Sports for Pups
Arlington's dogs can find physical and mental outlets in training and sports.
In the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 90 minutes outside of Arlington, is a farm where urban dogs go to blow off some steam and round up some sheep. Susan Rhoades has been training dogs and dog-owners for years to move sheep, ducks and cattle at her 70-acre KeepStone Farm in Berryville. Many of her students drive over an hour to train with her, some for competition but most just for the fun of it. "The dogs have fun and no one gets hurt," Rhoades said. "You watch them and you can just see how happy they are when they're working. A lot of these dogs would work until they die, they love it that much." And all that work does more than spend energy. It creates a bond between owner and dog, where the dog learns to control its impulses, …
