Dot came to me at the end of January. I really was not looking for a dog, but she came anyway. I love the challenge of starting a dog and winter was really getting to me. Taking a young dog in for some time and miles was a fabulous cure for my short day, lack of sun blues. Dot unpacked her bags and decided to stay. She is out of a little bitch from Ettrick Sheepdogs and her daddy is Marilyn Volpe's Tan, a son of Derek Scrimgeour's Ben.
Starting Dot has been a journey of me. I had to die to any agenda, any time frame or expectation of what she should be doing. It's taken time to work my way into this little dog's heart, developing relationship and desire for teamwork. In the beginning, she had her own M.O. Corrections made her try harder doing exactly what she was doing to get the correction. Pressure sped her up and created the challenge of "beat". "That'll do" meant, 'go back to the sheep and bust 'em up and don't get caught because you might never, ever see sheep again!' One of her saving graces is: she is not grippy. I've taken my time...working on relationship and respect, working her on sheep and allowing her to learn without forcing it upon her. She is my first "latten learner"; there will be days where I'll put her away without feeling any accomplishment of learning and the next time out, Dot has sorted her answers in the off time.
Since coming home from the finals, little Dot's "window of learning" has been wide open. I've been working her every day on lambs. Watching her sort, figure things out, finding her wanting to work with me and even calling off with the joy of "what's next?" Dot has taught me to allow things to unfold without "make", finding ways to help the sheep to show her answers. I'm enjoying the journey with her trying to not care so much about when we "get there" but more "the beauty along the way".
These are the things that make my heart sing......
Seize the Day!
Rye = Latent learning club card carrying member.
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