Spring is finally here and with the glorious weather comes more opportunities to work sheep, yay! There is a trial next month that I feel like we need to get ready for and frankly just being out in the sun with my dog is wonderful feeling that I am in much need of. Our last couple of work sessions had been a mixed bag, primarily because of my short comings as a handler, and I really wanted to not repeat those mistakes. We started by doing a little sort to change out sheep for one of Rae's young dogs. I made an extra effort to control the volume of my voice and Diva seemed to really like it. When we walked back through the round pen where the last group was "resting" and opportunity came up and I took it. The three sheep were putting a lot of pressure on the gate hoping to be able to dart through so it was perfect for having Diva "watch them" and do steady one step walk ups. I kept using my whisper voice and Diva did some really nice steady work without looking at me like she has a tendency to do. Very successful, short, sweet, and done! Followed by judicious amounts of praise and fawning over her ;-).
We then took an hour off to go watch Rae's agility lesson. I can see just how much Diva wants to get back to agility and it makes me sad that I am not there yet. Hopefully in another month or two I will be able to start testing those waters.
When I headed back out to the sheep field they had of course high tailed it up over the hill and out of sight. Now this might sound absolutely ridiculous to some people but I decided at that moment that I needed to have a little faith in my dog. To do this I had a little heart to heart with her that pretty much amounted to, "I can't walk all the way up this field so I need you to go out and get those sheep...please." I knew that Rae would eventually come back out and help me if I needed it but I also wanted to give Diva a chance. So I stood by the gate and sent her off to find the sheep. I couldn't see them myself so I didn't bother with any flank commands. The decision was up to her and I had to trust that she would do what needed done. Diva left at a good pace and when she hit the mid point up the hill she stopped one time to look back at me as if to make sure. I cupped my hands and yelled "go on" and she disappeared over the hill while waited. Now I must say that I am 100% sure that Diva will never do anything naughty to the sheep so that isn't a risk but I wasn't sure that she wouldn't just put them in a corner and hold them there while waiting for me to arrive. The feeling I got though when I saw the sheep start to come over the top of the hill and my wonderful dog wearing along behind is hard to explain. She has once again found her large pasture blind outrun and I am a proud owner. There have a been a lot of times I have doubted the depth of her instinct and wondered how much the arena trials really gauge working ability (bad me, I know ;-/ ) but seeing this in a huge open pasture, acres away from me, and completely out of sight I knew this was not just her being obedient. I could have quit right then and went home happy.
Once she brought them into the arena field we sorted off a group and did some easy flanking and driving exercises just as a tune up. I was beaming and Diva was working so nice! To end our work we put the group back together and on a whim I decided to practice some shedding. Diva was willing to walk into the group and the sheep split nicely but she was torn on which group I was asking her to walk up on and push off so she paused and look back and forth before doing as I asked. I definitely think the larger group made it a little easier for her and in the end she did two very nice beginner sheds. Cue the big celebration! So not only was it a beautiful day but I had a great time and really felt like my better handling allowed my dog to work more confidently and correctly.
The Diva Chronicles
Friday, April 11, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Having A Good Exit Strategy
I started her out again just to make sure she wasn't going to be naughty but quickly got frustrated with her circling because I couldn't move fast enough. The issue is that I don't want the circling to become a habit and I don't want correct her for circling. Later on we will want her watching those heads and covering, so for now just moving to help her natural instinct direct her is best. Jessica is doing a great job picking things up and I am feeling very comfortable that Myst isn't going to hurt the sheep so once she settled a little I handed over the stick and took up my position on the fence. There are 3 videos of her working and I will share them in a minute but first I have to give praise where praise is due. Last week Myst was taking a down much better than the week before but this week she had improved yet again! She is downing when the sheep are at balance pretty consistently for her age and this gives us something to work with in the round pen. Jessica's dry work on "down" is showing. I expect that if things continue as they have been she will be ready to move to the arena and do walk abouts soon.
That is one very keen puppy, lol! Good job Jess for keeping up and not falling over any sheep ;-).
After we put Myst away I took Diva out to sort a few sheep. I had Jessica come with me and once we had our group of 4 sheep I spent some time setting up little outruns and drives so that I could quiz Jess on her directions and why sending the dog a certain way was best under certain circumstances. Diva was gracious enough to demonstrate some nice outruns as well as a few go by slices ;-). Once we had played around with that I headed for the pasture to work at the free standing pen again. I know what you all must be thinking but I really did learn my lesson ;-). This time I opened the gate wide and I started by standing in the opening. Diva worked it out pretty quickly and we penned/un-penned a few times before moving on. The next exercise was with me standing about 15 feet away from the pen. The sheep were being just cagey enough that she was not successful the first couple of tries but she stuck to it and did get them in. I had her hold the opening, then un-pen, and we set it up one last time. On that last try Diva only penned two of the 4 sheep but what made it a big deal was as she was walking up she finally locked on, rated, and self adjusted to "hold" the two sheep that were trying to join their buddies. Like a smart handler I gave her the "that'll do" and praised profusely! Our total work time was probably all of 15 minutes long but it was enough. See I told you I learned from my mistake :-).
So why did I think it was successful if only 2 sheep went in? It was because of her demeanor at that moment and the way she was watching the stock. I wanted to mark that moment for her and end there because I know that Diva will remember that. It is the way she is. I had anticipated keeping things short and sweet after Wednesday but this was the most perfect set up I could have hoped for. It isn't always about the how long you work or what you do. Sometimes you need to have a good exit strategy to ;-).
So why did I think it was successful if only 2 sheep went in? It was because of her demeanor at that moment and the way she was watching the stock. I wanted to mark that moment for her and end there because I know that Diva will remember that. It is the way she is. I had anticipated keeping things short and sweet after Wednesday but this was the most perfect set up I could have hoped for. It isn't always about the how long you work or what you do. Sometimes you need to have a good exit strategy to ;-).
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Missing The Forest For The Trees
I have been sitting on this post for a few days while I analyzed what actually happened vs. what I wanted to happen. It's incredibly frustrating to go from a working high one session to quitting the next time out and I admit I have been pouting. On Wednesday some of my most terrible faults reared their ugly heads...at the same time ;-/. I have never been a patient person and I will stick with something far to long to prove a point. My husband will also tell you that I have a habit of focusing on the details while overlooking the big picture. For lack of better words, I miss the proverbial forest for the trees.
I had a plan set out for the day which included focusing on the free standing pen and really getting Diva to "watch" her sheep. I have somewhere along the way got it in my head that I can train more "eye" on my loose eyed dog and Wednesday come heck or high water I was going to do just that. Yeah, right. I set out with Diva and 3 yearling lambs to do an exercise that I hoped would get me the desired result. So picture me about 50 feet away from a free standing pen with the gate only opened about half way. I have Diva push the sheep to the pen and they naturally duck around so I give her a flank command and try to set it up again...and again...and again...and again. You get the point. I was going to say very little and let her figure it out but with each failure I am giving more commands and she is watching me more and more. Round and round they go, changing direction, sometimes splitting, occasionally one will go in while the others split, ect. My training plan has fallen apart and I like an idiot am not helping my dog one iota! All I can seem to see is that Diva is not watching her sheep and she is missing small moments of opportunity when a little eye and just a step or two would have been enough. She is getting sucked into the motion of the merry-go-round. I think there was more than one occasion when I turned to Kelly, who was videoing, and expressed my mounting frustration. Thankfully Kelly had the good sense to tell me that perhaps I should go over to the pen and "show" Diva what the exercise was. Even with that we were still not having the kind of success I was after and so without really achieving anything I quit.
After talking it over a little bit with Kelly I decided that I would do something different the next trip in and give Diva a break. After all it has been months since she really has worked so my expectations were pretty unfair. This is the part where I really hang my head in shame. I went back in (with new sheep) and went straight back to the pen trying to drill it again. So much for doing something else! This time I stood at the mouth of the pen and I focused on not saying to much. Some sheep would come in, some would split, Diva would put them back together, and finally with me in the pen (door half open) she got them in. Did I stop there and reward like a good trainer? Sadly, no. I was convinced she could do better and so we did it again and again. Ultimately I think Diva's brain was just about fried. She never quit working but she was desperately trying to figure out what I wanted from her. Again, thank goodness for Kelly, who finally made me stop and realize that while I was so caught up in what Diva wasn't doing (using eye) that I was missing all of the amazing things she was doing. She was getting "out" so nice when I asked, taking her "theres", and really trying hard for me. So finally right at the end I decided to empower Diva and let her a little fun. I let her focus on the sheep that split and encouraged her to "get it" which got her really watching and much more engaged. I remembered to pat my dog and tell her she was a good girl. I also told her I was sorry she had me for a Mom ;-).
So what is the moral of this story? I hope that by sharing it helps other people to realize that we are only human, we all make mistakes, and that having a bad day doesn't mean you have a bad dog or are a bad trainer. Quite the opposite actually, like me, you might have a really good dog! One who keeps trying and doesn't quit, one that stays honest, one that gets the job done (even if it's not the way you wanted it to happen), but most importantly one that will love you at the end despite your faults. Always try and see the big picture and don't get so caught up in a relatively small detail that you too miss the forest for the trees.
Diva and I ended the day with one last time on the sheep doing what I should have done after our first failure. We went out and played around with things that Diva does well, like outruns and driving. Actually, the idea that I can include driving as something stress relieving is a lesson in itself. 3 years ago I was pretty sure she would never drive at all! Now she switches from fetch to drive and back without a hitch :-). So Wednesday didn't go as I had planned but maybe it went the way I needed it to after all. I got the reminder to not rush and to be a fair handler and I also got reprimanded (albeit gently) by a friend for not appreciating the things my dog does really well. Looking forward to Sunday when Diva and I can get back out to Hog Dog!
I had a plan set out for the day which included focusing on the free standing pen and really getting Diva to "watch" her sheep. I have somewhere along the way got it in my head that I can train more "eye" on my loose eyed dog and Wednesday come heck or high water I was going to do just that. Yeah, right. I set out with Diva and 3 yearling lambs to do an exercise that I hoped would get me the desired result. So picture me about 50 feet away from a free standing pen with the gate only opened about half way. I have Diva push the sheep to the pen and they naturally duck around so I give her a flank command and try to set it up again...and again...and again...and again. You get the point. I was going to say very little and let her figure it out but with each failure I am giving more commands and she is watching me more and more. Round and round they go, changing direction, sometimes splitting, occasionally one will go in while the others split, ect. My training plan has fallen apart and I like an idiot am not helping my dog one iota! All I can seem to see is that Diva is not watching her sheep and she is missing small moments of opportunity when a little eye and just a step or two would have been enough. She is getting sucked into the motion of the merry-go-round. I think there was more than one occasion when I turned to Kelly, who was videoing, and expressed my mounting frustration. Thankfully Kelly had the good sense to tell me that perhaps I should go over to the pen and "show" Diva what the exercise was. Even with that we were still not having the kind of success I was after and so without really achieving anything I quit.
After talking it over a little bit with Kelly I decided that I would do something different the next trip in and give Diva a break. After all it has been months since she really has worked so my expectations were pretty unfair. This is the part where I really hang my head in shame. I went back in (with new sheep) and went straight back to the pen trying to drill it again. So much for doing something else! This time I stood at the mouth of the pen and I focused on not saying to much. Some sheep would come in, some would split, Diva would put them back together, and finally with me in the pen (door half open) she got them in. Did I stop there and reward like a good trainer? Sadly, no. I was convinced she could do better and so we did it again and again. Ultimately I think Diva's brain was just about fried. She never quit working but she was desperately trying to figure out what I wanted from her. Again, thank goodness for Kelly, who finally made me stop and realize that while I was so caught up in what Diva wasn't doing (using eye) that I was missing all of the amazing things she was doing. She was getting "out" so nice when I asked, taking her "theres", and really trying hard for me. So finally right at the end I decided to empower Diva and let her a little fun. I let her focus on the sheep that split and encouraged her to "get it" which got her really watching and much more engaged. I remembered to pat my dog and tell her she was a good girl. I also told her I was sorry she had me for a Mom ;-).
So what is the moral of this story? I hope that by sharing it helps other people to realize that we are only human, we all make mistakes, and that having a bad day doesn't mean you have a bad dog or are a bad trainer. Quite the opposite actually, like me, you might have a really good dog! One who keeps trying and doesn't quit, one that stays honest, one that gets the job done (even if it's not the way you wanted it to happen), but most importantly one that will love you at the end despite your faults. Always try and see the big picture and don't get so caught up in a relatively small detail that you too miss the forest for the trees.
Diva and I ended the day with one last time on the sheep doing what I should have done after our first failure. We went out and played around with things that Diva does well, like outruns and driving. Actually, the idea that I can include driving as something stress relieving is a lesson in itself. 3 years ago I was pretty sure she would never drive at all! Now she switches from fetch to drive and back without a hitch :-). So Wednesday didn't go as I had planned but maybe it went the way I needed it to after all. I got the reminder to not rush and to be a fair handler and I also got reprimanded (albeit gently) by a friend for not appreciating the things my dog does really well. Looking forward to Sunday when Diva and I can get back out to Hog Dog!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Proud Moments
Teacher. Explained by the most basic definition of 'One who teaches.' What makes a good teacher though? Is it the person who has the most success in their field? The most experience? Of course there are certain skill sets related to the field the person is teaching about that are required, but what about beyond that? I was thinking a lot about teaching yesterday when Jessica and I took Diva and Myst out to work sheep. Without real intent I am finding myself in the position of teacher for both Jessica and Myst as they start their herding training. There have been a few occasions that I have been asked to take on a more formal role of teacher and I have always shied away from it for various reasons. What I like to do is watch dogs work livestock, any dog, and if I can offer some advice then so be it. Sometimes it's just about approaching things from a fresh angle but usually it's about the way you present the information. Can the person understand what you are asking for and can you provide them with a picture of what is needed and why? This is what makes a good teacher in my opinion. Jessica has the wonderful opportunity to work with a trained dog (Diva :-)) and I am being blessed with the chance to see my training out there in action. In essence we are both her teachers. I don't know why it surprised me but I wasn't expecting the feeling of pride I got from watching them work together. While they were up in the big pasture fetching sheep I snapped a few photos and Jessica's smile says it all.
So for now we will continue to take Myst out to sheep once a week unless she starts to show signs of stress. Diva and I will be out to work again tomorrow (Wednesday) and my plan is to focus on putting her in situations where she absolutely has to watch/read her stock, particularly when sorting. I will be working on my whispering ;-).
Jessica and Diva did a great job of bringing down the sheep, putting them in the sorting field, and then pulling off 3 and taking them to the round pen for Myst. Diva was looking for me once they came into the arena field but she didn't leave Jessica. In a couple of the pictures she is looking at me like, "Why are you hiding in the sheep shelter Mom?" LOL, very cute.
When Diva and I worked it was a repeat of the previous weekend with me focusing on her go by side outrun and her inside flanks. I am trying my best to not say to much and to watch the tone and volume of of my voice. The idea was to whisper because earlier in the week I had admired some video blog of a friend where her voice was so nice and soothing. All I can say for myself is that I am a work in progress ;-). The other seemingly simple and yet very powerful thing I have been working on is to smile more while we are working. Diva reads my face and I tend to frown when I am concentrating hard. This makes her worry and get stressy, especially if I do it while we are trialing! It's amazing what a smile and a good girl will do for her while we are working.
The real star(s) of the day were Myst and Jessica though. I decided to finally video some of her work because I know that Jess will want to look back later and see how far they have come. For the first trip in I handled Myst but my ankle caused issues. The 3 sheep we had sorted were very knee knocker and more than once they bumped me. It made me defensive and nervous not being able to move where I needed to be and in turn I was more firm with Myst than I wanted to be at this stage. To her credit she kept working regardless and was being a very good and honest puppy. On the second go I moved to the fence line and turned Myst over to Jessica. The result was lovely work for her age and Jessica had made improvements in timing and motion from last weekend. Myst is showing some wonderful things for a 7 month old puppy and there is no quit in her. I think they have a bright herding career ahead of them.
When Diva and I worked it was a repeat of the previous weekend with me focusing on her go by side outrun and her inside flanks. I am trying my best to not say to much and to watch the tone and volume of of my voice. The idea was to whisper because earlier in the week I had admired some video blog of a friend where her voice was so nice and soothing. All I can say for myself is that I am a work in progress ;-). The other seemingly simple and yet very powerful thing I have been working on is to smile more while we are working. Diva reads my face and I tend to frown when I am concentrating hard. This makes her worry and get stressy, especially if I do it while we are trialing! It's amazing what a smile and a good girl will do for her while we are working.
The real star(s) of the day were Myst and Jessica though. I decided to finally video some of her work because I know that Jess will want to look back later and see how far they have come. For the first trip in I handled Myst but my ankle caused issues. The 3 sheep we had sorted were very knee knocker and more than once they bumped me. It made me defensive and nervous not being able to move where I needed to be and in turn I was more firm with Myst than I wanted to be at this stage. To her credit she kept working regardless and was being a very good and honest puppy. On the second go I moved to the fence line and turned Myst over to Jessica. The result was lovely work for her age and Jessica had made improvements in timing and motion from last weekend. Myst is showing some wonderful things for a 7 month old puppy and there is no quit in her. I think they have a bright herding career ahead of them.
So for now we will continue to take Myst out to sheep once a week unless she starts to show signs of stress. Diva and I will be out to work again tomorrow (Wednesday) and my plan is to focus on putting her in situations where she absolutely has to watch/read her stock, particularly when sorting. I will be working on my whispering ;-).
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Is It Spring Yet?
I think I can safely say that pretty much everyone I know is so over this winter and ready for spring. Unfortunately Mother Nature just keeps dishing out the winter weather. Lucky for me I managed to get in a little sheep time this past Sunday morning when we had a brief reprieve from the snow and the bitter cold. I have been anxious to get out and start tuning up Diva for the spring/summer trials which are fast approaching and I also wanted to get Myst on sheep again to see how she is doing maturity wise.
It actually worked out well to have Jessica along because my ankle is not yet up for a long hike up the big pasture to retrieve sheep. It was however the perfect opportunity to send a green handler with an experienced dog out to do a nice easy large field fetch ;-). Call me cheesy, but as I watched Diva and Jessica head off over the hill and out of sight I couldn't help but feel a little proud. You see, Jessica used to come out and watch me work sheep at Hog Dog way back when Diva was just a pup and I was finding my way. So as they disappeared from view I held my breath and waited to see if they would find success, which of course they did :-). Jessica was surrounded by sheep and Diva was being a tad to pushy, but down the field they came and they both looked pleased with themselves. It is interesting to see what your dog does when working with another person and even better when it is a novice handler that doesn't micro manage. Diva was pushy but she was also covering and watching her heads really well. I admit I am guilty at times of expecting her to just fall in behind and wear quietly because that makes a "pretty" picture. Between having a few months off and Jessica not giving her any commands what I saw was a much more raw version of Diva. It gave me an idea. I have an opportunity to let Diva do more and give her back some of the freedom I took away when I didn't know better. My ankle doesn't allow me freedom of movement and so I am going to be forced to help her less. Ultimately I think this is a good thing!
Which brings us to the part where I talk about working Myst. The last time she was on sheep I wasn't able to go in so Rae graciously stepped up and offered to help Jessica. Myst was wound up and acted very much like a 6 month old puppy. Knowing how hard headed and tenacious Myst is I knew that it was probably going to take a come to Jesus moment to get her thinking and that doing so would not turn her off. I don't want anyone to think I go around beating puppies, because I don't, but a well timed correction can do wonders ;-). We had sorted 3 nice sheep into the round pen that were smart enough to stay close but not so dead broke that they wouldn't split or move off in a drive. Myst of course made a straight line for the sheep and was fast and tight but she wasn't trying to grip so I concentrated on giving her some where to move them and changing direction. When it was obvious she was just getting herself more amped up I stepped in and caught her with the stick just enough to get her attention and that was pretty much all it took. You could see her slow down both in mind and body and she never missed a beat as far as staying on contact with the sheep. From there the work we got out of her was just lovely. Nice changes of direction, wearing, still wanting to control the heads, but also listening and reading her sheep. She is tighter on the go bye side and doesn't push out as well as she does going away, but for 7 months old and only her 4th time on sheep I was extremely happy. She proved she was ready to take some pressure and that she wouldn't wilt when corrected. For her second time in the pen I started her out but then turned things over to Jessica while I watched from the fence. Like most green handlers Jessica's timing was off but Myst stayed honest and they did some nice fetching around the round pen complete with a couple of downs. I was happy, Jessica was happy, and Myst was tired. Sounds like a perfect day! We will continue to get out now, hopefully at least once a week, and see how she does.
Diva's work sessions with me consisted mostly of doing outruns and trying to get her more round on the go by side. She was doing nice inside flanks and driving the sheep to set them up for the outruns but her habit of looking back at me is still there. A sure sign I talk to much ;-). I didn't ask for anything to difficult and we didn't work that long. I ended the session doing a little exercise at the free standing pen but found I was giving to many commands and getting frustrated with her lack of precision on the flanks. Hardly fair when she hasn't worked in a long time so as they say, a smart woman knows when to quit ;-). I gave her something to be successful doing, praised profusely, and we went home. Diva celebrated with a raw bone and I with an ice pack for my ankle.
It actually worked out well to have Jessica along because my ankle is not yet up for a long hike up the big pasture to retrieve sheep. It was however the perfect opportunity to send a green handler with an experienced dog out to do a nice easy large field fetch ;-). Call me cheesy, but as I watched Diva and Jessica head off over the hill and out of sight I couldn't help but feel a little proud. You see, Jessica used to come out and watch me work sheep at Hog Dog way back when Diva was just a pup and I was finding my way. So as they disappeared from view I held my breath and waited to see if they would find success, which of course they did :-). Jessica was surrounded by sheep and Diva was being a tad to pushy, but down the field they came and they both looked pleased with themselves. It is interesting to see what your dog does when working with another person and even better when it is a novice handler that doesn't micro manage. Diva was pushy but she was also covering and watching her heads really well. I admit I am guilty at times of expecting her to just fall in behind and wear quietly because that makes a "pretty" picture. Between having a few months off and Jessica not giving her any commands what I saw was a much more raw version of Diva. It gave me an idea. I have an opportunity to let Diva do more and give her back some of the freedom I took away when I didn't know better. My ankle doesn't allow me freedom of movement and so I am going to be forced to help her less. Ultimately I think this is a good thing!
Which brings us to the part where I talk about working Myst. The last time she was on sheep I wasn't able to go in so Rae graciously stepped up and offered to help Jessica. Myst was wound up and acted very much like a 6 month old puppy. Knowing how hard headed and tenacious Myst is I knew that it was probably going to take a come to Jesus moment to get her thinking and that doing so would not turn her off. I don't want anyone to think I go around beating puppies, because I don't, but a well timed correction can do wonders ;-). We had sorted 3 nice sheep into the round pen that were smart enough to stay close but not so dead broke that they wouldn't split or move off in a drive. Myst of course made a straight line for the sheep and was fast and tight but she wasn't trying to grip so I concentrated on giving her some where to move them and changing direction. When it was obvious she was just getting herself more amped up I stepped in and caught her with the stick just enough to get her attention and that was pretty much all it took. You could see her slow down both in mind and body and she never missed a beat as far as staying on contact with the sheep. From there the work we got out of her was just lovely. Nice changes of direction, wearing, still wanting to control the heads, but also listening and reading her sheep. She is tighter on the go bye side and doesn't push out as well as she does going away, but for 7 months old and only her 4th time on sheep I was extremely happy. She proved she was ready to take some pressure and that she wouldn't wilt when corrected. For her second time in the pen I started her out but then turned things over to Jessica while I watched from the fence. Like most green handlers Jessica's timing was off but Myst stayed honest and they did some nice fetching around the round pen complete with a couple of downs. I was happy, Jessica was happy, and Myst was tired. Sounds like a perfect day! We will continue to get out now, hopefully at least once a week, and see how she does.
Diva's work sessions with me consisted mostly of doing outruns and trying to get her more round on the go by side. She was doing nice inside flanks and driving the sheep to set them up for the outruns but her habit of looking back at me is still there. A sure sign I talk to much ;-). I didn't ask for anything to difficult and we didn't work that long. I ended the session doing a little exercise at the free standing pen but found I was giving to many commands and getting frustrated with her lack of precision on the flanks. Hardly fair when she hasn't worked in a long time so as they say, a smart woman knows when to quit ;-). I gave her something to be successful doing, praised profusely, and we went home. Diva celebrated with a raw bone and I with an ice pack for my ankle.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Cows, Crutches, And Mud! Oh My!
Yesterday Diva and ushered in February with a few firsts of our own. It was the first time in 6.5 months that Diva was on cattle (For real! Time flies!) and it was the first time I have really went in the pen with any livestock since my broken ankle. I had been cleared to start walking the day before but it wasn't as easy as I had hoped for and frankly I was feeling a bit down. I know there are probably a lot of people that will say I am crazy for even thinking I could do it but to them I simply say, if you want something bad enough you will make it happen. For safety sake I took my crutches with me to use as balance support over the muddy, icy terrain and I didn't go in the pen with any sheep as they are much more likely to run into you than cows are ;-). See, I am ambitious but not stupid :-). I have to give a shout out to Kelly, Rae, and Jessica for toting my chair around and other items so that I could rest as much as possible while still getting a good view of the action. It was slow getting from point A to point B with the mud/ice mixture and as the farm's namesake implies, Keepstone, there are many rocks in the fields! Slow and steady wins the race so they say and I suppose if you judge by the fact that I was able to participate at all, and suffered no extra pain from it, then I did indeed "win".
Diva had a small amount of sheep time when she went in the pen with Jessica and Rae to help Myst on what was only her 3rd sheep exposure ever. Myst just turned 6 months old so she has all of the enthusiasm and little self control that comes with that age ;-). The intent of putting her on sheep was just to maintain her enthusiasm and I can say without a doubt that she is enthusiastic and committed! Jessica is going to have a handful with the little red rocket ;-). Interestingly enough she was also VERY focused in watching the cows and showed no fear when she got up close. Good puppy! Anyway, Diva was happy to fetch the sheep around with Rae and I managed to snap a picture or two of it happening.
When it was our turn on the cows I went in with very little expectations other than to stay safe, have fun, and let Diva drive the cows around a bit to ease back into working. She did a great job of working away from me and applying appropriate pressure but lacked speed when going out to cover. I am certain that a large part of that is her fitness level. After all with no training of any kind for 3 months we are both a little soft ;-). She was comfortable going to head, driving, and took direction well but she was also keeping an eye on me. At one point when I was getting ready to just start yelling I made the choice to call her in to me, praise, and pet her a second. This is something I need to remember to do more often because it makes us both feel better. Immediately after, she went back to work and put in more effort. Her weak points with cows have not changed so I know that this spring I need to make a plan for helping her create space on the fence to pull them off. Before my accident she was doing much better so I know its in there. Being unstable and on crutches forced me to pick a spot and stand still which has brought out in glaring fashion the fact that I do move my body to support the commands I give Diva. My spring training list now includes working on really proofing her directional commands, getting her inside flanks faster and more square (this is more for sheep than cattle), and more pen work with cattle to learn to create space on the fence. All in all though I was proud of Diva for the work she did, especially with the time off. I think we have a great chance of getting her AHBA championship this year!
The highlight of the day (for Diva and I anyway ;-)) came when we were watching Rae and Catcher work the cows. The little Belted Galloway was running the arena fencline wanting to get in with his friends and as he came down towards where Jessica, Kelly, and I were watching I let Diva get after him and push him back where he belonged. The first encounter Diva did well and you could tell she had a blast putting him in his place. Of course he didn't learn his lesson so a few minutes later he was back coming at us again and Diva really gave him hell! It's not to often that Diva really gets gritty but she was in his face, very close to hitting his nose, and totally serious. "Belty" decide that was not something he wanted to tangle with and turned tail. Diva drove him away and when I called her back she was grinning from ear to ear. I seriously wish I had the good sense to pick up my camera while it was happening but I was watching in awe and forgot! Kelly, Jessica, and I were all smiling at her show of confidence and power. She certainly wasn't going to let that cow come rushing up on her Momma's bad leg :-)!
Diva had a small amount of sheep time when she went in the pen with Jessica and Rae to help Myst on what was only her 3rd sheep exposure ever. Myst just turned 6 months old so she has all of the enthusiasm and little self control that comes with that age ;-). The intent of putting her on sheep was just to maintain her enthusiasm and I can say without a doubt that she is enthusiastic and committed! Jessica is going to have a handful with the little red rocket ;-). Interestingly enough she was also VERY focused in watching the cows and showed no fear when she got up close. Good puppy! Anyway, Diva was happy to fetch the sheep around with Rae and I managed to snap a picture or two of it happening.
When it was our turn on the cows I went in with very little expectations other than to stay safe, have fun, and let Diva drive the cows around a bit to ease back into working. She did a great job of working away from me and applying appropriate pressure but lacked speed when going out to cover. I am certain that a large part of that is her fitness level. After all with no training of any kind for 3 months we are both a little soft ;-). She was comfortable going to head, driving, and took direction well but she was also keeping an eye on me. At one point when I was getting ready to just start yelling I made the choice to call her in to me, praise, and pet her a second. This is something I need to remember to do more often because it makes us both feel better. Immediately after, she went back to work and put in more effort. Her weak points with cows have not changed so I know that this spring I need to make a plan for helping her create space on the fence to pull them off. Before my accident she was doing much better so I know its in there. Being unstable and on crutches forced me to pick a spot and stand still which has brought out in glaring fashion the fact that I do move my body to support the commands I give Diva. My spring training list now includes working on really proofing her directional commands, getting her inside flanks faster and more square (this is more for sheep than cattle), and more pen work with cattle to learn to create space on the fence. All in all though I was proud of Diva for the work she did, especially with the time off. I think we have a great chance of getting her AHBA championship this year!
The highlight of the day (for Diva and I anyway ;-)) came when we were watching Rae and Catcher work the cows. The little Belted Galloway was running the arena fencline wanting to get in with his friends and as he came down towards where Jessica, Kelly, and I were watching I let Diva get after him and push him back where he belonged. The first encounter Diva did well and you could tell she had a blast putting him in his place. Of course he didn't learn his lesson so a few minutes later he was back coming at us again and Diva really gave him hell! It's not to often that Diva really gets gritty but she was in his face, very close to hitting his nose, and totally serious. "Belty" decide that was not something he wanted to tangle with and turned tail. Diva drove him away and when I called her back she was grinning from ear to ear. I seriously wish I had the good sense to pick up my camera while it was happening but I was watching in awe and forgot! Kelly, Jessica, and I were all smiling at her show of confidence and power. She certainly wasn't going to let that cow come rushing up on her Momma's bad leg :-)!
Friday, January 17, 2014
Dusting Off The Cobwebs
It feels like forever since I have had anything to write about but, much to my greatest joy, yesterday Diva and I made our first attempt at getting back to normal. So where have we been these past 3 months (OMG, 3 months is a long time!!)? Well the story starts like this...
On November 2, 2013 while at a family ice skating night I managed to slip and break my ankle. Never one to do anything half way I broke my Fibula in a bimaellor fracture and completely tore the syndesmosis ligaments allowing the ankle to become displaced. What this means in simple terms is that my foot was not facing the right direct :-/. I required surgery with a plate and 9 screws and haven't been allowed to bear weight for nearly 12 weeks. During this time Diva did nothing more than be my devoted companion and have the occasional session of ball throwing in the yard when I could crutch out there safely. It has been a very difficult time for me as I had to sit back and watch life happening without me. Sometimes the mind is ready but the body simply can't keep up. That is where I have been for 3 months.
But enough about the doom and gloom. Let's get to the bright side ;-). In just 9 days I will be allowed to begin weight bearing again and though I may have to walk in the ortho boot for several more weeks at least I will be more independent! Running agility may be months off but Diva and I are going to be able to resume working stock, doing obedience, and rally. We have also started doing a lot of "trick" training. The highlight though is that yesterday I met Kelly and Rae at Hog Dog for some much needed girl time and to test how it would be to work sheep while on crutches. Much to Diva's delight Kelly also took her around a few agility obstacles :-). I was pleased that she was enjoying herself and that she remembered her weaves and running A frame contact! Diva is always a happy girl but I could see that getting a chance to be with her Aussie friends and play brought her more joy.
I didn't get any shots of Diva "working" sheep because honestly there wasn't much to see. Rae put her in the round pen with 3 sheep and I stayed outside on my crutches. At first I thought to just let her move them around but 3 months of inactivity has let my mouth get out of control ;-). I got caught up in saying to much instead of just letting her figure it out. The sheep were being particularly cagey about coming over to the side of the fence I was at in part because there were other dogs outside and just behind me but also because these 3 weren't great about staying together. It became a small battle between me, sheep, and dog to get them to just stay in balance. Diva was happy to go out and fetch them but once they hit the boundary of their comfort zone they wanted to squirt around her and she was to close and not strong enough to stop it. Eventually I got what I needed to from Diva call a stop to the session but it was a very good reminder that I need to be quiet and work more from outside the fence where I can't move my body to influence her or the stock. Who knew you could glean all this information from 3 sheep and a 30' round pen ;-)?!
So we blew the cobwebs off and got to have a little fun. I expect in the coming weeks there will be more posts as I continue to find my "foot" and learn to walk again. Diva needs to be brought back to condition also so we will start this next step together. My goals haven't changed for this year, I still want to get her CDX, PCH, RA, RTDs, do some AHBA, and if I can manage it get back to agility and pursue that ATCH.
On November 2, 2013 while at a family ice skating night I managed to slip and break my ankle. Never one to do anything half way I broke my Fibula in a bimaellor fracture and completely tore the syndesmosis ligaments allowing the ankle to become displaced. What this means in simple terms is that my foot was not facing the right direct :-/. I required surgery with a plate and 9 screws and haven't been allowed to bear weight for nearly 12 weeks. During this time Diva did nothing more than be my devoted companion and have the occasional session of ball throwing in the yard when I could crutch out there safely. It has been a very difficult time for me as I had to sit back and watch life happening without me. Sometimes the mind is ready but the body simply can't keep up. That is where I have been for 3 months.
But enough about the doom and gloom. Let's get to the bright side ;-). In just 9 days I will be allowed to begin weight bearing again and though I may have to walk in the ortho boot for several more weeks at least I will be more independent! Running agility may be months off but Diva and I are going to be able to resume working stock, doing obedience, and rally. We have also started doing a lot of "trick" training. The highlight though is that yesterday I met Kelly and Rae at Hog Dog for some much needed girl time and to test how it would be to work sheep while on crutches. Much to Diva's delight Kelly also took her around a few agility obstacles :-). I was pleased that she was enjoying herself and that she remembered her weaves and running A frame contact! Diva is always a happy girl but I could see that getting a chance to be with her Aussie friends and play brought her more joy.
I didn't get any shots of Diva "working" sheep because honestly there wasn't much to see. Rae put her in the round pen with 3 sheep and I stayed outside on my crutches. At first I thought to just let her move them around but 3 months of inactivity has let my mouth get out of control ;-). I got caught up in saying to much instead of just letting her figure it out. The sheep were being particularly cagey about coming over to the side of the fence I was at in part because there were other dogs outside and just behind me but also because these 3 weren't great about staying together. It became a small battle between me, sheep, and dog to get them to just stay in balance. Diva was happy to go out and fetch them but once they hit the boundary of their comfort zone they wanted to squirt around her and she was to close and not strong enough to stop it. Eventually I got what I needed to from Diva call a stop to the session but it was a very good reminder that I need to be quiet and work more from outside the fence where I can't move my body to influence her or the stock. Who knew you could glean all this information from 3 sheep and a 30' round pen ;-)?!
So we blew the cobwebs off and got to have a little fun. I expect in the coming weeks there will be more posts as I continue to find my "foot" and learn to walk again. Diva needs to be brought back to condition also so we will start this next step together. My goals haven't changed for this year, I still want to get her CDX, PCH, RA, RTDs, do some AHBA, and if I can manage it get back to agility and pursue that ATCH.
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