kelpiegirl

A wonderful dog. The picture shows the depth of her wisdom and loyalty.

In regard to the clip of that aussie/bulldog case that was on youtube- did anyone notice that the dogs legs are in such bad shape, that it is amazing he can move? Look at his hind legs- his hock- on both legs, they are so far forward, it's just well, painful. I agree with the sentiment that CM may work with dogs that in the end just won't be able to live with anyone other than CM, or someone who has trained at length with him. Some dogs are just wired wrong. I watched most of the BC episode last night- woke up for the end. I see the girl had put the dog into herding lessons.

There once was a red and tan kelpie Who I just could not get to stop, God help me Then came a day when I went all a twitter I just could not keep trying and being so bitter I asked her to stop and she just ran through it I ran up to her, and she knew she had blew it But, did she then take my whistle? No, it was as if she were trotting on thistle What did I do, to try and fix this mess? To get her to stop, and for once at her best Well, I calmed myself down And turned my frown upside down Instead of blowing my top At the lack of a stop I breathed in deeply And whistled so sweetly She ignored me again But this time I was ready I ran up the field, and met her half way She looked at me as if to say “no way” I took her back to where I had asked her I lay her down and and to her psyche I asked her Do you want your mother to have a heart attack? Because if you don’t start stopping, I will surely hit the pack So, I sent her again, and I whistled with feeling And wouldn’t you know it, I saw her mind reeling She slid to a stop and looked at me knowing I better remember this now, for soon she will be going! She’s a Fair Dinkum Aussie, to her sheep she is true There’s no dinking around when you get a Kelpie with you

Um, from now on, you have to mention Yippee's status when you post, 'k? Thanks

Just be mindful, that you put pressure on, get the desired response, and take it off, and let him work. If it is all pushing him off, it can be very demotivating. I will look for the vids, when my neck and shoulder come back to normal that is!

What will help the most, is getting Mojo off the sheep. Once he is off the sheep, he can think, you can think, and you can progress. If he continues diving in, and zipping them, he's not going to be able to do any sort of thinking. I may have some video you can see the difference in being too close, and correctly off, on the same young dog. You will see a GIGUNDO difference in everything.

Good to hear from you, and keep plugging away. One thing, it looks to me like Mojo (like your trainer says) is keen enough to take some pressure, and if he is, you should try and prevent him doing those "drive bys"- where he will run up and bark, and then leave. He may just need time in a smaller area, to get him comfortable with being close to the sheep. Also, beware of the flag stick, when you hit it on the ground, that may just amp him up- it doesn't look to me like it is accomplishing much. When he goes to dive in, you need to be there just before he does it, with your body- or have him on a line- and stand up tall and straight and make it clear that no shenanigans will be allowed. He's ready to move past zipping and diving. I know you have been working hard with him, so I just thought I would make a few suggestions, based on my personal experience Working with Bean will be very good with you, and will allow you to feel the comfort that exists when a dog is comfortable doing the work... Bad sentence, eh?!

From what I saw on the website, yes, this bitch who is free has indeed had a litter- at eight months.

Love your dogs!!! Sounds like a great place you have I LOVE that close up of Brodyn laying down

Very sad, stupid and sad. I wonder where we will be in 50 years? Not that I will be around, but it is a scary thought.

I have fed my pups Canidae- even as wee ones. They did well.

Sounds even more like a GIANT waste of money. The laws cannot be enforced, and the people are paying legislators to waste time. I would think the world economy would hit home to our countries, and maybe, just maybe they ought to concentrate on things like- jobs, and deficits...

Debbie I see clearly where you are coming from. I don't believe this is henny penny-ism, and it is fair warning to all dog breeders/enthusiasts. I have several friends in NSW, and I can tell you that I don't know if they even know all these rules (such as car riding, etc). My question is how on earth govt's and economies have the money, and time (equals money) to spend on all of this pie in the sky legislation....

It's that kind of treatment/lack of care, that galls me to no end. I cannot understand this. How about LOOKING at your SHEEP once in a while, heck, maybe even have a routine, where when you shear (apparently that was too much), you trim feet? I remember as a kid in grade school, I spent the night at my friend's house who had sheep, and a horse, which, I would have DIED to own. The horse's stall was two to three feet deep in manure and urine. I spent the whole next day cleaning out that stall. It bothered me that much. Then, the rest of the family got in on taking care of business. I was certainly not doing it to guilt anyone, I just could not see any animal living in that filth. My grandparents and my father are the ones who instilled this mentality into my psyche, and I am grateful. I am the person who will go to someone's house, even someone I don't know that well, and clean cat litter boxes, dog yards, wash buckets, you name it. Good free labor- maybe that's why I am so poor.

Just after I hit send, I remembered Tea! Of course you can, sorry, I am just not with it.

Tea hit the nail on the head- wishing everyone could farm. Yep, it's great if you can do it, but economics just prevents all tbe those who have been handed down a farm, or perhaps are renting (and very fortunate to find a place) or are just plain wealthy. It isn't the cost of the land, it's feeding you family with that farm, it's being able to afford veterinary care, and it's the lack of pension, health care, etc., that prevents many folks from doing it. I cannot argue the merits of working dogs unless you need to, as I am a bit emotionally wrecked right now, but I will say, that people who farm put their animals at a higher level than themselves- and that should be. True farmers generally have a nicer barn than their house. True farmers don't wax poetic about the day in day out stuff, they simply live the working life. But, the bottom line, is that no farmer worth his salt would allow anyone, or any dog to do damage to his livestock, without a darn good reason. Bottom line, anyone who keeps livestock, for whatever reason, best be looking at their welfare ahead of any personal gain- no matter what it is. It only makes sense.

Deleted.

Lori I think you make great points. As a novice hobbyist, have to say, that in the circles I travel (mainly nebca trials) at every trial I have been to, the judge makes a point of telling us that they will NOT allow the sheep to be chased/harrassed. I have also done asta trials, and the judge/overseer also makes a clear point about this. I can tell you that I am wholly nervous when I walk out there, not about winning, but about making sure my dog behaves. I really haven't seen any wholesale marauding out there, but then, I haven't done scads of trials either.

Sue??? Your opinions are not up for critiquing! That said, I have never known you to be off base. I agree with what you have said as well. I think it's the mindset people come to the field with, that seems to be the crux of the matter. As Eileen said, the trainer ought to be handling things appropriately. I have seen many videos of hobbyists having their dogs worked by well qualified trainers as well. I hope that common sense applies, and that if people see sheep running pell mell, and getting injured, as infinitum, that they realize something is wrong...

Well, my knee jerk reaction is to react... I will say that I am in 100% agreement that there are numb skulls out there who do not put the welfare of the sheep as a priority, and there are some who are down right abusive- that exists in all facets of animal work. As to the dichotomy between pet border collies and working border collies- the work on the sheep should be the same, period. Does the complainant have an issue with the sheep welfare, or with their use by pet border collies? Which is it? The former is a clear cut situation, in my opinion- no sheep should be abused on any level, and intelligent trainers, know the signs of stress in sheep, and have enough sheep per dog, to limit the work. Good sheep work should not be unduly stressful, or exhausting to sheep. The latter, well, that's a bigger question. There are loads of people like me, who don't have sheep, but work them with their dogs, and trial on sheep. It is a BIG luxury to own acreage in this country, and to be able to support it. In my neck of the woods, one acre can go for upwards of $100,000. I am not kidding. But, just because I don't have land, and my own sheep, doesn't mean I take it any less serious than ANY other farm owner. So, I guess what I am trying to say, is that we should keep the two issues clear, as there are two issues: 1) is the sheep's welfare being ignored? 2) should pet border collies be allowed to work sheep?

Dog needs diagnostics asap. It sounds to me like a spinal injury, or degenerative disease. He sounds painful, at the minimum, pain management should commence.

Well, I for one like that stock tank! Pic is just great too Lots of different opinions on how to start a pup, but I think it's a good idea to have a smaller pen, and nicely dog broke sheep. If you have wild sheep, and Merinos can be absolutely nutty, as you know, it just works against you. Simon Leaning is out in Western Oz- how far from you? He has/trains Kelpies and Border Collies- he has come to the USA several times now, and he is highly regarded. I have a friend in NSW who is helping out some newbies start their dogs, but that, I assume is too far away from you... Anyway, good luck with everything!

I remember Ilsa from when she ran Paps in agility. I was awed then. I am some how not surprised that she has segued into sheepdog trialing. She is an inspiration to all.

I would try giving her a pepcid a/c just before bed (the longer the better- 24 hour best, 12 hour good. Lots of dogs have problems with empty stomachs- this has helped my dog with her morning gastritis.

I went to their website, and perused. The thing I took away, was that they highlighted pet border collies, you know, calmer, less drive, and they have pics of such. But, what about a less dull WELL TRAINED Border Collie instead? What about a dog who wasn't bred to be dull, but trained to be well behaved. I think this sort of dog appeals to lazier folks who want a BC, but don't want to do any work to have that dog.