Working Dogs on Sunday

The weather surprised us this weekend with sunshine instead of the forecast rain. So Pam hauled her sheep to the big field for us. Here is a waiting group in the pens up on the parking area.
Bruce and Rose getting set up.
Lani, Lynda, Susan & son Ewan watching Rose work Meg.
Rose's grand old Roy is watching too. And thinking that he could still get the job done.
My Jayne getting in some good work. She has been SO much better since Lee's clinic. Although this day we had some issues to work through about bringing sheep off a fence. Otherwise I was very pleased with her.
Susan&Ewan double-handle while setting sheep for Rose's Meg who is coming around on an 'away' outrun.
Lynda's Try coming around a little tight as the sheep are already leaving.
Meg doing some nice driving.
Bruce, Rose, Ewan and Susan watching Lynda working Try.
Pearse's Riel also watching intently.
My Owen after a good session. Lynda & I did some setting for each other's young dogs to get them used to picking up off someone.
Lynda's young Lark.
Bruce working Josh.
Rose getting ready to send Meg to where Susan is holding sheep for them.
Rose's Jana watches and says that 'she' can do much better than bad Meg. ;-)
Jana's pups, Lexy & Sam are also watching and wishing they were out there working the sheep.
Blair doing some driving. It was a lovely day to sit and watch good dogs; no better way to spend a warm afternoon in November. Back to the rain today but who cares on a Monday!
All photos taken by Rose or myself.

Busted!

Does a full moon affect dogs too? This was taken at 5pm on Halloween from my deck looking east.
Hole#2 now filled in and raked but all ready to become a big mess.
Hole#1 placed exactly where the most traffic goes in & out of the house.
I changed the location of the cross-fence in an effort to protect the grass this winter. Obviously a lost cause.
Who would the culprit be? Clue number one: which dog does NOT have a toy to fend off boredom?

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.