If we're going to have Mid-West temperatures, then I want Mid-West snow!!! Blah!! It's not even 30, and the wind is whipping so the temp feels more like about 18. News said the next few nights we'll have inland lows in the single digits. Not a big deal when it's the norm- it's all relative as they say, but here in the South East water lines are only buried several inches deep and our animals typically don't have the kind of shelters that do much for the cold. They are mostly shelters for sun in the summer and to simply come in out of the rain if they choose to. My dogs now have a 3 gallon horse bucket for water up here by the house so I can keep it ice free. They normally have an 80 gallon stock tank, but I dumped it Friday evening before running the dogs with the 4 wheeler. (I didn't want them jumping in it, thus being wet shortly before being put in their insulated, but not heated kennel building). Refilling the tank Saturday morning was a no-go as the house was froze. (I can remember having to haul the hoses into the laundryroom in the basement when I was kid in WI) At least the sheep don't drink a lot. If I just keep breaking the ice the 80 gallon tank will remain full enough until the hoses can be used again (I'm figuring). The couple years that I had horses I would have to re-fill the tank via 5 gallon buckets. Back in the good 'ol days I could carry 2 at a time. That's a little harder now... I need to check the goose pool as I forgot to ask one of the boys to do that for me yesterday.
I hope the wind will die down some later on so I can work Cruz, Deal, Gwen, and Toss in the big field today. Even if it's just a couple sends with flank work on the fetch line. I'm really, really going to try and hit some spring trials this year with the above dogs. Cruz is still one-foot-in-front-of-other, but to say he has lots of trial years left is probably being a bit overly optimistic. (although I tend to be pessimistic, so maybe it's really not...) Once the lambs are all born I will have more sheep and can really start working on Deal's shedding. All she needs to understand is that she needs to come in where I feel the split needs to be, and that none of the sheep are misbehaving, so no need for the occasional bite. She's a control freak, so even though she really does come thru nice on a shed, she still feels the sheep are "screwing up" by being in 2 locations, so they must be "told" they are wrong... She's getting it though. It's best to do early shed work on a large group so the dog can work each group that's kept back. The light bulb seems to come on sooner. So until my sheep group is built back up I'm rather limited with that. All my dogs can work a single really good at least! LOL! Toss is coming along on his whistles, but I feel like he's still waiting for the verbal back-up. Soooo today I am going to keep my mouth shut. I'm going to keep the work simple so he is right and he is close at hand, but he will only hear whistles... My voice is near becoming a crutch for him. Gwen just needs easy, but long drive work. Building her confidence. She has been wonderful the last two times out. She's going to be a quick student with shed work. She likes to hold sheep, and is almost too respectful of their bubble, yet she comes right thru when I asked- and like a bullet. Ella had Wren here a few days ago. She did a nice job. She is really a blend of her parents on sheep, so Ella has a very nice young dog! She is fast on her short sends, but she had wonderful, wonderful pace and feel for the sheep on a fetch. I had them do some corner work, kinda thinking that it was insecurity of closely covering sheep that was causing the rushing during a send. I was pleasantly surprised when she quietly and easily went into the corner both ways- no rushing, tail down. What's interesting is that at first Ella didn't say anything, just let her work off her body language. Wren was quiet and relaxed. Then the first time that she nicely gave her a flank, Wren rushed in... Her father is the same way on an outrun! Cruz is an honest dog, so typically he can be out while people (and me) work dogs all day and you never have to tell him a second time to stay close and out of the way. The couple rare times he has thought he was sneaking off to sheep he has done beautiful outruns. Carol and I went ahead and let him "sneak" off a time or two and both of us looked at each other like "where did that dog come from?" So I have tried to invent ways to send him, by not sending him... I almost have to let him question the send- then he uses his brain. If I send him, he just flys. (Oh to have him again as a 2 year old knowing what I do now...) Shhhsshh'ing (even gently) him does not work, that's still a send to him. He is such an incredibly honest dog, that what I've been doing lately is simply stepping to the side and letting him drift off- kind of letting him go on his own. (not something you could do with a lot of dogs) I have also tried sending him, then stopping him a short way out, making him stay put for a few, then giving him a whistle. This reminds him of outrun training where I would stop him, run out part way, and then make him get out. So that's pretty much what I get- which is nice, but then I'm taking a redirect hit right off the bat.... So I really don't want that to be our method. Age is on my side in some sense. He can still go like a rocket, but he is becoming more and more okay with not. But stepping to the post at a trial always gives him that extra octane boost, so that's not a reliable method either. LOL!
So that's the plan for today. At least the sun is out. I think I'll just leave Ivy be for today. She was quite nice when Ella was here, but now she's in heat. She did not come in last year, so this is the first time her hormones have been all amuck, and I'm just not even going to go that route.
The puppies are beautiful and doing great. They are getting to the fun age now. I bought them a couple little toys yesterday. I found a clearance panda bear that's about the size of 2 puppies. :-) Their favorite though is one of my boot socks. They are still such a quiet group in the sense of never complaining. When they see you now they are all at the baby gate, tails wagging! They love attention and being played with.
Well, off to make a promised a brunch for the boys. Ben left yesterday and won't be back until July. :-(
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