Got Work?

As bad as the day was I did have one bright spot while I worked dogs today! Abby was first, she brought down the three boys (2whethers1ram) to the front field. The boys haven't been up front in a couple months so they were lighter than normal but more like lambs. We drove down to the top of the field in a serpentine we left them there and did an outrun to start over again... We did that a couple times in both directions, did a nice job on her flanks, squaring her off. Nice inside flanks too. Great job Abby! Sally did almost the same thing as Abby, great job driving. Her outruns were from my side and pretty nice really. We did a couple of really nice sheds with the ram as the single, holds could have been less pushy but really nice for the little Sally. I'm a little sad that I pulled her from the Nationals, she is running advanced here at home... oh well another time... Rosy was a little pushy to start off with but a quick correction fixed that! She did some nice outruns trying to stretch those out just a little now but overall her outruns have been pretty nice. Fetches were really nice, did a few short drives and worked on her off balance walk ups and stops. I think she understood better by the end. Lastly I worked her coming in on the fence to the sheep. Rosy has been blasting around them such that is scares new sheep and so she did those in both directions and was better. I can't say enough that she is very talented but will take time and miles to get to where we need her.

Chores...

Dogs haven't been trained on lately, however we have had lots of chores to do! Worm season is kicking off and several nannies are succumbing early as well as one of the ewes with lambs. Also I have been neglecting my sheep feet for a while now... So today the dogs Abby, Rosy and Sally all got some work. Abby brought the ewes from the front down to the back pasture, held for feet trimming and moved ewes around for lessons. Working the goats really hurts her square flanks, they just draw her in. Taking the ewes in she had to do several sheds to get only the sheep. She did a nice job working the babies and keeping them with the group and also a look back to the momma. Then she brought the mommas all in the barn and shed off the close girls to eat; and put them back out when some of them were done. Had to doctor one of the twin mommas, kept her in since she is looking pretty bad. Rosy did some stall work as an example for a student which was really great for her. Then students grandson wanted to hold a lamb so she held a single mom and her twins in the large open field so I could catch one. Very nice, difficult work for her. Sally well she is the blue collar worker around here. I use her on goats almost always since she has a lot more bite than most of my dogs and the billy goat is really getting aggressive lately. She did a nice job bringing them to the doctor spot. She does lock on to a few members of the herd and must be reminded that they all must stay put. When the billy goat comes after me though she is all business and makes sure that he pays for the thought. She worked her tail off holding those 30+ goats mommas, babies and the billy in that corner. Sally is a dog with a purpose, I can not say that enough, she is with my for a reason! I love her work, talent, heart and she loves what she does! So she probably worked for 45min straight no rest and came out and went after the orange rooster! Silly Sally....

Finally videos!

I took a couple videos of Abby working today. Pretty shoddy work but its her first day back... Also worked Rosy and put Patsy the puppy on sheep for the first time. Will post that video another time.

Trial synopsis

OK so my post trial synopsis...Abby really nice work overall (can't really get mad about HIT!), more steady since last years trials, I'm rusty at handling(been over 1yr), could use work on the drive from the pen to the 4 on A course. Her outruns were acceptable though could use work on the lift, drive to the Y and Z were pretty good, pen work was good,clean and nice cover, listened very well. I just need to get my head in the game, my brain was turned off a little and she was trusting me to run her right. Always something...
Rosy showed up this weekend for the most part. First time her run was clean and quiet. Outruns were overall nice, lifts, fetch all correct, Y chute needs some more understanding, Z is ok, Runway panels were really good, her cover is really nice, turns at the 4 were clean and nice. So I will continue to work on stops and off balance flanks, she could use some barn work to clean up her off balance I think, work on longer outruns (cuz you always can use that!) Really Rosy seems to be on track for a coming 2yr old.

Hmmm

So I did get a little work on the two girls this week, since we have the trial and all I thought it was only right:-)) Rosy is all over, somedays she is good, somedays she's bad and somedays she's just aweful! She is going to be a wait and see trial day...
Abby hasn't really gotten trial work but has been my chore dog this week so that she is getting work. She has been pretty solid, who knows what happens at the trial with her either but she's been good here.
All the sheep are bagging up and making it rather difficult to work now. My three fuzzy whethers are working quite well for me but students aren't quite ready for them, so that is a rodeo. Sheep are really funny, people don't give them enough credit. Those three will walk like Goldens on a leash when my dogs are behind them and anyone else they run like the devil himself is on their heels. For now they stay.

Polishing or maybe just working...

I'm having a terrible time bouncing back to work dogs since coming home. There are a lot of other things going on too which doesn't help but ....
Both girls have gotten a couple days of work since my return.
Abby has put in some really lovely work for her though she is finally steady-ing on the drive now she is rolling out of the drive pocket... Can't win here with her. Won't hurt her in trials with lighter sheep but it is something that needs work here and on goats. Outruns have really been pretty nice good follow through on the back and lifts are pretty good too. Fetching is handleable and the drive should be ok for trials.
Rosy has been all over the board! When I first got home she was ok, just pushy. I thought ok well I'll just work on that a couple days and she'll be fine... famous last thought:-)) She is worsening with each workout. Won't take downs and getting more pushy daily. Blows through downs and won't hold just rolls out to balance again. So this will be a miracle to fix before the trials. Outruns have been quite nice though, good distance on the top. If she will only stop once at balance we'll be in good shape. So Rosy is a work in progress, hopefully I'll figure out where its coming from and get it fixed! I just have to remember she is not even two so there is plenty of time.

NM work day 2

Well still no pics and my video camera ran out of batteries after Abbys run so no Sally shots... Video I will have to post later...
Both girls again did well. The wind was way worse today, while Sally was working I could only see her eyes through all the red clay on her body. Sally did some more driving and work in the roundpen on some pretty light lambs. First time in she did real nice and drove pretty well but didn't hold the line as well. Second time in for her I stayed outside the gate and made her drive and fetch without my body pressure in there. It was good for her, there were a couple bobbles but overall she was consistent and steady didn't want to walk in on heads facing her since she is still gaining her confidence back after her sheep beatings at home!
Abby I worked once again. She was also in the roundpen with the light sheep and I stayed outside. It was great work on her inside flanks! Also allowing her to really get on it and cover their heads which she doesn't always do. She did have to be urged to go around not just get to balance and bring me sheep. She took the direction well and put the right pressure on them, really worked nice. I was given nice compliments on both girls! Yeah girls!

NM work day 1

Sorry no pics... I really want too but we'll have another chance tomorrow.
Worked both girls, Sally first did really nice in the roundpen. Driving working on flanks and then fetching which is always hard for her. Really very nice work, couple of tight flanks that got her in too tight and allowed for a grip but mostly nice.
Abby did really well. She got two sessions. First went in the large pen with lighter lambs and we broke them so they didn't just run everywhere. She did really nice outruns both directions staying off until she hit balance and coming in correctly. Stops were BAD, very pushy until I reminded her thats what she is supposed to do. Second time she was better on the stops and worse on flanks dove in a couple times which is not Abby like. Overall though she was pretty good.
More tomorrow!

Last workout.

Well for over a week anyway... I worked Rosy this evening to bring the lesson sheep up to the round pen and work area. She did OK, bit pushy going up but not too bad. Worked her in the round pen on stops and steadies; they did get better. I know I'll need to put the hours on her when I return but feel comfy leaving her home while I'm gone. She is young and will make some mistakes but has all the right pieces when they come together.
I worked Abby just a little since she is about 90% now. She was pretty awesome. Nice long outruns, still needs work on the top but overall good. Little driving not much, she's been pretty honest driving light sheep. Her fetching bringing them down the field was pretty nice, rating all by herself (not very Abby like!). Its really strange for the last month she's really slowed down and is reading her sheep and being pretty honest. Not that she never makes mistakes but overall her work is steadier and better.
Lastly Evy got to bring the ewes and lambs back up front and split off those that are ready to lamb (probably while I'm gone) as well as move the boys back to the goat field. Such nice work really... sigh. The ewes with lambs don't even challenge her anymore but they are very light for her, nice work though. Shed was fantastic to take the ewes off the ram lambs!
So only Abby and Sally are making the trip out west hopefully I'll have pics of our work there!