A Blog Post about Stuff!

Herding
Such an interesting thing. Full of ups and downs, confidence, nerves, mistakes, success, frustration, and fun. Sometimes all within a few minutes. ;)
I have said it before- but this is unlike anything else I have ever done. It is so hard. But so awesome.
Brit has taken a big step backwards. Heavy sheep, and too many long drives too soon squashed her confidence. So I bumped her back to Novice at the last arena trial. It was a good choice as the sheep were super slow, and she had to push on them. She had fun though, and did a great job. So much to learn still, and she is hard to train because she can't work long mentally, or physically. (more on that farther down). Leo is good. He has great feel for his sheep and often knows better than I. He is learning about driving. It is going okay. We had some trouble in that he could do it off my left, but not my right. I think we have that sorted. Our other problem is short flanks, and close up work. He gets excited, and wide. I am hoping for a lesson from Scott before they hit the road. I am looking forward to spring/summer. So much training and learning for me and for the dogs. It's going to be awesome.

Agility
I have things figured out, and we had our first outdoor practice the other day. It was amazing. It felt so good. Man, I have missed that. Leo has a great time, and is pretty speedy, and a lot confident. His contacts are coming, and I think with now being outdoors it will be easier to progress faster. I have him signed up for a few seminars! Mostly for the experience. We need to put in the time on the course, to figure each other out, and he needs to experience that group/trial setting. It will be fun. I am nervous actually! I feel slow and rusty. And I am sure I am! But with the support of my friends I am feeling pretty good about myself and my dog. For me I am going back to agility to have fun, play with my dog, and really just get back to feel. I miss my agility friends a lot. So I am excited to think about getting back into that scene this summer/fall.

Obedience
Pixel and Brit are training for various obedience things. Brit is doing mostly heeling. And Stays. Pixel is doing utility stuff mostly. Her go outs are coming along. And the dreaded signals are as hard as I thought they would be with her. lol. But we are having fun and moving slowly.

Nosework
Wicca LOVES this game. And I am not sure that she will be able to do it much longer. She has been lame off and on. It makes me sad, and angry. I mean, she is walking around a room sniffing. How hard  can it be on a little body. I think it is just the increased activity, the excitement, her enthusiasm cannot be contained very well. She is having so much fun. I hate to stop. She had a rough few weeks- we didn't do anything. And now of course we are even farther behind training wise for the trial I entered. I did a bit today- Wicca was feeling great so we did some outside stuff, and a vehicle search. She did pretty good! She is certainly keen. But we will see. I won't put her health at risk just for a trial, or test. So we may just train at home for fun, and not have a goal per say. Vito is a brat. He is so good...sometimes. Other times he just wanders on by the very obvious hide. lol. Small little baby steps with him- as it has been his whole life. ;)

Boone.
Boone gets his own paragraph. He is good. Not acting his age at all. I haven't shaved him in ages so he is the fuzziest he has ever been. I should take a photo. The groom is coming soon though as I can't keep up with the cording that is starting. He has the weirdest coat. Healthwise he is good. He lost his off leash privileges a few weeks ago when I nearly lost him. He was gone. Poof. And I searched the coulee for half an hour before giving up and walking back to the car- only to find him under it..... I was terrified. And haven't told anyone that because I feel like a terrible dog owner. So I dug out my dusty flexi leash and he is attached at all times now. He doesn't seem to mind.

So that's all the stuff. I'm a busy lady. The blog seems to be the last thing updated. But I need to change that as I really do rely on the blog to look back and remember things!