Mother Nature and Sheep have a lot in common

They are both unpredictable. Yesterday was beautiful and sunny. The forcast called for light rain. It snowed. All day. And not the nice soft, gentle flakes- this snow was sideways and driven by gale force wind... Sounds nice eh?

Despite the February weather I had a good time and learned a lot. We started the morning with talking about a Started course, breaking it down and talking about where we should be, what the dog should be doing, what to do if there are problems, and general rules.

Then we ran it. Brit was first- and I think we did a pretty good job. I forgot some of the rules though, and we had a heck of a time with the Y chute. I need to remember to keep moving!! And be more assertive with my dog. Don't accept the weaving at all especially on the Y.  On the other hand we decided that I didn't need to stop her on the panel before- keep her moving and on her feet.  I also need to remember to let her work on her own sometimes.

There is a lot to remember, and much like agility I need to have a plan for each part of the course, and have a clear picture of what I want in my head. Because of the weather we only worked once, and spent the rest of the time talking. Tomorrow (with way nice weather!) we will fit in the extra run.

I am excited, today was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot just from watching some of the other dogs. It is interesting to watch some of the different herding styles. The sun is shining now, so hopefully tomorrows weather is a bit more typical of May!