tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722827453160051192024-02-18T18:29:52.062-08:00The Wannabe Stockdog BlogA wannbe stockdog and a wannabe stockdog handler!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-18468855558412134362011-10-06T11:14:00.001-07:002011-10-06T11:14:04.661-07:00We're having a...GIRL! :DUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-77347478880199543022011-06-23T21:29:00.000-07:002011-06-23T21:31:30.267-07:00A pupdateOkay. The Soda-Limping Saga goes on!<br />
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We went back to the vet and we think we found the problem this time. There was a muscle injury but also a knee issue. Soda's patella luxates ever so slightly in the extended position, and only in the extended position. It's also smaller than the L patella. The slight luxation has probably been irritating the tendon and has caused tendinosis -- patellar tendinopothy.<br />
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We redid xrays and they still look good and the vet was awesome enough to include her hips in the view and they look pretty good. Her L hip looks "slightly subluxated" but there is no degeneration of the joint, so that's really good. She had a surgeon review her xrays and the surgeon said it's not a surgical issue (Yay! Cause I can't afford it anyway! LOL) and my vet said when she asked "what the heck is wrong with this dog?" he replied "only time will tell" but I feel pretty comfortable with this current diagnosis. I have been very pleased with the level of communication the vet has had (we've exchanged probably a dozen emails) and the dedication she has shown to figuring out what is wrong with my dog.<br />
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I did four days of Previcox and her limping has gone waaaaaaaay down. It's barely perceptible right now and she may not even be limping sometimes. We've got some exercises that we're doing. I use a therapy band on her leg for some static exercises, and square sits, and "sitting pretty" and walking backwards and stretching her leg backwards. I go back on Wednesday for a follow-up appointment and I think the vet is looking into more exercises to build up the muscle. She said there is a research paper on a human soccer player with a similar issue and they discussed<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"eccentric loading exercises" and I think she's going to find out if they've adapted any for dogs. She said she really suggests getting some laser light therapy done so I'm looking for a place. It's pretty pricey and as the bf so kindly pointed out, in total so far this has cost more than $500. So I'm bargain shopping. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span>I still don't have a timeline of when she'll be able to be her normal running nutty self so I'm anxious to get that. I'm also going to have to get tips for how to support that tendon so we don't have another bout of lameness. it seems like the kind of thing that if it happens once, it'll happen again, which I totally don't want!<br />
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On the behavior side of things, she totally hates the band exercises and I have no idea why, but whatever, I make her cope. Everything else is super fun because it's a game so that's good. She has become way more reactive to moving things because she's had no outlet. She's going level 10 at skateboarders, birds, goats, whatever. I feel sorry for her. I try to play quiet games in the house and teach her new things but she gets so excited and amped up it gets hard sometimes.<br />
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Poor puppy.<br />
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I'll update again after our follow-up on Wednesday.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-52850240832396768652011-06-15T12:01:00.000-07:002011-06-15T12:01:34.008-07:00No Pro-Novice after all.No updates in a bit, I know but Soda is laid up with an injury. I'm super sad about it but I'm also kind of stressed out about Soda being in pain/uncomfortable.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago, actually about 3 now, she had some foxtails between her toes and I was pulling them out and she and I got into a fight about it and she tried to pull away from me and I didn't let go of her foot so she was sliding around. Then she went lame on her back right leg and I was *sure* that she blew her ACL.<br />
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We went to the vet the next day and her knee is good. WHEW. The vet said soft tissue injury, NSAIDs and a few days of rest and you're good to go. Great news, I thought! So, we did as she said and then Soda was fine.<br />
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Then, the next week after a couple of tough days of work/play, she started limping again. I was pretty upset! Then I had the vet at work look at it and she was able to narrow down the injury to a muscle injury on on the back of her leg, but wasn't sure exactly which muscle it is. So I made an appointment with a veterinary physical therapist and she was great. She was able to identify which muscle it is and gave me a plan of attack.<br />
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THEN after just a day of PT Soda became significantly worse, so I emailed the vet and she said back off a bit with the therapy. Fast forward to now and Soda is now tripoding a lot. She much worse than before.<br />
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So frustrating! I have an appointment with the vet again tomorrow, but she wants me to see another therapist, but she's only available on Tuesdays which is totally not convenient for me and I can't take more time off work so hopefully she'll call me back and we can work out another day but until she calls me back, I'm going to keep my appointment with the first therapist and see how it goes.<br />
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I'm really bummed about missing this trial, of course, but also, I want my dog to feel better! I wanted to do lots of dog beach and hiking trips this summer and I don't think it's going to happen. So, our stockdog career is on hold until Soda is sound again and I'm not sure how long this is going to take.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-69919187603392853812011-05-19T16:43:00.000-07:002011-05-19T16:47:36.042-07:00*gulp* Pro-Novice here we come.We've had a really productive couple of weeks!<br />
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Terry hauled out to Poway last week for some "big field border collie practice." I'll tell you what, that place is so beautiful. I so wish I could live out there! I saw 202 acres for sale in that area. So, all I need to do is win the lotto...hmm.... or marry a millionaire. I hear Arnold has low standards. Pretty sure I'm better looking than his mistress, so there's a possibility.<br />
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Kidding.<br />
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Sort of. ;)<br />
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Anyway, it started off as pure crap. Soda was all "nah. don't wanna" and blowing off flanks--and I do mean blowing them off. She just didn't do them. And then she started the whole sticking-her-head-in-gopher-holes thing and I lost. my. shit and had a not-so-quiet discussion about why we were out there and what exactly was going to happen if she didn't stop fucking around (it involved some fatal plus, I'll tell you that much) and I discussed this with her at great length and volume and I gave her a good shaking.<br />
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Wouldn't you know her attitude changed pretty quick after that. She did a few really big outruns and was taking the flanks and stops and it turned into a really productive and great session.<br />
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I was holding the sheep for some of the other students/keeping the sheep away from other students' sheep up on a hill and there was a water run off crevice that the sheep would run down but it was really hard for Soda and me to cover so they were able to get away and I was stumbling down the hill for damage control, thinking she'd lost the sheep and who do I see coming back with her 4 sheep but my Soda! She stopped them, without direction, from getting to the other sheep and brought them back. I was pretty proud.<br />
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I figured out another route up the hill that would allow us to bypass the crevice and down to the cow pond. Soda parked the sheep and hauled ass to the pond and plopped down in and drank and drank. I was surprised. I always have to send her to the water!<br />
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Then I had her drive the sheep down the water and allow them to drink. Then, Terry asked me to drive them up away from the water further up the hill because she was setting up one of her young open dogs for a huge outrun. Soda did a great job against some pressure (the sheep didn't want to leave the water and didn't really want to go up hill) and I was VERY proud of her. It was one of those "my dog is my partner" moments. If you've never had a moment with an animal (horse, dog... whatever) where you are both working together and trying accomplish the same goal, you're missing out. It really is something when you achieve a true partnership. Soda and I don't always have them but more and more we are becoming partners.<br />
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Terry sent her young dog and I just stood on that hill with my dog wading in the pond, with the mountains against the background and the beautiful green field and the lovely pond below me and I thought "wow, how lucky am I!" I watched her dog, and helped Terry keep track of her while she went up to fetch the sheep. She had a bit of trouble because the purpose of the exercise was navigating obstacles (in this case a fence) and it was pretty cool to watch her try to figure out where she needed to be.<br />
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So, we ended the lesson on a great note with practical work and I was very happy with Soda.<br />
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This week we were back at Terry's place. We used an adjacent field and I had Soda drive some sheep out--and she drove them quite far! I think it was about 50 yards and she actually did a great job. Then I sent her out on an big outrun, I think it was about 125 yards. (I'm so bad with distance). And she swung wide and it was beautiful and perfect and the fetch was fast but straight. I was pretty happy with it. We set up again and I sent Soda and again, beautiful, then we "turned the post" and drove away and then cross drove--each leg about 40 yards or so and Soda kept them on line pretty well and took the inside flanks like she needed too. We penned them well, but she kept wanting to come in really tight and put a lot of pressure on the sheep. She really likes to pen and gets very strong eyed around the pen. I had to very forcefully kick her out and be very stern about taking the flanks, but she did as I asked and after one turn around the pen (is there anything more frustrating than ring-around-the-pen??) because as I was shutting the dog one ewe popped out at the last second and bolted. Bitch! So I had let everyone else out and two of the sheep went around the pen but we successfully penned them the next go round. I shut the gate faster. Ha!<br />
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Anyway, Terry was watching this and when we went up for water she said "so, you're entering Pro-Novice, right?" and I was like "uh, no. Ranch" (Ranch is frequently N/N out here) and she said "Aw, no. I really think you're ready for P/N." Holy Shit.<br />
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MIND BLOWN.<br />
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I'm pretty amazed to hear that. She said to me "I'm really proud of how far you've come really in the last 6 months. You've made tremendous leaps" and I was very very proud of myself and my dog at that point.<br />
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I seriously never thought we'd even do Novice and here I have Terry saying go for P/N!!<br />
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She said that she wants us to continue working on whistles (nothing like screaming at your dog when she's 150 yards away...) and speed on the outrun. Soda has a patented outtrot and that simply will not do. That will give them a chance to break and run for the top. I believe we can do it. Hell, even if we blow it, at least I got to the point where my trainer thought we could do it!<br />
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So, look for our P/N debut at the Highland games in Vista this year at the end of June. (this is a smaller course, so whether we'll be able to do any other P/N courses will remain to be seen)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-81917995937244625492011-04-07T21:29:00.001-07:002011-04-07T21:37:05.701-07:00Soda the Cow Dog v.2Good lesson today! We worked on some pretty basic shedding concepts and she did really really great. I was very surprised and pleased. First we shed two groups of lambios and they were hungry and the grub was good so they were happy to stay separated. <br />
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Soda worked one group, keeping them from running to join the other group and I'll be damned if she didn't truly understand what she was supposed to be doing! Then we shed off 1 lamb at time to join the other group and that was hard for her and she *almost* gathered the whole group, but took my redirect and kept the rest of the lambs with me. I was pretty frickin' impressed--more so that she seemed to understand the concept of what we were doing. It was really exciting. <br />
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We worked on whistles more, and she is so sulky about it. I don't really know why or know what to do to help. I think it may be busting up her confidence or she hates drilling? I don't know. But we're working working working on it and I hope in time she'll get it, so I don't have to scream 100 yards away. <br />
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After our real lesson was done we sat around and watched the other lessons and I got it in my head that I wanted to see what Soda would do in a pen with cattle. Terry has a about 6 super duper ultra dog broke calves and I thought "what's the harm?" So I asked her if I could throw Soda in (after checking to make sure they were super dog broke and weren't going to try to stomp her to death) and Terry said "sure... why not!" Now, I don't know if anyone remembers the last time Soda encountered a cow, but it was <a href="http://wannabestockdog.blogspot.com/2009/10/soda-cow-dog.html">pretty damn funny.</a> <br />
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Soda's a much different dog and a lot more confident so I thought the results would be different and they were! <br />
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We went in the pen and Soda just looked like "what the hell, dude?" and I made the cows get up--they were lazing in the sun-- and pointed at the cows and said "get 'em!" Soda looked at the cows, looked at me, and then wistfully looked at the sheep in the pen next door. I don't know if you've ever seen a dog look wistful, but it's HILARIOUS. She was being pretty clear that she would much rather be working the smaller, lighter, much less scary sheep next door. I laughed, then made the calves move some more and gave her a flanking command. She did and got close and was like "O. M. G" but kept working (with a slightly worried look on her face!). She had trouble getting them off the fence because she was afraid to go between them and the fence, and I can't blame her, one took a quick cow kick at her and she got nailed, so I did the best I could to draw them out.<br />
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She really wanted to head them--that make her a lot more comfortable. One of the calves put his (her? not sure) head down and I let Soda grip him and she said that was super scary but also kind of fun. She took a couple of FAIR! shots. I let her move them around some more and practiced a little fetching, but it was a small pen--think round pen sized--and they kept going back to the fence. <br />
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Soda got kicked and rolled by one of the calves but she wasn't hurt nor was she doing anything wrong. I think they kind of figured out that Soda is puss and doesn't really know how to work cattle, but we ended on a positive note and I let her head them to hold them to me and that made her feel good. <br />
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Honestly, I think we may try it again. It was fun and new. I don't think Soda could ever be on rough or unbroke cattle, but this sort of thing may be good her. It really let her practice being assertive without sending animals flying everywhere. Terry said "Well, that didn't go too bad! she went around them!" Not too bad indeed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-21232405567593106082011-03-31T22:18:00.000-07:002011-03-31T22:18:59.638-07:00Battle of WillsWe worked on driving distance and straightness today and I got into a battle with Soda but I won. :) I was trying to get to push the sheep through posts (as a goal for me) and she would. not. go. straight on the walk-up. It went something like this: <br />
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1.) Walk up!<br />
*goes away*<br />
2.) LIE DOWN! GO BY! (back to where she was so she can push the sheep through the posts) <br />
*tries not to take the inside flank and tries to come ALL the way back around me<br />
3.) NO! LIE DOWN! GO BY<br />
*Takes the inside flank. <br />
4.) Walk up! <br />
*goes away <br />
5.) NO! LIE DOWN! GO BY! (Back to where she was) <br />
*may or may not take the flank... wherein I may have to repeat step 3, depending<br />
6.) Walk up! <br />
*goes away<br />
7.) NO! LIE DOWN! GO BY! (back to where she was)<br />
*may or may not take the flank.... <br />
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anyway, no joke, I must have done this whole thing like 15 times and each time she wanted to bend to the pressure and then finally... magically, she figured out I wasn't going to give up and walked up straight into the sheep and pushed them through the G.D. posts! Then I called her off and got her some water as it was hot as balls today. <br />
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Then we started (seriously) adding whistles and she was very sulky about it! I don't really understand why, but she was all bent out of shape about it. In an attempt to get her moving a little bit I rustled a sheep up a bit and then she flew in to bite (I can't do this like I used to be able to. She's not afraid to nail a sheep anymore!) and bit the holy hell out of her own tongue! It bled kind of a lot and I was a bit worried, but there were no chunks missing and I was reassured that it will be okay. Yay! <br />
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It was a good lesson, if for no other reason that Soda learned a hard lesson that I'm no longer letting her get away with stupid shit just because she finds it a little uncomfortable or because it's not what she wants to do. This was a battle of wills and I'm proud to say that I won! w00t!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-43656581208979010932011-03-03T23:12:00.000-08:002011-03-03T23:12:46.428-08:00Worse than I thought.We worked on looking for sheep today and it is way worse than I thought. My trainer had a student take some sheep up a hill outside her property and I was to have Soda watch her take them, while encouraging her to get excited about the sheep and right then, I knew it was going to be a challenge. Every time I said "watch 'em!" or "LOOK!" she would start looking at the ground for critters. I don't know where this came from as I've never encouraged her to do it before. <br />
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The sheep were put in position and I sent Soda out and she obviously didn't know where she was going. I redirected her several times and she took them all really really well and finally I landed her right behind the sheep and she flanked around them and even moved them and then.... just kept running. She didn't stop to pick up the sheep! I lost her and it took a minute to find her and when I did, we realized that she had just kept running in a giant arc and it didn't occur to her that since she found the sheep, that she needed to lift them! Flabbergasted. (Let me add, that if she was looking for the sheep, she could see them from where I sent her. This isn't a blind outrun but she isn't looking for them)<br />
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So, she ended up on the <i>other</i> side of the sheep and I flanked her back towards the sheep (again, had to redirect her a few times to get to the sheep) and then laid her down behind them and then walked her up and let her lift/fetch them to me, which she was happy and keen to do. <br />
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So obviously she did not understand the exercise. We knew that we would have to direct her several times to pick up the sheep but the thought was that if we did this in several places, a bunch of times, she would figure out that she needs to be looking for sheep, but apparently, if you're Soda, just because you find them doesn't mean you need to get them. <br />
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So, we simplified the exercise a bit next time and had two sets of sheep, on at the top of the field and one we put in a freestanding pen. I would have her drive the free sheep up the field a bit, call her off, then turn 180 degrees around (myself) and stare directly at the other sheep, then tell her to LOOK! and send her over to the pen where we would then pull them out. After a few minutes she got the game, but I don't think she got the concept behind the game. <br />
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I think we need to do more looking for your sheep exercises where she is sent out to strange places and asked to fetch them back. I can handle her pretty readily and she takes redirects pretty well as long as they don't come off as angry (another reason to get the g.d. whistle going!)<br />
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I still can't get over her coming right behind the sheep and she just kept going like ... I don't even know... it wasn't her job to pick them up. Why the hell else would have told her "Go by"? Go By = Sheep (or other sort of animals to move). I've never used on a ball, or on dogs or some other nonsense. Always just sheep (and occasionally chickens).<br />
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I really wasn't expecting that reaction (or lack of) from her!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-75969895471028156722011-02-24T21:11:00.000-08:002011-02-24T21:11:26.583-08:00Look for your sheep, damnit!We've only trained in a few places and Soda is pretty accustomed to seeing sheep out in the open and easily accesable to her. <br />
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Anyway, we wanted to work on her fetch and stopping on the fetch so it's not like a freight train of insanity. We went up to the bottom of the hill in her neighbor's pasture and set the sheep out on her property. The plants (weeds?) were pretty high and Soda could see over them if she looked. I sent her out and she had no idea what she was supposed to be doing. It was pretty clear that she didn't know that she was supposed to be looking for her sheep. <br />
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I walked down a bit, then resent her and still nothing. Walked down a bit more and resent her and she STILL didn't them! Finally, when I was pretty far down I sent her and she saw them and was all pouty because I'd kicked her out a few times. <br />
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I was pretty surprised but also glad. I think this has been an issue for us at other trials on different fields. She doesn't know where the sheep are "supposed" to be so she gets all wonky. Hopefully this will solve a lot of that. <br />
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So the plan is next week to make her start looking for her sheep so she learns "look." We'll see how it goes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-2838372349445640552011-01-13T13:20:00.000-08:002011-01-13T13:56:07.900-08:00My dog has learned to be assertiveLong time no post. <br /><br />Let me update you. Things were pretty dire for a while. It was so bad that I was actually considering quitting. We had a really bad training session that left me in tears on the way home, eating a cheeseburger for comfort (why am I fat, again??) and thinking about Terry's last words of the day "Paige, when it comes down to it, you need to quit messing around and MAKE her do it. She can, she's able, she's keen enough, but she's saying 'Fuck you, don't wanna' and not doing it." <br /><br />So, I thought about this and resolved that since I had nothing to loose anyway, then I would do it. So, the next week we went out and I gave her the flank and she said "nooooo, that's uncomfortable" and I walked her down and had a come to jesus meeting about why that wasn't acceptable and sent her on her merry way. Soda said "oh shit" and tried to blow me off agin. Again, I walked her down and my trainer said "That's okay if it takes you 20 minutes because then she'll have 20 minutes of mad to deal with" (LOL). It took about 10 minutes and I caught her, repeated my come to Jesus meeting (with a bit more bamboo this time), and asked her to do what I had asked before and <br /><br />HOLY SHIT <br /><br />it worked. Not only that, but I had a keen, biddable dog who did what I said, without question, quickly, keenly (man, she was on fire!) and she did it <span style="font-style:italic;">right</span>. I was so happy. It saved us, and allowed us to move up to the next level. <br /><br />So, we went to a trial and I had some glorious, sent from God moment where I worked my dog solely without looking at her. I just kept my eyes on the sheep and gave her the cues and she did them and we had a beautiful run. I had people asking "Oh, who's dog is that?" "did you see that little dog running? wow, that was really nice" and I was so proud I almost died. We tied for 2nd and took 3rd on the cross drive. We would have gotten an even better score if the outrun had been better. <br /><br />Since then we're working on finishing advanced A (one leg left, would have finished the title at the last trial but I had a repeat judge, damnit) and then getting CH points and going to start intermediate B course and have begun working on our AKC-level shed. That is actually going about a million times better than I expected it to. We also starting working in the big field again with much more success and more confidence. I don't allow her blow me off anymore, pinning it on lack of keenness. She has to work, period and if she doesn't, then she gets corrected. May be controversial, but I can't argue with success. <br /><br />We had our first lesson in about a month and half today and it was blah. Soda was still in vacation mode and definitely back to her old "Idon'twanna" attitude so we did some tuning up, reminding her that it wasn't really an option. I made it fun as could be and we got to do some real work, which brings me to the title of this post. <br /><br />She used to have trouble getting some sheep out of the pens and the sheep would say "naw, don't wanna come out" and Soda would stand at the back of the pen, going googly eyed, wringing her paws saying "oh, okay. well, then what do I do, mom?" It's been getting better and better and for the last few months she's been walking out of the pens on her own. I used to have go back there with her and walk with her out because the pressure of walking into the sheep was too much. Anyway, I sent her to the back the pen to push them out and the sheep said "Don't wanna, and you ain't gonna make me, border collie" to which Soda dropped her head, turned on that border collie stare and said "Oh, but i am going to make you, so I'll ask one more time, please get of the pen." The sheep dropped her head too and said "Yer bluffing" and with a "Get up there!" from me Soda flew in and gripped that ewe right on the nose and the ewe said "oh, okay. you DO mean it" and she and 3 of her best friends listens and shuffled happily out of the pen. :) These were big heavy wooly puppy sheep for new dogs who just stand there and let the dogs circle them or move slowly when they practice wearing and my little wussy dog put on her big girl panties and showed them what was up. <br /><br />Soda was so happy and proud of herself. I could feel her body tense up, and feel her eye turn on, and feel her watching the muscles of the sheep to make her next move. It's good for her to be in charge. It's so good for her and I was so proud. She has had some other "badass moments" and they've gotten more frequent when she stands up for herself but this was the cleanest, most in control moment we've had. Out of all the progress we've made, I think this makes me the proudest. It's wonderful watching her feel like a proper border collie and what needs to be done when the situation calls for it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-65663951901142195962010-08-28T22:44:00.000-07:002010-08-28T22:51:10.725-07:00Started up againWell, I took a month and half off for a few reasons and I just started back up. I think it was good to be laid up for a while. Soda was super pushy, but that didn't surprise me at all after all that time off. <br /><br />I'm really hoping to trial this fall and finish up some titles on Soda and maybe get 1 or two more for funsies. <br /><br />My blog posts have become further and further apart because our progress is slowing and slowing and a lot of the time it's just an inch at time (in relation to driving: many times it's literally an inch at a time!) It's frustrating, especially because I have serious border collie envy but I think I'm learning to be more okay with what I've got and appreciate what she can do and stop feeling so embarrassed that I'm still trudging away in AKC junk. --and don't tell anyone but getting ribbons is fun and so is getting titles. THERE. I SAID IT. I SAID IT OUT LOUD. Judge away! ;) <br /><br />This last time we went out Soda had some good out runs and she was hard to stop but I kept at it and she stopped on the fetch and figured out that the faster she stopped, the faster she could get moving again. I have to stop her on the fetch to teach her to slow the hell down or otherwise she just goes WHEEEEE and tries to kill me via sheep. <br /><br />I made her work really hard on some bigger outruns and some driving and so as reward we practiced penning and it was a mess. I just gave up after a few minutes of ring around the pen. No one was accomplishing anything and I was getting more and more blustered!<br /><br />So, that's what's going on in the Soda sheep dog world. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-69659779236962948372010-06-29T22:05:00.000-07:002010-06-29T22:14:54.237-07:00Rewarding non-compliance with another cueWhat do we call this with positive reinforcement? A behavior chain! Rewarding one behavior by giving another, known cue directly afterwards--only in this case, I'm rewarding her NON-behavior with another cue that a.) she knows and b.) gives her access to sheep. <br /><br />I am guilty of this. Soda's "down" has always been bad. Always. But I've been letting it get worse by doing this ol' number --<br /><br />LIE DOWN <br /><br />*pauses after a couple of steps on a flank*<br /><br />[me] "crap, she went to far, she didn't lie down, but I need to fix this so ... away to me!" <br /><br />and in effect I just rewarded her by giving her another cue because I need to fix the mistake that she just made because she didn't listen. Going and enforcing the down by making her do it doesn't seem to do anything. So, I just sat there and repeated lie down until she did no matter what the sheep did--and that meant that they usually broke back to the hay, which made Soda uncomfortable. Pretty quick she figured out it was better to lie down quickly than to keep on moving because if she kept moving, I wouldn't give her another cue and if she tried to do her own thing, I'd chase her off. (That didn't actually happen, but I'm pretty sure she knew that's what would happen! :P ) In about 1/2 an hour, I had a considerably faster down. I was pretty happy. <br /><br />Now, with that said, I really don't want to use a down that much for her. She is so weak that a down (which for her is actually a sit--what kind of border collie sits??--you know what? I think I want to fix that too) takes all her power away and she has a hard time getting moving again, especially when driving. I need to teach a good stand. I'm going to talk to Terry about that next week.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-43337875385233460222010-04-30T22:07:00.000-07:002010-04-30T22:24:46.770-07:00How My Border Collie is Different than the Other TwoThis is something I've thought a lot about and since I haven't been getting out to work sheep a lot lately/we've only been drilling on boring driving I'm going to post about it. <br /><br />Soda is a wholly different dog to train than my other two dogs, a malamute mix and a little black spaniely thing of dubious lineage. The primary difference I've gleaned, is that Soda is biddable and very smart. <br /><br />Now, I love Cash (the malamute) but he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. He's just not. He wants to make me happy--to a certain point-- but it's his nature to think a little more independently. It takes him many more repetitions to get things and he's very very sensitive and can't take any corrections. In fact, I'm pretty much 100% positive with him. He just stops thinking, learning, trying if he gets any sort of correction and acts all sad and butthurt then walks off because the situation no longer benefits him.<br /><br />LT is smart as a whip but about as biddable as a rock. She couldn't give one hoot about what I think. I have to be 100% positive with her because if she gets a correction she just says "F you, I'm out" and will shut down, lay down and refuse to work. It has to directly benefit her or she has no interest in it at all. To go with this, she's not a very affectionate dog and rarely wants physical contact with us. (She likes to hang out in the same vicinity and likes a few pets when we wake up/get home). <br /><br />Soda is smart as a whip AND is very biddable. She learns new tasks in a just a few repetitions and is regularly looking for approval from me. She is a thinking dog and can understand why she's getting a firm "EH EH!" or why I'm taking her by her collar to stop her from doing something obnoxious. My favorite example of Soda thinking (though she was being naughty) was once in my office she was in there with my coworkers pit bull (who was a bit scared of mean ol' Soda) and he was playing with his toy and Soda came to steal it and I told her NO, leave it, and gave her her own toy and not one minute later I catch her sneaking under my chair (where I can't see her) trying to steal his toy again! This time she really got in trouble and she finally stopped. I just have found with her smarts and biddability that a small correction goes a long way to helping her understand that she cannot do what she was doing and she doesn't shut down, or quit, or get devastated by it. She just takes that information and moves on. It's pretty interesting to see how differently she takes things and how differently she learns.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-87740821485624302672010-04-07T11:33:00.000-07:002010-04-07T11:41:51.124-07:00Trial ReportOn Easter Sunday Soda and I ran in an AHBA HRD trial. These are "ranch-style" courses and are desgined to "mimic" real tasks and are supposed to be fun. They usually are. We ran in level two which had a driving leg in it. <br /><br />Soda did really well. :) I was very proud of her. She was keen and excited and drove well. She listened and all-in-all it was a good run. We tied for 2nd place and I'm not sure who will get 2nd and who will get third. They weren't sure what the tie breaker was and had to consult the rule book AND we were only one point behind 1st. <br /><br />Her outrun was tight at the top, which it usually is in an arena. I thought about stopping her and kicking her out but she doesn't always take that very well and I didn't want to shut her down in a trial. I KNOW I KNOW, that creates bad habits and all but it's in an arena that we have a problem with it. In the field she'll come in tight but accepts being kicked out with grace. <br /><br />The fetch was offline (big surprise) but pretty controlled. And the drive leg went BEAUTIFULLY. I almost wet myself. We got nice, light sheep that were happy to move off my dog. It also helped that the sheep had been shorn the day before and were in no mood! <br /><br />In the narrow chute (pushes the sheep single file) Soda tried--and succeeded--to head the sheep and cut off two so it wasn't smooth. She is a heading fool and hates it when they try to break off, unless it means she has to cover in which case she won't. Whatever, lol. We lost a couple of points for that. <br /><br />The rest went really well and smoothly and I couldn't be happier! :D We got the comment "nice quiet work" which I was happy to hear. I really hate it when people start hootin' and hollerin' at their dogs all the time. If all you do is yell, then how do you make a point? <br /><br />Anyway, I was proud and it was lots of fun!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-33612866793133840412010-04-01T17:18:00.000-07:002010-04-01T17:29:47.845-07:00The "C" WordNot that word you filthy people. <br /><br />Confidence. <br /><br />Otherwise known as The Bane Of My Existence or Soda Has None. <br /><br />We are still plugging away at driving and still trying to get some inside flanks and part of her problem is a confidence issue. Today I was having her drive the sheep off of me into a chute (<span style="font-style:italic;">I like to have tangible goals when I'm practicing, otherwise, I get all "creative" and end up in all kinds of crazy places so I often use wide-mouth chutes or drive panels. I find that Soda seems to get the "Sheep go here" process well so I prefer chutes/holding pens that sort of thing so she can clearly see the goal. I don't think the goal is as clear with a drive panel. Longest parenthetical phrase ever.)</span> and Soda would walk up and bend off the pressure into this weird half walk up/half flank diagonal weirdness. Actually, readers, this is what she always does when in the face of pressure. And it's pressure that's doing it but she doesn't have the confidence to walk straight into it. <br /><br />So, we took out some sheep and worked in this long narrow chute (different than the first one) that she had to go in to push the sheep and had to walk straight and would be hard to try to head them off--not that that stopped her from trying! She definitely started to feel her oats a bit and may or may not have taken as cheap shot at a ewe ass but that's okay, she isn't the dive 'n bite sort of dog. When we were putting the sheep in the chute one of the sassy ewes said "This is lame, I'm outtie" and Soda said "NO YOU'RE NOT!" and got all real border collie on her and pushed her back with her friends. She likes to do that and that gets her really jazzed up. <br /><br />Anyway, we worked on that exercise for a few minutes and I got a keener dog who was diving into the pressure but wasn't c.a.r.e.f.u.l.l.y walking into it but hopefully we'll get there. Probably in like 2015 or something.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-57246244603384303442010-02-26T21:32:00.000-08:002010-02-26T21:48:52.965-08:00The things we pick up(Long time, no blog, eh?) <br /><br />I was thinking about the little things we pick up when we join a new world (the sheepdog world in my case) and I think my very favorite thing I've picked up is "YOU LISTEN!". It's partly because it's so atrociously silly to yell "LISTEN" to your dog and expect them to actually listen and partly because I'll be damned if it doesn't work. <br /><br />I've seen different handlers/dog trainers do this so I don't *think* it's just a my trainer thing. Anyway, I watched people do it when their dog is blowing them off. The dog gets snatched up, and firmly told to LISTEN and then set back on their way. That's usually it. <br /><br />Being the primate I am, I mimic things I've seen and when Soda blew me off for the gogillionth time one I day, I walked her down, took her firmly by her collar and got in her face and said YOU LISTEN and let her go and I'll be damned if she didn't actually listen and stop acting like an idiot. I know it wasn't because she understood what LISTEN means and it was more of "Oh shit. This bitch means business." but nevertheless, it still amuses me. <br /><br />I was outside with the dogs today waiting for the electrician to finish and I was playing Frisbee with the Soda and asking her to do tricks for tosses and she just laid down and started barking so I firmly took her by her collar and told her LISTEN and there ya go. I had a dog who listened. <br /><br />It is something I can only with Soda and not the other dogs. She is such a different dog and that is a post for another day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-45035475416715973252010-01-17T21:03:00.000-08:002010-01-17T21:13:04.063-08:00Oh Hai.Long time no post! Holidays and such business and other things! <br /><br />We had a lesson this week and it went pretty well. I think we're going to enter an AHBA HTD course. I'm going to run level II, if everything goes alright. <br /><br />We worked a bit on outruns because they were absolute rubbish. Terry's so funny, she said "You need to fix that out run. She's weaving all over the place like a... like a.... like a.... well, an Aussie!" I had to LOL. I stopped her at the stop and voila! moiche better. <br /><br />She did a pretty good cross drive and I was really proud of her. She did some 3/4 inside flanks. They're not perfect yet and she's not coming all the way inside but it's a lot better and as with all things, patience is a virtue. <br /><br />It's green as green can be out there and the puppies are big and going to their homes. I desperately want one but it's not to be. I've got enough dogs and a lot of things on the horizon. <br /><br />It's a small update, but hopefully we'll get back into the groove soon. <br /><br />Happy Herding. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-36754704419565502032009-11-22T21:02:00.000-08:002009-11-22T21:09:17.026-08:00Away is okayand 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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Anyway, good works today! <br /><br />PaigeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-82056928777940334252009-11-12T14:19:00.000-08:002009-11-12T15:05:37.154-08:00What is interesting about this picture?<a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y120/MuttsNRatts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0952-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y120/MuttsNRatts/IMG_0952-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Is it the massive amount of dirt? <br />The cute lambios? <br />The crappy focus? <br /><br />No. Take your time, look and study. <br /><br />... <br /><br />...<br /><br />Got it? Not yet? <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Oh, and Terry has a litter on the ground. I so want. I want I want I want I want I want. <br /><br />Anyway, todays work was just what I needed. She did really well. :) Feel free to congratulate her in the comments.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-3436685466727761752009-11-06T12:08:00.001-08:002009-11-06T12:15:30.401-08:00I'm not entering any trialsuntil 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. <br /><br />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! <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. :DUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-79940109034248775082009-10-17T20:13:00.000-07:002009-10-17T20:21:09.007-07:00I 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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />On the + side, I may be able to get some ducks soon. That will be fun. Soda lervs poultry.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-83390292039545272282009-10-08T16:57:00.000-07:002009-10-08T17:06:21.788-07:00Soda the Cow DogWe 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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I wish I had it on video because it was really cute watching her try to stand up for herself. <br /><br />Paige <br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-72124819524023250262009-09-24T13:46:00.001-07:002009-09-24T13:55:17.109-07:00Flankity Flank Flank FlankMoar inside flanks! <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-5394414191420321872009-09-20T23:09:00.000-07:002009-09-20T23:13:49.326-07:00Drilling: Not just for dentistsWe 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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-86081508809627047732009-09-15T21:57:00.000-07:002009-09-15T22:08:25.866-07:00She's ALIVE!I'm not dead. :) I promise. <br /><br />We've been off for a couple of weeks. Lots of stuff going on. <br /><br />Anyway, I had a lesson on Thursday and it went really really really well. Terry agreed that chores were a great idea so we set out to the pens and sort a crap ton of sheep. Little Soda used to not like pen work but I think I see a glimmer of "oh boy" in her eyes now when we go back there. <br /><br />Terry has a sheep I affectionately call "the Soda Killer" and she, as her name implies, tries to kill Soda. So we're putting all the from the big arena to the middle arena and it was a FAIL. She had to send her dog in b/c poor Soda didn't have the power to push them through because the Soda Killer was at the back, eyeballing her and scaring her. <br /><br />Anyway, we got them all into the middle arena and managed to get them into the holding pen area by ourselves. From there we started sorting into the little sorting pens. The sheep were being... sheep and didn't want to be sorted and I told Soda to "get up there" and holy cow she ran in and gripped the crap out of the Soda Killer! :D I was pretty proud. We'll see if next week the Soda Killer has a little respect. <br /><br />We were sorting and I had Soda push a little bit and a Dorper Ewe got a little sass in her pants and jumped up and Soda was underneath her with her mouth open (lol) and then the ewes foot landed on Soda's hock. :( Soda was a big girl thoughand didn't cry out but rather went back to work with three legs! I pulled her out and saw it was decent little cut but she kept on working. It's all healed up now and she's fine. She was a bit sore that day, but kept on working. <br /><br />We took a rest then went out and practiced driving some. Ughhh. Terry insists it's coming along and I think part of my problem is that it's not pretty like when the real border collies do it. But she's getting it done and I KNOW she has very finite limits but ... still. Also she will.not. take an inside flank. That is a huge bane. We have to get that to continue working on driving--otherwise it will take her 20 minutes to make a 2 foot adjustment because she has to run alllll the way behind me. I could be like 10 yards away and she still has to go all the way around. I'm just not a good enough handler to stop her every time before she overflanks and her stop isn't good enough for that to be enough anyway! This is our next project. <br /><br />Terry says I need to get out there and just drill on her for inside flanks but that takes money I don't have. Lametimes. Anyone have a farm I can borrow? I can throw hay with the best of them!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072282745316005119.post-45118940754386690472009-08-28T10:26:00.001-07:002009-08-28T10:29:17.211-07:00After a couple of weeks layupDue to sprained ankle (it still hurts) and Vegas fun we didn't have a lesson for two weeks. I went this week and it was the same ol' shit. Blegh. Still crappy. <div><br /></div>I think next week I'm going to just do chores and easy stuff. She's afraid of being corrected so instead of trying something she does nothing. <br /><br /><br />I am frustrated.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0