46 replies to this topic

[TEC]

Maja -- The exercise worked perfectly. A couple times I had to be sure she didn't fall off the sheep (increase her radius) a little as she flanked, and Josie has been a dog that tends to cut corners on the drive. So, that's not a bad thing. I placed myself a few steps on the side (and behind her) that I hoped she would turn her head. The moment I saw a slight voluntary head movement (5-20 seconds wait, and I suspect her way of asking me, "What's next?"), I gave the corresponding flank command. She immediately broke sharply left or right, and with absolutely no reduction of separation. I think it is now a matter of gradually decreasing her distance to the natural pace/separation required for driving our heavy sheep, and repeating the process. We began training at about 3-4 times the normal drive separation from stock, and I believe I saw squarer flanks even when rather close behind the stock. Thanks for the tips. -- Kind regards, TEC

[Maja]

That's really terrific! I am so glad!

As I wrote, once Bonnie got the idea of what sort of flank was required, I would lie her down the moment I saw she was going into a flank wrong. And then I'd repeat the flank. The second time it was usually much improved. And Bonnie used to be very slicey with her flanks.

Maja

[Maja]

It has been a very bad stretch for Bonnie when it comes to working sheep.  The snow stayed for so incredibly long that all of the ewes managed to have their lambs so our little training window between the end of winder and lambing never happened.   Of course she works the flock but it's a piece of cake for her.  But basically, she hasn't done much work since December.  The good new is that Darinka is turning 5 months tomorrow so soon we will start going with both dogs to train somewhere else.
 
But we have geese again and here is a short video with geese for the first time with Bonnie.  they are very young so Bonnie's task is not to spook them, since they fall over and tend to crash into things.

 

(vid soon)

[Maja]

Yesterday two lambs fell asleep on the pasture and had to be searched for after the flock was brought home. 

 

 

And this is the geese that the sheep video.

 

[Gideon's girl]

Good Girl!!

[Smalahundur]

The vid of Bonnie driving those two tiny lambs made my day, so cute! Especially the "let´s hide behind this tree" part at the end.

Our lambing season has begun, well actually we are just over half way already; just under hundred lambs right now, hopefully about seventy more to come.

[Maja]

I wrote a post and it disappeared. Must have forgotten to post it.  I wish we could have so many ewes. All the bast for the remaining lambing. it's a special time.