The pups get a turn

Both the pups got sheep time today. Junebug turned 6 months today, Rango will be 5 months in a couple of days, so I thought it was time to give them individual, supervised time.

I was happy with what both did. Worked on circling, attempting to go both directions, controlling the heads.

Junebug really did not want to circle the  away direction. She was happy to get around, bring them from around the tree, and by the end, was putting me in the picture.

Rango is more into it, however very grippy. He really did some nice work, getting around and fetching them toward me. He also was adding me to the equation.

May not do anything for another month... Both need more maturity.

Thanksgiving fun

Home this weekend, so I have worked the dogs! Always a good thing. Yesterday morning, during chores, I asked Tommy to drive the sheep further out in the back pasture. For whatever reason, he could not understand what I wanted. (something he finds difficult, but has done before) Kinda frustrating, when walk up, Go bye, and away seem to mean nothing to your dog.  Fortunately we did end on a good note, after I walked out to help him. Maybe the couple of weeks with minimal work, maybe Lizzy just starting to come in heat, don't know why or what the problem was, just know his brain was MIA.

Fortunately, this morning at Mel's he did a nice job both driving and with most of his outruns. We worked in the HTD field, and he was much better about taking his flanks (and not coming back to me on the "away" flank.) Got some good distance and nice responses to the flanks.

Continued working both Dari and Rio on fetching and driving. Yesterday sorted the work group and moved the boys with Dari. Both Rio and Dari had to get the extra ewes out of the neighbors harvested bean field. Was grateful that both went there and got all the sheep without me having to go help them!

The group they worked at Mel's were a challenge as the sheep did not want to settle or stick together. It was a group that were (except for the bottle lamb) easier to drive than fetch. We mainly worked on getting out, and watching heads, not stopping short. Lots of short turns, zig zagging around. Driving went ok also.

So, when I did chores tonight, I took 6 month old Bug to help. A good thing for the young dogs. I need to give both Bug and Rango some sheep time tomorrow.

My friend Mel hosted one of her biannual Larry Painter herding clinics, and I participated. It's always  helpful to get feedback on what you are doing, both right and wrong. I like Larry, as he works with the people and dogs at the level they are at, understanding their goals and needs. He tries to figure out ways to help and improve all of his students. He also modifies and improves his teaching/training
methods.
I split a spot between Dari and Tommy. Tommy worked in the HTD field. Mainly on driving, some on outruns/fetching. Larry had a good suggestion to help with the "away" flank (in addition to discouraging Tommy from running  back to me). His suggestion was to give him a "there" when he started to pull off too far. Even though he may not have flanked far enough to correct the direction the sheep were headed, it would bring him back in contact. And  by the end, he was doing better with the away flanks! We also did a couple of very wide outruns.
Dari, the brat, worked in the arena, some fetching, some driving. She really needs to soften her body, as the stock would calm down. We worked a little on fetching the stock off the fence also. She is just so darn quick, but I really do like working her.
The pups came along for socialization

This evening, while grazing sheep, I was thinking.
Motley, the Aussie, came to mind as I was reminding Dari that she needed to bring all the sheep. Not just the handful in the lead. She is occasionally "getting it", buts it's hard as she is in a rush.
Motley, at 12 weeks, went 100ft or so into the back pasture to bring the sheep back. He would as a young dog 9 months, go into the fallow fields next door, going hundreds of yards, even past deer, to bring the sheep  back. All natural. He was amazing when it came to bringing stock back... So it should come as no surprise that he had a hard time learning to drive. Mileage does help, but...

To drive or to fetch, that is the question

To drive or to fetch, that is the question. 

Seems to be a reoccurring topic, when discussing training and working dogs.

I have my thoughts, influenced by various teachers/mentors and of course by my own experiences.

First and foremost, I want a dog who watches heads, who controls where the stock goes. I want the dog's default be to bring stock to me. For practical work, this makes a world of difference.

I have seen some really great heelers, precisely hitting those heels, keeping the cattle moving, but without fences controlling the path of the stock, or much mechanical control of the dog, this can be bad when the stock runs off.

Some dogs are so hardwired to fetch, whether through unfortunate experiences in early work and training or because it is so genetically ingrained to control heads and bring them back to the person. (I have had some really easy dogs to teach to drive, and some who were very frustrating) Through patience and consistent training, most dogs will learn the task, particularly if real tasks are incorporated into training. Activities like penning, pushing off feed or gates, working lanes, all help reinforce any off balance/driving work. (grazing/tending sheep is also helpful, as it does include stopping off balance.)

The dog has to learn that he can control the stock even when driving, and that taking the stock away is the proper and desire action.

Though it helps to have dogs with consistent flanks before driving, I start driving sooner. I'm not consistent on my flanks, how can I expect such from my dog. However I do off balance flanks, coming around me to get to the stock, when I am ready to start driving. I will even do off balance flanks in a small pen/take pen.

I set up outruns where the dog has to come out and around me before getting to the stock, I also stop the dog at different points.

Much of driving is just mileage-for handler and dog.

Not as planned

Today was another day. Rio was as awesome, and just as easy as yesterday. Worked outruns- all good, nice square flanks, covering heads, did some nice shorts drives. Wow...
Heater was off- he was looking for the fun. But he did some nice fetching, a little driving. We did work on stops and downs. As well as holding sheep to me.
My session with Dari changed from what I intended. Started asking her to hold the sheep to me in the open (off the fence).  She kept pushing, and would not settle.  She also kept stopping short on the "away" side.  So worked on covering with a fetch.  Again she would not cover the ewe who kept trying to go past me.  She also was not taking the away flank.  Spent my time working on going "away".  She finally did cover.  Then I backed in the corner and let Dari "figure it out".  She would push too hard and the "bad" ewe would spurt out.  Though I can control her (she really has a nice stop and down), I want Dari to learn self-control.  She needs to learn where to be.

Bug and Rango got to help Lizzy and Lin with chores.  All was ok, until I tried to sort sheep out of the pen (or atleast get all but 5 sheep out of the pen. ) I fear that Rango is not going to be invited to play much more.  Bug can use the mileage and confidence building.  Rango needs to learn when and where biting is appropriate.

A good training session

Much of my time is spent doing chores and tending sheep. Though this does the dogs much good, every so often it helps to spend 5-10 minutes training.
So this gorgeous morning that is what I did. With limited time available, I decided to work Heater (a friend's dog that I am training), and my 2 18 month old hooligans, Rio and Dari.
After we finished morning chores, Tommy and Lin helped sort off 5 likely volunteers, and we drove the large group to the agility field.
I chose Heater as my first. My goal is to get some advanced titles on him (and hopefully WTCH him)
If he continues progressing as has been over the last several sessions, it should be an attainable goal. With him, the first challenge was getting him to work for me. It took a couple of months before he would work for me. Then I had to convince him that working the stock was a job, not a chase game. Once he settles, he works quietly, responds to pressure nicely, balances. He has a good bit of obedience, so getting the stays, stops, downs just takes reinforcing them. We are starting to name flanks, as he consistently responds to body/stick pressure.
My sheep are nice training sheep. They will fetch or drive. So I decided to start a little driving. Fortunately he did not fight it, and fell in rather nicely. In all it we had another successful session.
Rio was my next very willing victim. We started by taking the ram and 3 wethers to the neighbors back field. He really did not like the idea that they were going to come out of their stall. But we successfully moved the boys, and I realize I need to do take pen/lane work with Rio.
Then we worked with the 5 ewes. Working Rio is like working a fine tuned sports car. He is very controlled and deliberate. Will do nice wide outruns (with help), great sense of balance and rate. We did work on some driving. And to keep the "fun" in I asked him to hit the heels! I think it helps keep the push, and like being able to ask for it when needed. Rio is very controlled, with a hit then backs off. All natural.  I do need to work on his get around/outrun. So that he consistently gets everyone. He will fall in before finishing getting around.
Last was the quick Dari. With her I need self control. She has a good stop and down. But everything is fast/push. When she starts thinking, she will rate, but it's getting the dog to think. Her outrun is more consistent than Rio's!  So we did fetching, and holding them to me, I wanted her to stop on her own.  Once she began to stop herself the rest of the fetching became easier. We also worked on off balance flanks, stopping different places on the circle, and even a little driving. As with the other 2, I ended their sessions with outrun/fetch. Then Dari got to take the small group to their buddies out front.
The young dogs sessions were probably under 10 minutes.
Tommy got to do the grazing. After having to get the sheep out of the bean field, a blind outrun, and no handler assistance, he got to do the tending.. It consists of a good bit of off balance work, and standing around watching. Tommy has become a very useful dog.
In all a productive morning!