226 replies to this topic

[Maja]

I definitely do not have decent sound in all the parts, in some you can't hear everything I say, because I speak quietly (e.g. in peeling off the fence I actually sent Bonnie on come bye and away), in some you can hear my friends rather than me, some other there is a lot of wind noise. And then there is me chirping "here, Bonnie, here, here! Bonnie-Bonnie here!"

However, I am working on a decent video with "outruns" for Mr. Bob, where I hope you will be able to see the actual distances between all involved elements. And I hope there will be sound, because I wanted to ask something about timing, since it's pretty obvious that Bonnie brings the sheep to me at Mach3 at least.

Maja

[jdarling]

In many of your posts, you're asking for advice or opinions on whether or not there's improvement.  When there's no sound, it's hard to judge what's happening.  I have a dog who I can send out and he'll gather quite naturally.  His fetch is lovely.  And seeing that on video with a song in the background is beautiful.  Remove the song and turn up my voice and whistles and what you might hear is me trying to stop him and asking him to flank off the fetch and cross-drive one way or the other and him walking right through that and continuing to fetch the sheep to me.  (I don't have this problem with this dog, but you get my drift...)

A very important part of training that I am learning the greater intracacies of is sound ... the tone of my voice, the tone of my whistles, the volume, having the emotion leak through into all of it, etc.  Whoever said you can't "yell" at a dog with a whistle hasn't heard me train my dogs.

[Maja]

I understand, it's jsut that there seems to be wither the wind blowing in the field, or me yelling right smack into the microphone or soemthing

Here is the video I have from today, which I already posted for Mr. Bob, and you will see what I mean about the sound.



The outrun is 44yrds.

In the next short vid you can hear me clearly (it's also from today):



I hope one day I will write that best seller and buy a camera that can filter out the wind.

Maja

[jdarling]

Thanks Maja. I'll be interested to hear what Bob has to say about the outruns. I've never encouraged a dog so young to shed, so I am afraid I am not much help there. Have you done much driving with her?

[Maja]

I am doing the exercise for shedding only because Bonnie has a very strong gather, otherwise I would wait. It seems to me it gives her some extra confidence with sheep, which she needs. But if people that know better think that it's a terrible thing I am doing then I will stop and wait until the proper time of course.

Driving meaning when she is not on balance as in cross-driving? I have tried it because she has a very strong balance, and I have been wanting to start on driving very early, so that she does not become fixed on it. Unfortunately, with those sheep it is very difficult - when I am behind them they don't want to move, when I am on the side they turn towards me. When we approach them form a distance they are liable to to bolt. In November, I am going to pick up my ewe from her honeymoon visit to my old ram, and I am planning to work with Bonnie there so that she begins to get the idea of what's the desired result, because with my sheep she is obviously clueless what's the weird thing I am trying to accomplish. Then I think we will try to continue at home.

But if you mean driving on balance then yes we do a lot of it. In order to get the sheep to where we practice in the open area we have to move the flock about 300yrds (there is a fragment of bringing the sheep home at the end of the movie with music).

I also do close work in the sheep's winter quarters which is a square about 8 yrds on the side. She works calmly there and I am pleased with her. In the movie where she takes the sheep out I let her go ahead and head them (she is on "up" command - which means "get going and do what you think is proper until further notice" ), because the sheep are very liable to bolt on exit. However, more often than not, Bonnie brings them out so quiet it is not necessary and she stays on balance.

And today it's Bonnie's birthday . This is Bonnie exactly a year ago:



I do think there has been some improvement since....

Maja

[Maja]

From the "dumb question" series: How do you count the length of the ourun? It is the distance between the post (or where the handler and the dog are) and the sheep right?

Maja

[Maja]

Now that Bonnie is 12 months old, I feel there is a new stage of work ahead of us. She has become very maneuverable, very reliable in her obedience around the sheep. She is still very young, and I must say that with the draw backs (lack of easy access to a trainer, difficult sheep) I am surprised at how far we managed to get. I suppose experienced handlers with top-notch dogs would be way ahead in their training, but we've got what we've got, and I am very pleased with Bonnie.

Of course I would not have done so well if it wasn't for all your help, particularly Julie's invaluable comments. I really greatly appreciate all the advice, and I thank you all very, very much.

I would like to continue Bonnie's development in a new topic with a creative title "Bonnie and Sheep II" .

Maja