True Confessions of a Maker

I've had long lengthy conversations....pre, during, and post clinics....about "get" vs "make".  I've been told I am a "maker" so I am going to publicly come clean.  After much thought, and though I have disguised "getting" as taking the wrong answer away....I am a "maker".  My "making" is subtle....as in "dark chocolate not counting as a carb" subtle.  An example of my watered down make:  I put a long line on Bella way back when I first got her.....she would quit me when I verbally corrected her, I would just step on the long line so she could not leave the field and shush her back onto the sheep.  Defensively, I would argue I was not MAKING her be correct.... I felt I was being pro active taking the wrong answer away....so she could either do nothing or work but not leave. This seems to be one of those Jedi/Zen/Ninja topics that appear to be "glass half gotten full" or "glass half made empty" depending on the viewer. Not blatant "make" but not "get" either.  I've decided that I most definitely am developing my own style of training!

This past weekend found me local...trialing in Scio at Sheepthrillz.  I've been known to work dogs on this field when I can get away from my ranch to a new field and different sheep so all my girls were all familiar with it.  Bella ran pro novice twice on Thursday and yet again I toyed with "speaking to her on her outrun" to see if I could take some tension away.  What I found was Bella does best when I give her information instead of command or correction on her outrun (which is her highest tension I see on the course).....so I blew her out without stopping her and whistled her over into the pressure point her second run.  That seemed to work well for us.....and my deep thoughtful idea on this "make" is I am helping her and with that trust in our relationship she will start seeking "right".  Will this take her ability to think and read sheep away?  Will this make her mechanical?  I'm not sure but we are able to trail and work together as a team. Time will tell but my heart says the more we strengthen our relationship with trust in each other, the more Bella will give me as my partner.  She did give me the first pen of the day....a day that saw only two pens ....and landed in first place...I think we are on a good path.

I also learned or re-learned that I must hold up my half of EACH relationship.  I can not run Bella as I do Nell or Sally...both of which handl different, and I continue to work on remembering that as well!  So when the sheep went through the first drive panel and started, at a clip, up the field to the set out....my better move would be to stop Bella and gently flank her over to start the cross drive.  Lesson learned on the first go when I sent her over as I would have Nell and ended up with a body-slammed ewe and a very tense Bella. 

What I left the trial with  was, as much as I train and work with understanding on each of my dogs....I need to raise the bar for myself.  Each of my dog handles and works so much different from the other.  I am thankful, as that fact alone is teaching me so very much.  Now I need to live up to my half of each relationship!  I guess I am a "maker" with myself as well!

Seize the Day!!!