Away is okay

and go by isn't so much! I noticed that she would take the away inside flank but not the go by inside flank. I stood on top of the hill which meant she would need to use more gb's and there is fence up at the top I can stand up against. She ran all the way up that damn hill like three times to run behind me but on the fourth she thought about maybeeeeeee she didn't want to run all the way back up and then she took the inside flank. She only had energy to do it once more--it's a long way! I don't know if it's mean or not but it seems to work for her--appeal to her "oh my god, I can't run anymore" side. I always let her pick up her sheep afterwards as a reward.

We sorted sheep and Soda just LOVES working singles! She managed to pick off the one I needed and was all "NO YOU DON'T!" and pushed her through. I suck at sorting though. I get very singular minded. When you say but "Group A" here, that's what I do. I forget that they're animals and you sometimes have to come up with creative solutions.

Anyway, good works today!

Paige

What is interesting about this picture?

Is it the massive amount of dirt?
The cute lambios?
The crappy focus?

No. Take your time, look and study.

...

...

Got it? Not yet?

Well, she is BETWEEN me and the sheep! She did two whole, complete, comfortable, non-ridiculously slow, correct inside flanks ON HER OWN. This was actually #3 and we stopped right after this because I was so pleased. She is finally and slowly getting it. We've been using crazy baby lambios and I've been vigilant about letting her have fun, too. I practiced penning a little bit because she so loves that. Her pupils dialate, her whole body gets wound and I just have 100% of my dog when she sees that pen. She just loves it. I've said it before but I think it's because she can see what needs to be done and how to do it easily. I refreshed her in the middle with some penning and I got more dog after that. So fun.

Oh, and Terry has a litter on the ground. I so want. I want I want I want I want I want.

Anyway, todays work was just what I needed. She did really well. :) Feel free to congratulate her in the comments.

I'm not entering any trials

until I get some kind of inside flank. I don't want to just rodeo through it, I want to try to place and I can't do that, ESPECIALLY on A course unless I can carefully tweak her movements and I can't do that w/o an inside flank.

We worked a little in the middle sized arena getting her to go between me and the sheep and we used some crazy lambios and I think, after a few minutes, she thought it was fun because when she moved them boy did they move! ZOOM!

So then we worked in the field and had her work way off me. I would ask for an inside flank to keep the sheep on an imaginary line and she turned and ran alllllllllllllllllllll the way back to be and around me in a reverse out run and I made her do that a couple of times and then she said "this is bullshit" and did an inside flank. Lots of praise and sheep moving! She did a couple of crappy inside flanks and we stopped with that. Progress! She was still visibly uncomfortable but obviously not uncomfortable enough to haul ass all the way back again.

She also picked off a single and worked her back to me. This was a rogue ewe in with the lambios. She said "I ain't takin this shit" and kept trying to leave and so I had Soda work her back to me. She really really really liked that. I know I shouldn't really let her "take the easy route" and just let her break off but she really enjoys it and doesn't take cheap shots and it's really important, especially for her, that I let her have fun to keep her keen. And also, I just like seeing her do something she enjoys and can do well. :D

I don't wanna! *stomps feet*

This was Soda. More crap. I don't know if it was because of the cow incident or what but I got basically no work out of her. Just running out and then off.

I'm super frustrated! It's just more of the same ol' shit. I really am just going to have to stick with AKC stuff. She just can't take the pressure of even Novice. I was going to run another novice trial but the outrun is a bit bigger than the last one and we've been trying to work on it and ... nope. Not going to happen.

I really want another dog. Soda would be happy being a pet or every great once and while running some AKC stuff. Am I wrong to be so frustrated? We go from a good work to a really God-Awful-Waste-of-Money and it seems like these days, I get more crap than I get good. And on the other hand, even if I get another dog I still can't get to sheep more than once a week. I just simply can't afford it and no one in OC has sheep they'd let me use. I could probably do local sheep + fee or far away sheep w/gas + no fee but work.

I love this so much but the finite end is coming--I keep saying it but I can see it. I want to run a dog in the border collie nationals. That's my BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG goal. Reach for the stars and all that. I have to say it but I am still very proud of how far she's come but ... the journey is going to end soon and I don't know what I'm going to do.

On the + side, I may be able to get some ducks soon. That will be fun. Soda lervs poultry.

Soda the Cow Dog

We were out at the big field this week working on outruns. She's improved some. I know when you work a lot on driving the outruns turn to crap (or so I've heard) and that was pretty true of Soda. We tuned them up a bit and she ran a nice big outrun. She did bust out the patented "out crawl" at the top, but I figure with time comes confidence and she'll run eventually.

There are some cows and calves in pen out there and one of the calves can escape. He's actually a teenager, not a tiny thing. Anyway, he was out, being mischievous and checking out the sheep and the dogs and Soda was doing an outrun and not really minding him and then, he minded her and started chasing her! She was running and I was laughing soooo hard (he was more being mischievous and not so much I'M GOING TO KILL YOU) and calling her to me and she got about ten feet away from him, turned around to face him, and pinned her ears and went WOOOWOOOWWOOOOWOOOWOOOOWOOOOWOOO! (imagine a cross between a howl and a bark and that's what it sounds like, only really high pitched) and then she ran like hell again! It was an absolute hoot! When she was pretty out of the way she turned and barked at him again, only a few tough "Woof! Woof!" and I got the biggest kick out of it. It was pretty damn funny. She looked so put out afterwards. Not hurt, not upset, not scared, just annoyed.

Terry said she thought on the outrun that Soda was considering trying to work him but decided not to so maybe that's why he went after her. Pretty much though, if someone is inclined to go after a dog, they'll go after Soda. She kind of gives off that vibe. She's a weenie.

I wish I had it on video because it was really cute watching her try to stand up for herself.

Paige

PS. Lest you think I'm cruel, this whole thing took less than about 20 seconds and there wasn't a whole lot I could do about but encourage Soda to run like hell back to me, which she did.

Flankity Flank Flank Flank

Moar inside flanks!

I think Soda is ready for them now. We went into the little pen and set it up and she was soooo pathetic but by the end she was getting that it was "okay" to go between me and the sheep. She tried to run out of a pen a few times--mostly because she was trying to go behind me, I think and I told her no and just asked for the flank again. I was, without thinking, standing on the side with the gap under the fence initially but when I moved to where she couldn't go behind me, it was a lot easier. Eventually I was able to be on that side. She also tried to run out of the pen when she blew off the flank and went to gather the sheep, blowing off my verbal corrections and so I had really drive home the point. She didn't see the wire between the planks and ran into it. I'm going to be brutally honest, it was hilarious.

Also, I held The Soda Killer and had Soda bite her. She freaking LOVED that and the Soda Killer had a better attitude. I don't know why that damn sheep is always out when I'm working. She's a jerk.

I'm really glad I haven't entered any trials coming up. Our previous course A intermediate qualifications where a miracle and as I've said before NOT good stockmanship and I think part of that is a lack of an inside flank makes it very difficult to have any finesse. I don't know if it's not an "inside flank" at a certain distance but virtually any distance between me and the sheep is too much for the Soda. She's a sensitive soul. :) We'll be working on this some more but I was really pleased with her today.

Drilling: Not just for dentists

We spent a little time drilling this week on flanks--getting her to take them and getting her to do them correctly. It went really well. She tried to pout a few times (I'm just going to go wider and wider and wider and then run off) but calling her name pulls her in really well as does "go go go go go go go go go watch em!" She really started responding quickly to the flanks on the whistle.

I was really surprised that she lasted as long as she did. She did 9 minutes of drills (she got to move her sheep several times during this) then took a small break and then 6 more minutes of drills. Terry said she was really impressed.

Soda has come a long way in every way, but especially her "try". She is willing to put it all out on the line for me and I appreciate that. I get frustrated and stuff, but times like this, I always remember how far she's come. It makes me very proud!