Jig’s Journey ~ It Ain’t all Rainbows and Sparkly Unicorns

Just to keep things real, and in case anyone out there has the impression that training is always great fun and goes according to plan…it don’t. Sometimes the dog, the sheep, the weather, the bugs, and your very own self all conspire against you. Today was such a day.

On the plus side, Quinn did rather well. So, there was that. Not that I’m doing much with him besides reminding him of how to drive, take inside flanks, and slow-the-hell-down-when-I-say-so-because-there-might-just-be-a-reason. But when he slicks his ears back and channels his mother, best just to let him go with it. He knows the job. Or thinks he does. And when he works like he did today, I start to feel that last cattle leg will be ours in October.

*Somewhere the gods are giggling, “Ah, silly human.”*

Jig’s sessions today were less than inspiring. The first group of sheep must have gotten into some wacky-weed in the pasture. They were lighter than light and even when Jig was trying to be right, they went wrong. My handling didn’t help matters any. It’s warm. I hate warm. The gnats were out. I hate gnats.

I think I should have not trained today.

Jig’s second run was better in that I had better sheep. They were more willing to stick together. Not so crazy. I actually remembered a few things I should have been doing. Jig, however, in the manner of most dogs with drive and a dark sense of humor, took full advantage of the situation and leaned on my last nerve. More like jumped up and down on it. Fervently. Which only made things worse.

Finally I got smart and threw in the towel. We did some easy fetching around, then put the sheep up and called it quits.

Tomorrow is August 1st. Pre-trial entries open. The countdown has begun in earnest.

I’m going to have some Fireball now.