About us - Online Sheepdog Training with Patricia & Alasdair MacRae

Our lives have been immeasurably enriched through our dogs and although our paths were very different, our mutual passion is identical, to share our knowledge and empower mutual understanding between handlers and their dogs.
Alasdair is without question the most accomplished handler in North America.
He grew up on a farm in Lochailort, Scotland and got his first dog at 8 yrs old; he did not have him trained for sheep but he trained Pal to do almost everything else, playing soccer, hide and seek and every trick imaginable. Pal was a tremendous companion and friend; their relationship gave Alasdair great insight into the complexity and extraordinary ability of Border Collies.

At eighteen, Alasdair was hired as a single shepherd. He couldn’t afford a trained or well bred dog and therefore purchased dogs that were rejected by farmers or handlers in Great Britain as difficult or untalented. It was largely because of working with these dogs that Alasdair became so gifted at training dogs to their absolute potential–adapting his style to the individual dog. The time he spent working with Kenny Brehmer at Duke of Northumberland Estates is where Alasdair learned what it meant to have a very well trained dog.

The rest, as they say, is history.
Alasdair took a job in Holland in 1985, the year after he won the Scottish National with Auld Mirk and did not compete at trials from 1985-1987. He returned home and competed on the international stage in 1990 with Bute where he was Reserve Supreme International Champion; he was again Reserve Supreme Champion with Cory in 1992.
It was on the big and difficult course at Armathwaite in 1993, with the now legendary Nan, that Alasdair won the coveted Supreme International Championship.
He was also 4th that year with the stylish and powerful Elwy Glen. Alasdair and Nan still hold the title for the highest points ever attained in over 40 years of programs of the popular, “One Man and His Dog” with an amazing 108 out of 110 points. In 1995 he came to the United States.

• In addition to winning the Supreme Championship, in the 5 years that Alasdair competed at the International, he was in the top 5 on 5 occasions.
• Alasdair is 18 time US National Champion
• Scottish National Champion
• He has won the US National with 8 different dogs and is the only handler to ever capture Champion and Reserve Champion at the same National in both Open and Nursery.
• In 2024 Alba Tweed made history~
  He is the 5th generation of our line to win the National and the only dog to ever to win the US National 4 times.
• 2025 was another record year~
  Alasdair won his 17th US National with Moss and I was Reserve National Champion with Moss’ father, Nite. The first husband and wife and/or father and son to do so.
• 2026, Alasdair won the Championship for a record,18th time

Growing up, I never had animals but always longed for a dog, and got my first puppy, Bear, in 2001.
I knew Border Collies needed a job and given I had a corporate position and less than an acre of land, I thought I’d learn agility. However, Bear had other plans. With the help of Connie Brannen I bought into a sheep working co-op and discovered trialing in 2003.
A year later I bought a sheep farm and my 2nd dog, Max. Max was exceptionally gifted and we made it to open quickly, followed not long after by Bear.
In 2008, Max finished 3rd and Bear 10th in the final of the US National; four years later Alba Cap and I won the National on the large and testing course in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Cap was the 4th generation of our line to win, great grandson of Nan and uncle to Tweed.
I’ve been incredibly blessed to have so many talented partners. Amazingly, though I didn’t know Alasdair or who he was when I got Bear and Max, they both go back to his Auld Mirk.

In March 2018, we launched MacRae Way Academy.  The Academy is a platform for learning and sharing our positive, proven method with step by step instruction. It includes 400 Videos, new ones every month, Live Zoom coaching + more designed for interactive learning. Our Courses, originally introduced in 2014, are timeless in their relevance and included in our Platinum membership. Click here to learn more about the member benefits at the Academy. 

In addition to sharing our knowledge through online training and Virtual Lessons with your Dog , we also trial across the U.S. and provide lessons, clinics and custom training at our farm in South Carolina.