Archive for the ‘Dogs’ Category

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Sep 2nd, 10 / 0 Comments

I’m getting smarter in my old age.  That’s a fact that would probably surprise a few people, but it’s true.  I think I’ve finally learned that sometimes it’s just better not to force the issue.  Especially when training dogs.  Or trying to.  Last night was not a stellar evening of working dogs.  First there was the hour rain delay.  Then the swarms of biting insects brought about by the rain.  Then the lackluster performance of the dogs.

I worked Quinn first, moving him into the big arena to practice controlling the stock in a more open space.  I had him dragging the long line to prevent any train wrecks.  It was going somewhat okay so I took him off lead.  That’s when it pretty much went to hell in a hand-cart.  He did his usual pushing the sheep until they took off and then going to bring them back.  I guess driving them around the arena at a nice, steady walk is just way too boring for him.  Back on the lead he went and we worked on some get back to a flank.  Go bye is good.  Away to me has literally gone away.  I could not get him to away to me at any point.  So I decided next time I work him it will be back into the round pen to remind him there is more to life than go bye.  If I still don’t get a decent away to me then I need to look at physical issues and get him to the chiro to see if something is out of whack.  The boy definitely needs more miles and a lot of steady, consistent work to calm him down.  And I need to develop a method of halting his head hunting without taking away his ability to go to head if needed. 

Rowan got the next working spot.  She’s always been a girl that prefers practical work to training and last night was no exception.  Of course, I didn’t realize Roach was in the group of sheep we were going to work.  My mind was elsewhere.  I opened the take pen gate and was going to work it Jerry Rowe style.  That means sending her toward the gate hinge, having her down, moving her to the next corner, down, to the next corner, down, by which time the stock have moved quietly out of the pen and are standing a little way off, a quiet walk up while I close the gate and she holds the stock off me at a distance.  Works great when it works.  Works great when you don’t have a sheep and a dog with their very own agenda, that being a cage match.

Roach was at the back of the pen when Rowan got to the gate hinge.  When Row got to the second corner I saw her expression change a millisecond before she launched herself at the ewe that had come around the other sheep and challenged her.  I spent the next several minutes, or maybe only seconds, refereeing the match until I could get the two of them to back off each other and sorted Roach into the middle pen.

All right, fight over, let’s move on and get some work done.

After several attempts at trying to get Rowan to focus and drive the sheep, or focus and do anything, I decided it wasn’t a good night to practice.  We did a successful re-pen and quit.

It’s always after a session like this that I second guess myself.  I get to feeling I have no clue what I’m doing beyond confusing the hell out of my dogs and, occasionally, beating a dead horse.  Now look back a few paragraphs where I wrote, "My mind was elsewhere."  I’ve touched on this before in my writings, being in the right frame of mind when training.  This past weekend at the Jerry Rowe clinic we also discussed it.  How very important it is to have a clear mental image of what you’re doing or asking so that it matches what comes out of your mouth.  If you’re thinking about the events of the day, things you have to do, things you’re worried about, you won’t be giving 100% to your dog.  The mental distraction comes across loud and clear.  And if you’re not giving them 100% how can you expect 100% in return?

Dogs

Jerry Rowe Clinic Part 1

Aug 30th, 10 / 0 Comments

First off, if you ever get the chance to go to one of Jerry’s clinics or attend one of the camps he and Sharon host at their farm, do it.  Not only are Jerry and Sharon the salt of the earth but they put on an awesome clinic.  I admit to having some reservations going in to the clinic as I know Jerry starts with driving and works with a line.  I’m not big on working dogs on lines but I was missing the one final piece to the Quinn puzzle so I was willing to be open minded and give it a try. 

Each day began with Jerry showing us one of his videos and talking a bit about theory so that we all knew where he was coming from.  He readily admits to doing things a bit differently than most trainers but I like different so it was okay with me.  We talked a lot about prey drive and a predator’s ability to turn it off and on.  A large portion of discussion Friday morning was not only on prey drive but the bubble (flight zone) and how sheep react when a predator enters that bubble.  How the weak ones will roll to the back leaving the leader exposed until the leader will eventually leave, taking the rest of the group with it.  Once you can control the leader you can control the group.  And controlling the stock from a distance is what it was all about, teaching our dogs to control the stock from a distance instead of chasing them with their noses up their backsides.  I should mention that going into this your dog needs a reliable down and a recall.  Jerry talked a lot about respect and not allowing your dog to lead you to “the hunt” which means your dog should walk beside or behind you to the pen, lie down at the gate, allow you to go in first, lie down inside while you chain the gate.

We had a range of dogs in the clinic, most barely started, one or two ready to work on driving.  Day one the dogs all started out on the long line.  Jerry had sorted sheep before I could get out there and a group of five yearlings had volunteered.  I was a little worried.  My yearlings on their own can be a wee bit flighty.  But because we were working the edge of their bubble it not only trained the dogs but my yearlings as well and kept them calm and honest.  We asked our dogs to walk up and paid attention to them because, without exception, every one would signal in some manner when they reached the edge of the bubble.  Usually it was by lowering their head, sniffing the ground, averting their eyes, acting as if they were suddenly disinterested in the stock.  It was here we had them lie down, still on the edge of the bubble, then called them back off.  A couple times and the next step was to walk them into the bubble, positioning them to get the sheep moving, guiding them with the line so they could learn what it was we wanted.

Right about here I know a lot of you are thinking, “sure, if you tug the dog around on a line they’ll do what you want but how much are they really learning?”  From my experience over the course of the weekend…loads.  And so did their handlers.

We were working on the three “R’s” (release – reposition – reapply) and learning how to work the edge of the bubble to move the stock from corner to corner to corner.  Even the rowdiest, most enthusiastic dog started to get it.  Quinn, who’s modus operandi is walk up, hit the bubble, burst the bubble and go head-hunting, became a new dog without me having to chase him down and fight him off.  Because I could show him, on line, exactly what he needed to do.  It was amazing.  With him I was able to drop the line the first day and just grab it up when I needed it.  I also was told he is “passive dominant” in the sense that he doesn’t push on me until I push on him and then it becomes a battle.  And oh, have we had the battles!  But when I “showed” him what I wanted, instead of forcing him into doing it by chasing him down, yelling, banging the boogie bottle, I got a much better response.

There is way too much that went on over the course of the weekend to cram into one post so I’ll try for more during the week as time allows.  My personal highlight of the weekend had to do with switching on and off a dog’s prey drive and how that could affect the stock.  Jerry had told us how a dog (or in the wild, a predator) could actually bring prey closer in by turning off its prey drive.  He gave us a demo of this with his dog Jim.  He was working a group of mainly yearlings with one of tougher ewes known as Mother (and not for her motherly tendencies).  Jim had walked up on the group and Jerry stopped him and just had him stand there.  In a little while Mother, leader of the group, began coming toward Jim until she was standing right in front of him.  She got even closer and nuzzled Jim’s ear.  Then Jerry, very quietly, told Jim to “watch ‘em”.  For those of us observing this Jim gave no external cue there had been a change in his demeanor but Mother suddenly backed off a few steps, head up, and stomped a hoof at Jim.  He continued to just stand there and she moved off.  Sunday morning I was working Quinn on a group that included Marge, one of my stickier ewes.  I got myself out of position and she came to me so I called Quinn up to move her off.  He did so nicely and stopped several feet in front of me where I told him to lie down.  That’s when I thought I’d try playing with the prey drive so I just stood there, behind Quinn, who just laid there, paws crossed.  Marge walked slowly up to him, bent her head down to sniff him and Quinn continued to lay there.  “Watch ‘em” I told him.  And suddenly, even though he hadn’t moved or changed his expression, Marge jerked her head up, backed away a few steps, then turned and left with the group.  All the while Quinn remained right where he was.

I’ve always known that dogs can release pressure on stock by looking away from them but this had bumped it up a notch.  And to see it in my own dog, a dog who thinks putting pressure on stock is almost as much fun as catching them when they split, was simply amazing.

Dogs

Coming Together

Aug 25th, 10 / 0 Comments

  "It’s all starting to come together."

     That’s what a friend told me this past weekend after the Outback trial was complete.  She was referring to the fact that, all things considered, my hard work is starting to pay off and I had a fairly successful weekend with the dogs.  Okay, so things weren’t as smooth as I would have liked and Quinn showed me that what he really needs is more miles and more time, still we managed to finish four titles and get a few extra legs as well.  And a week or so prior to the trial it occurred to me it’s only when I have a trial coming up that I train with regularity and frequency.  That’s going to change.

     My weekend started early Friday morning with the Ranch Trial at the Smallidge Farm.  I had been sitting on the fence in regards to entering Quinn for two reasons.  First, he hadn’t really seen or worked cattle for a year.  Second, he tends to get a bit rowdy on them.  But I knew his pen work and sorting would be rock solid and I figured, if nothing else, it would get him on cattle again before the arena trial so I went ahead and did it.  Amazingly enough Quinn qualified and earned his RTDc.  His pen work and sorting saved him because his pasture work was not pretty.  The only positive I could get from it was that I could call him off and he did lie down several times when asked.

     One of the great things about going to trials is seeing folks I generally only see at trials.  They’re a great bunch of people.  The camaraderie, companionship and good times just can’t be beat.  When Saturday dawned bright and early with me feeling not so bright, that group of folks mothered and coddled me through my runs when my stomach was roiling and my head was so far out of the game I’m surprised I managed what I did.  I’m not sure what bug bit me but it bit hard.  Still Rowan finished both her open cattle (even though I gave her the wrong command more than once) and her started duck titles.  I’m not fond of ducks, neither is Rowan.  Saturday’s run started with me trying to work her from the advanced handler’s line until I realized we were still in started and I could help her.  Wow.  Poor, Row.  Quinn finished his started sheep title, finally, but it was rodeo time on the cattle, consistently going to head and not listening so I ended that run.

     Sunday I was feeling more my normal self so took the chance and bumped both dogs up to the next level.  I knew Row was more than ready for open ducks, wasn’t so sure about advanced cattle.  Quinn wasn’t quite ready for open sheep but he still came relatively close to a leg even with me having to cross the handler’s line.  Rowan earned an open sheep leg by the skin of her teeth on some difficult stock.  They were over-all pretty good sheep but if they got the opportunity to get close to you it was hard to convince them to leave again.  Rowan doesn’t have a lot of patience and also needs work on her walk-up because she only has one speed and is a bit pushy.  We’ll work on that before the Rock River trial here in September.  IMG_6231She absolutely rocked on her open duck run once I told her to lie down, pointed at the two legged balls of feathers and proclaimed "ducks" in a very loud tone.  Until that point she was actually looking around the arena for something worthy of her attention.  Her open duck score was a 106.  That’s going to be hard for her to beat.

     As is the way with most weekends it went far too quickly.  Hugs all the way around and everyone headed back onto the road for home.  Some of them I’ll see again in September, some probably not until next year.  Although for the first time I truly believe Rowan can WATCH and I’m stoked to accomplish that either this year or early next.  We’ll see how it goes.  I do know that training can’t only happen during "crunch time".  To get my dogs to the level I want is going to take some re-focusing of energy and sometimes a rearrangement of my schedule but in the end it will all be worth it.

Dogs

Talk to the Animals — Round Two

Aug 8th, 10 / 1 Comment

I went to see Stacy Krafczyk at Dawgs in Motion again.  This time I took Rowan along to see what, if anything, she had to say.  Once again it was a very interesting experience.  This time, more so than last, it was also very emotional.

After greeting Stacy and allowing Rowan to sniff around a bit (she was apparently “talking” as soon as we walked in) I gave Stacy my first name and Rowan’s name, in effect giving her permission to talk with us.  Rowan immediately turned from her investigations of the room, walked over to Stacy, bumped her in the leg with her nose and stared at her.  Stacy looked at me and said, “You don’t work her as much anymore.”  To say I was taken aback would have been an understatement.  The statement was very accurate.  I have gradually been using Quinn more and more to do chores and sort sheep for lessons and some nights haven’t worked Row at all.  Apparently, that hasn’t sat well with her.  I explained to Stacy that Rowan hadn’t been feeling well, she had a bout of vaginitis and wasn’t herself so I had given her a break.  One of the questions I had for her was whether or not Rowan was feeling well now, if anything was bothering her.  Apparently all is good except for an ache in the shoulder area and possibly around the hips.

Next Stacy just sat and listened to Row, telling me what she was feeling/saying.  She told me Row feels she is the matriarch of the household and asked if that was the case.  I told her no, Lace was still with us.  She told me what, in my heart I know and what, with my eyes I have been seeing, the old matriarch is failing.  Rowan senses that and sees herself filling that spot, has already done so.  And so Stacy talked to Lace, described her as a very regal girl.  As a dog who was very smart and independent and who had been, in her day, my partner in crime.  She said Lace has had a very good life and shares a very strong bond with me that may make it hard for her to let go.  She did not get the sense Lace would last the year, that she will leave us in the fall.  I want Lace to prove her wrong, of course I do, how could I not.  But that’s my heart talking.  In my head I have been preparing for months for the inevitable.

We moved on then.  Rowan feels she spends too much time in her crate.  “Oh?”  I looked pointedly at Rowan and asked her, “Whose fault is that?”

“How so?” Stacy asked.

I explained how Rowan would refuse to go in the kennel yard with Shaine, that she would rather run back to the garage and stand by her crate.  Apparently Rowan isn’t all that fond of Shaine.  She finds Shaine to be bossy and doesn’t feel they have a lot in common.  She’ll play with her but would rather play with the boys.  Although she wants me to neuter all the boys.  She said it would be easier for her to keep them in line if they were neutered and it is her job to be the enforcer.  Of the boys she likes Quinn the best.

When Stacy paused in talking to Row to talk to Shaine she mentioned Shaine feels she is above someone, there is a younger dog that comes in and out that she is “over”.  A dog of very similar energy.  Stacy thought perhaps we had lost a puppy or young dog and it was a spirit.  I mentioned Tija’s dog Krave, Shaine’s “twin”.  Stacy relayed something to me from Shaine that Krave had told her.  I asked Tija about it and it turns out she was spot on.  Not that I need too much convincing of Stacy’s credibility, but that certainly cemented things.

At the end of the sessions Stacy asks if there are any other questions.  I really had none.  I had already asked how Row was feeling and let her know how proud I am of her, how important she has become to me.  So I went for the superficial and asked her if she could please do well at the upcoming stock trial and please listen to me.  “She has it aced,” Stacy relayed.  “She’s going to win.  But you have to listen to her as well.”  And, just as important, Stacy relayed a similar message as one found in a book I’ve recently read and had my students read as well.  When we’re trialing, or even just training, what comes out of our mouth must match the image in our minds.  When it doesn’t, that’s when things don’t work out.  We can’t be thinking about things outside of ourselves, outside of what we’re doing, outside of the moment.  We have to be immersed in that moment with our dog.  When I think about the training sessions that have gone well, the trial runs that were smooth, last year’s ranch trial with Row, the one similarity is that I was in that moment.  I wasn’t worried about something going on later that day or that week or that year.  Wasn’t thinking about work, things I had to get done or things beyond my control.  I was thinking about the run, the training, seeing in my mind how it had to go and those were always the best times.  I have to try and do more of that.

Oh, and as a parting shot Stacy told me I was being tattled on.  Someone was telling her I hadn’t listened.  That I was supposed to slow down, perhaps, and hadn’t?  I told her when she had seen Quinn I had asked why he’s always barking at me and the answer had been he was trying to “get me out of my head”.  I have tried.  But he’s probably right.  Life makes it hard to get out of your own head sometimes, but I sure am going to give it more of a shot than I have been.

Dogs

When I Grow Old

Aug 6th, 10 / 0 Comments

As I was watching Lace eat her breakfast yesterday afternoon (she keeps her own schedule) I realized she is the kind of old lady I want to be if I ever reach the equivalent of her years. Oh sure, she’s slowed down some. Even more so over the past several months, I think. But overall she is in excellent health. She’s a little stiff after a long sleep but then I’m a little stiff in the morning as well. She is aging gracefully but not giving in to the years at all. Don’t tell her at fifteen years, 7 months old she can’t run across the yard or jump up into the air. You’ll never convince her. Just as I can’t convince her she doesn’t need to drive the sheep into the field when she joins me to open gates. They’d go with or without her persuasion but that doesn’t stop her from doing it anyhow. And I don’t stop her either.

I want to be her some day. I want to be the unstoppable old lady, independent, stubborn, still loving life and doing what she has always done. Not complaining. Not giving in to time’s steady progression. Maybe she does things a little slower, sleeps a little more, forgets where she’s going on her walk. Doesn’t matter. It’s all about the moment.

And I cherish every one of those moments. This past year I’ve had many friends lose their old and not so old dogs. My heart aches for them. As I hug Lace and plant a kiss the side of her graying muzzle, I feel unbelievably blessed that she is still with us. I don’t know what I’ve ever done to deserve her.

Dogs

Still Counting….

Jul 27th, 10 / 0 Comments

A little over three weeks to the Outback Trial.  Our first trial this year.  Wow, hard to believe.  But I guess that’s what happens when life interferes with dog activities.  In true Aussie fashion I think Rowan and Quinn knew exactly when I sent my entries in as that day Row started acting like she wasn’t feeling well and Quinn turned into a royal shit during training.  I’m happy to say, however, that things have swung around a little.  A trip to the vet for Row revealed nothing more than a bad case of vaginitis and Quinn, after a few less than stellar training sessions, Sunday morning gave me back the dog I love to work.  One outcome of Row not being herself for a few days was the real need to have another dog capable of helping with chores.  And where I have been using Quinn on occasion to sort the lambs out he’s never had to bring all 47 or so ewes, yearlings and lambs in from the field.  I have to remind myself that Row wasn’t all that brilliant at it when I first started using her but the regular work, the actual job, really turned her around.  So last night it was Quinn’s first shot at filling his 1/2 sister’s very large paw prints.

As we were heading down the alleyway around the arena I could see him taking notice of the sheep in the field and starting to get that “gonna take off” look on his face so I downed him and kept walking.  Almost to the corner of the arena I had him walk up to join me, then downed him again as I made my way along the top side to the open gate.  My plan was simple.  Since the flock was on top of the hill, maybe 50′ or so from the gate, I was going to down Quinn in the opening, set myself up between him and the sheep and send him on a go bye.  The first half of that worked just fine.  The go bye part, not so much.  He went away to me despite my best efforts to block him, sent the sheep back out into the field and split them before I could get him to down.  I always like to try and find at least one positive and in this instance I had two.  Away to me would have made more sense than go bye as the clockwise flank would have trapped the sheep behind the gate.  Duh.  And even though he split the stock there was no pulling of hair or attempts at fly-bye bites.  And I guess a third, he did lie down.

Okay.  Deep breath.  I now had one group of sheep behind me, close to the gate, and a larger group out in the field with Quinn in between them.  No problem.  Step into him, tell him to look back and send him to get the group in the field.  That was my plan.  Quinn’s plan?  Blow past me, get the smaller group, take them out to re-join the larger group in the field and bring them all back through the gate.  Again, it worked.  And again, he took my down instead of pursuing them at a high rate of speed down the alleyway.  I don’t recall Rowan’s first attempt at this part of the job but Quinn’s wasn’t any worse, I’m sure.  Back in the pens Quinn was calm, only arguing with one ewe who more or less started it, and handling the lambs like a true gentleman.

He was so good I decided I’d give him another job.  I had kicked the lambs into the arena for their grain but hadn’t put it out yet so they had all drifted down to the far end to nibble grass.  Quinn came along with me as I filled the feed troughs.  I hoped the lambs would notice the grain being put out and wander down but they didn’t so we started down to the far end of the arena to push them back up so they’d eat their grain.  As before, I had a plan that differed somewhat from Quinn’s.  I planned on skirting the center pen on the B course side and sending him on a go bye toward the second panel (B course) where the lambs had congregated.  Before we got to the center pen, however, Quinn went away to me, flipped it into a go bye, spun the lambs around and everyone tore off toward the other end.  Right direction.  Wrong speed.  In my quest for positives:  all of the lambs were sensible, meaning no one tried to go through a fence, and Quinn was actually well off them just extraordinarily fast.  Everyone stopped at the far end around the feed troughs without landing in or tipping over any of them and Quinn came trotting happily back when I told him that’ll do.  I told him a few other things as well as we left the lambs to their dinner.

So I remain positive and hopeful that the trial will go well.  The weather has been more cooperative as we enter crunch time.  The one thing I need to keep in mind as we draw closer to the trial is that I’m doing this because I enjoy it and I have fun.  If I lose sight of that then I may as well stay home.

Dogs

Quinn at Work

Jul 11th, 10 / 1 Comment

I tried repeatedly to post this to Facebook but it wouldn’t work so I decided I’d just put it here.  This is a video clip of Quinn and I working this morning.  It’s far from perfect but if you are one of the folks who has seen him over the past year or so you’ll know what a giant step this is.  For him to listen to me and work off this flighty a group is awesome progress.  We still have a ways to go but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a train.  Which even at the beginning of this year, this would have been.  He had been super reactive around stock this light.  Oh heck, even heavy stock.  Wouldn’t lie down, wouldn’t back off, just charged in and made a mess.   We did have one sticky, older ewe in at the beginning which I sorted off.   I actually like working Quinn again.  :-)   Please let me know if you can’t view the video.  Thanks, Sue, for filming.

Dogs

The Count Goes On…

Jun 27th, 10 / 0 Comments

With the radar looking like this:

And the sky looking like this:

The normal Sunday morning gathering of the SBSDC and guests was canceled for fear of being stormed on.  Since there wasn’t even a rumble of thunder yet I decided to beat the storms and get in some work with Rowan and Quinn as the countdown to August goes on.  As I’m writing this I think the blob of orange has arrived.  Quite a bit of noise and a heavy downpour.

But, prior to the unleashing of Mother Nature’s temper, I did manage to work both dogs.  Rowan is always first since she has to bring the ewes in and do the sorting.  I had planned on working her in the arena today so we needed to move the lambs into one of the take pens.  They were all hanging out by the first panel (course B) which gave me the opportunity to practice Row’s outruns and gathers from a distance.  I downed her behind the center pen and sent her from my side on an away.  She was a little flat so I downed her part way there and tried sending her again.  She did a better job of it, got behind the lambs, scooted them out of the corner and headed them down the fence line.  Things were going relatively well.  Rowan wasn’t being over pushy, the lambs were being fairly calm, I had the gate propped open and it was looking like a slam dunk.  Isn’t it amazing how things are not always as they appear?

The lambs decided they didn’t see the open gate.  That or perhaps they decided it was some big, evil, lamb-eating trap.  In either case they veered past the opening at the last minute and started to break toward the far end of the arena.  Here’s where a dog who’s decided she’s all about driving has a problem.  Instead of flanking out to their heads to stop the sassy buggers, Row dropped in behind them and proceeded to drive them away.  Yes, I was telling her what I’d rather she do but she was dead set on doing things her way.  Hmmm….doesn’t that sound like her mother.

Okay.  Down the dog.  Let the lambs settle.  Try the whole thing again.  This time as we got near the pen I strategically downed Row and moved in on the lambs myself.  We gradually pushed them closer and closer.  Row walking up when I asked, downing nicely, walking up, downing, staying down as the lambs squeezed past and scampered once more toward the far end of the arena.  Never say dogs aren’t smart arses.  Rowan’s expression clearly said, “Hey, last time they started to go I did what I thought I was supposed to and you yelled at me.  Go get ‘em your own self.”

Take three.  Now Row was getting a bit sick and tired of the whole game and her outrun was less than inspiring.  I decided I’d change tactics and just have her move the lambs around a bit.  They need dog breaking and Row needed something else to do.  That tactic proved to be a lot more successful for both of us.

Once we were done we brought in the ewes and yearlings, sorted a group into a pen for Quinn and Rowan called it a day.  I put Quinn in a down in the alley off the take pens, swung the pen gate open, backed into my sheep and asked him to walk up.  That part he has good.  A nice, steady walk, watching the stock, balancing.  I downed him and asked him to get back.  This, of course, is what we’re working on.  Release the pressure on the stock and get off my pressure.  I had to give him a few reminders and step into him, but I was using mainly a regular stick, voice, and body so for him that was a good bit of work.

Then I had him walk into the pen and down, swung the gate in on us and had him walk up to push the sheep into the small arena.  All very nicely done and a good down outside the gate as I got it chained.  Then it was more work on moving back and away before approaching the sheep.  His down was less than stellar so I needed to remind him a few times, but the rest of it was not bad.  I had to use the cattle paddle but by the end of the session probably could have switched back to a normal stick.  We did a few walk ups with my back to him and dropping him as he got beside me and the sheep moved on.  A little bit of flanking and a short walk.  It was a tad slick and I couldn’t get to him quick enough to get him to square up so I had him do a nice repen and called it a morning.

With thunder rumbling in the distance I called it a day.  Here’s hoping the weather cooperates this week and I get in some steadier work.

Dogs

Countdown….

Jun 22nd, 10 / 0 Comments

It occurred to me today there are roughly 50 some days until the Outback trial.  No big deal except I *really* intended on trialing Rowan and possibly Quinn and, well, regular work has not been happening.  So I began today.  Of course, it had to be super hot and humid, my least favorite type of weather.  And then there were the horseflies that have decided I taste much like horse.  Or they’re deer flies.  In either case, I’m not a horse or a deer.

I do have to say that things started out super awesome.  It was the kind of moment I regret having no one there to see and not having on video.  The ewes were in the far pasture so Rowan and I headed up the alleyway around the arena to bring them in.  This has been a near nightly job for Row, bringing in either the ewes or the lambs and putting the opposite group out.  I usually don’t have a stick with me but tonight I had grabbed one and brought it along, intending on working on her outrun and fetch.  Usually a close in, slight split, look back, hey slow down! sort of outrun and fetch.  Tonight, however, was a thing of beauty.  Row started out-pacing me before we reached the end of the arena.  I let her go thinking she’d do her usual trot out into the field then turn and look for me.  The ewes were all the way across the far end of the field so a good 250  feet or more away.  Rowan turned through the gate and hugged the arena fence line until she got almost even with the ewes, then headed out on a way to me.  I never said a word, just watched from the gate to see what she would do.  This kind of distance for her is not normal.  I could see two ewes hanging back but because of how tall the grass is wasn’t sure Row saw them.  The rest of the group started moving and I was about to yell to Row to look back but she kicked out around the stragglers and 28 sheep were heading steadily toward me.  Now usually this is done at a high rate of speed with me yelling to Row to steady up.  As she turned and settled in behind the ewes I held my stick up and Row immediately slowed.  The sheep pushed past me and down the alley and Row walked up looking very pleased with herself.

And well she should have been.  I know I was.  After that, she decided it was too hot and humid to do training.  Not her favorite thing anyhow.  So I did a few things with her and put her up.

Quinn I took into the wide alleyway, opening the take pen full of sheep, stepped back into them and asked him to walk up.  He came up nice and steady, dropped when I asked, and then I made him get back.  Remember, this is our weak point right now.  I had to step into him but he went.  We did that three or four times then I took him into the small arena for the first time in a month or so.  He forgot what the get back was the first couple of times I asked for it.  Thankfully he remembered his down.  I didn’t work him very long, just enough to get two or three nice gives out of him.  Get backs where he actually moved away from me and the stock and not just wider on a flank.

One day down, 5o some to go!

Dogs

Hitting the Wall

Jun 8th, 10 / 2 Comments

Working with dogs can be extremely rewarding, not to mention a whole lot of fun.  There’s nothing like working hard at getting your dog to understand some new skill and then putting the pieces together and watching it flow.  On the flip side, training can be very frustrating.  There are times when you aren’t sure how to make your dog understand what you want, think your dog ought to already know what you’re asking for, or have reached one of those plateaus where it seems you’re either taking steps backwards or not moving at all.  Throw livestock into the mix and you have a whole new level of frustration, especially if you’re not used to dealing with stock on a regular basis.  Suddenly your dog knows way more than you and, worse, knows he knows more than you.  Depending on your relationship with your dog that’s going to be either a blessing or a curse.  A good dog can save your bacon when you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.  A good dog with a wicked sense of humor may or may not be inclined to be so generous.

The more I work with dogs the easier it’s become to accept that some days it’s just not going to happen.  You’re not in the mood, or the dog isn’t, the stock isn’t, or maybe the planets are just out of alignment.  Whatever the case, sometimes it’s better just to forget training and do something else.  And sometimes you just need a reminder that it really is all about the little stuff.  Your dog holds that down for longer than it takes to turn your back.  He squares up on a flank.  He moves off your pressure.  You don’t trip over your own feet trying to get around the sheep.  If we only count the big success and forget all the little steps it took to get there we’re going to spend so much time being frustrated we might as well give up dog training all together.

About then it’s time to sit back and ask yourself why you’re doing this.  For me the short answer is, because I enjoy it.  The long answer has to do with loving my particular breed of choice and wanting to do my small bit toward preserving what they were created to do.  And, yes, some days it’s harder than others to take joy in the little accomplishments.  Some days I’m as frustrated as the next person to be backing up so far in my training it feels like starting over.  But at the end of the day I wouldn’t trade any bit of it.  I’ve met some great people through my dogs.  I’ve learned a lot through my dogs.  Life is fraught with frustrations.  How many sources of that frustration will love you no matter what?

Dogs