Camp Orchard Run

Bella has been begging to go to summer camp. She was tired of her wicked step sisters....and now with the addition of a youngster.....she is exhibiting "middle dog" syndrome! I checked out a few highly recommended camps....and the activities at Orchard Run were PERFECT for Bella . Massages, pedicures, and a new hair style.....plus sheep, sheep and more sheep! One last run with the family in the desert hills outside Caldwell........a few hugs shared between us, and a couple of tears on my part....I left Bella in the very capable hands of the camp manager, Diane Deal.

All joking aside, Bella and I have been doing really great........Bella is like a sponge right now.....and lesson availability is limited in my area....so camp seemed appropriate! I have taken some lessons with Diane, watched her train and run her own dogs, and have appreciated her training up of other folk's dogs......and the icing on the cake was the fact she has worked with a few dogs from Bella's lines and understands them! Done deal. Oh..that was bad.....sorry!

From my perspective, Diane has done a fabulous job holding my hand. The reports she sends back are great...but I really do miss my girl. I think Sally and Nell miss her too...but love the fact that they get to share her sheep work!

Oh, sweet L&M Belle.......Bella Rosa to me....I miss you already!

Seize the Day!

Bloggin' Sistas!

I started this blog in late December of 2008......and in that time, I have found some really fabulous blogs to follow....all listed there on the right of this post. Through blog posts, I have found some new friends.....people that I would not have known if it were not for their blog! And reading them....I feel like I know them. My morning routine is to grab a good cup of coffee (a bad one if we are out of my straight from the Island Kona Coffee) go to my blog and then jump to all the new blog entries. Sort of like a nice chat with friends.

What is truly amazing, is when Bloggers unite! Which happened at Big Willow. Eyeherdewe was there! Yes, indeed...she was up top setting sheep. She is a local Idahoian with a wicked sharp way with words! I love it when she puts her thoughts into sentences and then...finally posts them. Yesterday, I met fame, as she mentioned me in her post....check it out.

Phantom Ridge Border Collies was also there. She was just like the US Postal Mail Person: Rain, sleet, hail, snow......she drove through it all on her way to Big Willow from Canada!We met in person at a trial in Washington last year....saw each other at the Finals...and it was great seeing her again at Big Willow. She humored me and took pictures of my run.....kindly leaving me out of them....and just admiring my dog and the sheep!She had great insight into reading the sheep....and it was fun ribbing each other about past blog posts. Well, maybe me more than her......

There were also some "readers of my blog" at Big Willow. A shout out to all of you....you know who you are....that follow my trials and tribulations! This journey is so much more fun to share with friends.....

Seize the Day!!!!

A Bunch of Great Runs

The field at Big Willow is not huge......but very complicated. Either way you send your dog.....it will lose site of the sheep on the outrun. Sally and I have been working on two aspects of losing site of sheep on outruns....1) having her actually look for her sheep all the way and not think they are always set at 300 yards and 2) taking a redirect once she gets started on her outrun. Last year, Sally was certain that a bunch of swaying sagebrush way up on a hill were her sheep....pretty much end of story.

A year later: My first run with Sally, she crossed on her outrun but came back onto her sheep as if I had sent her right instead of left! Sally ran the sheep a bit on her fetch...and together, we fought the sheep and lost every panel.....got our shed....and settled into the mouth of the pen....time up!

I spent the day watching, taking mental notes, and thinking about how to improve...what's next. When to redirect, how to hold her off the sheep but let her work on, and further improve the teamwork that we are just now beginning to develop. Second day: I talked to her and tried to redirect earlier in her outrun.....she did blow through but as I watched her, I felt her hitch and think....when she topped the little hill and saw the sheep she blew herself out for our very first ever non-crossing outrun at Big Willow! Atta Girl!!!! Our fetch was very nice, hitting our panels...the sheep were pushing on Sally and I tried to hold her off and let her work in a rhythm suiting the sheep. Around the post.....and gasp....Sally sliced a flank and went to the sheep's heads! We ended up retiring at the first drive panels due to some serious overflanking on Sally's end....and handling management issues on my end. But here is what I have to say.......I was a winner!!!!! Yep, 30/RT......on the scoreboard but Sally and I won! This whole sheepdog trial experience is about relationship...and it has taken me a whole big fat year to settle my head on that! A Big Hat once told me, "you will go to trials and see a rare dog that is so talented they take your breath away.....but the winning scores are often the dog and handler teams that have the best relationship in addition to training and understanding." Well, that is my version of what was said.....and that is what I am striving for.

Here are a few of my thought about other runs that were memorable for me....fist and foremost was Rob Miller and Jen, who ran right on my heals the second go so I did not get any photos. The sheep were pushing on Jen in a similar fashion to how they pushed on Sally.....but Rob handled it with such finesse. His dog never overflanked, he let the sheep go and took control with incredible timing, and his dog ended up face gripping to cash the check! Amazing to really identify what was happening on both our runs...that for me is an important step in improving my handling. Thanks to Rob for talking with me after our runs!

Patrick Shannahan put down the winning run the first day.....I always watch and take notes...especially as he sheds!

Ellen Skillings ended up winning the whole trial......I missed her run as I went home to spend Mother's Day with my really awesome family.....but I did catch her near-flawless run the first day. Here she and Emer are bringing the sheep on one beautifully straight fetch. I am working on my "mental management" when it comes to running my dogs at sheepdog trials. Disciplining myself to think, first and foremost, on what I really liked, then spending some time thinking about what went wrong, why it went wrong and ending on how to improve. I continue to sift through what input I allow myself to listen to and what input runs off my feathered back. Those I respect, and want to be when I grow up, seem to wait for me to come and talk to them. They give great, honest feedback when I ask for it and am ready to hear it. They are also the same people who can help me celebrate the beauty and improvement in my runs.....and for that I am so very thankful.

Big Willow....what a trial! The course is complicated, the sheep are so bloody honest, the whole trial is a mirror, showing the unedited truth of what the dog, handler, and relationship truly is. I have work to do....but today, I will embrace my progress, celebrate my Sally, and call myself a winner!

Seize the day!

Big Willow.....As Told By Me!

I am not exactly sure why they call this trial "Big Willow"....maybe because the road less traveled to the trial is called "Little Willow". There are certainly NO willows to be found in this rustically, western, high desert, harsh beauty of a land.

This is the trial field......sheep are set, dog running just past the first drive panels to the left, handler at the post.....as you can see, the field is very, very complicated. No matter which way you send, the dog loses sight of the sheep on the outrun......lots of terrain going on.

The sheep are taken from a band of 1,000 sheep, grazed right there in the desert, lambed out right there in the desert. Never being handled much by human or dog until they move on to be sold or processed. And keeping in mind, much of their "dog" contact comes in the form of predators: coyotes and, the re-introduced into the environment, wolves.

The trial sheep are cut off from the main flock...which are then grazed a few hills over yonder. Handlers and other volunteers then graze the trial sheep......shedding off fresh sheep as needed for the runs....and keeping the "chosen" group from rejoining with those who just get to graze in peace.

A few times, the main group drifted over to make chaos for the " trial grazers". You can see some sneakers there on the ridge....naughty sheep!Times like that....the cowboy/shepherd came to the rescue on horseback! Or one of those "in charge" of the trial would ride off on a 4-wheeler to save the day.
At night, the temps dipped down below freezing......dry camping left my RV very cold and I was thankful for my bed warmers.......you could say it was a five dog night!

Every day, I took the girls for a couple of long hikes into the hills and they loved the wide open spaces.

Miss Gyp did great on her first major road trip! She did not particularly care for the 8 1/2 hour one-way drive.....but she was a good girl. I think she knows.....many good things come with a long road trip.

We've only just begun....

Seize the Day!!!!!!!

Back on the Road......

Big Willow


Dear Sally,



May the dirt be soft beneath your feet, may the wind blow gently through your fur, and above all, may God help you find your sheep!

I'll be back......

Seize the Day!!!!

BCTC

I'm pretty sure I have mentioned this before.....but I LOVE going to the Border Collie Training Commune...oh I mean, Center. Mention BCTC......and commune comes to mind. Sheep, fields, fresh air...we could all sell our belongings, move in and wear red!

It is the tail end of lambing season at the BCTC......a pen of the more "high maintenance" sheep and their lambs lured me to admire pure cuteness on a daily basis! Most of these ewes had triplets.....some of which needed some supplemental feeding... creating faux bummer lambs. A win/win in the fact that the lambs see themselves as sheep but don't mind getting some extra feed from humans.

I love the open fenceless fields.......and the long runs the dogs can enjoy. Some folks employ leashes.......not me, I let my girls run free and explore. The girls love it! Nell and the ground squirrels played hide and seek......a game that ground squirrels rock at! There are also badgers living in the fields....but we stayed clear of anything that looked like it might be a badger. It hardly ever rains at the BCTC......the wind makes frequent visits! But really, who cares? When there are big fenceless fields, and sheep, and sun, and happy dogs!!!!Seize the Day!!!!

Buckle Your Seat Belt, Baby!

It is that time of the year......where all things "working sheepdogs" start to happen. Winter weather is supposed to be over and done.....and the heat factor is supposed to be dog friendly! Here I sit, after four crazy days of dogs and sheep....and I am supposed to be a minimalist! Well, I think I must leave Minimal Monday behind.....and possibly might need a lap top to keep my blog current!

I have already confessed I am OCD....over the top...when it comes to working sheepdogs and training them for that matter. Nell and I are working out our "relationship" and my burning heart's desire is for consistency! A long while back, I signed up to work with Derek Scrimgeour and have a go with my Killibrea Sally......and then Kathy Knox was slated to come to the area the very same weekend. Kathy has been so incredibly influential in my training up of Nell....I just had to see her....get her input....because I can only explain so much on the phone....and I was not seeing it 100% correct anyway. So, yes, I drove to see Kathy.....and thankfully had the support of my wonderful friends who were hosting Kathy......7 hours driving......30 minutes with Kathy....PRICELESS!!!! And you know what I learned.....this is all about me! Gasp.....I will continue with the tape recorder in my pocket....listening to how I whistle and what I say to my Nell. And I will step up to the plate, read my sheep and handle my dog! I WILL!!!!!

It has been over 2 years since I have seen Derek Scrimgeour.....and what a treat to work with him again. I love, love, love how he talks dogs!

He is so consistent in his training method....and can break it all down...applying what he sees to each dog.

This particular clinic had many different levels of dogs.....and the people were splendid......and each dog and handler had areas to work on. I loved soaking it all in...watching..... and analyzing....and applying. I worked on shedding with Sally, handling with Nell, and sorting out Bella. The three days were near perfect! I have to say it again, thank you, Derek.....for leaving your fingerprints here in America......Seize the Day!!!!