Got to drive south today and build the duck pen for our club. Took a couple hours to build, didn't work any ducks on it today though. My ducks will get their chance on Friday, I hope they pass:-))
Bubbles, Patsy and Abby all got to work; got too dark for Sally though. Bubbles did pretty well, though she was blown up a little. The start was not really good for her cuz we were trying to catch the BC puppy that split the sheep for us. Once started she was pretty good. I hope the judges will overlook a little heeling here and there:-))
I just wanted to show Patsy to someone so she got a quick go in the roundpen. Very nice quiet work and so calm!
Abby, first workout was glorious! Beautiful outrun, lift and fetch; turn at the handlers post very nice drive gates weren't set out but were about 250yds each leg. Her drives were nice though I didn't stay at the post. Pen was picture perfect, Shed was VERY nice. I was so proud. Round 2, well not as good on the outrun, actually just not good period. She would have gotten away with the outrun but I know she does so much better; I wish she would show someone other than me! These sheep are pretty forgiving on that as long as the dog takes control of them so we will cross our fingers and pray. More later in the week...
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Pre trial stuff
Well not much work for Abby since the trial. I had to run through my ducks and try to figure trial groups for them since they'll be used next weekend. Sally and Patsy got to work them.
Sally was PUSHY! Geez, who knew:-))) Anyway, she worked them ok once we were on the same page. Nice gathers and drives, my ducks don't really like to fetch cuz of the human pressure so they need to be handled softly on the fetch. She was good at breaking them from the corners; grabs their little butt feathers one duck at a time. Out they come! The ducks need some training, since Sally is the only one working ducks right now she's it.
Patsy did some work on them too. Go figure, she was also pushy:-)) Second group of ducks was a little less likely to stay together so it didn't help that she was pushy on them. Work after that was good though. She does a nice job usually on ducks just needs some miles to settle on them.
So I think I have two decent groups of trial ducks. They aren't great ducks but they are surely workable if the dog handles them right. I'll be selling them after this trial anyway, I just don't use them often enough...
Sally was PUSHY! Geez, who knew:-))) Anyway, she worked them ok once we were on the same page. Nice gathers and drives, my ducks don't really like to fetch cuz of the human pressure so they need to be handled softly on the fetch. She was good at breaking them from the corners; grabs their little butt feathers one duck at a time. Out they come! The ducks need some training, since Sally is the only one working ducks right now she's it.
Patsy did some work on them too. Go figure, she was also pushy:-)) Second group of ducks was a little less likely to stay together so it didn't help that she was pushy on them. Work after that was good though. She does a nice job usually on ducks just needs some miles to settle on them.
So I think I have two decent groups of trial ducks. They aren't great ducks but they are surely workable if the dog handles them right. I'll be selling them after this trial anyway, I just don't use them often enough...
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday trial day 2
Day 2... Abby was much better today, more settled. Outrun still tight but good otherwise, missed the cone, didn't want to mess with the sheep to get it. Y chute, very nice, Z good; sheep were pushing on her pretty hard but she handled them nicely. Pen was good, exit very nice. Turn at 4 was good and across to the 5; I had her hold them there and gave the flank to set up the pen well she didn't take it. So more offline but down to the exhaust was good. Both day she had a sheep try to run through her and caught them but still a split. So I'm very happy with her and though it didn't change our placement I liked our work today. So two more points, only a couple more to go now!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Sat trial
Well only Abby trialling this weekend. She did a pretty nice job to start, rushed the sheep at the turn around the post and buggered 'em. Rotten beasty:-) The sheep slipped past the Y, dumb handler decided to push it and mucked around a bit... Rest of the run was ok, Pen-4 Abby pushed too much... turned early and the sheep were so settled that they just turned nice but too early. Still of 15 dogs Abby was 3rd and got 2 more points! Yeah Abby:-)) Tomorrow will be better I hope!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Trial work
Well Abby got to work on the trial course today for the last time before the weekend. Wow did she do a nice job! There were a couple really small mistakes but the pace and movement of stock was perfect! Her outruns, there were 3, 2 good one not great. Pen work was really good, drives were nice though could have been more direct and slower... She got so much work yesterday I wasn't sure she would be sound today; she was slower than normal but sound. I think I'd better make her a chiro appt after this weekend. I hope that she shows up for the trial!
I took Patsy for a field trip too. Her work was very much improved too. Not nearly as pushy, nice slow work, very thoughtful about their movement. I'm very happy with her today as well. She completed the started course in a very clean fashion, nice outrun with minimal help. Maybe she'll get a chance to trial next Spring once I've gotten a couple other dogs finished up.
I took Patsy for a field trip too. Her work was very much improved too. Not nearly as pushy, nice slow work, very thoughtful about their movement. I'm very happy with her today as well. She completed the started course in a very clean fashion, nice outrun with minimal help. Maybe she'll get a chance to trial next Spring once I've gotten a couple other dogs finished up.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Polish...
I got to work Abby, Sally and Patsy today; though only Abby is trialling this weekend. Sally did the set up work, Patsy did lesson work and Abby was polishing...
Sally put the lambs out, split the pregger ewes off and took the working sheep out. The school ewes don't usually go out to the neighbors but I wanted more draw in a different direction. I also needed to take out a couple of ram lambs who are getting too big for their britches. So two lambs and the ram and one ewe were our working group. Sally was kind enough the take them out and put the goats in the paddock so Abby could work.
I set some sheep out with grain at the bottom of the goat pasture and sent Abby from the roundpen field with the gates opened up. She did a beautiful "come" outrun, the lift could have been more slow, fetch was nice, drive was pretty good and she did a nice split on the 4 we had. I drove those 2 around the triangle and then shed them too. All pretty good work. Then I sent her on a "way" outrun was bad... So we did quite a few more after allowing her to rest for a couple minutes. We finally quit on a good one or two. I hope the "come" outrun holds out for her B course runs in a couple weeks.
Patsy got to put the sheep up for our lesson and then help our student figure some things out. She did a nice job in the roundpen, taking pressure off and coming in when asked. I even got a tiny drive from her. All in all she did a nice job; we even got a great lesson in patience for her.
Abby got to do the evening chores so got some more opportunities for training. First I had her drive the ram/ewe back down the goat pasture and out the gate towards their pasture up front. She did an ok job since she had to drive them past/through the goats. Got them settled somewhere outside the gate and I brought her back up to take the ram lambs down through the goat pasture which set up a great fenceline drive to emulate the pen to 4 drive. She wanted to be pushy and squeezed them a couple times but managed to bring them back nice. Then we had a chat and she went off nicely and drove them really well. We made a turn across and then I came in and set up a shed. The first one was nicely set up except that one ram was standing her off and she had enough. She blew up on him and had to put them back together... Next one was a beautiful set up and then I got a phone call I couldn't ignore...
So really some good polishing work for Abby; regardless of what happens at the trial this weekend her work here at home has been pretty nice overall.
Sally put the lambs out, split the pregger ewes off and took the working sheep out. The school ewes don't usually go out to the neighbors but I wanted more draw in a different direction. I also needed to take out a couple of ram lambs who are getting too big for their britches. So two lambs and the ram and one ewe were our working group. Sally was kind enough the take them out and put the goats in the paddock so Abby could work.
I set some sheep out with grain at the bottom of the goat pasture and sent Abby from the roundpen field with the gates opened up. She did a beautiful "come" outrun, the lift could have been more slow, fetch was nice, drive was pretty good and she did a nice split on the 4 we had. I drove those 2 around the triangle and then shed them too. All pretty good work. Then I sent her on a "way" outrun was bad... So we did quite a few more after allowing her to rest for a couple minutes. We finally quit on a good one or two. I hope the "come" outrun holds out for her B course runs in a couple weeks.
Patsy got to put the sheep up for our lesson and then help our student figure some things out. She did a nice job in the roundpen, taking pressure off and coming in when asked. I even got a tiny drive from her. All in all she did a nice job; we even got a great lesson in patience for her.
Abby got to do the evening chores so got some more opportunities for training. First I had her drive the ram/ewe back down the goat pasture and out the gate towards their pasture up front. She did an ok job since she had to drive them past/through the goats. Got them settled somewhere outside the gate and I brought her back up to take the ram lambs down through the goat pasture which set up a great fenceline drive to emulate the pen to 4 drive. She wanted to be pushy and squeezed them a couple times but managed to bring them back nice. Then we had a chat and she went off nicely and drove them really well. We made a turn across and then I came in and set up a shed. The first one was nicely set up except that one ram was standing her off and she had enough. She blew up on him and had to put them back together... Next one was a beautiful set up and then I got a phone call I couldn't ignore...
So really some good polishing work for Abby; regardless of what happens at the trial this weekend her work here at home has been pretty nice overall.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Trial weekend
Finally I am getting to report on our trial weekend.
First up is Sally, she ran on Adv A ducks. She did a great job, very dependable:-)) First day she laid down a nice run and was first in her class of 11. Second day she was a bit more pushy, as were the ducks; still she was second place and the only other qualifier. Not too bad for the Sally monster:-)) She managed not to lay a single tooth on any duck!
Second Abby, first day same old problem. My nerves unnerve my dog. . . Bad run though had some good things too. Came home and worked no problem... Got to be me. So back the second day and the trial was moved to the maximum field. Yikes:-)) Abby did a bang up job! Outrun could have been better but still acceptable. Everything else was nice, one small snag at the pen, they came out so quiet that they went right back in; otherwise a VERY respectable run. Of 9 dogs in the class Abby was 2nd, only 2 dogs Q'd in A sheep of 9 entry. The winner was a very nice open BC already finished with his HC; problematic part is that we were running against A, B and C course sheep as well as A and B ducks. So I will just be happy wtih the run Sunday and Sally monsters duck legs!
First up is Sally, she ran on Adv A ducks. She did a great job, very dependable:-)) First day she laid down a nice run and was first in her class of 11. Second day she was a bit more pushy, as were the ducks; still she was second place and the only other qualifier. Not too bad for the Sally monster:-)) She managed not to lay a single tooth on any duck!
Second Abby, first day same old problem. My nerves unnerve my dog. . . Bad run though had some good things too. Came home and worked no problem... Got to be me. So back the second day and the trial was moved to the maximum field. Yikes:-)) Abby did a bang up job! Outrun could have been better but still acceptable. Everything else was nice, one small snag at the pen, they came out so quiet that they went right back in; otherwise a VERY respectable run. Of 9 dogs in the class Abby was 2nd, only 2 dogs Q'd in A sheep of 9 entry. The winner was a very nice open BC already finished with his HC; problematic part is that we were running against A, B and C course sheep as well as A and B ducks. So I will just be happy wtih the run Sunday and Sally monsters duck legs!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Travelling work
While I haven't posted here in a while, I've been diligent about training the dogs. I've gone to a couple of sites to try and proof Abby a bit, since we've had such outrun woes. Seems to be paying off, outruns have been improved even at other venues. We'll see if trial day it sticks now. Her other work is also indicative of the hard work we've put in. Drive has been better and more direct, drive to the 4 still needs work but there is always something to work on!
Sally was introduced to Call ducks, that was interesting:-)) For all the lack of work on ducks, she did really pretty well. It still may be the shortest run ever on ducks but I was pretty proud of her pre-trial work... If I hadn't been feeling ballsy the day I sent in Adv. entries; I would feel a bit more confident about it... Oh well, jump in with both feet and see what happens:-)))
Patsy tagged along and got some work at different spots too. First she was good, then she was bad... More miles, it will get better! Worked on ducks and that wasn't bad, just some reminding and then all was well!
Rosy got to meet ducks for the first time as well, she isn't completely disgusted... A couple more times and she'll be a pro, I'm sure:-)))
So a trial this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and visiting as well as running dogs!
Sally was introduced to Call ducks, that was interesting:-)) For all the lack of work on ducks, she did really pretty well. It still may be the shortest run ever on ducks but I was pretty proud of her pre-trial work... If I hadn't been feeling ballsy the day I sent in Adv. entries; I would feel a bit more confident about it... Oh well, jump in with both feet and see what happens:-)))
Patsy tagged along and got some work at different spots too. First she was good, then she was bad... More miles, it will get better! Worked on ducks and that wasn't bad, just some reminding and then all was well!
Rosy got to meet ducks for the first time as well, she isn't completely disgusted... A couple more times and she'll be a pro, I'm sure:-)))
So a trial this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and visiting as well as running dogs!
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