Clinic Drop-Out

This weekend was the Karen Child Clinic - "Tips and Tactics for Success on the ISDS Course". The clinic was for all levels and focused on tips and tactics - not training. Each person would run a section of the ISDS course with Karen talking in your ear, giving suggestions and help.

This was one of those "What Was I Thinking" moments. Why exactly did I sign up for this clinic? *bangsheadondesk* Not only was this clinic clearly inappropriate for us but my mind was not with me - it was with Brynn at the vet.

When it was our turn to go to the post I tried to set Beth up for a 'go-by' outrun. She ignored me and placed herself for an 'away'.

I corrected her and set her up for a 'go-by'.

When I turned around to stand at the post, she snuck over to an 'away' position. Aww crap...this wasn't going to be pretty.

I calmly made her come back to my other side for a 'go-by'. She grudgingly laid down, looking at me like she wanted to eat my left knee-cap. She was channeling the "YOU ARE AN IDIOT" glare right into my soul.

When she focused her indignant glare on the sheep I sent 'Evil Beth' with a nice calm sweet "gooooo-byyyyyeeeee".

Beth considered my 'go-by' a mere suggestion. The outrun appeared to be going nice and wide for all of about 3 seconds - when suddenly she crossed over in front of me in a flat out run heading for an 'away' with a smug little smile written all over her snout.

Karen is shouting "lie down" in my ear. I am shouting "lie-down". Karen is yelling "SAY IT LOUDER". I am shrieking 'LIE DOWN' like a hormonal fishwife, running across the field flailing my arms as in the throes of a grand-mal seizure.

Beth ignored me. I could hear her laughing "HA HA catch me now biatch". She went in for a 'slice & dice' hitting the sheep like a atom bomb. But what she expected to happen - didn't. The sheep stuck to the set-out like glue.

As we are running across the field we watched her circling the handler & sheep at the set-out seemingly confused. The sheep were afraid of her.

With Karen's help we fixed it. But it was ugly, very ugly.

*sigh*

Then we tried it again.

This time I sent Beth on an 'away' because she thought she knew more than me again. Fine, let her run through the swamp - but nooooo - when she got to the swamp - she used that as her excuse to dart in and hit the sheep like a bomb AGAIN! Grrrrrr....(which is why we didn't want to send her on an away in the first place!)

Same result followed, more ugliness.

We did however get a very nice pen on the first attempt. I think it was a lucky fluke. The sheep dashed into the pen as the only means of escape from Evil Beth.

Obviously we are not ready for this level of clinic. Karen told me if her dog did that in a trial situation she would let them run on the 'away' because she knew it would be a disaster if she tried to change it. The trial is not a time for training - it is the result of hours of training.

But things have a way of working out. My friend Jeanne was at the clinic with her two dogs auditing. She really wished she could be in the clinic with her new dog Rocky. She recently purchased Rocky (who is already qualified for the nationals) this clinic would be extremely beneficial for them both. Me and Beth? Not so much...

I suggested to Jeanne she take my place in the clinic (the rest of Saturday and all day Sunday) in exchange I would take her private lesson with Karen on Tuesday and she can buy me dinner when we go to the Pat Shannahan clinic in two weeks. Perfect, win/win situation.

I am concerned that Beth is going to put on her "Miss Manners" routine during my private sessions with Karen on Tuesday.

Someday I am going to have enough skills to thwart her little devious scheme and her arse is toast. Oh yeah...someday, in my dreams.

Wonderful Weekend - Part 1 - Beth

Saturday morning dawned beautiful. The temperatures were warm and topped out in the low 70's. Just glorious. Because so many things happened this weekend that I want to share, I am going to post several things separately.

Hubby John actually had the day off from the endless overtime he has been working. So we tossed the dogs in the vehicle, threw in our youngest daughter and went to Fido's Farm for the day.

First up was my lesson with Beth. We are starting to work on letting Beth learn how to fix mistakes by getting her to think about what she is doing rather than drowning her in commands and directions. Like Scott Glen says "She needs the attitude of what she did wrong to have the attitude to do it right" (gosh I hope I quoted that right - hopefully you will get what I mean).

We got some really pretty work and several deep, wide outruns. Then we had some gimpy moments. At one point she sliced the top off her flank and scattered the sheep into three separate groups. It was fascinating to watch her stop, think and then figure out how to fix it. John captured some pictures of the process.

For the non-sheep herding literate people reading this I will try to explain. (Please feel free to correct me if I have misstated any of this)

Think of the sheep as standing in the center of a clock. The handler is standing at 6. When the handler sends the dog either "Away to me" (counter clockwise) or "Go-Bye" (clockwise - some people use "come-by" too) the dog should be circling wide around the sheep (wide enough as to not disturb them) and then come up on the far side of the sheep (at 12) which is the balance point from where the handler is standing. Then the dog should lift (move) the sheep slowly and calmly in a straight line to the handler (right up the center of the clock).

If the dog doesn't circle all the way around, that is called cutting in, slicing the top off the flank etc.

Beth has that common problem & I have the problem of not knowing how to successfully stop it. The first picture you can see Beth has cut the top off her flank and is approaching the sheep from the side. What I find interesting is the way the sheep are reacting in the picture - you can almost see them thinking...."which way do we go?". The exact opposite of what we want to happen. Beth hasn't circled around behind them, rather is hitting them like a bowling ball from the side - scattering them. (click on picture for larger view).

When I saw she was cutting the top off her flank, I yelled "lie down" so I could correct it and push her out. But Beth completely ignored me.

Now Beth has punched through the sheep and has succeeded in separating them into three groups. Chris and I just kept our mouths shut when we saw she has stopped and was thinking.

The next picture is just a closer view of Beth standing there processing how to fix her mess. When I saw she looked at the set of sheep in the back I calmly said "look back" then flanked her on an go-bye. It was very cool to see that light bulb go off over her head.

Beth has successfully 'looked back' and is bringing the sheep back together - fixing her mess.

As Chris says "What a kid!"

Later in the day I kept working on 'triangle's where I work closely and basically work the top of the flanks over and over until I see Beth give room. Then I will send her on an outrun or two. If I see her start slicing in, we go back to the triangle drill. We are also doing a lot of 'walk abouts'.

Slowly but surely I have seen Beth changing into a more confident dog. Sometimes I worry she is getting to confident and challenging me. She doesn't do that when there is an instructor in the field - but when she is with me alone - I am frustrated because I feel like all the beautiful work we get out of her with Chris or Karen I am unable to replicate with her alone. I know the best cure for that is to keep practicing and practicing and practicing. *sigh*

Practice is good. It is definitely providing me with exercise. I look at it this way. I have about 85 lbs to lose (yes, I am a Wildebeest). If I am out in the field with Beth and sheep moving around and doing my best to remain upright, I am getting a heck of a work out. It is a goooood thing. Sheep herding weight loss plan. The only thing I eat in the field is mud and the occasional bug. No wonder my pants are getting looser everyday!

This upcoming weekend is the Karen Child clinic at Fido's which I am attending with Beth. I have been looking forward to this since December. I can hardly wait! WOOHOO!



It was a good Saturday.

Sunday Lesson with Karen Child

I love weekends like we just had. There is nothing better than spending the day with the man you love (yeah he is a keeper, even when he is annoying me) and the dogs you adore.

To wrap up three solid days of lessons we closed with Karen Child on Sunday afternoon. While John has had several lessons with Karen, this was my first working Beth.

I cannot say enough about her. She is an incredible instructor! I love the way she can correct you without making you feel like a doofus. She stuffed my brain so full of information I cannot possibly retain it all. Which is why it is especially helpful to have these lessons on video so I can watch them again and again before going out to practice.

For me, the videos are more effective than notes and I can clearly see what I am missing when on the field. For example. I am forgetting to use the "that'll do" instead I am saying "come". I need to work on that.

Here are a few of the rainy highlights.



Karen discussed having John in the field with me while I am working Beth. She said it won't be a good idea. It is like changing dance partners in the middle of the dance. Poor Beth will wonder who she is dancing with. When I am practicing John needs to stay out of the field. She also said that for now I need to be the one working her. She shouldn't be bounced back and forth between us until John can work her regularly again.

Beth looks wonderful. It is all due to John's hard work and devotion in training her.

Lost Sheep

Today we lost our sheep. The little buggers found the hole in the fence near the gate and escaped to the big field. I could hear them laughing at us as they ran away. Wooley idiots.

We started out our lesson with Chris with six lambs. Three disappeared at the beginning of the lesson (jumped the creek). We didn't have time to get more separated from the larger flock. So we worked with the three that were left.

When Chris left us to work on our own we did pretty good. But we just didn't seem to be clicking. Beth was off her game and I seemed to have forgotten how to walk. It went down hill after I fell arse over teakettle in the mud.

After a quick bathroom break in the barn we went back out - and the stinking lambs were up against the gate again - trying to get through to the larger flock. Beth very carefully lifted them out to the center of the field. But they kept heading back. It was fascinating to watch her work through this in her mind. These lambs were really challenging her. Facing her, stomping their feet. One of the braver lambs charged at her several times. She held her ground and very slowly and firmly put pressure on them. She was using her noggin. Then when things just got a wee bit complicated the darn stupid lambs found the hole next to the gate and whooosh....they were gone.

Beth shot through the same gap and tried to get ahead of them in the field before they got to the larger flock. I bellowed "lie down" I could see her sigh, then she gave me a guilty look. I patted my leg and said "that'll do" & gave her some lovin' .

Then we walked the path of shame out of the field.

Tomorrow morning we have another lesson with Chris. Sunday we have a lesson with Karen Child. Perhaps by the time Monday morning rolls around we might actually have our act together.

Anything is an improvement over today...

Herding Clinics - WOOHOO!

HOORAY! Scott Glen is coming back to Fido's Farm March. The All Breed All Levels Clinic is March 21-22. Private lessons are available the week prior.

Shhhhh....Don't tell my husband, but I enrolled him & Beth for two private sessions with Scott and the entire weekend for the clinic. (John, if you are reading this...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!)

I am going to audit the clinic again and I am going to have a private session with Bonnie! WOOHOOO! She will be ready to start seriously training by then. (If it all goes as planned - I will be able to walk backward with out falling over by then too).

Then April 11-12 is a Karen Child Handling Clinic, "Tips & Tactics for Success on the ISDS Trial Course". By popular request Karen Child is once again offering her handling and rules clinic for novice, pro-novice and open handlers. I enrolled us both in this clinic.

"During this clinic you will run the ISDS course with Karen Child at your side. Through discussions, demonstrations and hands-on working sessions you will hone your handling skills, learn trial guidelines, gain knowledge of how to work around a tricky situation and find out how to get the most from your team during trial runs. As the clinic finale you will run a trial course while Karen scores your run.

That gives me until March to save the money to pay for it all! I have a new "Herding Fund Accumulation Strategy". Every time I go to to the grocery store, Costco or anywhere that allows me to get money back when I use my debit card - I am going to take $20.00 or $40.00 and hide it (hopefully I won't forget where I hid it this time). I figure by then I can pay for this without having to fore go paying for any of the kids braces, food, shoes or coats. (I know... my priorities are wee bit misaligned eh?)

My favorite picture of John & Beth


We are so blessed to have two incredible instructors available to us.

I love Fido's Farm....When I die I want my ashes spread in a sheep pen.

Fido's Farm - My Nirvana

Bonnie's Spay Day

This morning Bonnie is getting spayed. It was difficult to go back to the vet just a few days after saying good bye to Katie.

Beth and Ranger dont seem to want to be out of each other's sight. Maybe they think they will disappear next? This weekend was very hard. The dogs have been out of sorts. I cant say they miss Katie, then again I cant say they don't. Perhaps they are playing off my mood?

This weekend Ranger did some awesome stuff with herding. We were moving sheep from one pasture to another through the gates. He had it in minutes. He is so gentle with the stock it is amazing. At one point one of the sheep fell over then got stuck on his back. Therewas the sheep flat on his back four feet pointing straight up in the air - Ranger standing over him - looking at him with a perplexed 'WTF' look on his face. I wish I would have had my camera. It was priceless. Needless to say we rolled him back over and off he went.

We gave Bonnie another teaser with the sheep. She was totally turned on! We kept the drag line on her just on the off chance she went 'alligator' on the sheep. She was a bit snappy, but backed off nicely. She remained engaged through the whole session. Much better this month than her last one with Karen Child. Puppies are so funny...you truly cannot judge them at this age.

Here is a link to the latest video of her on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHTW3hUIOoQ

Beth continues to come along nicely. John had another session with Karen Child last weekend and they just continued to work on 'traingles' and long gathers. Beth is completely healed from her run in with the fence. Altho she seems to be one of the most accident prone dogs I have ever seen. This weekend one of the sheep jumped then landed on her full on its side. Knocked the wind right out of her, but she learned to keep her distance a bit. She is also learning some patience in the field. Below she is waiting patiently while John talks to Chris. What a good girl...three months ago she wouldnt have this type of restraint that close to the sheep. John and Beth make such a wonderful team. Pictures like this just melt my heart every time I look at them. Beth simply adores him...something tells me the feeling is mutual.