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The Lord of Misrule


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Dearest Donald,

I can only imagine how strong your desire is to try running Fly on her orignal home ground.

But consider while you were told the story that she was at one time working very well there, it is also the original location of her negative experience. No one knows for sure except Fly of course, how bad was her experience. Maybe she was never handled as a young puppy and than handled in a rough manner. She used to run to her crate for security indicative of either very rough handling or maybe no handling at all. Be that what it may, when you did get her working for you, it was accomplished by no pressure and allowing her to decide when she wanted to work. I suggest that you try not allowing her to work at home. Let her watch you working another dog. Than the only way she will get to work is when she travels to other places, starting with a non-trial atmosphere. I really have no idea of how strong her desire to work is but from your stories it seems she only came around to working when you left it up to her to decide to work. So maybe try taking her somewhere off you property to work and going to other locations will be the only time she gets to work. If no improvement than go to the UK without her, take the money you will save on shipping her and buy yourself a young trial prospect while there.

I was given a dog with reputation of quiting due to harsh handling. She was not the quality of dog that you describe Fly to be, however she was a wonderful farm dog. It took me probably 5 yrs to get her to drive without quiting me but she could unbrush cattle, move wild pigs, stand up to contrary bulls, gently move newborn lambs and I loved her to death but would never have asked her to trial, just was not in her psychological makeup to be a trial dog.

You might enjoy reading 'Kinship With All Life' by J. Allen Boone. If you are willing to believe that mental communication with dogs is possible, this will provide insight. There seems to be enough evidence (for me anyway) to prove that some people can communicate with those who have passed on so not so far a reach to beleve that mental communication is possible with animals, at least for me.

I have greatly enjoyed your path with Fly and have gained much insight via your sharing and wish you the best and support you in whatever you decide to do as I know Fly is in the best of hands.

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Dear Sheepdoggers,

 

Don't want to say too much about Fly and Patty Summers (the animal communicator) yet but I did notice (and confirmed from recent photographs) that one of Fly's whiskers (vibrissae) has erected. A previously flat whisker now curls gallantly upright like a Grenadier's mustachio. Sensing, perhaps, the music of the spheres?

 

Donald McCaig

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Dear Sheepdoggers,

 

Don't want to say too much about Fly and Patty Summers (the animal communicator) yet but I did notice (and confirmed from recent photographs) that one of Fly's whiskers (vibrissae) has erected. A previously flat whisker now curls gallantly upright like a Grenadier's mustachio. Sensing, perhaps, the music of the spheres?

 

Donald McCaig

 

If it weren't for that self-refuting thing, I would go with the logical positivists on this one...

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Dear Mr. McCaig,

 

I hope this is of some value to you. I was taught that it's always the nut at the wheel. Just about whatever the problem, I'm either causing it, not asking properly, or not training properly to mitigate.

 

Regardless of how talented you are, I would take the UK time to get the highest quality instruction I could find, and become a better hand. That's exactly what I did when I was over, and it changed everything about the way I handle and train my dogs. I continue to do so here whenever I'm anywhere close to someone who's opinion I value.

 

Cheers and safe travel.

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Dear Amelia,

 

You're quite right. We - I - can go on a long time assuming the sheepdogs I'm now seeing are importantly like the ones I've seen/trained/trialed in the past. Since this is a pretty good operating principle it's easy to think that they ALL are and that we've (I've) got it pretty well down.

 

Fly's been good to me. She's taught me it's not that simple, that there are sheepdog understandings I haven't begun to explore and that what goes in in "their little brain box" is a mystery.

 

It's up to us/me. Or as Rilke explained it: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/archaic-torso-of-apollo.

 

Donald McCaig/.

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