland.
Weston Kelsey
August 20, 2023Michael, Maggie, and Rose - what a dream team! We absolutely recommend a visit, learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the lovely company.
Irene Kopp
April 10, 2023É uma experiência quase única para se ver. Vale a experiência, crianças devem gostar bastante também. O instrutor explica bastante sobre e é atencioso. No fim fiquei com dó das ovelhas hahahaha. A... read more lojinha achei um pouco expansiva, mas há produtos bem bonitos e bons.
Daiany De Melo Marcelino Da Silva
October 7, 2025Awesome demonstration with a friendly, informative host and some very clever dogs showing off their skills and training
Ryan Casey
April 17, 2023 -
I can’t say enough about how fun this was. We were a group of four ladies and we had a private demo. Mike answered all our questions and shared his... read more life story with us. We didn’t feel rushed and just enjoyed. We loved seeing his dogs in action. One was an old hand at it and one was still learning but had tons of energy and willingness. Thank you Mike and sorry you had to wait for us as we were lost navigating!
Laurie Eccleston
November 20, 2023Michael was delightful as were his dogs! He was informative and funny and we really loved learning about just what goes into training these amazing work dogs and more insights... read more into sheep farming! Would totally recommend! He also gave us some tips on hiking around the area, etc…a super nice guy.
Amanda Heaston
October 20, 2023Such a great visit and Michael truly made the experience! His knowledge of the history of the dogs as well as the wool market in Ireland was incredibly educational. I... read more would say this is a must visit because you also get to take in some exceptional scenery along the way.
Chet Frist
September 20, 2023 -
Michael and his dogs are amazing! We called at the last minute to book a demonstration and he asked our location which was nearby and he told us to... read more come on over. He is very knowledgeable and understands his dogs and how to work with them. He recognizes a good dog that will not back down from the sheep.
Molly Howell
August 20, 2023It was a privilege to see Michael and his dogs working together; something to aspire to 💯.
Doireann Dowling
December 20, 2023Really nice and excited experience of sheep dog demonstration ??
Vedran Dzinic
January 8, 2023 -
Terrific Experience. Learned a lot about Sheep and how the dogs keep the sheep in line.
Dhruva Krishna
April 8, 202310/10 experience! Had the best time here and would absolutely recommend. A very unique thing to watch and the dogs are adorable and skilled
Thiiugvdd Ghfhd
April 8, 2023Micheal was awesome! He really broke down what he looks for in a successful working dog, and why those traits were important. He was super knowledgeable and very friendly to... read more chat with. He gave us some good tips on what to check out near by as well. Very cool to see the demonstration in action as well!
Allison Hay
November 20, 2023 -
It was fantastic show. Gives lots of information. Highly recommend going to see
Erin Loveday
September 20, 2023Very fun experience learning about the how the Border Collies are trained and used. The gentleman gave us a great entertaining history of the farms , sheep , wool,... read more etc. I also got to hold and feed a baby goat! Highly recommend!
A Mull
March 20, 2024Fantastic experience, impressive to see the intelligence and discipline of a working dog?☘️
Borislav Vujaklija
April 24, 2023One of my favorites from our visit to Ireland! Really interesting to see and learn more about! Super friendly farmer and dogs!
Cynthia Sia
April 10, 2023 -
Had the best time watching the dogs, listening to Michael, and seeing the sheep. Becoming best friends with world renowned sheep herder, Dennis, was also a highlight. Highly recommend!
Erin Jackson
May 13, 2024We had an amazing time at the Irish Working Sheepdog demonstration this week! Michael was funny, informative and answered any questions we had. After describing what and how... read more the dogs are trained to do, we were able to watch Maggie bring in the sheep. Then, a younger dog was put through her paces with the sheep as well. So amazing! Lisa was wonderful to work with prior to our visit and payment was only due at the end of the demonstration. Thank you again for a wonderful visit to your beautiful farm!
Diane Bartal
October 20, 2023Michael is a wonderful, charming story teller. His adorable dogs are hard workers who love their job. Kids and adults enjoyed.
Peter K
September 20, 2023If there is one thing I can ABSOLUTELY recommend to do while in Ireland, it is to watch these working dogs! Michael was so hospitable and welcoming, considerate and overall... read more very entertaining the entire time we were there. From the moment he noticed we had small children, he switched dogs (just out of precautions, he knows his animals) he informed us of his background, gave us a wonderful lesson on the history of working dogs, taught us so much about sheep, the every day life of a sheep farmer, taught us plenty of basic tactics his dogs learned, and the demonstration was fantastic. He let us interact with fresh lambs he had on the farm, with his pups, if I could’ve taken one home I would have! Please give Michael a call, it’s an amazing opportunity to learn about an important aspect of the Irish community, and we will absolutely visit him again when we get the chance!
Daniela Tucker
April 22, 2024
Our Training Courses
At Irish Working Sheepdogs, we recognise the importance of the bond between a dog and it's owner. That is why we offer lessons to sheepdog owners in how to train your sheepdog. Michael provides a simple, step-by-step lesson plan to help you gain the knowledge and skills to train your sheepdog. Simply contact us using the button below for details of how to get your herding career underway.