Well, not easily, anyway. That was the biggest thing that I learned today. It's not good to race your stock, but a short gallop isn't going to kill them, either.
As silly as it sounds, knowing that alleviates so much anxiety on my behalf...it will only make Porsche more comfortable working the sheep!!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The odd duck...
Woke up this morning to a very light, misty rain - feels lovely, smells fresh and is keeping things cool. Couldn't ask for any better start to a day of work!
Now don't I just feel like the odd duck out??
Took the dogs for a pee this morning...I am, it appears, the only moron in the group. LOL...everyone else has some sort of traditional herding breed. The next four days will be an adventure, if nothing else!!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Travel Day
I had set my alarm for 5:00am - lots of time to get up, complete my final packing and get an early start...yeah, right. That was the plan, anyway.
What really happened was that when I woke up and looked outside at 5am, I realized that it was pitch black outside and there really wasn't much point in getting up quite so early since I couldn't see to pack...so I gave myself permission to sleep in for a half an hour. What a difference 30 minutes makes!!
I went outside and what a gorgeous morning! I felt truly blessed - it could have been cold or damp, but it was a perfect day to start a journey!!
I got the girls packed up and the rest of my stuff in the truck, checked the tire pressure in the trailer one last time and off we went!!
The eight hour trip went pretty quickly, thank goodness! One can only hope that the way home goes just as fast! Breakfast at Timmy's, a couple of pee breaks along the way and then lunch at Wendy's (their new garlic honey boneless chicken is yummy!) and then we were at Dog Tale Ranch.
The girls and I were greeted by Arlette Steib and her husband Allen...park anywhere you want, is what she said, and so that's what we did! After parking and unhooking the trailer, Porsche and Vala came out for a good pee and then it was x-pen play until the trailer was set up.
Our day starts early tomorrow - breakfast at 7am, intros at 8am and then we get right into the nitty gritty. I'll admit to being a bit overwhelmed and feeling a little lost. What if my dogs are complete nut jobs? Or worse, what if they get it but I'm completely useless?? Oh well, no use worrying about something that hasn't happened yet! Besides which, I'm sure, as always, my girls will rise to the occasion and be real stars!
They are, after all....boxers! :)
We're off!!
I woke up to a GORGEOUS morning - warm, no wind and no heavy dew...perfect traveling weather!! After some last minute loading of those last minute things you can't put in the truck until right before you leave, we're ready to go...
The girls are loaded, they have food, I have clothes...we should be good for the weekend.
I'm hoping the be able to do some mobile blogging from my phone, but I'm unsure whether I'll have cell coverage at the farm. If not, I'll be posting blog entries upon my return from herding camp!
Wish us luck! Really, I have to be crazy...
The girls are loaded, they have food, I have clothes...we should be good for the weekend.
I'm hoping the be able to do some mobile blogging from my phone, but I'm unsure whether I'll have cell coverage at the farm. If not, I'll be posting blog entries upon my return from herding camp!
Wish us luck! Really, I have to be crazy...
Friday, August 14, 2009
Testing BlackBerry Uploads
Just checking to see if this works!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Lesson #3 - No Go...
I forgot that Lyn's on holidays for the next couple of weeks, so Porsche and Vala won't get a chance to play with the woolies until herding camp August 27-30th. I'm not sure what we're going to do with ourselves for four days but we'll give it a whirl. In some ways I wish I'd waited before taking this sort of seminar until the girls had some more training on them...I hate being unprepared...
But, I guess that's why we go to courses and seminars, isn't it? - to learn as much as we can and use that knowledge to move forward. My plan is to soak up as much information as I can, even information that is out of the current scope of my handling and my dogs abilities. /grin We won't always be "newbies". LOL
I wish I had a video camera to take with me so I could video tape our learning sessons, but I guess my camera will have to do. Thank goodness for five frames per second!
Well, in the meantime, I'm going to keep working on stops and waits with the girls. If you repeat it often enough sometimes they surprise you. LOL
I hope to be able to blog during the camp but if not, I'll try and do daily blogs that I'll copy/paste into here later. I'm sure I'll have at least a few "I'm an idiot" stories to tell by the end of the weekend!
But, I guess that's why we go to courses and seminars, isn't it? - to learn as much as we can and use that knowledge to move forward. My plan is to soak up as much information as I can, even information that is out of the current scope of my handling and my dogs abilities. /grin We won't always be "newbies". LOL
I wish I had a video camera to take with me so I could video tape our learning sessons, but I guess my camera will have to do. Thank goodness for five frames per second!
Well, in the meantime, I'm going to keep working on stops and waits with the girls. If you repeat it often enough sometimes they surprise you. LOL
I hope to be able to blog during the camp but if not, I'll try and do daily blogs that I'll copy/paste into here later. I'm sure I'll have at least a few "I'm an idiot" stories to tell by the end of the weekend!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Herding Camp Coming Up!
I'm very excited about the upcoming herding camp that Porsche, Vala and I are going to attend in a few weeks. It's just outside of Waitrous, Saskatchewan and it sounds like it's going to be a blast!
You can check it out here!
Sheep Herding Camp
The clinicians are Trudy Viklund, Dave Viklund and John Carter.
I'm very excited to be going, not only to learn more about herding but to meet some people who are involved in the sport. I understand there are a number of other Albertans going so at least I'll be able to meet a few people that I will see at trials here! Meeting people is always a good thing!
I'll be sure to post a full report when I get home and there will probably be tons of photos...though you'll probably all get tired of seeing my dogs and the dumb sheep. :) I hope someone has a video camera there and maybe I'll be able to post some video as well! /cheer
Well that's all for now...our next herding lesson (for both Porsche and Vala) will take place next Friday. Yeah!!
You can check it out here!
Sheep Herding Camp
The clinicians are Trudy Viklund, Dave Viklund and John Carter.
I'm very excited to be going, not only to learn more about herding but to meet some people who are involved in the sport. I understand there are a number of other Albertans going so at least I'll be able to meet a few people that I will see at trials here! Meeting people is always a good thing!
I'll be sure to post a full report when I get home and there will probably be tons of photos...though you'll probably all get tired of seeing my dogs and the dumb sheep. :) I hope someone has a video camera there and maybe I'll be able to post some video as well! /cheer
Well that's all for now...our next herding lesson (for both Porsche and Vala) will take place next Friday. Yeah!!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Lesson #2 - July 31, 2009
Today it was just Porche and I that made the journey to Lyn Ferris' place in Ft. Saskatchewan as Lyn and I had talked about it last lesson, and decided to work Porsche twice a month this fall, and Vala only once per month because of her age. Come spring, we're going to work the ass off both of the girls to get them ready for some trialing! :)
So this morning Porsche got to try her hand in a medium sized paddock - a new thing for her as prior to this she's only worked the sheep in a round pen. I started out wanting to work on her stops to remind her that she had to listen, but that just frustrated the both of us so Lyn suggested we just see what Porsche would do in an open paddock.
Well! The first go around was a bit of a gong show...me not knowing what to do to direct Porsche properly, so she pretty much just ran the show...and the sheep! TIME OUT!!
We took Porsche for a drink and a soak with the hose (she was HOT!) and Lyn and I talked about what we'd seen - from my perspective and from hers. Then Lyn asked if I'd like to try working the stock with Marlowe, a young bitch that Lyn had started about two weeks ago. Lyn thought that Marlowe was still green enough to test me (i.e. make ME work) but had enough experience to be able to show me what a working dog is supposed to look like.
What a fantastic experience!! And what a great way to learn what I was supposed to do and what Porsche should be doing. As Lyn had expected, Marlowe tested me and tried to see what she could get away with...which was great for me because Porsche does the same thing, but more from inexperience than being contrary. LOL...I'm sure that will change! /grin
After a fantastic go-round with Marlowe and the sheep, it was back to give Porsche a try. This time it went SO much more smoothly!! I knew what Porsche was supposed to do, and what she was supposed to look like when she did it. Awesome! With a firm visual in my mind, Porsche and I were able to handle the stock well enough (I was even able to get a couple of controlled stops!) that Lyn found a few minutes to run to the house to get her camera and snap some photos of us "doing our thing". Brilliant!!
All in all it was a very satisfying day...I feel that I've progressed in my handling skills and that Porsche is learning to be a real herding boxer!
Look out, Louise & George! Here we come!! It's too bad they don't have a title for brace herding...yet! That would ROCK!
Here are some of the photos that Lyn Ferris took today of Porsche and myself. Thanks for these, Lyn!
Oh yes! And I did almost forget to tell you about falling on my ass, didn't I? Well, as Lyn was hustling to the house to get the camera, I tripped over a piece of dead wood as I was walking backwards. I went down in the middle of a flock of sheep, scrambled up in time to see Porsche attempting to take advantage of the situation (or maybe she just wanted to come and see what I was doing laying on the ground?) but one firm OUT! command and she went back to her correct position. Good girl! Oh! And I did manage to avoid the steaming pile of dog crap that Porsche had deposited a few minutes earlier...so it was a good day all around! /grin
So this morning Porsche got to try her hand in a medium sized paddock - a new thing for her as prior to this she's only worked the sheep in a round pen. I started out wanting to work on her stops to remind her that she had to listen, but that just frustrated the both of us so Lyn suggested we just see what Porsche would do in an open paddock.
Well! The first go around was a bit of a gong show...me not knowing what to do to direct Porsche properly, so she pretty much just ran the show...and the sheep! TIME OUT!!
We took Porsche for a drink and a soak with the hose (she was HOT!) and Lyn and I talked about what we'd seen - from my perspective and from hers. Then Lyn asked if I'd like to try working the stock with Marlowe, a young bitch that Lyn had started about two weeks ago. Lyn thought that Marlowe was still green enough to test me (i.e. make ME work) but had enough experience to be able to show me what a working dog is supposed to look like.
What a fantastic experience!! And what a great way to learn what I was supposed to do and what Porsche should be doing. As Lyn had expected, Marlowe tested me and tried to see what she could get away with...which was great for me because Porsche does the same thing, but more from inexperience than being contrary. LOL...I'm sure that will change! /grin
After a fantastic go-round with Marlowe and the sheep, it was back to give Porsche a try. This time it went SO much more smoothly!! I knew what Porsche was supposed to do, and what she was supposed to look like when she did it. Awesome! With a firm visual in my mind, Porsche and I were able to handle the stock well enough (I was even able to get a couple of controlled stops!) that Lyn found a few minutes to run to the house to get her camera and snap some photos of us "doing our thing". Brilliant!!
All in all it was a very satisfying day...I feel that I've progressed in my handling skills and that Porsche is learning to be a real herding boxer!
Look out, Louise & George! Here we come!! It's too bad they don't have a title for brace herding...yet! That would ROCK!
Here are some of the photos that Lyn Ferris took today of Porsche and myself. Thanks for these, Lyn!
Oh yes! And I did almost forget to tell you about falling on my ass, didn't I? Well, as Lyn was hustling to the house to get the camera, I tripped over a piece of dead wood as I was walking backwards. I went down in the middle of a flock of sheep, scrambled up in time to see Porsche attempting to take advantage of the situation (or maybe she just wanted to come and see what I was doing laying on the ground?) but one firm OUT! command and she went back to her correct position. Good girl! Oh! And I did manage to avoid the steaming pile of dog crap that Porsche had deposited a few minutes earlier...so it was a good day all around! /grin
Lesson #1- July 17, 2009
Porsche, Vala and I made the reasonably short trek to Fort Saskatchewan (only about 90 minutes to Lyn's place) for our first herding lesson...though I'm not quite sure it could be called a lesson - more like a comedy of errors? I think the only thing I did right was to NOT trip over the sheep and land on my ass...I saved that trick for Lesson #2 - but more on that later!
We met Lyn, checked out the round pen where we were going to start working, said hello to the sheep and then got started. Poor sheep! LOL
Actually, it wasn't so bad considering that I didn't really have any idea what I was supposed to be doing and only a vague idea about what Porsche was supposed to be doing. Luckily, Porsche has some natural talent and Lyn has lots of patience, and I picked up a few things that day. Mostly, trust your damn dog. :)
So Porsche did well for her first lesson, got over her excitement about seeing sheep again and settled into some actual work. We still need work on our stops, but as all things in life, it's a work in progress.
Then came Vala's turn. With Porsche having seen stock before, I had some idea of what to expect (i.e. I knew she wasn't going to eat the sheep!) but with Vala I had no freaking idea and was more than a bit apprehensive. On top of that, Vala's no retiring flower - she spotted those sheep and was pulling on the leash to go check them out. Eek!
Lyn, trusting in my dog (and in the fact the round pen wasn't that big and I had running shoes on) said, "Just let her off the leash". ....Gulp!
So, I let Vala off the leash and stepped into the middle of the round pen with my stock stick and said a silent prayer...Please don't eat the sheep...Please don't eat the sheep...
Well, she didn't eat the sheep, but Vala SURE was excited! She circled the sheep, faster and faster. You could just see her little brain work..."If I go faster, THEY go faster!!!" It took a few minutes, but Vala settled down and then was able and willing to take some direction, changing directions and learning her new least favorite word...OUT!!!
Even though Vala had a lot of excitement/energy and worked too close and too fast, Lyn thought she showed a lot of promise and encouraged us to continue...and so we will!
Overall it was a very good experience, just a lot for my brain to put together. The girls did great and I learned something...how could it not be a good day!?
We met Lyn, checked out the round pen where we were going to start working, said hello to the sheep and then got started. Poor sheep! LOL
Actually, it wasn't so bad considering that I didn't really have any idea what I was supposed to be doing and only a vague idea about what Porsche was supposed to be doing. Luckily, Porsche has some natural talent and Lyn has lots of patience, and I picked up a few things that day. Mostly, trust your damn dog. :)
So Porsche did well for her first lesson, got over her excitement about seeing sheep again and settled into some actual work. We still need work on our stops, but as all things in life, it's a work in progress.
Then came Vala's turn. With Porsche having seen stock before, I had some idea of what to expect (i.e. I knew she wasn't going to eat the sheep!) but with Vala I had no freaking idea and was more than a bit apprehensive. On top of that, Vala's no retiring flower - she spotted those sheep and was pulling on the leash to go check them out. Eek!
Lyn, trusting in my dog (and in the fact the round pen wasn't that big and I had running shoes on) said, "Just let her off the leash". ....Gulp!
So, I let Vala off the leash and stepped into the middle of the round pen with my stock stick and said a silent prayer...Please don't eat the sheep...Please don't eat the sheep...
Well, she didn't eat the sheep, but Vala SURE was excited! She circled the sheep, faster and faster. You could just see her little brain work..."If I go faster, THEY go faster!!!" It took a few minutes, but Vala settled down and then was able and willing to take some direction, changing directions and learning her new least favorite word...OUT!!!
Even though Vala had a lot of excitement/energy and worked too close and too fast, Lyn thought she showed a lot of promise and encouraged us to continue...and so we will!
Overall it was a very good experience, just a lot for my brain to put together. The girls did great and I learned something...how could it not be a good day!?
Our adventure begins....
Well, not really...not quite anyway! :)
Our first exposure to herding, specifically herding with boxers, was in April 2004. Our friend Louise Watson, who had already attained at that time a CKC Herding Started title on her boxer, George, organized a Herding Instinct Test during the weekend of the Boxer Club of Canada National Specialty show in Chilliwack, BC. Always one for trying new things, I decided I'd give it a "kick at the cat", so to speak.
What I didn't guess, and really couldn't have guessed, was how much natural instinct both Porsche and Charlotte showed that day. What a thrill to watch my dogs have their "lightbulb moments" and then watch them actually start to work the stock, keeping them gathered. Shelley Friske, the examiner was very impressed and encouraged me to keep going with the girls.
Since then, I've been working towards finding someone within reasonable driving distance to give us lessons - the dogs and me! I was quite sure that *I* was going to need far more training than the dogs, and that's exactly what's happened! LOL
I got in touch with Lyn Ferris of Spinoff Enterprises and she was happy to help me out, though I could hear her scratching her head in the background...boxers!??...herding!??? :) I'm always happy to show how versatile a breed the boxer really is!!
We scheduled our first lesson and away we went...
Our first exposure to herding, specifically herding with boxers, was in April 2004. Our friend Louise Watson, who had already attained at that time a CKC Herding Started title on her boxer, George, organized a Herding Instinct Test during the weekend of the Boxer Club of Canada National Specialty show in Chilliwack, BC. Always one for trying new things, I decided I'd give it a "kick at the cat", so to speak.
What I didn't guess, and really couldn't have guessed, was how much natural instinct both Porsche and Charlotte showed that day. What a thrill to watch my dogs have their "lightbulb moments" and then watch them actually start to work the stock, keeping them gathered. Shelley Friske, the examiner was very impressed and encouraged me to keep going with the girls.
Since then, I've been working towards finding someone within reasonable driving distance to give us lessons - the dogs and me! I was quite sure that *I* was going to need far more training than the dogs, and that's exactly what's happened! LOL
I got in touch with Lyn Ferris of Spinoff Enterprises and she was happy to help me out, though I could hear her scratching her head in the background...boxers!??...herding!??? :) I'm always happy to show how versatile a breed the boxer really is!!
We scheduled our first lesson and away we went...
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