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| Looking out toward the duck arena |
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| Back door going into house hallway gives a lot more light |
Friday, July 26, 2013
Porch pics
Dare
I put Dare out in the pen so I could eat breakfast and when I went to check on him 5min later, he was gone so I got in the car and he was at the next farm. But he would not get in the car so I basically chased him in the car back to the house. He thought that was great fun. I must fix the fence today so I can put him out there safely again.
I took all 3 dogs out to the arena to work cows. Edgie was wearing himself out by running the fenceline so I tied him up. I worked Dare first and he took every command and really worked very nicely. I was very pleased with him. Then I took Dually out and I don't know what got into him. He was horrible. He would not take a down or a flank. I ran out and got after him a number of times and it didn't get any better so I took him off the field and gave up for now. I think we need to go into a smaller area and have a lesson on who's in charge here.
I took all 3 dogs out to the arena to work cows. Edgie was wearing himself out by running the fenceline so I tied him up. I worked Dare first and he took every command and really worked very nicely. I was very pleased with him. Then I took Dually out and I don't know what got into him. He was horrible. He would not take a down or a flank. I ran out and got after him a number of times and it didn't get any better so I took him off the field and gave up for now. I think we need to go into a smaller area and have a lesson on who's in charge here.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
3 dog day
Edgie got to work sheep today and we worked again on flanks. He doesn't like the away to me flank very much. He is much more fluid on the go bye. We worked a little on outruns too and freeing him up to move when I say go . We also worked on driving them away from us and he seems to stay behind me quite a lot. Need to loosen that up too. His lie down is pretty darn good for a pup though. I think I tired him out a bit.
Dually worked cows for a while and I worked in the arena. We had lots of trouble getting them to go up the arena on the side closest to the barn. They kept curving around to go across to their buddies. So I changed tactics and made him drive them up the other side and we had trouble with that too until I kept him farther off. When he was too close the cows were able to just curve around him and go back and when he was farther off , he could catch their eye more easily and turn more than one at a time.. Gotta remember that and tomorrow I will try it on the other side. I was beginning to think it was the cows fault--silly me.
I worked Dare on the cows and he had no trouble putting them wherever I wanted them. It was a different grouping of cows than Dually's group. I think it was anyway. Then I stood outside the arena and I had him bring the group to me and they wanted badly to go to their buddies. Dare worked each one individually and it was really cool to just watch him work them.
Dually worked cows for a while and I worked in the arena. We had lots of trouble getting them to go up the arena on the side closest to the barn. They kept curving around to go across to their buddies. So I changed tactics and made him drive them up the other side and we had trouble with that too until I kept him farther off. When he was too close the cows were able to just curve around him and go back and when he was farther off , he could catch their eye more easily and turn more than one at a time.. Gotta remember that and tomorrow I will try it on the other side. I was beginning to think it was the cows fault--silly me.
I worked Dare on the cows and he had no trouble putting them wherever I wanted them. It was a different grouping of cows than Dually's group. I think it was anyway. Then I stood outside the arena and I had him bring the group to me and they wanted badly to go to their buddies. Dare worked each one individually and it was really cool to just watch him work them.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Edgie gets to work
2 days in a row. Yesterday it was cows and today it was sheep.
I worked sheep in the duck arena and I tried to let him go get them on his own , but he keeps splitting them and putting them back together and then bringing them to me. These sheep would come to me no matter what he did but he does try to put them together. I am trying to let him figure out how to go around them and get the job done ,but it so hard to let him make messes. If I get too close to the sheep to help him they glom onto me and he doesn't get much of an outrun. If I set him way back and stay between him and sheep he seems to come straight to me before he bows out. OMG he is so sensitive too. I can't raise my voice it would crush him. If he thinks he might be wrong he wont' go. NOTHING like Dare or Dually. But a new and different challenge for me. He's talented, but I have to squeeze it out of him slowly.
I worked sheep in the duck arena and I tried to let him go get them on his own , but he keeps splitting them and putting them back together and then bringing them to me. These sheep would come to me no matter what he did but he does try to put them together. I am trying to let him figure out how to go around them and get the job done ,but it so hard to let him make messes. If I get too close to the sheep to help him they glom onto me and he doesn't get much of an outrun. If I set him way back and stay between him and sheep he seems to come straight to me before he bows out. OMG he is so sensitive too. I can't raise my voice it would crush him. If he thinks he might be wrong he wont' go. NOTHING like Dare or Dually. But a new and different challenge for me. He's talented, but I have to squeeze it out of him slowly.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Training Day
Lots of people came to work dogs today and we had a good time. Worked the cows a lot. They got kinda cranky and I think Edgie bit one and drew blood. Nobody else's dog seemed to get that close.
We pulled all the panels that we had set up for Roger's clinic and reset up the duck arena. Then we worked ducks so I could practice judging. It was not that hard but all the dogs were pretty darn good and didn't cause me to think too much. I could use some wild dogs to practice judge on please.
Betty and Donna and Bob all took turns working Dually on ducks. Betty actually did the best and I think it's because she trains with me primarily and uses the same commands and uses her stick pretty well. I think it was an eye opener for Bob and Donna who are used to the immediate responses of the BC's. My dogs have to think about things first. LOL
We put some dogs on cows that have never been on them before. Mary's kelpie Fizz and her Bc Bryce and Betty's nutty BC Peak.
We started at 8and quit at 3. LOng productive day.
We pulled all the panels that we had set up for Roger's clinic and reset up the duck arena. Then we worked ducks so I could practice judging. It was not that hard but all the dogs were pretty darn good and didn't cause me to think too much. I could use some wild dogs to practice judge on please.
Betty and Donna and Bob all took turns working Dually on ducks. Betty actually did the best and I think it's because she trains with me primarily and uses the same commands and uses her stick pretty well. I think it was an eye opener for Bob and Donna who are used to the immediate responses of the BC's. My dogs have to think about things first. LOL
We put some dogs on cows that have never been on them before. Mary's kelpie Fizz and her Bc Bryce and Betty's nutty BC Peak.
We started at 8and quit at 3. LOng productive day.
Monday, July 15, 2013
ASCNE trial
Finally got to Maine on Thurs afternoon. I set up the trailer for the judge and exercised the dogs and got myself situated in Laura's camper. It was very comfortable but the traffic on the road kept me awake all night and I got very very little sleep.
Friday was the farm trial on sheep and then on ducks. Dare and Dually were the only 2 dogs in advanced so we got 1st and 2nd on sheep and Dually got thank you'd on ducks after a stellar start. He just couldn't hold it together and he bit and spit feathers. ah well. I know that completed Dare's AFTDd title but not sure about his sheep title. No idea about Dually. Looks like I either didn't change my signature (which is how I keep track of legs) or I did and he did not complete his sheep title. I don't know about Dually either. It will either come in the mail or not. What a beautiful day though. Nice temp and dry and breezy. Could not have been better.
Sat was hotter but not too bad. 6 out of 6 Q's. Dare got HIT Cattle . Then we got a couple more placements but not many. All scores over 100 though.
Sunday was hot and still. miserable actually.. We did 12 cattle runs in an hour and half in the am and moved directly to sheep. Dually had a very nice sheep run placed 2nd I think. Dare was exhausted from not sleeping in the same room as me and he could not work because the deer flies were totally on him. I pulled him from sheep and ducks. Dually had a very very nice duck run. He was so under control for him. I skimmed the 2nd panel and lost mucho points and came in 2nd. Ah well. Dually got HIT cattle. He really had a nice run.
Glad to be home and sleeping in my own bed tonight. Edge and Dually are not tired and outside playing.Dare is collapsed at my feet.
Friday was the farm trial on sheep and then on ducks. Dare and Dually were the only 2 dogs in advanced so we got 1st and 2nd on sheep and Dually got thank you'd on ducks after a stellar start. He just couldn't hold it together and he bit and spit feathers. ah well. I know that completed Dare's AFTDd title but not sure about his sheep title. No idea about Dually. Looks like I either didn't change my signature (which is how I keep track of legs) or I did and he did not complete his sheep title. I don't know about Dually either. It will either come in the mail or not. What a beautiful day though. Nice temp and dry and breezy. Could not have been better.
Sat was hotter but not too bad. 6 out of 6 Q's. Dare got HIT Cattle . Then we got a couple more placements but not many. All scores over 100 though.
Sunday was hot and still. miserable actually.. We did 12 cattle runs in an hour and half in the am and moved directly to sheep. Dually had a very nice sheep run placed 2nd I think. Dare was exhausted from not sleeping in the same room as me and he could not work because the deer flies were totally on him. I pulled him from sheep and ducks. Dually had a very very nice duck run. He was so under control for him. I skimmed the 2nd panel and lost mucho points and came in 2nd. Ah well. Dually got HIT cattle. He really had a nice run.
Glad to be home and sleeping in my own bed tonight. Edge and Dually are not tired and outside playing.Dare is collapsed at my feet.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Summer Camp
I had a memory come back to me today when I was listening to an ad on the radio about a summer camp. The memory must be from about 53 yrs ago. I was at a summer day camp and we were doing a walk thru the woods on some sort of path and identifying plants. I remember that I enjoyed learning about the plants and mushrooms and mosses. Funny how those things get hidden away for so many years and then resurface.
Busy darn day. I had 2 lessons in the am and one of them required me to be very active. Then I decided to take the trailer down and get new tires. Well, nothing is ever easy. I had to close the whole thing up, undo all the hoses and extension cords etc. In order to close it up, you have to push in the slider in the front. Normally that is not too hard but I parked on a bit of a slope and the 1000lb slider could not be budged by me alone. Of course, there was no one else around today. At first I thought if I pulled the tractor up close and got in the bucket and pushed with my feet then I could close it, but the bucket is not at all comfortable to sit in and once I got it up , I did not know how I was going to get in it. So, being the mother invention, I just used the bucket on the tractor to push it shut. It worked very neatly and I didn't wreck anything.
I took it down to the tire dealership and dropped it there. Back in the car to pick up tile for the porch. Probably 700 lbs or more and then up to my sisters to see if I could help her at all. Tire people call and back to the tire place for a mere $350, I have 3 new tires and they used the spare for the 4th. Then from there I drove it gingerly because of the extra weight of the tiles to the RV place to get the leak fixed. That will cost less than $500 and hopefully will be done by the weekend when I need it.
Came home and worked Dare and Dually on the cows. The cows worked much better because of the clinic work last week. I worked in the big field and did some fetching and driving. One cow is kinda of a kicker and neither dog wanted to work her.
Busy darn day. I had 2 lessons in the am and one of them required me to be very active. Then I decided to take the trailer down and get new tires. Well, nothing is ever easy. I had to close the whole thing up, undo all the hoses and extension cords etc. In order to close it up, you have to push in the slider in the front. Normally that is not too hard but I parked on a bit of a slope and the 1000lb slider could not be budged by me alone. Of course, there was no one else around today. At first I thought if I pulled the tractor up close and got in the bucket and pushed with my feet then I could close it, but the bucket is not at all comfortable to sit in and once I got it up , I did not know how I was going to get in it. So, being the mother invention, I just used the bucket on the tractor to push it shut. It worked very neatly and I didn't wreck anything.
I took it down to the tire dealership and dropped it there. Back in the car to pick up tile for the porch. Probably 700 lbs or more and then up to my sisters to see if I could help her at all. Tire people call and back to the tire place for a mere $350, I have 3 new tires and they used the spare for the 4th. Then from there I drove it gingerly because of the extra weight of the tiles to the RV place to get the leak fixed. That will cost less than $500 and hopefully will be done by the weekend when I need it.
Came home and worked Dare and Dually on the cows. The cows worked much better because of the clinic work last week. I worked in the big field and did some fetching and driving. One cow is kinda of a kicker and neither dog wanted to work her.
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