Ugh. So, I went and nicely got her and had her fetch the sheep back out to the middle of the field and made her run some flanks around then just went and sat back down.
After a few minutes we tried some driving and that was abysmal. She was much better last week. Basically, she didn't even try.
So, I asked my instructor if I could just take her with some sheep and school on her with some flanks and some shorty-short outruns and she thought that was a great idea. I took her off to a corner of the field and got some decent work done. I did really push her to run and be quick and be keen. On the away side, she kept running out and and out and out and getting off contact and possibly trying to run off. I called her name (thanks, BC board for that little trick!) and she came in just enough to keep her on contact. That was very helpful.
Then we did a few outruns and I stopped her at like, 3 o'clock, kicked her out and reflanked her with a great deal of success. That went pretty well. I was setting up for another outrun and the sheep started to break for their friends out on the lower field. I ran after them, flanking Soda and getting her all amped and she made it to their heads and stopped them. She was very excited after that. She likes stopping escaping sheep and turning singles but she's not fast enough to do it most of the time!
We brought those sheep back to the trailer (with the other sheep that had joined us) and I *made* Soda walk them with me, rather than just letting them break back tot he trailer. She did a really excellent job of that and after a minute of me flanking her to cover, she got it and did it herself. Good girl!
Then, I held some sheep for another student on the lower field and she got all weird again and started displacement sniffing and not listening. So BIZARRE. Later, I set her up for an outrun and she pretty much ran right at the sheep. I stopped her, kicked her out and then she wouldn't complete it. I don't know why the lower field is so bad and the upper field is okay. It's the SAME DAMN FIELD! Same stuff, same cut, same chicken stench. So dumb.
I'm a little frustrated, if you can't tell. I don't know what her problem is and why this seems to be dragging out. Usually if she has a mental breakdown like she is she gets over it in a lesson or two but I am not seeing and bettering or abatement. I know I need a new dog soon--I keep seeing other students with well-bred collies and I'm thinking "Damnit. I want that."
On a positive note, so you don't think I'm totally shitting on Soda, she did a fantastic job of stopping runaway sheep and that really keened her up. And she paced herself on the fetch! w00t! Ohh, and Terry was teaching the more advanced students shedding so that was really good to watch! Sometimes, it's best to watch someone just learning how to do something because you really learn from their mistakes and you can see their progress.
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