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Progression in working sheeps


SS Cressa
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Good job, keep taking the lessons and you will learn so much.

 

With Valek, lots of puppies will bark, not mature enough. It should stop! You are right to correct him when he doesn it outside of the sheep. Leave him for a couple of months and try him again.

 

As far as sending the older dogs away for training; Although it would be nice, just save up for some clinics or sheep camps and learn with them.

 

Cynthia

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I am hoping to save up for some clinics.

 

Had another lesson today:

 

Maybe I should have postponed it since I was still recovering from Troy swim with death last night.

 

Cressa is doing about the same as last time. At some point she acts like she knows what she doing, other times I am not sure she is just doing what we are asking her to but not with the idea as to why, and still at different times she would try to cop out and just do mindless circles. She is getting better about getting her sheep together and gathering them. She is getting better controlling them. Balancing at some points she looks really nice at other times she looks like she is just doing what we ask but isn't interested in it, and other times she gives me the middle paw. She is starting to switch direction better. And about 60% of the time we could do figure 8. The other 40% I was just trying to get her to balance her sheep or to get behind them again.

 

Valek did much better too. Not as vocal and he got to watch Cressa work. He is still too much of a puppy to actually meet the sheep again. I was going to let him on sheep once he started to act serious at the farm.

 

I did get pics though at the end of our lesson.

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Sheep are THAT way. We were trying to leave. Cressa does NOT like the "that'll do". Her motto is one more time.

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She will still only crouch if I am near her (this was in the pen and about o send her out to gather the sheep)

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"Come bye" more like "OK, bring them up"

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And Valek and the baby sheep

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Actually got a video this time! (Cressa with our friend.) She did really nice although this time I felt I kept getting in her way and confusing the heck out of her. With our trainer/friend she did much better. Please let me know what you think. If there is progression or not. We might be taking the summer off from herding to focus on agility. I haven't decided if I want to keep doing herding or not. Each dog gets worked about 2x. This time Cressa got 3x with the sheep. One thing I am wondering. Feel free for giving your thoughts. When we do agility during the week it seems we will have issues when we get back in with sheep. We were doing agility on the weekend. And today she started off not with it. That also makes me wonder if I want to continue with herding since I am hoping to get her ready for nationals next year. I am worry I might just be wasting money if when we do agility she doesn't want to connect with herding. **Will post the video when it finally uploads.**

 

Cressa started off being wishy washy. But by the end of it was more confident. Almost had to drag her away since she really did NOT want to leave. I was having issue getting her to slow down and stopping. And she actually was starting to nip the sheep if they refused to budge (she doesn't connect just nips the air behind them). She was having a little issue when one sheep kept challenging her but with us backing her and some encouraging she was getting more confident. You can see it in the video.

 

Troy is still a hit or miss. One sheep(maybe a yearling) kept challenging him and even head butt Troy in the face. I know I was getting frustated with it. Since we would get the sheep out of the corner and Troy would immediatly push it back and get challenge all over again. He was starting to worry about the sheep and after that sheep he was trying to quit(we didn't want him ending on failing or getting chased off by a sheep). Finally got that sheep back with the group and we gave Troy a break. The last time in was much more successful but this time around he wouldn't stop just mindlessly circling the sheep. He would calmly move them for maybe 10 seconds than rush them. Making them scatter than he would "round them up". Was hoping to get a video of him but he refused to leave my side to work the sheep with our friend.

 

Valek got to go into the pen. He was much better. I wasn't looking to work him more just letting him see the sheep closer. Not sure if it was a fail or not. Since he would ignore them or be totally focus on them and the sheep were like "oh, crap". If a sheep got too close to Valek he would bark and try to nip them. But when he was in the ring he was quiet, and focus.

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Hope this works...

https://www.facebook.com/Stellas.BorderCollies#!/photo.php?v=571110436256641

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knnSyPHve9A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

Hope you enjoy watching. :)

 

All of the links are for the same video. One is for facebook the other is youtube.

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It could just be me. When I am with her, she keeps pushing the sheep past me. When I say slow her down. I mean more easeing up the pressure she is putting on the sheep.

 

Will see if she/our friend will let us into the bigger field.

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Certainly there is progression. I'd be in a bigger field; I don't even start puppies in an area that small.

 

Faster walking, turning good, if they are pushing past you you can do more turns and keep her on her toes.

 

As for focusing on agility: if you want to make the nationals you probably want to do that. Start fresh with Valek in the fall when he is ready to start.

 

It is unlikely to hurt taking a break. Try and find a clinic with a border collie trainer, you'd get a lot out of it!

 

Cynthia

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Cressa got to go into the bigger pen today I believe it is (96'x100'). At first she was like wait what. Than it seem like she relaxed and was like GOT IT. It did take a little to get her to fetch the sheep. She wanted to wait for reassurance from us that it was OK. After that she love fetching them. Or if they would try to bolt she would tear off in front of them turning them back to me or Kathy. overall she did really well. Super proud of her.

 

She also got to work in the small pen. Lambs mixed into the small flock of sheep. Normally we only work 3 today it seem like 6-7 including the 2 lambs. The lambs she didn't have a clue what to do with and generally speaking just ignore them. Might need to work on her "that will do" command since she wants just one more time.

 

Troy was enthralled by the lambs. But he started to just focus on the lambs and ignore the adult. His second time in he just want to harass the lambs. Than Kathy next student pulled into the drive and Troy refuse to work or refocus on the sheep.

 

valek is getting more serious. Today when I brought him out of the car to watch he ran over to the pen And was trying to work them through the fence. He basically stop barking altogether. And is serious about it.

 

I am still my dogs biggest handicap though. Someday maybe I will be an asset to my dogs with herding. I still seem to be a pro at getting in the way or confusing them or...

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