Sunday, August 5, 2012

lesson with Barb Armata 8 4 12

Diane Menard and I went to Barb Armata's for a herding lesson yesterday in Esperance NY.  

At 62 you would think I would not care about praise but I was most pleased when after my first go with Fios that Barb said she was proud of me for insisting Fios down and stay and sticking with it  :< )   She also commented that she was glad I had Diane to kick my Ass !

This was sooooooooooooooo hard for me to do after 15 years of click and treat for agility.  Pretty much have to use verbal and or physical corrections for herding unless you have an easy saint of a dog .

I have been worried from the start that Fios would not like herding if I put too much pressure on him.  Maria (Fios's breeder) said in the early days that he wanted to work for me and I could not turn him off but someone else could . I should have beleived that a bit better.  Now after pussy footing around for 3 years, Fios is snapping too quickly and not quitting !  He might run off a bit with each new pressure thing from me (hmmm if I run off maybe Mom will give in ? ) but he always comes back happily for the next go :< )


Since Fios was doing good with the down (it's all we worked on in our last lesson !), we got to do other things. Like widen him at the top (by my running towards Fios through the sheep)  and turn out on away flanks  (pointing my hat at Fios  and pressure into Fios) .  (I got him to down originally by slapping my hat on my leg as I marched all pissy faced at him ) All done with mostly body pressure as really that is all Fios needs.  Now if I can get the presssure prescence right and timing he will just do it. 

Diane calls me "oblvious Betty "  and I guess sometimes I am in herding :< (  I turned around to hook Fios's lead to the fence and he took off after the sheep !  She's not looking ...... GO !!!! Barb told me to call him back and our sheep left for good.  Had to wait now for another set.  Barb said the others would come back eventually.  BAD DOG !!!   BAD BETTY :< (


Barb isn't really saying or doing anything I haven't heard but she has a prescence that makes you just do it with no argument ;< )  She just is this is what needs to be done ..period !!

Thank You Barb for no fooling around, just do it attitude and the praise ;< )  and Diane Menard for believing in me and my dogs and picking away at me until I was ready to hear it !

We may never be great but we'll be the best we can be !

Monday, July 30, 2012

Monday July 30 herding at Diane's ist draft


Hey found the first draft !


Tom didn't want to drive to Rye N.H. to the seafood place we heard was good so I went herding again ;< )

My dogs are such good teachers and I am learning so much from them about herding and dog behavior in herding :< 0

Worked Zest and Peak on ducks again. This time using the AKC hold pen lift thing ...ha ha don't know what to call it.  Zest was ok with that but man she is so flanky on wearing.  A bit better than last time I think though.

Freaked Peak out..OMG I have to go around that thing and Diane holding it ? !!!!  She wears much straighter than Zest so that was  easier with her.   This time she didn't run off screaming in pushing the ducks to the corner so Diane could re-cage them.  She did do some of that when asked to flank around the pen and Diane though .

Both Zest and Peak would flank back to the start position nicely.  Get away from Diane holding that scary thing OK !

Lesson with Diane M July 30

Grrrrrrrrrrrr   husband logged me out before I got to save my post !!!

Zest and Peak worked AKC style ducks today.   Zest wasn't too bad with Diane lifting the hold thingie (sorry don't know what to call it). She still gave me a work out on over flanking on wearing.  Bugger can still get by me as I numbly watch her before it is too late to catch and fix.  She did a good job picking up the ducks from a distance and off the fence.  Still needs to check in most of the time to see if she is right or I am right ? though .  I am probably doing some crazy pull her off mode like an agility gamble gone bad :< (

Peak was all freaked by being asked to go around Diane holding the ducks in that fence pen thing and had to be worked on to keep flanking around.  She did her run off of pressure act a few times.  However this time she was able to move the ducks back to the corner without flipping out and off.  Ducks were very accomodating about being corraled back into the hold pen by Diane this time.  Probably thought it was safer to be in there then set free to deal with crazy screaming dog.  Truth be told, Peak is far less dangerous to stock than her mother Zest is !

Neither of them gets excited about ducks like Fios and Ava do ! And since ducks put them on a level I don't care  to deal with right now, they didn't get to do ducks.

Fios got to do the take all the sheep and goats out of the barn yard exercise again.  After a few round abouts, he lifted and brought them all out fine so didn't need to seek out the water tank to cool off ..LOL
I was happy enough with his flank, lie down, stay put as I move one sheep back to the barnyard at a time, then flank away and walk up to drive them off so we could start again.  He seems to have this down pretty good so we upped the ante and asked him to hold, while I opened the gate behind him.  That was hard for him ! I move he counter moves.  Diane and I reved him up to stay focused on the stock instead of me.  Fios liked the rev me up stuff . I had him on a short line so I could hold him facing the group and prevent flanking or driving them off, just hold and like it ;< )
Then we did walk up stop, walk up stop , sometimes calling him off and sometimes flanking around the stock and back to me.   So cool that he no longer looks back to me on these short drives :< )

Fios and I are on our way to some good , fun team work..Happy Betty :< )

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Beautiful weather so off to train !

Great lesson with Diane Menard today !  On sheep, send the dog into the barn yard area to bring all sheep into the round pen, while I stayed in the round pen . Then flank the dog go by and down (out if too close) then sort one sheep back to the barn yard. Then flank the dog away and stop at the barn wall in front of sheep. Ask dog to walk up between me and the barn wall and drive the sheep off the gate.  Then repeat , sorting one sheep at a time. 

Peak was the best at the gather from the barn yard.  She went nicely around on the edge of the fence, stopped behind the sheep and slowly walked then through the gate :< ) I could cry that I didn't have this on video !

Zest was just a bit more chaotic.

Fios was so fast and busy he had to take a dip in the sheep water tank .  At least he knows how to cool him self down !!  LOL

They all did reasonably well on the sort work.  Fios is so much better at stopping now :< )  Staying put is still a work in progress for Mr. busy feet.
Baby Ava did a few minutes of on line perimeter work, some flanking and some learn to stop when I have the sheep standing still with me . She has busy baby feet, must be talking to Fios on the side.  She seems to move off my pressure pretty well, so here is hoping she will have nice wide flanks..   Of course that's when I do it right . I am not real good at the pressure thing. Still can't feel that dam bubble either !!!

Zest and Peak worked the call ducks.  Object was to move up and down the middle of the pen with some turns and keeping the dogs behind the ducks.  I had a real hard time keeping the ducks on my left side or maybe it was my right ?  Diane thought it interesting that I had more trouble on one side than the other.   Zest is real flanky on ducks so I had to move into her path allot.  Good exercise for me.

Peak for all her nice , calm work on getting the sheep out of the barn yard, could not take the pressure of driving the ducks to the corner of the fence and would run off screaming .  She needs some zanax !

Since Fios was so wild on ducks at the trial last weekend, he did not get to work ducks yesterday.   I need to hold onto as much control on him as I can !!

Monday, July 23, 2012

More on Maine trial

I just looked at my score sheets again and the comment from Rachel on Fios was on the sheep not ducks. She did tell me after our duck run how nice he was though. She also commented on Zest;s duck score sheet: " Stick position...ask for details if you are interested , Good job ! " Wish I had looked at the sheets Saturday night so I could talk to her !! I am sure Diane will fill me in though. I do recall hearing that I had turned back into a twirler from the peanut gallery. Not to mention Diane saying as I am in the sheep run with Fios "That dog is covering your Ass all over the place !!! " Good dog, Fios :< ) I told Diane I heard that and so obviously she had much work to do with me ..LOL

----- Original Message -----

Maine ASCA herdign trial July 2012

I had a very fun time at the ASCA trial in Prospect Maine this weekend ! Felt a bit like a USDAA trial with 6 runs with 3 different dogs ! This was my first every duck trial. Frustrating at times but fun too. I havn't worked ducks enough to understand the pressure for them. Well even after all the sheep work I have done, I still am not good at that pressure thing either :< ( Sure would like to feel that damn BUBBLE !!!

Zest and Peak qualified both days so got their started duck titles.



I did started sheep and ducks and Fios was 2nd both days on sheep and 1st with Diane Menard running him on ducks Sunday. I felt too out of control on the ducks with him so did not want to have that happen again. Diane offered to run him and I knew she had great timing and could get him right. He was wild, eyes spinning, foaming at the mouth in the run with me . We got it done but it was FAST and not pretty, He apparently loves ducks ! The comment from judge, Rachel Vest on that duck run with me : Very talented dog.....tons of work ethic !!!! :< ) Rachel Vest was married to Bob Vest the other breeds herding guru. Both Rachel and Jan Weson (the other judge) were very kind and helpful. Jan asked why I did not fun Fios on Sunday so I told her about the spinning eyes and foaming mouth. She laughed and said "You don't want to deal with the scene from Exorcist again ? "


I probably won't do any more arena trials with Fios for some time. I wanted to see how it would go and now I know. Placements mean nothing compared to keeping our team work in tact !


I do think that there was some good stuff for him to know on sheep here. On our last run, he was going to turn the sheep back up the arena after stopping them from escaping to the exhaust and I ran across the field to cut him off and down him ( I don't care that ASCA does not like you to down the dog ! ) He was quite surprised to see me appear in front of him and laid down :< ) He also called back to me and calmly stopped with me so the sheep who were headed for the panels correctly could just go on through and start the cross drive without him cutting them off. He would still love to just gather any running sheep but I finally can control that most of the time. Started is a fetching, wearing course but Fios pretty much drove the whole thing. The sheep were very flighty and sure were not about to come to me. So I drove a Maserati around the arena ..LOL


I attempted open sheep with Peak and Zest. The first day, Peak did a really nice job, gettng the panels and cross drive across the back of the arena. Even though the judge at the briefing talked about taking one or two stock through the panels, chute or pen instead of losing all your points re-attempting, I stupidly tried to get them all in the pen. One went in like 3 times and I could have shut the gate but oh no I am thinking USBCHA and you can't just take one sheep in the pen so around and around we go until the judge says "please go on" . Diane looked at my sheet and said I would have qualified and probably placed if I had shut the gate the first time one went in ..grrrrrr mind gone Betty . I think Peak got me back for being so stupid and would not get off me to do the drive on Sunday and finally flew in and bit me in the knee ! Shortly after that we got "Thank You" from the judge.


Zest was all "Seriously, you spent all that time gettng me to go wide around the sheep and bring them to you, now you want me to move in straight and move them straight away from you ! " That can't be right so while she could cover the escaping sheep, she could not do the drive. The first day she was too hot on the sheep's tails as they ran for the exhaust and one hit the fence so we got "Thank You Mam !" The sheep was fine so no fresh lamb for dogs this week. The 2nd day I couldn't get her to drive so we got "Thank You" again :< (


The dogs got to go swimming and Zest kept coming back in covered in a flowing see weed dress ;< ) Lots of room in the side field for games of fetch after our runs at the trial .


I slept in Laura Hamer's pool room on a big air matress. It was surprisingly comfortable except for the hot body of Fios next to me. He was happy. We went to sleep with the sound of baby duck quacking. Call ducks ar NOISY !! It only bothered me a bit the first night. The baby room was beside the pool room.


The judges were kind and helpful, the other participants were as well. Weather was ok. I would have liked a bit cooler but it was do-able. Sure could have been worse !!!


Diane's students did well: Kathy St. Charles got her open started sheep and I think ducks too ? and a High In Trial on Saturday !!! I got all 3 started duck titles and Fios's started sheep with the 2, 2nd placments and the first on ducks with Diane running him. Barb and Lizzie finished started ducks and got a leg in open ducks and a leg and placement in open sheep. Natalie and aussie Nibbler (very first trial) got 2nd in started ducks on Sunday and I think qualified on Saturday so got their title. Natalie also got a gift each day for being the most appreciative handler. Not exactly the title but she was sweet and thanked everyone after her runs. Diane finished Dually's Advanced duck title. I don't think she ran Dare. And I think got something on cattle as well. Can't keep everything straight, sorry.


I kind of fell in love with the looks and work (fast and crazy..hmmmm silly Betty) of Matt Mason's aussie "Asa" ? I could see that body and attitude flying around an agility course !!


There were some really nice dogs. Lots of aussies of course, a bunch of really nice working cattle dogs, a couple cardigan corgies (one got HIT other breed on Saturday ) a Terv and an Old English and 3 or 4 other border collies.


On the way home, I called Sheryl who was taking care of Ava. She said, Ava was ignoring the pond until she saw the ducks swimming and took a flying leap off the dock and off after the ducks. Sheryl was happy she had a long line on her and could reel her in ! Ava had a blast working ducks in the water :< ) Looks like I have 4 duck dogs now and one is a dock diving duck dog ..LOL


I feel so thick about learning good stock work :< ( But I'll keep on trying. It's an excellent adventure (vbg) !

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Good training day today with Diane Menard.
 Worked on outruns and driving with Zest . She still can get locked up on me . She has come a really long way but still she is Zest ;< ) Let's dance around and dive at Mom , it makes her crazy !
Peak got to do single sheep driving. She has a fair amount of nice talent but her head issues get in the way :< ( I see moments of brilliance and then she goes off running across the field away from the sheep. At least she hasn't been doing the screaming too.
Mr. Fios gets to do single sheep driving too. Some how I end up twirling in a circle.  I get what Diane wants and we start doing well then get all unraveled or raveled up , depends on how you look at it ..LOL  I think we almost got a present the sheep to me, Fios stop moving !! Fios also did take the sheep out of the pen so he can do that for the ASCA trial.  Now I get why we did the flanking in the small pen with me on the outside, dog and sheep on the inside and me holding the stock stick over the sheep (as best as the pen allows) and calling the dog under for an inside flank.  Worked real well when I remember it to help with taking sheep out of the pen without me getting trampeled.   We also helped Fios work through not wanting to take sheep off the fence by way of also going past Diaen sitting on the fence line with ehr dog Dare.  Fios was sure it would be better to flip around and take them away from Diane but we helped him get it. The boy is getting good at handling more and more pressure !

On to ducks.  Peak is getting better and taking a fair amount of pressure to stay on the fence. We did an exercise Diane called squeese play. I move the ducks towards the dog and then flank the dog around the other way to lift them off the fence . Well something like that. It works. I won't be trying it by myself yet though. Peak looks bored silly while wearing ducks.  I see her look at them occasionally and I swear she wishes they would just disapear or at least run or do something more interesting than waddle and quack !
Zest does a beautiful job with the ducks. Nice quiet outrun to lift the ducks off the fence.  She doesn't much care for wearing either and does lots of bouncing back and forth. I need to get much quicker with the stick and commands, "away, there, walk "  all like in one second.  My JVC camera not even 2 years old has died so I dragged out the old Sony. Diane still sucks as the videographer :< (  She missed Zest's pretty outrun, lift, fetch on the ducks.  You can see what we got on my You Tube channel  : bettybellbc   . You'll see ducks coming , no Zest, then Zest , no ducks, a little bit of wearing and flanking and Zest getting all up in my grill like the slang saying . All in all Zest was real pretty on ducks today.
Fios (poor boy) got to drive them on the fence "walk, lie down !, walk lie down !  Walk, he  comes up ok gets to go a few steps and starts to pick up his pace so Lie down !  Much eaiser for me to see and get done on ducks than on sheep ! By God, Fios is getting the lie down :< )
Diane said I handeled the duck work well . 
A very good stock day :< )

Monday, May 28, 2012

Back on that Variable Re-enforcement thing ;  3 Nebca trial days  and it feels like Fios and I have made no progress since last year :< ( Really bummed out and am thinking of sending Fios off to be trained by another big trainer to see if she can get the stop and down done  or else I am thinking I will quit trialing him .  I keep thinking however that he doesn't work well for anyone else and his breeder has been very annoyed with me saying I am looking for the magic bullet (or whatever you call it) when I need to just work on myself  and get it done !  We definitely have made progress in training but it didn't look like it was carrying over at the trials.  Agility friends, sound familiar ?  But he'll do it or won't screw it up in training we all say ! On Saturday, Fios runs tight and fast on the outrun, missed the center panels, sends the sheep flying for the exhaust, picks them up but sends two around the judge's tent . The judge stands up and says "thank you Betty "  Well at least we didn't knock the judge over !

So Sunday I reluctantly go to the trial again and decide I'll just try to handle and not worry so much about the stop and down on the lift.  And of course as noted above , we get a variable re-enforcement and do well , placing 5th out of 17 with a score of 63 out of 80 !  No slow down or stop on the lift but I flank him quickly to cover the draw and he takes the flank on the run.  Slows down some as he gets close to me, we bobble a bit around the post but once we get moving on the wear, he has nice pace and even stops a couple times.(  He often will push the sheep past me then run to bring them back to me ...such a fun game for him such a major deduction in points and it gets me all screaming meme which excites Fios even more and on and on..not good. ) Another quick flank to cover the draw on the way to the chute and I do believe Fios actually lies down !!! He gets a bit excited at the chute so we have some potential for disaster, one sheep goes through as the others skirt the side and I tell the judge "I'll take that " and gather up my dog .  Good plan as we only lost 2 of the 10 pen points and surely would have lost them all if we got into the ring around the rosey thing that often happens at the pen.

So now I am all happy believing we can actually do a good job :< )  Lots of praise and support from fellow handlers, feeling mighty fine !

Friday, January 20, 2012

Variable Re-inforcement

Life isn't like a box of chocolates, it's like a dog training session .   Some training sessions like some days are full of excitement and reward and some not so much . Life is on the variable re-inforcement plan.

I took a lesson with Fios a week or so ago with one of the local top herding trainers.  She said that all my yelling was hurting Fios's feelings !  My God, I never thought to hear those words out of a big wig's mouth !!  Made me think of the old saying :  "I'll give you something to cry about !"  Meaning me to the dog !   Since that lesson I have only been able to work the dogs a couple times.  I am all about being the Fios whisperer now. This trainer also told me to tell teh dog whe he was doing a good job.  Holy Moly , all I have ever heard from almost  all the others is no saying "good" .  Although it is apparently alright to enforce a command with growls and body pressure.  I get it though, commands should not be loud or threatening. And it makes me happy to tell the dog's they are good:< )  Any way , at the end of the lesson, Fios was happy to leave his screaming Betty and go work with the nice quiet lady ;< )  Certainly worth working on .  Although the possibility of a sound beating behind the barn might be full filling !  For anyone reading this blog and not knowing me, I AM kidding ..LOL

Today I took all 3 dogs to Norfolk to a friend's little farm to work new sheep.  Well kind of new sheep , we have been there 3 or 4 times before.   I was told that there was a new sheep in the group that didn't get the ropes yet and would split off and turn to face the dog but wouldn't actually go for the dog.  looked like baby Huey to me.  Looked young but was bigger than all the other sheep.  And yes, she/he did all of the above.  Fios did his ok, you do your thing and I'll work with the others so we had to keep going back to convince both Fios and that sheep that all were required to volunteer for service. 

Peak for the most part would re-group the recalcitrant one. She has always been good at that.  Zest used it for a bit of attempted  flossing.  I checked no harm done.  Not even a puff of fluff in the air. She's a faker. My perfect Nyna left many a sheep painted blue (antibiotic stuff)  after her training sessions ! Proving my life theory of never trusting anything that appears to be kind !  By the end of my time there, baby Huey was a willing part of the group .

It was most frustrating to see Fios go back to letting the un fun sheep get off duty and he didn't stop as well for me as he had the last 2 training sessions :< (   However, I did not resort to yelling and threatening with any weapons. Ok maybe I waved my mittens around some .  At the end of my last session with Fios, I remembered Jan Weson's 'do nothing exercise' and look at the sky when the dog keeps moving about.  Voila !  Fios stopped moving and well stopped!! Must be that poor sensitive boy can't handle my eye contact.  But what the Hell if it works, I am doing it.  Look skyward Ms. Betty, look skyward.  If only Fios knew, many creatures have tried to tame the wild Betty and failed.

And lest Fios get the distinction of being the only dog to bum me out today;  Peak repeatedly did her run off screaming act that I had not seen in along time and Zest did her try to bite sheep or Mom if you get frustrated enough.  yea for me for heavy winter clothing layers.

In between the frustrating stuff each dog also had bits of brilliance.  All are driving well. Peak is a super star in this.  And Betty kept her cool and told them all they were such wonderful sorts of herding dogs :< )

This Star gazer is off to bed now to rest up for the other life lessons sport of agility tomorrow.

Monday, January 2, 2012

My first AHBA trial over New Year's 2012

I went to an AHBA herding trial this weekend with Diane Menard.  Very fun. relaxed,interesting course work.

I learned a BIG lesson , do not put your leash in your pocket and leave it unzipped !!!   Some of these sheep had horns and one got caught in the leash in my pocket !  Yikes , that damm dog better not rush the sheep now !!!   I was able to get untangled with no injury, although I do have a big bruise on the inside of one leg , probably also from the horned sheep.  Some of the sets of sheep really wanted to crowd all around you.  Very scary with a pushy dog like Fios up their butts with me stuck in the middle.  These were fairly good sized sheep too. Well I guess that was good as it kept you from fallng by leaning on the sheep ;< ) . I kept trying to get away from the sheep so I could get in a position to drive but the stupid or not so stupid sheep just kept leaning on me and moving with me.  Bob was smart when i told him about it and he said why didn't I walk towrad the dog as the sheep wouldn't likely follow me into the dog. I am not   sure I could have gotten out of the pack to do that any way.  I was afraid to ask the dog to drive the sheep off me since there were like 5 or 6 of them and I was always gettng stuck in the middle !! On the second day, the sheep owner took out some of the heavier ones and it got easier to stay out of them then.

This was a small trial and they had an AM trial and a PM trial. In AHBA you only need two qualifying scores to get your title.  I was running Fios and Peak in level 1.  Same course but you are allowed to do a closer out run or not if you prefer so I always sent Fios from my feet but helped Peak by going part way to the sheep.  There are 2 more levels after 1 but always the same course just the length of the out run changes and then of course you have to drive the obstacles.  In level 1 you can wear up to but can not go through the panels.

Saturday was the HTD course. Similar to USBCHA style. 300 foot or so out run, lift, fetch, wear around cone through an open panel to the right and then take a left and through open panel on the side and then down hill to the pen. I don't remember what the drive lines were. Only Diane was entered in the upper levels so I was always hiking back to get another dog during her runs.  The field was similar to Denise Leonard's big field. On a slant and even steeper and worse with ruts and gullies and swampy area. Exhausting going up and down that hill !! Also a nice shed at the top near the outrun for the sheep to run behind.  They did that in a couple runs as teh dog was coming up . I think in one of Fios's runs but Fios had no trouble getting them out of there. They thankfully did not do that in Peak's runs.  I was very pleased to be able to direct the dogs to get them to line the sheep up to get through the panels . The 2nd set of panels was not on a direct open line up the field so you had to work at it.   No nice wheels on the pens either so you had to drag them open.  I did manage to pen the sheep in every run..yea for me :< ) I must confess to some ring around the rosey pen action though. Since the damm sheep wanted to hang onto you it was hard to get ahead of them to open the gate.  At level 1 they even let you walk into the pen with the sheep.  I did that once or twice but also got real pen work a couple times too.  Seriously need to get an OUT and wider, smaller flanks on the dogs !  Peak is atcually easier than Fios as she stays off the sheep more and flanks wider.  I was pleased to see she understood and took every flank I gave her ! Fios tends to think he knows more than me and is hell bent on not letting sheep get away so he is harder on this work.

So AM trial , Fios gets High In Trial ! Good boy Fios :< )  He scores 87 out of 100. Judge writes good job ! on my sheet. Peak scored 75 and the judge wrote on my sheet :  Nice run-good handling !! Which I proudly show to Diane Menard as she is my primary trainer for Peak and without Diane I would have never gotten Peak or Zest to actually herd or even leave my side !!  I didn't leash Peak up right away and she ran up the field after our run and into the next field looking for more action !    PM trial, different judge so we don't repeat that win but Peak gets Reserve High In Trial .  Good girlie Peak...who knew !!   I know, Carol Donnelly and Diane ;< ) Thank you guys, it's a thrill !

Diane did duck runs on Saturday and got Dare's Level 3 HTD on ducks. I think she had HIT in the PM trial.

There also was a group of women from Long Island at this trial for the JHD course.  Junior Herding Dog.  Sort of like an AKC PT but more involved.  One had a very reactive towards people border collie from Gentle Shepherd farms. She was rejected by teh dam, you gotta wonder about the bitch's sense of that. Did she know there was something not right about this puppy ?  And one had an English Shepherd.  Most all other dogs at the trial were Australian Shepherds.  I fell in love with a realy pretty blue girl owned by the farm owner trail person. Widgeon I think is her name. Pretty and easy on stock. Less bulky than the show dogs I usually see but prettier than the working line dogs.  I could own her :< )

Sunday is HTAD course (Herding Trial Arena Dog) similar to a cross between AKC a course and ASKA.  Smaller field so closer work. Out run, lift, fetch around cone, to Y chute on the fence (hadnler can not go through) then to the back of the field to open panels, so not on the fence (handler can not go through), back up the field to the pen, ( I am starting to get a grip on how to pen the sheep, although Diane said she saw some twirling from me ..LOL  )( out of the pen to an open field hold, then back to repen.  Did not have to do a hold at the repen but you better beleive I did with these stupid take the human for a ride sheep.  Good dogs both do an excellent job of convincing the sheep they will not run me over.  Good good dogs !!!  Both dogs pass both AM and PM trial and Peak gets 2 more RHIT s!!!  Fios has a harder time in a smaller area so was really pushing me again. he crammed the sheep into the open panel on one run and one sheep nearly rode the panel, turning it all around !  I went back and fixed it after we were done our run.   Back to driving with him for the winter.  He was most thrilled to get some hot footed outruns ;< )  It thought he was much better at stopping and staying off but by the 4th run, I think he had had enough of me controling him and got way too close. I am very happy however that  I was always able to stop him from getting out ahead of me and turning the sheep back !!  We have progress.

There was a lovely working sheltie at this trial, in fact he got HIT on Sat. AM run.  Diane got HIT on Sunday afternoon with a great level 3 run to finish his title with Dare.  Super nice straight drive with sheep that did not want to head away from the draw. Good Boy Dare !!

I couldn't be more thrilled with Peak. Poor Fios,  I have much higher expectations from him and am having to undo some stuff I messed up with him so we have a harder time .  He probably would be up running in USBCHA open trials with someone who knew better but he is my dog and we are trying our best to form a good working relationship.  To his credit, he is being a good, patient and kind trainer to me :< )  I do love him and am so happy that he brought me into this great new training challange in my life.  I would not have done herding with just Zest and Peak.

Judges were very nice , in fact all the people were very nice.  A fun, enjoyable trial :< )  Weather was perfect...whew !  So much for those big ol purple overalls...didn't need them .

We stayed in the Nottingham Inn and across the street is teh Herr's food corporate center. It was decorated to teh hilt and you could drive though.  Stunning lighting !  I'll post video if anything decent came out.