steve clendenin

I'm not going to make the Bluegrass this stuff is kicking my but. But when and if I get better I have some but kicking to do myself. I'm going to try my best to go down to Dr. Ben"s It's only an hour away and I can rest between runs because I know you will come get me before my run and walk my dogs for me. HAHAHA

Sam you know Jeff tom and a few of us go over to the Wilson's to have that trial HAHHAHA check with them before you d=scheadule yours. By the way chemo sucks you all hagve fun at the best trial all year the Bluegrass. Don' look at the soelling i'm drunk on drugs doing the best I can.

Dr. Amy Rease is there most of the time running her dogs. She has helped me in the past and would recomened her. I sure you could drop Bob Walsher a note and he could tell you if she or other vet. will be there and if not whom they have on call. Trial host. should alway havee a vet on sight or on call durning a trial. I know this from nrrding onr more then once at ny trials.

My computer will not receave e-mail and has not for the last three days, so I did not read Bev proposal in detail, so I'm going to say only a few things now. UNTIL WE!!!!! EXCEPT OWNERSHIP OF THE USBCHA. We the open/nursery handlers then things are not going to change. In 2002 the local area rased over $15000.00 to help put on the finals in Lebanon Tn. There was a large Agru. Co. that came on board to be a sponsor that was willing to put some bucks into our sheep and cattle finals, and did so in 2002 and 2003. The reason we lost there sponsorship is simple the ones that got them onn board quit asking them. At the two finals they helped us put on, every time the group of us was at the field the only commant we got was we don't need a coporation financing our finals because they will want to take it over and tell us how to run the finals. There were complants about the banners being put up and on and on. It was easier for us to back up and not get the sponsorship then listen to the complaints. We waited until the second year to make sure it was true. The biggest problem getting sponsors for the handlers association is no one has ever heard of us and the mass majority of the handlers want things to stay like they were years ago. They think if we advertise or educate people about the WORKING BORDER COLLIE and it association it will make our dogs to popular with the general puplic. They must not watch much TV. An example of this was when I was on the board of directors I was talking to the CEO of a large dog food company that is into a lot of human food products. I'm not talking a nickle dime operation but the minute I told him it was not the AKC his interest droped and the conversation just led to we will be getting in touch with you. The mutual friend that got us together told me later that the person had never heard of us and didn't think they would get enough bang for there bucks. I will take this stand as of now WE WILL OPEN A CAN OF WORMS IF THIS PROPOSAL EVER GOES THRU THAT WILL NEVER BE CLOSED. I want to make sure of some details before I comment on anything in detail.

Terry I heard thru the grape vine that you got rid of Boss. He was one hell of good dog for me. I have missed him a lot but that is the way it is with dogs you don't own just run. Hope you are staying in good health and having a good time in that cold place you call home. Sorry my TARHEWLL's beat your State. I'm sitting here now know it might not be so good for us tonight. If you are ever down this way stop and stay awhile and work your dogs

Tell the old chap I miss him, and would love to eprnd somrtimr with him. Nost off tell him thanks for all the help he gave me in the start and thru out my dog days. I might not ever get to use it again buy it has been fun. When and if I get over these treatments I want to have him back down in N. C. GIve him a big hug and kick from me. Tell him to give me a call sonetime.

I just got off the phone with Roy Johnson and to say the least he is tickled to death with is dogs and his runs. He has been due for quite a few years. He said that the dog had to come stright on to it's strock (WHICH I KNOW ROY TRAINS HIS DOGS TO DO) the cattle would scatcer and run back over the dog, and as alway a good draw always help, but remember you have to take care of that good draw. Give them Hell tomorrow.

I try to do just like a bitch does to correct a pup when it is wrong. I take it by the scuff like the bitch does and shake it just like she would do and in a rougth voice I tell it no and what ever else comes to mine. I make the pup sumit to me before i let it up and make it stay in a sumit stage until I tell it ok to get up. Might sound bad but being run over is a lot worse. I have a saying i tell my students let the pushment meet the crime and only you can decide what the punishment is for you dog.

After thinking this over go ahead and stop your pups from look or working anything you don't want them to work

I have trained dogs on sheep from 6 months old to 5 years old. I don't think age has a lot to do with training. The important thing to remember try to start a young dog it must be able to take the mental pressure. I will never start another 6 months old pup again, I was lucky when I started my Jan at that age. She ran well until the age of 12 and I think her hearing is starting to go. To futher support my thinking I have seen a lot of Nursery dogs running great at 18 months to almost 3 years old. Then you don't see the dog making it to open because they get burned out from the training pressure. I would rather wait to start a pup at about a year old (it depends on the pup and you being able to read it to see if it is ready to take the pressure of training )and the pup grows up to work for me 10 to 12 years then a hot shot young dog that is burned out at 3 years old. Good dogs are to hard to come by and a lot of work training them for them to burn out at a young age. There is not a answer as to when to start a dog it is more of an art then a science. There is more gray areas then black and white working with these dogs.

Kay in MHO I think these dogs are smart enought too know the diferance between a vehicle and a live animal. To correct a pup from chasing a vehicle I get in my vehicle and start to move it slowly and when the pup starts to chase I correct it to the point it thinks I going to kill it. I have only had to do one pup twice. They don't want anything to do with a vehicle after that. Mine will move away from any moving vehicle. Which is what I want them to do. But I will never correct a pup for going to stock. If I'm walking my pup off line and it goes to stock I calmly tell it that will do and it will normally come back to me, if it does not I walk to where it is and pick it up by the scuff and walk slowly back to where I was when I ask it to come to me telling calmly that will do over and over until I get back to where I was standing when I asked it the first time. You might have to do this a couple of times but I promise you it will start coming to you when you ask it to. They will never forget it and they will always come when asked as long as they are with you.

IF YOU ARE NOT PLANING ON TEACHING HER TO WORK LIVESTOCK THEN DOING WHAT KAY SAID WILL KEEP HER FROM BOTHERING YOU CHICKEN AND WHAT EVER ELSE YOU HAVE.

Kay I hate to disagree with you but gerking a line to a pup and telling it no when it want to do what it is breed to do will take away something you will never get back. Atrue desire to work. I have had too miny dogs brougth to me to train that would not try to go to stock because this had been done to them. I could tell the dog wanted to work but was afaird to do it because they had been told no too many times. Keep the pup away from stock until it is ready to be trained. You might get the pup to work but it never never will be what it would have been if it had never been told no when it wanted to go to stock. I can not understand why people can't let a pup be a pup and grow up and when it becomes a young dog at about a year old and train it to work. Again I will say theey are your pups do what ever you want to with them, but for me I can let mine grow up. I was given this adivice about 20 years ago by Jack Knox and I have found it to be great advice.

You are training the pup evrytime you do anything with her. I have seen too many you pups that have learned bad haits that are really hard to teach them the right way when they get old enought to be trained. Let your pup be a pup just teach it some maners around other people and dogs. She is way to young to take the mental pressure of being on stock at this age. Becca and I have 5 months old pups that are keen to work now. Every time i walk my pup her wants to go to sheep since they are around every side of my house but I now walk him on a long line try my best not to make him think going to sheep is bad. These dog learn fast whether it is what you want them to lear or what you don't want them to learn. So be carefull what you do with your pup. But it is your pup so do what you think is right for you

Just to let everone know I'm home and doing ok kind of weak but that will come with time. They sent me home with a handfull of prespriptions and told me to stay inside for a few day (right). They told me to stay away from my dogs and sheep for a couple of weeks to insure I don't pick up some more of the bacteria. I just LOVE CHEMO.