Hooray

for warmer weather and dog work. Yesterday was a pretty pleasant day- not perfect, but very doable. I got all of the dogs worked, which always feels good. I didn't have a lot of expectations because they have gotten quite little for work in the last 6 weeks or so. I started with Ivy, and she was delightful- the best she has been. I didn't fret when she would lie down. I would simply move to the side and once she kicked up, I lightly said "walk up". She can't resist a flank to cover, so moving to the side is the best way to get her up. It was very slight this time, and the idea of "shaping" her walk up cue began working in just that one session. Towards the end she was actually getting on her feet on just the verbal command- I didn't have to move to the side. In hindsight I am a lot less worried about this than I was 3 months ago. For a few reasons. One being that she is going in the right direction. The next being that I'm starting to see that she is simply a control freak like her mother, and because she was (is) too young to have a lot of natural pace, she was simply planting herself and then flanking to keep control, rather than walking on. She knew at the speed she would walk/trot on that she would push them passed me. So the smart little thing did her own problem solving and decided that simply flanking to cover and hold was the way to be. Is she going to be a bubble protector like her mother? Yes, I'm sure she will be- but I will take a dog that has wonderful feel for her sheep over one that just walks right thru it. The trick is getting them to trust that it IS okay to push that bubble if so asked. Gwen learns this more and more each season. Heck, I've gotten her to get in there and grip when she's taking and keeping them off the grain feeder. Her driving continues to get quicker and quicker and she is more and more willing to keep pushing without needing a bump flank to free her up. Interestingly, what I do with Gwen on the drive is the same thing I am doing with Ivy on her fetch in a sense. I was told about a year ago by Carol that to help Gwen with her driving I needed to give her little bump flanks when she would stall out. Rather than walk up, I would bump her, which gets just a bit of sheep movement, which would free her up. It worked like a charm. The bumps get smaller and smaller and less often as her skill and confidence grows. Another thing I have learned with her is that more I toot my walk up, the more she clams up. I think this is something she needs to wrap her own head around, and me tooting "walk up, walk up" is hindering that. Well, guess I just covered Gwen's day too. She continues to only get better and better, and pretty soon a Ranch level drive will be a cake walk for her. :-)

I also worked Clare. The girl that wanted her can't do it right now, and honestly I'm not upset. I jumped the gun with Clare and I'm quite pleased that she is staying. She has outgrown her somewhat handler-worry and is such a nice young dog on sheep. (which she's always been, I was simply concerned that I was "too much" handler for her) She has a very quiet, but powerful way about her and she is almost boring because she "just does it". No fuss, no muss. She does have Deal's eye and being that she is on the softer side, I will have to walk the fine line of keeping her square, but not give her reason to think I am being unfair. Like any good stockdog, her keeness to work is going to outweigh any worry she has about me. Waiting until the age she is now was good for her, she and I have a nice bond now and I feel like she trusts me. She took my "suggestion" of being a bit more square quite well. No matter how I set it up she was nearly perfect to the left, but not as free to the right. She has nice pace and uses her head. I have another nice dog the same age as Clare in mind for the girl who wanted Clare. I'm sure it will be a lovely fit when she can make the trip to pick her up. :-)

Toss and Deal were both very good. Toss seems to have retained his newly learned (but long since used!) whistles, so that's good. He was more on than I expected from him considering the time off they have had. He's going to be a really nice trial dog and now that he has matured, he is also a wonderful farmhand. He is still, and I suppose always will be a lot of dog. He is very come forward, and although he has stock sense and balance, he does not have the eye that most of my dogs have. He's a fun dog to work. Deal has never looked or listened better. She is quick to respond and willing to listen. We have come a long way team-work speaking. She is a wonderful dog and I enjoy her even more now in her "biddable years"! LOL!

I played with Emma for bit. Good Lord I have never seen such a drop dead serious dog at her age! The world truly melts away when she gets her sheep. She is straight on like her grandfather (Toss). She tore into them and then was confused at my dissatisfaction. I'm willing to let a pup go with gusto until one gets split off and kept off. Then I have a bit to grumble about.... She froze (locked on, but frozen) and I had Cruz move them around to get her back moving again. I couldn't get her cover. If I stepped too close her way she was worried about me. (never stopped looking at the sheep, but I would get that very low, wag, wag, wag) But if I stepped too far back she would mostly likely make a mess. (with gusto) (so really she is not ready at 9 months and it'll be another month before she gets another short go). So I quit trying to get her to cover and just walked with her, patting my leg. Sure enough, she drove. She very much enjoyed walking about 15' straight across from me- and with wonderful pace and control. We walked together and twice, thanks to the flow of the sheep I was able to step to the side and "flank" her. She's going to be a powerful, all business dog. :-) She was SO happy she got a turn yesterday. (she moaned and groaned with her head stuck between my knees while I oogled over her afterwards). She wants to be a big dog really bad. I gave her mama, Kit a short turn at the end and she did very well. Her sends are getting better and better. Everything else is there. With her, it's just simply stretching out what she does so nicely close at hand.

Tomorrow Ella will be here, so everyone will get some work again tomorrow. The dogs are staying in pretty good shape even during this dreary winter thanks to the 4 wheeler. Now that it's staying light longer I can take them for a run nearly each day after work. Right now they get a 5 mile run (2-3 minute breather/drink break at 1 mile, 2.5, and 4) once or twice a week and a quick 2 mile run 2 days a week. (yes, my 4x4 has odometer) I'd like to get them a run each day. They don't need 5 miles each day, but I'd like to do 5 miles twice a week, 2.5 miles 3 days a week and 1 mile 2 days week. Maybe 5 mile, 1 mile, 2.5 mile, 2.5, 5 mile, 1 mile, 2.5 mile. Or maybe on the 1 mile days play ball instead. They're happier, healthier, and smarter to train if they get that "burn off" each day. I always know when I've gone too long as that's when the yard is suddenly decorated with holes and littered with pieces of things they have gotten from somewhere. It's also when they seem a little bitchy with each other. I feel bad when that happens, so I need to get them on a non-working routine as much as they are on a working routine. Because lets face it, if they were pooped out and mentally satisfied after only a few sessions of stockwork a week they wouldn't be the dogs I love! A full time job during the winter pretty much sucks the life out of dog work. Dark until 15 minutes before I leave, and dark when I get home. Pretty much limited to my 2 days off. But... the days are longer now. The darkest months are gone for another year! :-)