Another Nice Day!

It's another really nice day here! No dog work today though. I think they do best every couple days or so. I truly believe it does wonders to have a good solid session and then let them "sit on that" for a day or 2. Every day training can quickly burn a dog out- not that they are unwilling, I just think they learn better given a couple days off between training. Training is indeed different than work and if I had a "real" farm and they had jobs to do, then of course they would get work everyday- but here on 3 acres with less than a dozen sheep, there is not everyday work... Someday I'll have all the work the dogs want, but that's a few years away yet....

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Yesterday I worked everyone but the pups. I worked on tricky panels with Cruz- more for myself than Cruz. I'm trying really hard to start being very specific with my whistles so he not only knows which flank, but how to flank. I had the obvious all-the-way-around flank and a step, step, step flank, but no other variation. Trying to communicate a slow flank and a quick flank, based on what's needed to make the panel. I'm also making sure I am 100% watching the sheep at the panel, and know which one(s) specifically to watch- usually there is a monkey-see-monkey-do leader, or a snaky ewe that needs an extra eye. All this is up to me- Cruz will do whatever I ask! I also worked him a little on flanks on a short fetch line. I did some flanks and crossdriving on the fetch rather than just letting him fetch them right to me. On a Ranch level course you need a dog that will give you a flank on that fetch line! Of course a dog with any amount of talent is going to bring them back to you, but they aren't going care about 21 foot "line". Lots of dogs I've watched will get locked into whatever line falls into place after the lift. Not a problem for practical work, but lots of points lost in a trial situation. Cruz gives me the away side flank much better than the comebye side- no matter how the pressure is. He's tighter and faster, and quicker to turn in on what he thinks is the balance point on the comebye side- not as comfortable going that way.

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Gwen drove like a dream yesterday- very confident and with some pace- including staying in contact if the sheep sped up a little bit. The going back to mostly fetching and showing her how to pace herself is paying off. Her next session will NOT include any driving- I am going to be VERY watchful to not push her with that since backtracking a bit is proving positive! She is such a nice dog- both as a sheep dog and just as a dog. She's a true cowdog, and is more natural on cows than sheep. I'm hoping I can get her and Cruz to a few cattle trials. There is one in TN in Nov.... I need to see if Carol is going and maybe ride with her since I would only have 2 dogs. Yesterday I worked on a turn on my little field that is a huge off pressure flank and very hard for anything less than a very willing and trusting dog. She is getting better, but I still have to stop her from going the other way the first time. I was able to "bump" her on the correct flank, rather than allowing her to cover all the way around. It's hard to explain it, so tomorrow maybe I can get a video of it. As I would standing, I'm looking at the fenceling that has a fenceline chute. Quite close to the chute, probably 75' away and to the right, is a post only about 20' off the fenceline. There is still about 100' fence beyond the post before the corner, but the house sits only about 40' from the post. This means the sheep can still travel up the fenceline, but it restricts the dogs' flank- he has flank pretty close. I practice this turn around the post (in a drive) both directions. If I turn them counterclockwise, then they drive them thru the fenceline chute. This is usually the easier flank as the dogs don't feel the pressure of the sheep leaving down the fenceline that is hard to cover because of the house- and they are covering the side that is a draw back to the barn. If I turn the other way they come back to the free standing chute, or do some other panels. The clockwise turn is the tricky one. On the drive to the post they have to hold the inside pressure enough that the sheep turn the right direction around the post, but then have to come off that side in order to swing them around clockwise. They also usually have to STOP on that comebye flank along the fence, or the sheep will turn before they're to the post- yet wait too long and they will zip down the fence past the house. Once stopped along the fence so the sheep turn correctly, they have to get right back up (Cruz and Toss will usually stand- not lie down) and finish that flank all the way around to almost 4 O'clock to hold them from trotting off the barn (which is behind me). It's a very good drill with practical application so the dogs understand the reason! Deal HATES this drill as she's is POSITIVE I'm telling her to do something that will cause her to lose her sheep (she cannot tolerate losing her sheep!). It's a good exercise for Gwen as it's showing her to come off their heads AND to stop before she's overflanked and/or come to balance.

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Just 3 more nights of this 6-3 shift and I won't be sorry to see it go! It's 3:15 and I need to get my kitchen clean before work, so I better get at it! I got up at 7am, did a few things then went back to bed till noon. Didn't think I'd make it till 4am without a nap. Days off are great, but you're sure to get flipped back to "days" during them! I need to not get wore out, as Friday is going to be a LONG day since I volunteered to go on that 7am field trip, get off the bus at 5:30pm, and head to work until 3am! It'll be okay, but I need to not already be running out of gas!