Enthusiasm

A photo from last week. Brit is very enthusiastic when she is working. Especially a larger group. As her confidence grows so does her speed. Which in this particular sport is not really what she needs right now. lol. We've been dutifully working on our "there" and I think she is starting to get it. Lots and lots of stop and start, stop and start. It's boring, but needs to be done.

I am planning on spending the whole weekend at the farm. It's a win win. The guardian dogs could use the company (and a reminder to stay out of trouble) and my dogs and I can use a holiday. It's been a pretty stressful few weeks.  Of course the forcast is calling for rain, rain and more rain. But none of us are made of sugar. ;)

I still have to make it through the rest of the week- although tomorrow I have the day off and no plans. Maybe a sleep in day??? Friday will be here before I know it!

Weekend Wrap Up- kind of a blur....

I meant to post yesterday, knowing that I'd be too tired and probably forget details etc. But here I am on Sunday night trying to remember what happened yesterday. lol

We did not get our last leg for our CDX. Pixel apparently had super glue on her feet and would not, could not come when she was called. lol. Everything else was passable. Not coming, not so much. It did however give me a chance to double command, and help her out. We'd already failed so why not? The judge didn't say anything, although marked hard for each word of encouragment. lol. I think it was a good thing though- I was able to remind her to come front and praise her for doing so! Her next one was much better. I think it will transfer over to the next time we are in the ring.

Watching the videos she actually looks much better than it felt. lol. She felt really, really laggy on the heel especially the figure eight, but in the video it doesn't look awful. Funny how that seems to go!

I do see that I really need to stop worrying about my dog and look ahead. Looking at my dog makes her lag more. I know that, I preach that. But I can barely see her if I am not looking at her. lol. I guess I just need to trust my training more.

I have decided to enter one day of a summer show. There are two trials and I'll enter both. If she gets it the first time I'll pull and go home. It isn't until July so we've got some time to do some polishing and proofing. ;) (AFTER REGIONALS...)

Here is the video from Friday- this is of our "we passed, barely" round. She is rather adorable, even in her naughtyness. You can see in the video that she wasn't actually naughty- just stressed out. How many stress signs do you count? lol. I won't tell you how many I saw. I thought we had passed this- Reddeer she was very happy and up. I had hoped we'd have that again. Oh well. Lots to work on! I always think of trialing as a test to my training. The training is the best part of the journey!



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Today a friend and I headed to Okotoks to watch some "big kid border collies." I've been to a trial once before, but that was before I had a one so I wasn't really paying attention. ;) It was very impressive. I mean those outruns are gigantic. Crazy. There were some very talented dogs (and handlers), and some wild runs aswell. We stayed for a few hours so got a good sampling of all different types. The people were interesting- none were overly friendly- but I assume like most sports that they don't play well with strangers. ;)  The only friendly guy was kind of a jerk actually. Very much an Alberta Redneck. lol.  I was pretty entranced by the action on the field though so it wasn't a big deal. I want a dog that can do that. lol. 

Vito's Very Important Message of the Week

52 Weeks for Dogs Project
Vito's Life Lessons
Week 19/52
 Memories are the only way to heal heartache, so create a lot of them (especially ones with icecream!)

Today Sarah's little dog Janie would have been 13. She died only a few short months ago and it has been very hard for her owner, aswell for everyone who loved Jane.

Every year on Jane's Birthday Sarah would take her for an icecream cone. Today, in Honor of Jane it was suggested that we maintain that tradition. This evening Vito and I headed to Dairy Queen and he could not believe his good fortune. lol. I let him eat the whole thing.

I got a lot of great photos- but this is the one that had the most emotion- well at least the emotion that goes with my story.

 The moral of the lesson- create as many memories as you can with your dog- because at the end that's all we have. This memory that Sarah created not only helped to get her through the day, but made us all smile a little.

Vito thinks this should become a national holiday. lol. And happen more than once a year. ;)

Just Barely

We got CDX leg #2 today!!!!

Barely. Pixel is an interesting dog. She is all sass and try but can't seem to put it together in the ring. Sometimes we have the sass and no try, and sometimes we have try and no sass. (Does that even make sense?! lol)

Today we had a lot of Try- but not a lot of Sass. In fact we had Sass only inbetween exercises, not during them. She did all of the exercises- her drop, her retrieves, her broad jump, the stays. But it was done cautiously and with sloppy errors. Still with the no fronts, and I had to ask her to sit during the heeling pattern...oh, and she dropped her dumbbell at my feet and wagged at me.

Obedience is the one thing that could turn me into a drinker. I feel like I could use something right about now. lol.

I debated long and hard about wether to go back or not tomorrow. I would tell my student not to. Go home, train some more. Don't accept mediocre..... Except that I think with Pixel that is who she is. Well, I should rephrase that. lol. She isn't mediocre- she is a great dog. But her work ethic is mediocre, as is her drive. So fine tuning, and repetition bore and deflate her. So our training is short, fast, and fun. (this goes for all sports, not just obedience) And we get amazing results with that in training and at matches. But guess what- The real thing is not short, fast, or particularily fun sometimes. How to convince the Princess that "front" is not an option without getting on her case is kind of a mystery at this point. (I should mention that getting on her case about stuff like that gets me a pouty corgi, and a whole lotta frustration. And I don't believe that you need to use physical corrections to get an obedience dog. Wicca was spectacular- if not for those damn stays...)

I left my score sheet at the trial- but off the top of my head I know we lost 2 and 3 points PER front/finish. That's a whole lotta wasted points on something that she used to be really good at!!!!

In any case, after much debate with friends I have decided to go back tomorrow. Pixel is Pixel- she is a corgi, who happens to be a princess. I will take the score, and move forward. She is not the 199.5 kind of dog, and I am not that kind of trainer. I am just not driven enough to get it. Maybe one day, when I am not so ADD and can focus on one sport, and one dog at a time. And when I have a dog that loves obedience as much as Wicca did. Pixel is not that dog, and for what it's worth Brit won't be that dog either.

Wish us luck tomorrow- we may need it! The judge may not be woo'd by Pixels good looks as much as todays was. :)

One Week

Holy crap it's Thursday already. And I haven't blogged since Sunday. No excuse other than motivation. Or rather lack of.

Nothing too exiting this week. Finished off a set of pet obedience classes. Sometimes I am sad to see them go and other times not so much. Usually it's the puppy class I love and the adults that I'm ready to say goodbye to. This time it was backwards. Lol. My Manners class was great- mostly full of keeners!

Agility classes are in full swing. I am loving being outdoors. Although the weather forced us to cancel tonites class. Pixel and I went to the regional prep class and got the gamble. She is getting faster and is pretty reliable. She has alway been the reliable one but admittedly we haven't trained as much as we should be. Regionals is three weeks away and I am not going to have a solid contact performance by then... We have been working on distance- a lot and some basic handling drills though. Since the move outdoors Brit has furthered her agility learning. Lol. We can now do a full dogwalk, and can surf the teeter all the way to the bottom. And she can jump 22" sort of. Kind of. In a jump grid. We are having fun together as we go and she is getting more and more excited about it.

I am sure you are all sick of reading about herding but we did go out Wednesday afternoon. The sheep were like wild prairie creatures who refused to be moved. Eventually Sarah and I did manage to get them sorted- but it took a while. The training was good. Lots of lie downs and walk ups and such. :) I took some photos but haven't taken them off the camera yet. Maybe Sunday.

Today is Thursday and for the first time in over a week I did some heeling with Pixel. And fed every sit. And did a few fronts. Tomorrow we head to Medicine Hat for an Obedience trial. I am kinda zen about the whole thing. Not nervous at all, probably a bit too relaxed actually. Tomorrow the excitement wil kick in I'm sure :)

And that's that. A Weeks worth of jumbled life. Keep your fingers and toes crossed that Pixel has fun tomorrow!

And the Sun came out....

Today was 100x's better than yesterday. The sun was out, the snow melted, and it was almost TShirt weather! What a difference!

We ran three courses today- and on each course I learned something new. The first course we ran Brit did awesome. Of course I have no video of that one! We had some trouble on the Fetch- I need to just shut up and let her balance herself. When I redid that part at the end and said nothing it was completely better- in a straight line even!

The second course was okay- but we had some big trouble at the Y. We are going to work on that set up a lot. There wasn't much room so Brit had to be very calm and stop when I asked. When I finally reset it up from fence we got it. Louanne had to point it out to me though- so I really hope that I will start to recognize those sorts of things on my own. The rest of the course was pretty good. I really need to get her "there" solid before the trial as I could have used it a lot today! I have this run on video and will post it later.

The third course was pretty great. Brit was calm and quiet, which meant that the Sheep were calm and quiet. She also took almost every flank, and I felt like I knew what I was doing. If the video is done uploading by the time I am done this post I'll stick it in. We still have lots of little kinks to work out, but I think that we are getting close! And we still have more than a month of training so I am not too worried!



She is more and more confident, and looked like a real border collie. I am just so proud of her! She worked really well for me this weekend- even in the blizzard. All the training is really paying off. I am very lucky to have such great instructors- without them we would not be where we are that's for sure!!!

Things I learned this weekend:

• My dog is awesome. :) 
• I need to know the difference of when to shut up and let her work (on the fetch) and when to be more assertive (at the Y)
• Don't leave the handlers post after the settle until the dog has brought them all the way to you. 
• Use my walk thru to think about all the options- which way to send the dog, what to do if...etc. etc. 
•  I need to trust my dog a bit more and stop looking at her so much. In the video of our last run you can hear Louanne yelling that at me on the first fence panel. lol.
• I need to work on the Take Pen a bit more. Brit is a little nervous in there after a little incident with a cranky sheep. Her last run she wouldn't lie down when I asked and I could see she wasn't happy to be in there. That is where the sniffing at the beginning of our run came from...
• Ask the judge questions- where exactly is the settle, what do you do if the sheep drift off, and listen to others ask questions too! 
• And of course watch my sheep. Where are they looking? Are they calm or antsy? Brit is a fast mover, and not only that but she is very abrupt in her motion which can spook them sometimes. I need to be watching for that in case I need to push her out more to keep them a bit more settled.

 I had my camera out quite a bit so here are just a few of my favorites from the day today!

Bear, the Guardian dog at Phantomridge. Bear is a Sarplanninac. He is very big, and smushy.

Hunter, a GSD from Shadowbar Shepherds. He did awesome- and went from seeing sheep for the first time to doing almost a full tested run!

Gus- who is owned by Phantomridge.

Daisy Mae- one of three Cardigans at the clinic.

Wizard- who is a cool dude for sure

Nothin' but Butts

and baby Gus again. He was very spoiled and well socialised today. He learned about fetching (a ball) and tugging, and jumping up, and mooching for food, oh and pulling on leash. Sarah knows how to teach all those good things... :)

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!

Fun Weekend Ahead!!

I have been waiting for it to be Friday all week. lol. And of course when that happens the week (and the days) seem to drag on and on.

This weekend is my first ever Herding Clinic. I am very excited! The clinic is geared towards the trial in June- so we will get to do a few run thrus' of different "Herding Started" courses. It will give me a better idea of what *I* am supposed to do, and how to fix something if it goes wrong. It will be a lot of fun!

And to make the weekend even better I am staying at a friends acreage only 15 minutes away! It is perfect, and I am very lucky to have such great friends! (Thanks Jan and Dave!!!)

Because I have my evenings free, and an acreage for the dogs to run on I brought everyone. As soon as we arrived I let them all out to burn off some steam. Everyone is now settled at my feet, but with their eyes on the door...they really want to run again.

Pixel always gets the toy.

Brit, and Pixel.

Boone is a total mess right now. His hair is so long, it's outta control.

Wicca is not allowed to run but she was happy after a roll in the grass.

Vito!

Quite possibly the funniest group photo to date. They crack me up.

Look forward to more photos tomorrow!!! I brought my laptop to upload video and photos each day.

Workin' Dogs

At Alta Pete they have two Guardian Dogs- they are bonded to their flock and are true working dogs. Well, except when we spoil them with Tim Bits and Bellyrubs and car rides. lol. They have the very important job of keeping the coyotes away from the sheep. They are a good pair, and are very sweet dogs. Today I took some photos of them- hard at work you can see. :)

Alaska is the younger one. She is the trouble maker, but is the best guardian dog between the two. I am not sure what cross she is- Akbash and something else.

Togo AKA Mr.Handsome is really just eye candy. He is not a great guardian dog but is a good playmate for Alaska. He is a Maremma crossed with something else. He is incredibley GIANT. Like great dane size. He is a softie though and is not always the smartest when it comes to things.

When Sarah and I first started going out to see Jenny on a regular basis we would bring the GD's Tim Bits.

They now come running at the sound of my van, and then Alaska promptly throws herself to the ground and declares that she's starving. ;)

and because I think it's adorable. I continue with the Tim Bits except that today I gave her the box. She couldn't believe her luck and didn't know what to do with it at first. I think she wondered if I was going to make her give it back...

once I assured her that she could keep it she set out to find a good spot in the lawn to enjoy them.

She was pretty proud of herself, and paraded around with it for a bit...

before settling in to enjoy her prize. Don't worry about Togo- I gave him his fair share. :)

Sheep Sense

I went out to Alta-Pete all by myself this morning. Well, I had Brit of course. I knew the rain would clear and it would be perfect. And I was right. The last rain fell as I was pulling into the driveway.

It was a very relaxing morning- we took our time and everything went smoothly. I think every time we go out will get better and better. But this time was a lot easier than last time. I was surprised at how much though. The sheep had settled in the yard, and it took only a single flank to get them moving towards the pasture. We easily sorted out 6 ewes and a lambs. I learned last time that it is best to take too many Ewes than not enough- in case I lost some when I tried to sort the lambs off.

I've been thinking a lot about what would work better to get the lambs off. Last time it felt impossible- because they won't leave the Ewe- even for an open gate. When I got to the barn pen I actually pushed them into the barn on purpose- I figured a smaller space would be easier and I was right. It took just a little manuevering with a gate, and the pressure from a dog and presto. Down to three Ewes and one lamb. Totally doable. I locked them in and put the others away. 

While Brit rested I played with Alaska and Togo. We enjoyed Tim Bits and Coffee together. :) There will be a whole post about them tomorrow (or later if I get around to it.) They are the best guardian dogs ever. :)

The actual trial work was great- she took every stop but two! I used lots of good girls and frequent pats. We broke up each part- worked a few times on the L. I am trying to teach her to not actually go through the L, as I don't want her to push the sheep too fast towards me. I am a slow walker, and even more so when I am going backwards. lol. We did two 20 minute sessions in the arena and we both had a good time. Brit was happy that I wasn't yelling at her, and I was happy that she was stopping and taking flanks. :)

I was thinking on the way home about why today was so easy, and as with all things training related it has to do with me, and my emotions, and frustration. The second I am frustrated it goes to shit. I am going to have to work on that a lot between now and the trial. Adding stress is okay, but frustration is not. As soon as I feel it starting I need to take a deep breathe and remind myself it's just a dog and some sheep. I can work a dog and some sheep.

It's amazing to think that I've only been doing this since September. Not even a year. In that time I have learned a lot about my dog, about training, and about sheep. I think that a lot of what is helping me with the real farm girl stuff, and even with the trial prep stuff is that I have sheep sense. I know what to look for, I understand and can predict how a sheep might react. I can see something, and stop it before it's too late. Of course there is still much to learn, but I feel pretty confident that I am on my way.

 I  am way past the point that this is a hobby, and just for fun. This is a full out addiction that has changed me. In a good way. The other day I was telling Sarah that this finally may teach me patience. Nothing else has. But with this- there is no other option.

PS. Today was the first time I managed a camera, and my dog and the sheep. I impressed myself. :)

Agility!

Bright Eyes 4/12/2012 Pixel, originally uploaded by manymuddypaws.

Pixel is excited to hear that we are officially "back at it" tonite. Our outdoor agility classes start this week, and we are doubly excited about our Regional Prep class on Tuesday nights. ;)

We have a month to work on contacts, and distance, and things like not cutting behind me on a serpentine. ;)

Down on the Farm...

I'll try not to bore the non herding people with super detail, but this afternoon Sarah and I packed up Brit and Gyp and headed off to the AltaPete farm on our own.

I could lie and tell you we weren't nervous at all, but I won't. lol. We were both wondering just how hard it was going to be. And well, it was challenging. But nothing that we weren't prepared for.

We managed to get all the sheep rounded up and into the lambing pasture, sort off a bunch, and then put them in the round pen and sort them down further. It was really tough to get just the right amount- there are ewes with lambs and neither us or our dogs are talented enough to split those suckers up. So we ended up with more than we needed but it worked out alright.

The easy part was getting them to the arena-Gyp and Brit took turns during all these chores and they really compliment one another.

After all that we went and did some real farm stuff while the dogs took a rest.

I worked on my stops and flanks with Brit and her stops were pretty great- maybe even the best they've ever been. We've been working hard at home to make them better. I am pleased with the progress. I also worked a bit on holding to the fence, and on the L panel. The L was freaking impossible today. The sheep were in too large of a group and my dog just could not move them enough. It was frustrating and Brit didn't deal with the pressure too well and eventually would just flank them in the wrong direction. Sometimes I wish she was a grippy dog. Maybe they would respect her more. So we quit while we were ahead and most of our turns where spent on flanks and stops- which is what she really needs anyway.

Next time we will spend more time making sure we have no lambs, and a smaller amount of sheep. I think it will be less frustrating when working on the tight stuff if the sheep were actually acting like sheep and not like momma's....

All in all a pretty great afternoon. The sun was out, but not too hot, and I think we got a lot accomplished!

Nothing Better

I am battling a killer cold, it's been beating me down all week and I'm hoping that I'm over the worst of it. I hate being sick, and it seems that this year I have been sick a lot. This weekend will be a good mix of dog stuff, and just hanging out. An agility match tomorrow, and sheepherding sunday afternoon with nothing planned in between. I'm looking forward to some RnR.

This has been a long week- I'm feeling antsy and a little cranky so I know I need to just chill. There's nothing better than being out with my dogs. Not a person in sight, just me and the dogs- it was good. Really good.

Overcast days are the best for photos!

Brit is quite the retriever these days

Ready for the throw...

Pixel and Neena (I'm dogsitting overnight)

Wicca looking suspicious when I told her there were no gophers out today...

Buddies, just sniffing

Bunny?!

Boonie! :)

Jen- Sorry for no photos of Scampers! He was a speck in the distance, and when he wasn't out of sight he was looking beaten that I was making him stick around...

Nothin' Much

Nothin much to say- here's a cute photo from our walk the other day. Pixel found a great bone on our walk and was very happy to parade around with it. ;)

Peek

There's something good right around the corner 16/52, originally uploaded by manymuddypaws.

A little Vito to brighten your Monday. :)