Black and White

I delivered the puppies to Idaho yesterday...stopping at a friend's place in Walla Walla to stay the night.  Up early to get to my destination to work dogs before I began the long trek home. I do believe the puppies were as glad to get out of the car as I was....once we finally arrived.....

Smart little critters....full of adventure and creative naughtiness.....probably why puppies were made so cute.....so as we raise them the naughtiness doesn't seem so bad!



After a small relaxation break......I was asked if I wanted to work dogs!  "Really???" Or perhaps it was a rhetorical question.....a  nice way of say..."breaks over, get your running shoes on, sista!"

The field was very good sized and flat......the sheep were katahdin lambs.....and I worked all the girls who came along!  I started with Bella, because she is the dog that seems to have an "open window for learning" at this time.  Since my little hick-up at Sheep thrillz way back in July....I have been working on taking some tension out of Bella.  That requires some analyzing on my part...where exactly is the tension coming from....how is she responding to correction.....and does she ever become supple and tension free - in respect to distance from me, type of sheep, people setting, people and dogs setting.  As I take Bella new places and set up my work sessions.....it is always great to have a second set of eyes to evaluate my evaluation!  I have been to a few big fields in the past month....and interestingly enough.....most of the tension was leaving Bella...but her taking of my correction was not exactly presented in the fashion I was looking for......and my wishy-washiness of letting some behaviors go without addressing them......Bella is ready for some very Black and White direction from me.  That is what I was thinking...good to know I am on the right path.....now to get it and know when to give it back.  Sometimes I wish training sheepdogs was more Black and White for me!  Oh but then the journey would possibly be very boring so instead I continue on the path of Zen Sheepdog Training....ala Patrick Shann*han and Kathy Kn*x! 

I have been joking on Facebook about my new fitness regime....it is called "running up the field".  Jack Kn*x helped me sort Nell out a bit....and she is working so much better for me...but I have been feeling like it was time to give her back some of herself....and I find myself with a dog that has taken back too much!  I am not worried....well, maybe slightly as I run up fields and wonder if this might kill me!  "That which does not kill you...makes you stronger" certainly but I confess I might be struggling with weakness at the moment.  Down at The Border Collie Training Center.....the field running ended on a strong note.  Yesterday in Idaho....I ran again.  I ran for Bella, and I ran for Nell........this time the field added a few hurdles in the form of shallow ditches running through the field....and small jumps fashioned by river rocks!  In an effort to not have to run, I changed my tactic and brought out my pup...Gyp.  Instead of running, I was forced to walk backwards....which I do believe elicited some rather grumpy unlady-like words from my mouth....to the shock of he who was forcing this upon me!  At least walking backwards...I could strategize and work parallel to the hurdles.......leaving the smaller rock jumps to trip me up as my puppy giggled her way through torturing me!

Believe it or not.....these journeys of tearing up the miles are just the beginning to my wild and crazy October.  I could lay out my schedule but it would only put into words that could be proof positive that I need counseling and a herders anonymous program.  So I will just blog it as the month unfolds......

Seize the Day!