I first headed out to the Swanson field on Sunday, May 17th to work dogs. I had Tes hold the sheep and had to encourage Corbie out and around the sheep. Then I flanked her around the sheep a bit. Cash did fine and picked the sheep up off of Tes and Grover. I took Corbie back out and she picked the sheep up off of Grover too, but I did stay closer and kept it "happy" for her.
Since Wendy Peters was going to be at Bill and Mary's, to pick up her puppy, I headed out there on Sunday, May 24th to have her hold sheep for me. Corbie absolutely would not go out there to pick up sheep off of her. So I ended up walking the whole way out and then flanking her around the sheep with Wendy standing there with me. I did finally get her to do that. It is frustrating when I watch her start out beautifully and then just freeze when she sees that someone is out there.
Now Cash would go out and pick up the sheep off of Wendy so I think that he will be fine. Until I get the chance to work Corbie again on June 20th I won't know what she will be like. At least she will be out of heat by that time. Wendy is coming back up to Bill and Mary's to pick up another puppy. So that will be another good test for both of them. There is always something to work on.
One thing that Wendy noticed with Cash is that he is not tucking the ends in on his sheep. So when we were out at Bill and Mary's this past weekend helping with vaccinating, ear tagging, etc their lambs we also worked dogs. I worked Cash on the big group so that he learned that he had to go around all of the sheep and not leave any behind. Also, I wanted him to keep the sheep together and to think about keeping them together. I did not bring Corbie out with us as she was still in heat.
At home on Sunday I worked both him and Corbie on just doing walk abouts. That way they would learn to keep their sheep together. Corbie does fine with that, Cash had to work at it a bit. I also worked both of them on their flanks and off balance flanks.
So, if anyone reading this has any ideas, just let me know. Thanks.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
LOLBCA 3 Sisters trial - second weekend in May
After leaving our trailer in Portage to pick up on my way to Chillicothe, IL I went home to work 3 days before heading out again. It was a long, adventurous drive to Chillicothe. I had no problem hooking up the trailer in Portage. Drove south to IL where just before I was to meet Nicole and her gang the skies opened up and the winds blew. I pulled up to this park and Nicole and I kind of waved at each other and waited for the rain to stop. There was standing water everywhere, they have had more than their fair share of the rain down here. They need to share with us up here. :~)
I got to meet Nicole who has Shen, Stryker's brother and Bliss a half sister to Corbie. Nicole got to meet Jag, Shen's dad and Bett, Bliss's mother and Corbie. This is the first time that I got to meet Nicole in person. It was a good visit after the rain.
I then pulled into Chillicothe to find out that there wasn't any water so I had to pull up to a trailer park building to fill my tank. Then I got the trailer all set up and had to run into town to get some food for the weekend and a supper for that night as I was getting light headed. The next morning I realized that I had forgotten my shampoo and I had to beg some shampoo off of Paul Henning. He was very generous and gave me this small bottle of Johnson's baby shampoo.
The first day of the trial was pro-novice and novice. I had Cash and Corbie entered for their first trials. I learned something about both of them that needed to be worked on. The first run Corbie really had to be encouraged all the way out on her outrun to get the sheep and I then retired her. Cash did make it out with some encouragement, brought the sheep to me did the turn at the post and then we just could not get the drive away going.
The second day Corbie made it out to her sheep and brought them to me an did the turn at the post and we just could not get the drive away going. Now Cash on the second run really didn't make it out to the sheep without my leaving the post to help him.
I discovered that they both needed work on lifting sheep off of people they didn't know and working sheep away from the farm. I will say in Corbie's defense, and maybe a bit in Cash's too, that Corbie did come into heat the week following the trial. This was two months early for her and I don't know how much the hormones messed with her.
Okay, onto Jag's open runs. The first day we ran first and had an awesome run!! Nice OLF, lost some of the sheep on the turn at the post. I should have just taken the loss in points for one sheep going the wrong way. Nice drive away, beautiful cross drive perfect pen and shed for a score of 89. We held on to first for awhile and then second for quite awhile. We ended up in a tie for 6th place. Woo hoo, we got a check and USBCHA points!! Way to go Jaggie.
Our next trial is June 27-28 in Tingley, IA.
I got to meet Nicole who has Shen, Stryker's brother and Bliss a half sister to Corbie. Nicole got to meet Jag, Shen's dad and Bett, Bliss's mother and Corbie. This is the first time that I got to meet Nicole in person. It was a good visit after the rain.
I then pulled into Chillicothe to find out that there wasn't any water so I had to pull up to a trailer park building to fill my tank. Then I got the trailer all set up and had to run into town to get some food for the weekend and a supper for that night as I was getting light headed. The next morning I realized that I had forgotten my shampoo and I had to beg some shampoo off of Paul Henning. He was very generous and gave me this small bottle of Johnson's baby shampoo.
The first day of the trial was pro-novice and novice. I had Cash and Corbie entered for their first trials. I learned something about both of them that needed to be worked on. The first run Corbie really had to be encouraged all the way out on her outrun to get the sheep and I then retired her. Cash did make it out with some encouragement, brought the sheep to me did the turn at the post and then we just could not get the drive away going.
The second day Corbie made it out to her sheep and brought them to me an did the turn at the post and we just could not get the drive away going. Now Cash on the second run really didn't make it out to the sheep without my leaving the post to help him.
I discovered that they both needed work on lifting sheep off of people they didn't know and working sheep away from the farm. I will say in Corbie's defense, and maybe a bit in Cash's too, that Corbie did come into heat the week following the trial. This was two months early for her and I don't know how much the hormones messed with her.
Okay, onto Jag's open runs. The first day we ran first and had an awesome run!! Nice OLF, lost some of the sheep on the turn at the post. I should have just taken the loss in points for one sheep going the wrong way. Nice drive away, beautiful cross drive perfect pen and shed for a score of 89. We held on to first for awhile and then second for quite awhile. We ended up in a tie for 6th place. Woo hoo, we got a check and USBCHA points!! Way to go Jaggie.
Our next trial is June 27-28 in Tingley, IA.
Caledonia SDT - first weekend in May
Okay, I did go out to Portage, WI for the Caledonia trial. This is a wonderful trial venue and if any of you ever get the chance don't hesitate to attend this trial. I only took Jag out and ran him in open. Our first day we had an ewe who stood him off and there was no way that she wanted to come down the field. I ended up leaving the post to help Jag. It took me, Jag and the exhaust dog to get her up the field. She did not want to be taken anywhere by anyone.
The second day we ran much better. Jag had a very nice OLF and we hit the fetch panels. Our driving went very well, we hit both panels got our pen and shed. We scored a 77 under Derek Scrimgeour and he is a tough judge. We stayed in the lead for almost half of the runs and then probably fell to somewhere around 10th place. I was very happy with how we were communicating and how well Jag did. This was our best showing at the beginning of the season and it shows that I was able to work with him more over the winter and this spring than in the past.
The third day was the 725 yard field. Once again Jag did not find his sheep. I had sent him to the left the past two years and was going to go to the right this year, but instead still chose to send him to the left. Who knows if sending him to the right would have worked or not. He gets at least 600 yards out, but just doesn't make it the rest of the way. But, it is still a privilege just to be able to run on that field.
The second day we ran much better. Jag had a very nice OLF and we hit the fetch panels. Our driving went very well, we hit both panels got our pen and shed. We scored a 77 under Derek Scrimgeour and he is a tough judge. We stayed in the lead for almost half of the runs and then probably fell to somewhere around 10th place. I was very happy with how we were communicating and how well Jag did. This was our best showing at the beginning of the season and it shows that I was able to work with him more over the winter and this spring than in the past.
The third day was the 725 yard field. Once again Jag did not find his sheep. I had sent him to the left the past two years and was going to go to the right this year, but instead still chose to send him to the left. Who knows if sending him to the right would have worked or not. He gets at least 600 yards out, but just doesn't make it the rest of the way. But, it is still a privilege just to be able to run on that field.
Catching up
Oh boy, I have not been keeping up with my blog. I do apologize for that. Spring is a busy time for me. It starts off with lambing and then work with Invisible Fence gets busy and in between all of that I am working my dogs and attended two trials two weekends in a row. I will start with one trial and then go onto the other one in separate posts.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
6 things I appreciate
I've been tagged by Laura at http://crooksandcrazies.blogspot.com/ to participate in this meme, so here we go. I'm afraid if you're looking for waxing poetic about butterflies and lilies this won't be THAT list.
6 things that I appreciate that may, to someone else, seem unimportant, but to me are precious:
1. The sound of the dogs eating. To me when the dogs are eating, then everything is right in the world.
2. The look of those big brown eyes just begging me to keep walking.
3. A grilled steak grilled by my grill master(Steve).
4. My job, because without it I wouldn't be able to do this dog stuff.
5. Rain, rain is good for the pastures, etc.
6. All of my friends.
Now I tag the following:
Maddy at http://peejy.blogspot.com/
Danielle at http://acagirlandherdog.blogspot.com/
http://walkonbordercollies.blogspot.com/
Diane at http://deltabluez.blogspot.com/
6 things that I appreciate that may, to someone else, seem unimportant, but to me are precious:
1. The sound of the dogs eating. To me when the dogs are eating, then everything is right in the world.
2. The look of those big brown eyes just begging me to keep walking.
3. A grilled steak grilled by my grill master(Steve).
4. My job, because without it I wouldn't be able to do this dog stuff.
5. Rain, rain is good for the pastures, etc.
6. All of my friends.
Now I tag the following:
Maddy at http://peejy.blogspot.com/
Danielle at http://acagirlandherdog.blogspot.com/
http://walkonbordercollies.blogspot.com/
Diane at http://deltabluez.blogspot.com/
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