Pups

Got all the dogs worked again today, so that sure felt great. I set up a high pressure situation for Gwen. She did pretty well. She still likes to "skate around" and hold the pressure rather than taking 2 steps in to push into the pressure just enough to make the sheep change direction. She is getting much better, and setting it up close and showing her she can do it will keep her confidence high and show her she can indeed walk into that pressure. She isn't weak, she's cautious, and I respect that. I appreciate a dog who's going to think before just blasting in. I did not help this trait by asking her to drive, and drive too far too early. We all live and learn.... She is so damn fast, but because she's so fast at responding, it's not usually a problem. She will learn to slow down her flanks with time and maturity. I'm not going to grind her into the ground. She's learning bump flanks and that's helping as well. She beginning to understand that not every flank whistle is an all the way around until stopped. I set the sheep on grain again today and she had zero trouble with that this time. Toss did not want to stop at all today. He was just powering right thru his stop whistles and even testing the verbal stop. Hopefully he'll relax by the weekend! The sheep on Sunday will not tolerate a forward dog that pushes thru his stops!! He's really catching on to the whistles. I've just been applying them, as I hate drill work and I know the dogs do too. He was a little flat on his drive flanks- sorta a snow ball effect of not stopping honestly, since he's still at the stage that I usually have to pause him before a flank on the drive. Tomorrow I'll come down on him if he continues to push thru his stop whistle. He will be disappointed when we keep everything so short he can see the glare in my eyeballs! LOL! Cruz did well, just a couple mis-timed flanks. I'm still learning to read when he can just keeping stepping to one side and when he needs to flank. A couple times we missed the panels because I thought he just needed to step, when really he needed to flank. I've gone from over-steering, to under-steering! LOL! The happy medium should be happening here pretty soon! Deal was a very good girl today. I sent her to the grain held sheep also, as that will often pull her in. She wanted to pull up on the first send, but took the additional flank command nicely. On the second send she was perfect- even gave me a beautiful flank right off the lift to fix the line. Not giving me a good flank right after the lift can be her MO and we've been working on that. I was thrilled with what she did for me, so I did NOT send her a 3rd time. Instead I worked on driving panels. She was very nice. I'll miss not running her on Sunday- but Toss needs some field time and I can only run what I can afford to run! I have her on my entry for Mt. Pleasant rather than Toss. Deal's ready to run Ranch at the smaller trial fields, but will be best kept in ProNovice for Mt. Pleasant, so after Mt. Pleasant I'll move her up to run in Ranch over the winter.

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After dinner I worked the puppies. Ivy's about ready for some real sending work. She's a very natural outrunner like her mother- it appears anyway. She just casts right on around and is very good about staying behind them. She will drift up the side occasionally, but not anything like Gwen did. She's very easy to kick back and does not appear to be uncomfortable in the correct position. I can start asking her to stay put long enough to send her. She calls off quite nicely. She is not clappy, and I will NOT be pushing any type of stop on her for quite some time. Instead I'm going to try and do some baby-level practical things with her to show her when a stop fits in, rather than just stopping her in drill type session. Sly did fine, I need to get in touch with the lady that has put a down payment on him to see if Oct. will be a good month to come and get him. He's going to be a handsome lad, and the profession of being her personal goosedog is going to fit him to a tee. Clare did nice as well. I'm going to have to hold off on sending her until she's ready for me to stand half way out, as she very much wants to go to the right. She'll cover both ways fine in a fetch, but no matter how it's set up she wants to go right on a send. I don't feel she's ready for my body pressure to make her go left, so best to just leave that alone for now. Somehow between Deal and Toss, all the pups are pretty sensitive- not quitters, but sensitive. I need to write about Jim and put some videos of him on here. He has been the same for several months now, so I do not believe he has the progressive form of the disease. If he did, he would have been so unable to maneuver (according to the info I have come up with) by now that he would have been put down. He's a trip! His disorder is now simply part of his personality. Jim is Jim... I don't have time to write about him this morning (it's 2:14am- I made myself stay up in order to get myself switched back to nights after 2 days off) as I need to get to bed here soon. But I'll post about him soon. It's such a sad disorder, but he is perfect in all other aspects! Only his balance is affected!

Overnights

Last night was my first night on 10-7. Sayed and I were really busy and only the times we looked at the time was when it was close to break times- the night went by really quick. We have QUITE the job in store for us between now and when the system is well under way!

It was great to not have to leave until 9:25! Ella came out around 6pm and I worked Cruz, Gwen, and Toss. We held the sheep on grain for Mary Jane, Cruz, and Gwen- as that's how they'll be held this Sunday at the trial. They lift very differently off food, so it was a good thing to practice. Not so much for Cruz, but for the less experienced dogs. Mary Jane did very well. With the sheep set on food they really needed to be taken control of for a good portion of the fetch before the the dog needed to be stopped. It was good practice for Ella to read that correctly and good for the younger dogs to remain patient on a heavier lift. The sheep not only lifted heavier, they also wanted to curl back around to the bucket for the first 50' or so of the fetch. Gwen struggled with this a bit. She needed quite a bit of encouragement- all that pressure locked her up a bit. She went right on around, but locked up some on the walk-up. (unlike Deal who will feel the pressure and pull up short, but will walk right in up the lift- Gwen zooms right to the balance point, but then can get stuck there- holding rather than pushing) I sent her 3 times, and she got better each time- which is all you can ask for. Lifting sheep off grain is much different then lifting them off grass, but they seem to do that a lot around here so best the trial dogs are accustom to it. I worked Toss before Ella got here, so I didn't do that with him- although that it is not a task he would have any trouble with. One of the ewes in his group did a wonderful job schooling him on one of his weaker points. She kept trying to beat him by squirting off or getting way ahead of the other 2 with the intention of bee-lining to the barn. He will often get too fast and too tight on his flanks when this starts to happen, so it was a wonderful training session. I kept myself pretty close to him and the sheep so I could help him understand that if he just kept his head and kept his flanks honest that he could manage the situation. He keeps a level head A LOT longer than he did just 6 months ago! Hopefully Sunday will be a fun trial.

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!

FALL!!

70 DEGREES AND BREEZY!! YAHOO! Finally fall is making an appearance in Virginia! All the dogs are sure to get worked today! I had yesterday and today off, and it felt good to have back to back days off 2 weeks in a row. I only have 3 more nights of my current job left, then I start 10pm-7am and my new position. I got some more info. about it this week and it sounds like a good job, but it will be stressful and probably a mess at first. It's a whole new system, so everyone is going to be learning what needs to be done in order for Sayed and I to do our jobs and what Sayed and I will be giving them to put on the shelves and why... I'm looking forward to the shift change.

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I sent my entry in for the State Fair (an arena trial) today. I'm taking Cruz, Gwen, and Toss. I'm not taking Deal as she has way too much eye for arena trials. She locks up a little on the send and then doesn't want to come off her sheep during the drive portions. Toss will do well if he gives me clean stops. He's a wonderful open flanking dog, which is really needed in an arena. Cruz is Cruz and just does what is needed no matter the situation... Gwen should do well as she doesn't draw up on her outrun anymore, stops fast, flanks square, and has nice feel for her sheep. Last year it was one of her first trials. I'm entering her in both ProNovice and Nursery. The Nursery class simply gets her on the field an additional time. :-) I also sent my entry in for one day at a small trial in Palmyra, VA. I'm taking the same 3 dogs. She moved the date back a week, so now I'm only going one day. I was going to go both days because I have this Sunday off, but don't next week. I'll be coming home from work at 7:40 am on Sunday, heading right out and then going back to work at 9:20pm Sunday night! I don't think I could pull that off 2 days in row, so I'm just going Sunday. Ella's going too, so we'll probably ride together. The trials up there usually wrap up by 12-1pm, so I should be home by 3pm to get some SLEEP before work on Sunday night! I wish I could go to Montpelier, but there's no way. It's too late to ask for Friday off in order to get there for Saturday and be back to for work Saturday night or to ask for Saturday off so I could go on Sunday if it's my week to have Sun-Mon off... Oh well, one can only do so much!

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Not much else going on. Hangin' in there with the weight and eating right. Fully clothed, I'm 126 (39 lbs. loss total!). I tried on a pair of size 4 Levi's Saturday! :-) They fit, but not sure I can afford them this coming payday since I've entered the 2 trials- they looked great though so maybe I'll sneak them into the grocery trip..... They apparently don't stock my favorite mid-rise Rider jeans in a 4, as I never see any. Maybe they have them on their website and I can order them site-to-store.... Off to get dogs worked!

Sly, Clare, Jim, and Ivy 9 Months

Work N Dogs

I'm back to work after a 3 day "weekend" from work tonight. I have 10 more days of the 6pm-3am shift. They opened a new position last week at work and I immediately filled it. I was asked by the store manager and had the backing of all 3 of my assistant managers. It's hard to explain, but it's basically backroom (where all the back/overstock is kept) inventory control. (another "self managed" position like I have now) They're going to be using a whole new system and computer program for just about everything from how the trucks are unloaded to how the merchandise is tracked at the registers and the position they offered me is part of that new system. I got a raise and I'll be working 10pm-7am, which Ben and I had just decided I needed to do. Leaving for work at 5:30 with 2 kids was really becoming a pain and I was beginning to feel like a "failure" due to lack of time to make proper meals, help with homework, go to ball games, etc... Now I'll be here for all of that again and still work 40hrs/wk! :-)) My plan is to stay up for 2-3 hours when I get home in the morning to get dogs worked and do whatever outside, the sleep from 10/11am until 4-4:30 when the kids get home. I'll wake up and be ready to do what they need me to do, have the evening with them, and THEN head off to work. Afterschool activities and field trips will no longer be an issue. That was really hard for me, given that I had never missed any of those things until this past spring! The new job will also be 2 days off back to back. (something that had become a rarity in the last couple months) One week I'll have Tues-Weds and the next week Sun-Mon. This will keep my trialing close to home, but with gas, that was pretty much a given anyway! I plan to go to a series that has a Sept, Nov, Dec trial and the state fair arena trial in Oct. Otherwise no other plans- unless a cattle trial pops up for Cruz and Gwen. The boys are both enjoying school so far. Dylan just joined band and is really excited. He picked the clarinet. I'm glad I had Monday off, as I don't think Ben would have driven him all the way to high school and spent the time to get all the rental stuff straight- maybe, but it's doubtful. They start band next week and Dylan is really looking forward to it.

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I got all the dogs worked the other day and everyone did pretty well. Toss was pretty keyed up due to lack of work, but still worked nicely. Gwen's shedding well and Deal is getting the drift- she HATES separated stock- she's a control freak. I worked Sly, Ivy, and Clare. 3 nice pups. I hope Sly is ready to go in Oct. He should make a nice goosedog for this lady. Ivy is very, very nice and good Lord is Clare awesome! Next time Ella comes I'll be sure to get some videos.

This and That

I can't believe that there used to be a time I was on the computer daily! In hindsight, what a waste of time! "Talking" to people you really don't know and be involved in "discussions" that really, in the grand scheme of things, don't matter one bit! I don't miss it! I'm not on any lists anymore, don't visit public forums, etc... People that I want to stay in touch with I talk to on the phone or in person. Emails are used just to stay in touch with a few people, that's about the extent of it. I'm going to go ahead and let my website drop too, if it hasn't already- I don't even know... I do like the blog though. I can type if I want, and if I don't, I don't...

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I've been able to work dogs more regular the past 10 days or so, and that feels good. It's been a long hot summer! I opted to not go to the trial last weekend. 3 days off at home was too hard to break up with traveling. And although I'm sure we would have been fine, I was hesitant about the amount of work my dogs had been getting previous. I'm glad I stayed home, I had time to be both busy and have fun.

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The puppies sure are coming on nice. They're getting to be "teenagers" (they're almost 9 months now) and are learning how to be "big dogs". They're tethered close to the herding action now when I work dogs. Patience is a huge working dog attribute in my opinion- and learning to be tied and watch without a peep is one thing my dogs are 100% required to do. (even though Deal doesn't always think that includes her when I'm working another dog!) I also prefer the kind of dog that can be loose and be honest. That is, he is right there when work is asked of him, but will stay out of the action if he's not. "Working" stock isn't something my personal dogs get to, or even think they can do solo. I can honestly have my dogs (yes, all 13- even the pups) and sheep in the same area and not have any one of them rush off to move the sheep around on their own. Yet all I have to do is make the slightest gesture of wanting to do something with the sheep and I have everyone's undivided attention. The other day just for giggles I let Deal, Gwen, and Cruz all work together on a short course (no real outrun, just a flank to start off). It was a trip. They all worked perfectly and it was interesting to see at the same time where each dog would put him/herself with each command. Particularly the difference in Cruz and Deal- he works much closer than she (of course this wasn't an eye-opener to me) does- especially on my sheep. She has so much "presence"- which has pros and cons- which is why different dogs excel in different areas. Using Deal to quietly hold sheep for shearing, feet work, or deworming is a pain because she just kind of spews pressure and personality wise she thrives on pushing. Can she do it? Certainly, but it's easier to use a dog like Cruz who can almost become one with the sheep and only put pressure on when it's needed. Cruz much prefers to be able to be a gentleman, and usually that is 100% what the stock needs. He is a gentleman, but will not be "walked" on either. Cruz will give his stock the chance to be right and maybe even change their mind about something. Deal has a zero tolerance for it. If Cruz were a person he would say "okay, this what I need you to do for me, and if you just go ahead and do it, we'll all get along. If you decide you don't want to, I'm going to make you do it anyway- so lets just do it my way so we can all get along"... Deal would say "This what we're doing, and we're doing it NOW!" LOL!

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Back to the puppies. Clare is awesome on sheep. She has a very natural cast, albeit preferring to the left something fierce for the time being. She balances lovely, but in a cast really wants to flip to the left. Not a worry right now. She has natural pace behind the sheep, never wanting to come to their heads to stop the forward motion unless the sheep get past me. She was able to put them thru the fenceline chute (in a fetch) even when the same ewe kept turning around at her. She kept her head about her and with very little encouragement realized she was able to change the ewe's mind. :-) She's very, very sensible and serious like her mother. I'm quite excited about her!! Ivy is fast, fast, fast!! Just like her mama! Thankfully though so far there's no speeding to their heads and clapping down! She stays on her feet 100% and she is very easy to keep behind her sheep. Knowing what could be lingering in her hard wiring, you can bet I won't be asking for anything that is going to encourage going to their heads or stopping on balance with her as a youngster! She's going to be kept on her feet and learn pace behind her stock. Long fetch lines with no change of direction.... Ivy also had zero trouble pushing them thru the fenceline chute or flanking around them tight on the fenceline- very serious and confident- no rushing the cover just because it's tight along the fence. Ivy will bite at heels, which I love to see given where she comes from. Makes me think more and more that although Gwen's desire to Head-N-Hold was there from the get-go, I didn't do the right things (early on) to loosen that up and encourage more control from behind- none of her puppies are doing that. Well, I guess Ivy wanted to do. Hard to know if I just saw it and put a stop to it, or if Ivy just naturally decided that isn't what she was going to do. She did want to circle around to their heads, or at least over-flank when I played with her a month ago and I made sure she didn't get to. I couldn't stop Gwen- she would beat me. But, maybe, almost 3 years later I'm just seeing things sooner and have that much more ability to put a stop to it and encourage a more desirable behavior- I don't really know. Ella had a sore back, so I worked Wren and we had some serious "alpha to pup" discussions about blowing off her recall earlier that morning, so she was a little uneasy with me. She did fine, but was not herself. She is the most like Cruz on sheep I believe, which will be lovely for Ella. She is just going to be nice. She's easy to handle, has great balance, stays behind her sheep very easily, doesn't back down, readily goes both ways, will hit a heel for fun once in awhile, etc. She's doing everything a very nice 9 month old pup should be doing, in my opinion. Ella's going to step up the pack order tactics a bit as it was evident that Wren has hit the testing stage and there will be moments that Ella needs to step up and be right assertive with her! She's been such an easy pup that Ella really hasn't needed to do much of that, and she won't need to do much now either, but Wren was doing a few things that I would have definitely been "standing" on her about. Unfortunately I didn't any pictures of any of them except Sly. My darn batteries were dead!! :-( Sam, Clare's sister is here for awhile and she did a stellar job as well. She worked very much like Clare, with a bit more push. She's a very nice puppy. She's bigger bodied pup than Clare, but they are very similar in build and temperament. I know Amy adores her! :-) Sly was a good boy and stuck with the sheep while there were people sitting all around- so that was a great improvement for last month! He did some very big boy things, including hanging with it if a ewe turned to look at him. Last month he would not have. He's a very natural, easy pup like his mother. I'm sure his goosework home will be perfect for him! He has the right ability and the very best temperament for that kind of work! He loves EVERYONE and LOVES the water! He is ALWAYS a mess because he is forever wet and with that long, wavy coat, it is quite the look! He walks on a leash like a trained obedience dog, has a great recall, jumps in his crate on cue, stays in his crate until asked to jump out, ties beautifully, and is a very socially correct pup- with both people and other animals. He's getting sheep exposure and will learn to sit, lie down, and stay and then he'll be ready for his new home. I'd say by the 1st of Oct. he'll be go to go.

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Work's going fine and I'm full time now, so that's a good thing. My first profit sharing check will be right before Christmas and I'll have a week's vacation earned in a year. I doubt it's worth paying to have any extra insurance- we're 110% covered with the military. It's possible that wal-mart would put some additional money towards the boys' braces (teeth), but it's doubtful it would be more than what it would cost monthly to have the coverage. Weight loss is going good too. When I started work in April I was 165 and in a 12. I'm now 133 and in a 6, going on a 4! I'm shamelessly proud of myself- it's not an easy thing, but has become how I am. I'm very, very aware of calories and what I've done in the day and what time of day it is. I'm almost a bit compulsive about it now. The thought of eating something like a donut or a bagel or more than tiny handful of plain nacho chips or pretzels sickens me! I usually eat once, maybe twice a day and it's simply amazing how little your body really needs! I never let myself (although I admit I did in the beginning because I was so used to eating too much) get to the point of feeling like if I don't eat I can't keep on with my day. I've kind of gotten used to always feeling mildly hungry, but I think that's an okay thing. I think food is way too much what our day revolves around- as a general population. We've become eaters for taste, not for sustainability- that's a slippery slope. I eat close to nothing, but eat what my body can use- low fat, high protein meat like chicken and tuna is about all I eat for meat- maybe pork once in awhile. When I make tacos I have ONE soft shell that only has re fried beans, lettuce, and spicy sauce. Sometimes I may add just a LITTLE bit of cheese. I used to EASILY eat 2 LOADED shells. Cheese has been a weakness for me forever and that was one of the hardest things to nearly completely cut out. Only recently have a started trusting myself to buy it and have just a tiny bit every few days. Bread was another hard one- but now it's no problem. Lastly was all the sugar in lite beer. Hardly have that anymore either. I try to make sure to do my floor exercises several times a week. They're mostly geared for abs, butt, and thighs. I also use bands for my arms. I really want to buy a Pilate's machine because I think I would enjoy that, and that is the type of body I want to have. At least for the time being I can stand to look at myself and I ENJOY buying yet more size smaller mid-rise blue jeans and size small shirts- rather than dreading trying to find clothes that are somehow flattering on an overweight body!!! :-)