Notes from Scott Glen Lesson

Yesterday I had a lesson with Scott at Fido's Farm with Brynn.  It was awesome.  Brynn loved him.  She worked like a dream. He was able to help me fix some 'patterning' I had created with Brynn on her outrun.  I have taken several lessons & clinics with Scott in the past, it was nice to see him again.  

When I have taken lessons with Scott in the past it has been with Beth.  Beth shuts down on the field with him.  Brynn was another story - she loved him.  She even sat next to his feet, wiggled her butt and gazed at him with adoration. 

Over the past 18 months I made a commitment to choose one trainer and stick with it.  My choice was Dianne Deal.  I made that choice because I did not have a deep enough knowledge base to work from.  I was taking lessons from several excellent trainers who had different techniques.  Because I did not have enough experience I became confused and felt that trainers were contradicting each other - which left me confused & frustrated.


Now that I have some time, miles (and additional pounds) under my belt I am able to take suggestions and different training techniques for what they are, information for me to use and build from - using what works for me, and my dogs, without becoming intimidated or break down in tears because I cannot understand why Scott does things differently than Patrick, or Karen says to do this, when Dianne told me that...and if I do that then it will break my dog and it will be all MY FAULT!  Blah blah blah.  

I talked to Dianne about it and she encouraged me to take a lesson with Scott, so I went for it.  I was glad I did.  

Here are some notes  I took right after my lesson.  Be forewarned, they might not make a whole lot of  sense to anyone but me.  

• When you say the command you need to expect the result - not just suggest it.  For example:  When you say "lie down" EXPECT her to lie down. 

• Being quiet in your command is a good thing - but command shouldn't sound like suggestions.   Don't ask, tell.   If you say something don't suggest it or ask her to lie down.  TELL HER and EXPECT the result.  Anything else is just noise. 

• The relief from pressure is not in the command, it is in doing the right thing. 

• They are dogs, growling means something.  At the end of the day they are still dogs - talk in their language (preferably with Scottish/Canadian accent). 

• You can pattern a bad choice if your handling is consistently wrong. To fix that you have to fix yourself, not the dog.

• Saying her name brings her in to you...her name is not a correction.  On the outrun if you say her name it only works to bring her in to you.  Works against the objective of getting her wider.

• Saying her name does not provide information.   If you are going to say something, provide information that makes sense.   If you want her further away from you, why would you say something that typically makes her want to come to you? 

• Inside flanks should be soft, not harsh.

• With Brynn the outrun goes to hell before 9 or 3.  Send her from my feet, if she is too narrow, lie her down.  Walk up to her, put pressure on her.  She knows what she needs to do. Send her again, if the nose does not bend out, repeat.  ONLY send her from my feet, stop sending her when I am 1/2 way up the field, she is beyond that.  She knows what she needs to do at the top.  If her outrun is correct (wide) she is excellent at the top. 

• MUST PRACTICE LIFTING OFF STRANGE PEOPLE  (strangers, not weird :)

• Shut up and let her think - provide information that makes sense. 

• Anticipate the result of your command - if she is correct leave her alone.

• A correction does not need to be over the top, just timed right.  

• She is an honest dog, she tells you her intentions and listens, but she will run over the top of you if you are not going to back it up. 

• Use stupid sheep to your advantage, make it a training opportunity.

• Flow can't happen if she fights with the sheep, get her off their butts.   Some dogs see 50 sheep as one, others see a flock of 50 as 50 different sheep.  Brynn sees 50 individual sheep, if she is too close she is overwhelmed and can't see the big picture. 

• You need to learn how to shed.

Not many things surprise Scott.  However, squealing while landing on your ass in the mud startles him a wee bit.

Your Dog: The Owners Manual

The book is available for purchase now on Amazon. (click on link below to go directly to Amazon)

Your Dog: The Owners Manual on Amazon

Now, you too can have Ranger in your home.  Along with Dr. Marty Becker, Henry & Quixote.  Best of all a excellent book that covers everything you could ever want to know about your dog.

Buy one today!

(Disclaimer:  I do not get any money or any other type of payment for promoting this book.  I just think it is pretty cool Ranger is on the cover and Dr. Becker and his co-author Gina Spadafori are good eggs.) 

Future Tripping

Today while I was trudging around in the muck & mud at Fido's farm I had  thought pop into my head. 

I hate sheep. 

Okay. I don't really hate sheep. 

I hated myself today while working my dog on sheep.  I was frustrated and tired.  I had exceeded my skill set & the tools in my toolbox all needed to be cleaned with a good dose of WD-40.  

Tomorrow I am running the dogs in the Kearney Creek trial.  Another in the series of winter training trials here in Western Washington.  I am trying not to have any expectations.  But to be completely honest, my head is full of expectations.  They are creeping into my head, commandeering my common sense.   My goal is to clear my head, become zen with my dog.   Approach the trial much like my dog would - be in the moment - do not 'future trip'. 

What is future tripping?  Basically, it means to worry about the future instead of enjoying the present.

Rather than enjoying my time working the dogs, my mind is racing.  I am tripping out on what tomorrow may bring.  Obsessively worrying, jumping to the future - seeing all that can go wrong and begin my slow decent into a total freak out. 

As I work myself up into this frenzy I start to imagine all that can go wrong.  I visualize people pointing, laughing, whispering about the size of my butt,  plotting to rescue my abused dogs from my grasp, stabbing me with their crooks, throwing mud, rotten tomatoes, hissing, booing. 

You know, the normal pre-trial worries.

This is not the best frame of mind to be working your dog.  When I realized I had just ran across the field, arms flailing, whisper/yelling, with a strange Scottish accent "You get out of that!  If you take one more step forward I am going to drown you in a puddle!"  I knew it was time to throw in the towel and leave.  

Okay I admit, my pre-trial worries are a bit beyond what would be called 'normal'.   Perhaps they are over the edge?  Maybe, but I am comfortable there - teetering just on the edge of sanity - it seems to be my happy place.  

As I drove from Fido's to Cindy's to check on the ewes and new lambs, I felt myself loosing the tenuous grip on what remained of my sanity.   When I pulled into the yard, I left the dogs in the car, keys in the ignition, and went to the barn.  I grabbed some alfalfa and stumbled out into the field - where sat down & tried to commune with the sheep.

I watched them eat.  

Mother their lambs. 

I thought about how my life would be so different if it were not for sheep. 

Without sheep, we would not have border collies. 

Without border collies my husband would not be complaining constantly about the cost of trials, dog food, gas, vet bills, dog hair, dirty carpet, slobber on the couch, chewed slippers, paw prints on the wall. 

My life would be peaceful. 

Then it dawned on me....

I need to get rid of my husband.  

Theo Bear & Ranger

"I almost died the other day.  There I was chewing on my stick, listening to Camera Face swearing at me because I'm not 'spose to chew on sticks." 

"I ignored her, she's used to it...she has teenagers."

"Suddenly I heard something behind me, crashing through the brush."

"A BEAR!  It's a BEAR! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" 

"It was gonna eat my butt!"

"He cornered me, I dropped my stick and prepared to fight." 

"What is this?  It wants to play?" 

"Iiiiiieeeeeeeeeeee.....Shazam!  Try and keep up!"

"I have aerodynamics in my favor! Short hair = SPEED!"

"Oh, for a big hair ball you are pretty fast!   But you should think about firing your barber....I think he is ripping you off.  Dude, you need a hair cut."

Woohooo, look at him go!  

"Catch me if you can."

"Why is Camera Face laughing?" 

 

"I'm not going to eat you Ranger. However, I might lick you to death." 

"I'm a lover, not a fighter." 

"My name is Theo and I am looking for a new home.  My foster momma Lynette from Rescue Every Dog brought me to meet Camera Face for free pictures to use on Petfinder." 

"Betcha want to hug me, huh?   I miss being hugged by my very own family.  You see, the human I lived with my whole life went to Heaven and left me alone.  R.E.D. is working hard to find me a home to call my own.  One day someone will want me - I am too special to pass up." 

"Take me home.  I can be your new teddy bear." 

Who could resist that face?    Check out Theo's Petfinder listing and share it with your friends. 

Bea Meets Sheep

Last week I put Bea on sheep for a little teaser at Fido's Farm.  I did not get even one picture, because I was alone and wanted to give all of my attention to Bea & the puppy sheep. 

Bea was über awesome.  Her tail was down, she came to balance nicely.  I was able to walk backward in the arena & Bea kept pace behind.  The puppy sheep, who are notorious knee knockers, actually kept a decent distance and we had a good thing going.  I was pleased. 

Alas, I wanted pictures.  So a couple of days later Cindy and I grabbed the large group of nicely dog broke sheep (to set Bea up for success) and put them in the big field. Cindy sat on the ground with my camera and we went for it again.

It was as successful as the experience at Fido's, albeit a wee bit faster and required a bit more running. 

Bea kept the sheep together nicely.  She had fun circling then coming into balance while I walked backward (okay, I RAN backward).  I am happy to say I did not fall once. 

We ended the session with Bea wanting more.  I was very happy with her, because she kept a very nice head about her.  She is going to be so much fun! 

I will not put her back on sheep again for at least another month.  No use risking an adverse experience when her mind is a sponge. 

Since Cindy shot so many nice photos I decided to put them all into a video/slide show with music by Yanni called "Swept Away".  In a year I can look back on this and remember where she used to be.