pucksfurcoat

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful responses!

A few more questions... I understand that the handler treats the chute entrance as the gate to a pen (although they cannot step out of the quadrant). So how does the handler influence the sheep not to turn 90 degrees at the midpoint if they cannot "block" that part of the chute? If the handler cannot step outside the quadrant, or stick a crook out - seems like it would be very difficult to influence the sheep. The dog can go to the opposite chute opening (at the side) and put pressure on the sheep, but the handler cannot step out - right? Also, the sheep cannot easily turn around in the chute, so are you typically "toast" if they make a 90 degree turn after entering? Thanks~ Sonja

Thanks so much for all the great info! Sonja

I would appreciate some help understanding options for Maltese Crosses. Read some old posts from 2007 which were very informative. However, I'm still unclear on exactly how they are performed. For the sake of discussion, let's say the cross is set up with the panels oriented N-S and W-E. Let's assume the panels are 8 ft long and set about 3 feet apart - seems to be the "norm". There seems to be consensus that the Cross is located after the last drive panel. Seems the most reasonable attempt plane is at the opposing end of the chute entrance chosen by the handler. Correct me if I'm wrong up to this point. OK, now - the handler choses a quadrant to stand in - what are the boundaries? Do they have to stay in that quadrant until the obsticle is completed? The sheep are required to go "straight" through - right? In this case either through the N-S chute or the E-W chute? Does the handler control one of the "side" openings and the dog the other? Can't picture how this happens, especially on the handler's part. Do the sheep have to then, upon exit of either the N-S chute or the E-W chute have to them complete the chute in the other direction? When scoring, is a Cross like the pen where all the sheep must go through, or is there a point deduction if some of the sheep miss? What is the total point value on the cross? Does the Cross take the place of a shed, or is it in addition to the shed? Thanks in advance for educating me! Sonja

I use a dremel - personally I think it is the only way to go. Sonja

Thank you SO much Bob! I will take your suggestions to heart and see how I do. I really appreciate your help. Cheers, Sonja

Dear Bob, I am working on getting an immediate stop on my 5 year old bitch. She has been allowed to take a few extra steps for years – yes SHAME SHAME SHAME on me, and I am really trying to make it better as it sometimes costs me dearly in tight situations. She is extremely biddable, but this has been allowed to go on for so long, it will take some real work to make it better. I have tried a few things. The most successful is asking her to lie down in a driving situation as the sheep move in a direction away from the exhaust. I tried this first with a long line, but didn’t really need it. I think this works pretty well because I am a presence nearby to enforce the down, and there is no “worry” on her part that the stock will “get away”. I have also tried working back in the round pen and leaning into her on a fetch when I ask her to lie down. If she does not lie down, I move into her and force her off her sheep. If I do this several times, it gets a little better, but not much. I recently got my own stock so I am, for the first time, able to work my dogs on a regular basis. The stock I have are pretty light, I might be better off with some heavier sheep for training in this situation, but don’t have much access to that type of stock. I understand that it will take me a long time to make progress on this issue, but would appreciate any suggestions you might have for me. Thanks so much! Sonja

My 16 month old Border Collie recently went to a vet (not my normal vet) for a health certificate. The vet observed that her heartrate was slow - 50 bpm at rest and told me to keep an eye on it. The normal canine heartrate is 60-120 bpm. This dog is extremely fit and shows no signs of illness or lack of oxygen when working. I will be taking her in for a check by my regular vet in a few weeks, but am curious if anyone else has experienced this issue and what it was attributed to? I have never monitored my dogs' heartrates so I have nothing to compare as far as personal experience. Cheers, Sonja