Highland crofters have turned to online lessons to keep their working dogs well-trained.
Lewis sheepdog handlers Kathleen Thomson and Sine Nicolson had previously travelled to the mainland for training sessions at Braehillor Sheepdog Handler Training Centre in Dunbeath, Caithness, delivered by Jasmine Grant.
But with restrictions imposed on travel and in-person training, the pair are now accessing sessions online.
Mrs Grant – who has a degree in education and more than 40 years of experience in the field – explained the benefits of going digital.
She said: “There is no need for lengthy journeys to access training, and that reduces the time needed for many folk who have busy lifestyles.
“I have developed different levels of training courses to ensure that there is one for all abilities – from eight-week-old puppy to fully trained sheepdog”.
Through a mixture of online meetings and the use of video clips and diagrams, she is now able to guide her student handlers through important steps.
Ms Thomson, a full time crofter and mum from the village of South Galson, began training her own dogs 10 years ago before attending classes with Mrs Grant.
She said: “The support and guidance from Jasmine is crucial to it all coming together and you also learn from others and vice versa in your training group.”
Fellow part-time crofter, paramedic and dog trainer Ms Nicolson, from Sheshader, Point, has been around working dogs all her life.
She added: “My dog can be quite sharp so I found this great for us.”
