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.