Today Edge wins the prize for Best Dog

I went out this morning with a dog because the baby kids were in the barn and I am trying to keep them separate from the older goats because they are too attached and dont' work well.So thinking it should be a quick job I ran out there in shorts and a  tshirt. 
First I took Dually out and ran the adults out into the arena and locked them out there.  I then came back and let the babies out of the barn. We took the babies into the control pen and out the other side to take them to the pasture on the side of the house.   Mosquitos are starting to find me.  Dually gets them to the gate and then one goes in and he goes in after it and the others run back to the control pen. This happens a number of times. IN the meantime I am swatting and dancing and waving my arms around and still trying to get him to do what he is supposed to do. They go around and around the pile of wood and finally I give up.

I put Dually back and get Edge out.  He goes in and takes them out of the control pen where they had all gone back to and brings them up to the gate where again they do not want to go in. He holds them and 4 go in and one stands in the doorway.  I tell him to get him and he reaches up and nips the little bugger who promptly turns and jumps into the pasture. The difference is that Edge bites and stands there while Dually bites makes them move and goes around and brings them right back to where I don't want them.   Finally I can close the gate and we can go back in the house away from the mosquitos.  Thank you Edgie. 

Edge

I put the 3 new panels in the control pen and 3 goats tonight.  I worked Edge first.  He did some really nice stuff.  He took flanks without body language and his stops were iffy. But his big problem was his walk up.  He does not want to walk straight in and sometimes he does not want to walk at all, but overall I was pleased with what he did.  I never did read Bob's book last week about the walk up.  Maybe tonight.

I went back to the PD to get my stuff input into the computer for my LTC and the computer was not working again.  I will have to try again on Monday which is not a good day for me. The officer today and I talked extensively about bears and he told me to shoot the bugger. Not sure that will happen but hopefully he won't hurt anything else.

There is a new ice cream place in STurbridge and they have sandwiches and soup. I had some homemade chicken soup  tonight and it was really good.  Much better than mine. 

Bear visit

The bear returned for sure night before last.  I was up and down all night which may have stopped him from doing some harm.  I smelled something odd in the middle of the night but then I decided I was imagining it and went back to sleep.  Turns out the bear was right outside my window between the barn and the house and he left or came in over the 4 ft gate attached to the house. The gate was open when I got up which is not all that odd since it latches so poorly but the top of the gate which is just wire was all bent over.   I called fish and wildlife but still not sure they are going to do anything.   There is not electric around that part of the yard.  Last night I put more aluminum foil and peanut butter on it on the wire around the sheep.  It was not even licked last night.  NOthing touched it which at least tells me the fence is doing its job.

Trees

Everybody remembers the "dead tree" .  Well it's doing pretty darn good this year.

I also took pictures

of the 3 trees I planted last year. They are hybrid poplars and supposed to grow up to 8-10 ft yr.  We'll see.   2 of these were eaten down by sheep l

ast year when I planted them and that is why they are smaller than the one that really doing well.

I also took some pictures of Kip and Edge. 

Lesson day

2 new students today, but only one signed up for lesson 2.  . If I get 1 true student out of 15 that try it then I am doing good.  

Cold day today.  I had long underwear, down coat, earmuffs and I had to go and find my gloves. It got a little warmer but darn.....

I worked Kip this afternoon.  He is starting to understand going into the corner around the sheep.  Each time I try it he gets better.  I also did some walk abouts with him and he was very good.  Probably the best walk abouts I have ever had with any of my dogs. He's cute and I think I will keep him whatever his name is.

I worked Dually yesterday out in the arena and he was awesome. He took my flanks mostly when I asked and most were pretty square.  He was just awesome and I owe it all to the close work and the pressure work I have been doing with him.   Yay

Jem/Kip

  I could not remember the name Jem when I went to call the poor dog and the name Kip kept coming to me so I renamed him again.  Poor dog.  He never really knew the name Jem so it was not a big deal.  Now that he knows me better , I could call him anything and he would come .   He's  a good boy.  I am teaching him clicker stuff.  First I started with the down because his down was so weird. He flop over on his side and duck his head.  I didn't want him on his side so I taught him a prone down and he's got it by golly. Now I am working on sit,stand, stand on a box, turn around the box so he gets some rear foot awareness.  Today I started working on the dumbell and he will get that really quick I think. He's enjoying working with me and wags his stubb contantly.

After lessons today, I worked on the lawnmower again. I found the correct socket to get the screw off and the engine cover open.  I have been spraying it all day with engine cleaner.  My goodness it was full of mouse excrement. I tried to start it and the brand new battery was dead. I think I left the key in the on position. I hope that is what is wrong now.

I sent Edgie out for the livestock and he stopped and looked at me but this time he decided to keep going on his own.  MAJOR BREAKTHRU!!!   Then I worked him in the control pen from outside of it. I wanted to see if he really knew his flanks.  Sometimes he does.  His away inside flank is much better than his go flank.  Not sure why. I realized as I was working him that he is really really weak on his walk up.  So I went in and put him on line and walked him up.  I am going to go read Bob's book tonight because I remember it says a bit about teaching the walk up and obviously I missed something in Edgies training.

Sunday

 I spent the morning going thru my dressers and taking out stuff that I will never wear again and stuff I didn't know I had.  I found a number of things with tags still on them.  Whoo whoo .. I pulled out a huge trashbag full of stuff I dont' want.   I think I actually have empty drawers.  I have to do the downstairs closet and the upstairs closet next.  Joy

I have been working with Kip on sit stand and down and then I brought the box out and taught him to stand on that and now I am going to start working on his moving his back end on the box. He's very eager but a little slow coming to the party. At least Dually is putting up with him pretty good and his nose is not as bent out of shape as it was when he first got here. Edge thinks he's pretty cool I think. Yesterday he snuck thru the gate when I was going in and had the sheep all gathered up and back to the barn darn quick.  I closed the gate and caught him on the other side.  No harm no foul.

I tried to pull the lawn mower apart again. Billy came  and started it for me on Fri. It was full of a mouses nest  and the whole inside if dirty dirty dirty.  I need to spray engine cleaner in it but I can't get one screw out.  I have the correct size socket but I need an adapter and I can't find the one that came with the set so I will have to go out and buy one. I also started thinking about it after Billy and Eric left and I decided Eric(who was a little tipsy) had put the filter back in wrong so I had to take it apart to redo that as well. But I was able to mow when they got it started, but it probably wont' start again until I clean it out.  The actuator is stuck and it needs cleaning.

 I took Edge out back to work the livestock in the arena tonight.  He was a little off his game.  Might have to spend more time on him.  I got annoyed when I sent him to get around and as usual he stopped after 30ft and turned back and asked if I was sure then another 10 ft and again. I got after him for stopping because after 3 yrs it's time to step up and take responsibility for the livestock. silly boy