Brigand's Hideout Sheep Camp

5 1/2 years ago....I took my rescue border collie to a ranch and began my journey training sheepdogs. Shortly after the ranch lessons, I found Brigand's Hideout: a small ranch where lessons and sheep rental allowed people to train their dogs without owning sheep and land themselves.
Every year, Brigand's Hideout hosts a "sheep camp." Clinicians come to work with students, providing different styles and ideas about training dogs. I've gotten the opportunity to be a stock handler.....and this year I worked setting sheep for Lynn Leach's students. Lynn is from Canada and has cattle dogs and border collies. I like watching Lynn work with all the different breeds of dogs, as she is able to break down a task, labeling each skill required to accomplish the task. Then she works the dogs to teach these skills individually and layered together to accomplish a task. For example, here, Lynn works with my friend's sheltie, helping her to hold pressure and walk into sheep to load a chute. As the lesson wore on, the line came off and this sheltie got better and better at loading chute with walk-into-pressure confidence.
Nell was my go-to sheep mover.....and possibly the bossy border collie that gave advice to the dogs in the field as she watched lessons pressed through a small opening between the gate and the fence! High drive?...hmmm!

Diane Deal, from Idaho, was one of the clinicians...and I got to take a lesson with Nell and Bella from her. As always, it was fun to get her eyes on my dogs, where I am at, and what is next. Bella did some amazing work.....work that I really felt was beyond her....and Diane proved me wrong! Now it is time to start using Bella for my chores....as applying what she has learned to "real work" is making sense to her.

I really appreciate Brigand's....I know getting my dogs on different sheep, in different fields and letting them know "it is all still the same" is a huge role in my working relationship with my dogs. There are not many places where a person can take their dog and work the sheep without taking lessons. What a gift Brigand's has given me. However, one aspect to Brigand's that makes for discussion is.....it is open to any dog whose owner wants to work stock. At the sheep camp this year, there was a Rhodesian Ridgeback and a couple of standard Schnauzers! I find myself climbing up onto my Soapbox to say...WHY!? Then we go back to the whole issue of prey drive...and the discussion I had with one clinician.....that herding skates prey drive no matter the breed. Personally, since this is my blog.....I get to say....I don't agree that all dogs should work stock. For me, this is about the sheep...not the dog! Even a nicely bred working border collie would not die a long lonely death if it did not work sheep but instead did agility, obedience or another activities to keep its mind active and a relationship with its owner. I also realize that a nice working dog, from working lines...often comes with instinct and natural feel inside and all we do it let the dog work when it is "right" and correct it when it is "wrong" and the dog sorts it out. Why do people feel the need to work living, breathing livestock with hunting dogs?

My journey continues.....I love training dogs.....I love working sheep......I love thinking about correct work, reading the sheep, getting understanding from my dogs...and having tools to help working dogs find their ability to work! Although I find this to be "fun".....it is not about the fun....Fun to me is great work and not being "thanked" at a trial. It takes work, time, miles, dedication, obsession, immersion for me to have "fun!" Call me crazy......but I love, Love, LOVE living life.......I will continue to

Seize the day!!!!!!!