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?