Tues. at McLeods'

Another nice day with mixed sun & cloud in between passing rainstorm fronts. Back to rain for tomorrow & the rest of the week though. We had coffee and caught up on the news from the trial last weekend and the BCSDA AGM. I told Rose and Marg all about the clinic and my trip. In between we worked dogs. ;-)
Jayne is like a new dog since her 'come to Jesus meeting' with Lee last week. Took her lie downs instantly and didn't bust through once. Holding her off the sheep while driving as much as possible helps too. I even asked her to do the inside flank exercise along the fenceline. That was very hard for her - feeling all that pressure in such a tight space, but she managed to keep her head more or less. Owen was able to do the exercise much better too. The sheep were not standing as tight to me/the fence and there was no Lee to add to the pressure either. lol So hopefully we can continue to make slow progress and not slide back into bad habits. We shall see how it goes again on Thursday. Then probably no work this weekend with Halloween and bad weather; it doesn't sound like Pam will trailer her sheep to the big field.

Lee Lumb Clinic

Late afternoon sunshine while Ruedi takes his dogs for a run in the field behind his little red barn. His sheep and goats are locked up in the 'nite' pen to the left of the barn. If you look past Ruedi you can just see the corner of his 'chicken tractor'.
Judy's big field for the clinic. The trees on the Island are in beautifull fall colors.
Ruedi holding sheep with Teak in between runs.
Left on their own, the sheep would run to the set out pens at the far end of the field by the blue tarp. Dusty and Lou are more than ready to take a turn holding sheep.
Another picture of the bright fall colors and Lee working with John in the distance.

I had arrived at Ruedi's pretty little farm about 4p on Wed. I took my dogs for a run while Ruedi gave me a tour of his barn and field. It is only about 6 acres but the lay out allows for doing plenty of good dog work. Plus he is lucky enough to be within 10 mins. of Judy's 50 acre farm where our clinic will be held Thur. & Fri.
We got to the field just before 9a on Thurs. - in time for coffee and home made muffins. It was threatening rain but held off til the afternoon. I worked Jayne in the morning hoping to get some help with her busting in on them. Lee had me hold Jayne off the sheep while driving and she was awesome! Almost a waste of time to work her as she did everything nicely. lol I worked Owen in the afternoon and we certainly got our money's worth out of that session! I wanted to work on his inside flanks so Lee gave me an exercise on the fenceline; me with my back to the fence and sheep just in front of me. Then I asked him to 'come by' between me and the sheep - which he could/would not do. I had to step out a bit & let him go behind me the first couple times then eventually got him through once. So I can work on that back 'home' at McLeods'. Lee also suggested having him hold the sheep in a corner and really PUSH on the sheep as he tends to fall off of it left to his own.
On Friday I worked Jayne on her 'lift'. Ruedi held the sheep for me so she really had to lift them. Her first one was pretty good so Lee had me do a 'silent' one so see what she would do on her own.......Jayne gave the sheep about 2 seconds to move and then she bust in on them. And then she wasn't taking a lie down so that became our task for that session. We learned that Jayne can take(and needed) a MUCH bigger correction than I have been giving. And that she can drop on a dime when asked. lol So that is also something that can be worked on close at hand.
I left the clinic around 3pm so as to get up Island to Pt.Alberni and my Mom's before dark. I had just enough time to take the dogs out for a run down by the canal on an abandoned part of the mill. Sat. was great weather; sunny but cool. We had a game of King's Cribbage and watched curling on TV. Then went out for dinner at a nearby Chinese buffet and ate way too much! ;-)
I got to Departure Bay on Sun. in plenty of time for the 12:30p ferry but missed it by half a dozen cars. So we had to wait for the 3pm. grrrr However I had a DVD to watch while I waited.

Tues. working dogs

Snuck in a nice warm sunny day to work dogs at McLeods' today. Margaret is back home so got caught up on all the news. I worked all four dogs for a change; they all did well except Owen who was being very resistant to taking inside flank commands and hesitant on driving at any distance. Which in two acres isn't much to begin with! Jayne was very good as I concentrated on using my voice to calm & steady her, seemed to work for today anyhow. Dusty of course always works great on the comforting familiar sheep and field. ;-)
Now I am getting laundry done and packing to head to the Island tomorrow for a clinic with Lee Lumb at Judy Snell's farm. I'll be staying with Ruedi so will finally get to see his 'new' to me, farm near Duncan. Then on Friday after the clinic I will head up Island to spend the weekend with my Mom in Pt.Alberni. Weather is supposed to be wet but they haven't been right so far this week either. So hoping for not to bad stuff during the clinic.

Sat. this week

Ok no pix because it has been crappy weather almost all week. I bailed on working my dogs on Tues. just because it was cold and yucky out. However our Thurs. turned out sunny and half ass nice. I worked Jayne and Owen....both did some good stuff and some so-so.
Pouring rain Fri. & today. Dusty & I went to Flyball practice yesterday dressed to the nines with warm and wet gear only to find that it was all indoor, including parking!
Tonite was invited out to a friend's for dinner and to watch the ball game. Took Wyatt as the 'special' boy. Was hoping that the Angels would make a good series of it, but they made errors which cost them the game in extra innings.
Hoping that weather will be ok tomo. so Pam will haul her sheep to the big field again.......

Sat. at the big field

Another beautiful sunny day to work dogs at the big field on 192nd.St. Dusty did some big drives.
Pam and Tally. Pam is the one who makes this all possible by hauling her sheep to this lovely heritage farm.
Pam's Tasker driving.
Lynda's Try watches his litterbrother. They are both out of Lynn Leach's Sprite who is also Lana Rowley's Blue's mother.
Owen waits to be sent on the biggest outrun of his life to date.
Owen can stretch his outrun! He hesitated a little the first time but got the hang of it quickly. Had a couple very nice lifts and pretty good pace on the fetch, taking every steady whistle.
Lynda's Lark fetching. All photos taken by Rose.

Working dogs in Langley

Blair
Blair making a quick flank.
Blair driving.
How not to shed by Lani. We did get the next one and drove them way off.
Rose's Jana typically watching through the fence.
Owen watching old Keeper.
Jana finally gets a turn.
Rose's Meg driving.
Nancy's young 8mos.old Rain.
Rose's Lexy, littermate to Rain, daughter of Jana.
Working my dogs at McLeod's again last week and this. Had gorgeous sunny weather this week - what a bonus! Here are some pix that Rose took yesterday.

Working dogs in Metchosin Photos

Julie and Tee shed off a small group for us to work. Not an easy task!
Julie driving a group with the Olympic Peninsula mountains and Juan de Fuca Strait in the background. It was a beautiful day in paradise on the 80 acre Banzer field down the road from Martha's farm.
Wee little dots in the center are the main flock of ewes who have wandered back out onto the field from the right hand corner field. Blair is somewhere on the left on his outrun.
After Blair gathered and fetched the flock, I had him drive them off a bit.
Start of Blair's drive.
Julie working young Mirk on the far field at Martha's.
Owen picks up the lambs in the far field.

Photos from Metchosin

My pack getting their morning run in the exercise field with Martha's house in the background.
Blair volunteers to drive the Gator.
Looking up towards Martha's house from the bottom of her middle field. AM run with my dogs. You can just see the gate leading to the right hand fields where the lambs are grazing and where we work them.
Dorman dogs running in the am in the 'exercise field' next to the house.
Full view of the exercise field. It is about 2-3 acres.
Looking down to the ocean. Middle field directly below Martha's house. Gate leading to sheep grazing on the left. Chore dogs get sent from here, to go thru that gate and another gate to far field on the left to pick up sheep to bring in for grain in the evenings.
Young Owen has been sent from spot in previous photo to do a dog-leg fetch to bring lambs in for grain.
Owen wants to hold to balance but is learning about an off-balance fetch.

Another day Dusty is working the lambs before bringing them in for grain. Juan de Fuca Strait in the background.
Lambs chow down on their grain and apples.