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.
Friday, January 20, 2012
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.
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.
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