One For The Book

Story Behind the Herding Rabbit

2012-02-12T17:59:00.001-08:00

Here is the story behind the herding rabbit video that has gone viral lately. Cute!

LINK

Re-Connecting

2012-02-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

This author event yesterday at Copperfield's Books in Santa Rosa was a really fun event for me. It was such a great opportunity to re-connect with former office mates and co-workers from my first job in Santa Rosa. My former manager Frederick Weisel is now a published author of a mystery novel, "Teller", which is set in Sonoma County.

All of the graphic design for the website and all the promotional materials (not to mention the book cover and posters) were created by one of the friends from the former office, as well.

Proof that all writers speak with their hands!

It was a very enjoyable afternoon!

TMT 2012 #6

2012-02-10T06:16:00.001-08:00

This week's questions:

1. Robin wants to know what your ideal number of dogs is?
2. Lora wants to know if you find that your dogs are better or worse after time off from training?
3. What is your favorite power tool? What power tool do you wish you had?
4. What did you want to be when you grew up?
5. How many of your friends are not "dog people"?

1. Ideal number of dogs...hummm...a tough question... the ultimate ideal number of dogs is two if they are both of an age to compete in whatever it is one likes to compete in; and one boy, one girl works really well also. It was wonderful, having my Alix and Augie get along so well and be able to compete in the many things I was doing at the time. But as we all know that doesn't last forever, so eventually if you want to continue to participate you have to get another dog. Right now I have three. I love having three and that is probably max for my budget. And three dogs fit into the Nitro. I would really love to have a second dog to trial in Open but that is not happening for me right now. It's a long-term goal. I have had four dogs in the past but at that time, two of them were seniors.

2. I am going to find out the answer to #2! My dogs have sort of been on hiatus due to winter, darkness, and lameness. Coal has worked sporadically all along doing chores but not much big stuff. Ryme has been laid off since early November. We are just now getting "back in the saddle" so to speak. I am hoping that the layoff will have indeed helped Ryme to maintain a cooler head. We shall see...I do know that when we are preparing to trial that Coal needs work almost every day. Coal is a merry little fellow but oh does he need to work. Not only for his mind, but for his body. During December-January when we worked the least, Coal's cobby little body turned into a bowl of Post Toasties that our chiropractor had to work hard to put back to rights. He turns himself inside out all the time when he is not worked. Since we have been back to working, this week's chiropractor monthly visit showed Coal to be in great shape. Yes! And Ryme got greenlighted to go back to activity, as well. Celebrations all around!

3. Power tools. I have few to none. I know I could not maintain my yard without the mower, chain saw and blower/cruncher thingie. I would love to have a hedge trimmer thingie, power washer, cordless drill, a work light or two, etc. Just a nice set of basic tools, power or not. It's pretty slim pickin's here in the old garage.

4. What did I want to be when I grew up? I have no idea! I am not sure I had figured out how that was going to work. Clearly I did not dream of being a utilities analyst. Probably I dreamed of being the author of The Black Stallion or Lassie.

5. How many friends are not dog people? A few...mostly friends from various former employment situations.

Goodbye Meg

2012-02-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

Goodbye, Meg...Bid's sister. It's difficult to pick just a picture or two, because Meg's "mom" is such a great photographer. I have chosen just a few... Meg -- I hope you are running pain-free now!

And now there are two remaining: Zack and Jess.

Zack

Jess

Gone on before them: Bid and Maggie, in the same week, May 2009.

Maggie

Bid

RESDA Annual Meeting 2012

2012-02-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

Saturday was the RESDA (Redwood Empire Sheepdog Association) Annual Meeting in Santa Rosa. Members attend this meeting once a year (or send a proxy to a Board member) in order to set up committee assignments, to be in the running for the year-end high point trophy, and to set the trial schedule for the year. Judges' assignments are drawn out of a hat for the season, plans are made, issues are ironed out. Sometimes the meeting goes on for several hours because there is just a heck of a lot of ground to cover in one session. This year was no exception, but the overall mood was cooperative. Lots of good discussion was carried out and compromises were made. There were some new members attending their first year of RESDA events, and there were some treasured handlers in attendance who have been loyal club members for forty years or more, and everything inbetween. The RESDA club dates back to 1947.

The 2012 RESDA schedule is posted.

Hope to see everyone at the Fairs and the other trials.

Shutting the pen gate with Coal at the Mendocino Fair eliminations trial, 2011 (photo by T. Tucker)

On the Soapbox Again

2012-02-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

While it's doubtful that too many One For The Book readers live in Hawaii, this topic bears mentioning. If you've been a reader for a while you might recall a couple of nasty pieces of legislation (that were defeated before passage, thank goodness) in the California legislature a few years back that would have required basically mandatory spay-neuter of dogs and cats. And you might recall that this blog was one of the places where you found lots of opposition to those proposals.

Well I'm back on the soapbox. Again. Peggy over at AHBA has reminded us that the efforts to put MSN in place all over the US, yes even in Paradise (Hawaii) have not stopped. There is a piece of bad legislation awaiting consideration in Hawaii that would require sterilization of any dog or cat that is sold or given away. Think about that and the reality of it. Yes Hawaii has limited land and resources and none of us is in favor of over population of dogs and cats but total extinction of dogs as domestic animals, is simply not acceptable.

Opposition to MSN can create strange bedfellows, as well. While you won't find many favorable references to AKC on my blog here is a link to the best article I could find about this Hawaii thing.

Hawaii SB2504 Would Outlaw Sale of Any Unsterilized Dog

The Hawaii Senate Committee considering this proposal meets on Tuesday February 7th. If you live in Hawaii, consider voicing your opposition on Monday. Or even today. What I learned about opposing those bills in California is that the Senators' fax machines work all weekend until they get jammed. Jamming them with hundreds of opposition letters might not be a bad thing...and if you don't live in Hawaii be prepared to fight this fight in your own state because I guarantee it has not gone away.

Tell Me Saturday

2012-02-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

Thus far One For The Book has not jumped on the Tell Me Thursday bandwagon...however, I have read with interest many of the posts that others write on their blogs in response. Last week's questions about choosing a dog trainer, etc. intrigued me (maybe I will go back and answer those later). One of my goals for 2012 is to write more, so maybe I will use this as excuse to get on the blog more. In the winter time, non-trialling season, sometimes there is just not much to blog about. Work for pay is really busy, for which I am grateful, but that means gratuitous computer time often gets shoved onto the weekends with everything else like buying hay, feeding sheep, trying to work dogs, and oh yeah that pesky house keeping stuff.

With the best of intentions , we begin with the questions from the past Thursday:

1. Julie would like to know one frugal tip this week.

It's really a small savings but I recently downsized my garbage container. It will save me just under $6 a month on my city utility bill and every little bit helps. In California we have strict regulations about cities reducing the amount of garbage that is landfilled, on an increasingly stringent schedule; most waste now and in the future, must be recycled. I have a HUGE recycle container and now, a really teeny-tiny garbage cart. The only time it will be difficult is when we shear the sheep but we'll figure a workaround there for the waste wool. I called the local trash/recycle pickup provider and the deed was done to downsize the can in just a few minutes with a pleasant man on the phone -- who while I was on the line discovered that my account has been in the wrong name for years. Unfortunately I had still been receiving the utility bill just fine all along -- oh well. Two things fixed up for one phone call - yes!

2. What are you reading this week?

I don't have much time to read. But the book I was given for my recent birthday by The Big Brother is called "Half Broke Horses" by Jeannette Walls. Whenever time allows, that is what I will be picking up. He recommends it very highly. I have a wish list on Amazon and it includes many titles of books and DVDs that I want.

3. Barbara wants to know: do you hit the snooze button on the alarm clock, and if so how many times?

Yes, at least once, when I am really naughty, twice. The clock radio is tuned to KDFC in San Francisco.

4. If you had to travel in a sedan (or if you already drive a sedan type car) and you had five or six dogs, how would you handle it?

If the back seat folded down at all in the proposed sedan (some of them do) I might do that. Five or six dogs makes it pretty difficult, depending on their sizes. I have three dogs and that is hard enough at times. If five or six had to all go at once I'm afraid it would be a free-for-all in the back seat of the sedan, and whoever is lowest on the totem pole, riding shotgun in front so that he didn't get picked on. In my little red car (Dodge Nitro) I have three crates for border collies. But that leaves no room for anything else; trips get a little interesting.

I have not had a sedan in years. That's just life with dogs.

5. How much do you filter what you put on your own blog?

A lot. I don't name most of the people's names although I always give other photographer's credits, or at least I try to. I don't blog about many things because they are private, or else they involve people who are intensely much more private than I am. I try to respect that. I do post photos of public events sometimes, like local sheepdog trials and workdays and such...when I can remember to bring my camera and actually get it out of the vehicle and use it. But yeah my blog is very filtered -- so be it -- as others have stated, it's my blog and I'm stickin' to that. ;-)

Late January Already

2012-01-28T15:24:00.001-08:00

Coal watching Angus working the sheep (see album link below)

It is hard to believe that we are into the last weekend of January already. We did get some of the rain that we have been praying for, however most of this past week has been back to sunny and nice during the day -- and to my surprise last night -- cold and frosty again at night! What's up with that? We need more rain to catch up with normal totals and to grow more grass...but I admit that it has been nice to dry out for a few days.

My camera has been gathering mothballs for months. But, last weekend I got it out and took some photos of Angus working with some ewes and older lambs that belong to a friend. Tom is planning to give Angus a go in Nursery this spring/summer. Angus is looking good! Here is a link to a Picasa album with all of the pics that I took and posted. Oh yeah and there are a couple of gratuitous pictures of Coal in the album ...I really need to get new photos of the other boys also!

Angus moving the ewes and lambs

Lame dog update: Chiefie is showing good progress in healing up from his latest psoas injury. I am still not letting him go back to unlimited park time but then with the rain and early darkness the park dog group has been on very limited meeting schedule anyway. Just as well, for Chiefie although I am sure he would not agree.

Ryme is also showing some good progress: I am holding my breath! In the last week or two I have been letting him work sheep just a tiny bit, doing some little chore or another. Just doing some driving, or a small gather of sheep that already want to come in, or marching around the very slow ewes and lambs who see no reason to move. In the past couple of days I have also let Ryme run off leash a bit more. Fingers crossed! So far, he looks good with absolutely no lameness. He has put on weight though in this layoff, despite me cutting back on his food. It will take a while to get him back in condition once he is proclaimed ready to really work. I am hopeful though. I still plan to have him xrayed when finances allow. But it would be really nice to have my dog back.

In other news, Mr Chewy has requested that I review his website. This might be fun. I hope I can do some sort of giveaway out of it as a result. Since my dogs mostly eat raw I am not as familiar with all the brands and prices that are out there. We do use some canned food and of course treats and biscuits are never turned away! Mr Chewy also carries our emergency food, Honest Kitchen dehydrated, so I can check their prices and service on that. We have a local shop right around the corner where I can buy "HK" but I know that isn't true for a lot of folks. If you have several dogs and don't want to lug sacks of dog food I think this ordering with free shipping might make a whole lot of sense. Stay tuned and have a great rest of the weekend!

What A Face!

2012-01-25T17:56:00.000-08:00

I love this face...this is Bid's brother Zack, who lives in Florida. Zack just had a bath! If only Bob could get Zack to play with toys -- it's such a shame... ;-)

Waiting for Rain

2012-01-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

We are anxiously awaiting the forecasted rain that is on the calendar for next week. Fingers crossed that it materializes! Above is a photo of Coal that I really like, where he is wet and muddy, taken last winter. I "doctored" it a little bit in my photo software -- just playing around -- but I am putting this up as a token invite for Mother Nature to bless us with some much-needed wet stuff. Yes? The pastures and everything else sorely needs it. On our trip to the Central Valley last weekend it was mind-blowing to see the Altamont Pass hills comprised of nothing but dry, brown dirt. Not a stitch of grass hardly, anywhere. Frightening...rain please!

Updates on the lame dogs: Chiefie is slowly improving but his psoas (groin pull) injury will probably take months to fully heal. It seems to be a vulnerable spot for him now that it has happened three times. I will have to watch him very carefully although his enthusiasm is high for doing anything, right now. He may be ten years old, and lame, but he's still a border collie!

Ryme saw our wonderful chiropractor this past week for his monthly appointment. She felt that he has made a lot of progress, but we are "not there yet". That's all right - I wasn't really expecting her to cut us loose this week - but now we are into a new phase of walking at varying speeds and doing a couple of PT exercises. The one exercise and how Ryme adjusts to it will be my clear indicator of when he is ready to return to more exercise, and eventually, sheep work! Fingers crossed! And I just hope that no one in my neighborhood has a camera to record my attempt to keep Ryme at a trot on leash for periods of time!

Coal is like a monkey-on-crack because we have not been able to work sheep hardly at all. The daylight hours are just too short but that is turning the corner. His chiropractor appointment revealed that not working is actually worse for Coal than working. He was a broken, crunchy pretzel-dog all over. I need to get him back on sheep. Now. Today!

And, for better or for worse, I guess I am now officially elected as President of the NCWSA. As the past president, Rusty says, "no worries, you only have eight years to go"! Yikes! I only hope I can do half as good a job as Rusty has done. His enthusiasm was always limitless. I could not be more thrilled with the all-star cast lined up to serve on the NCWSA Board with me. The depth and breadth of experience and initiative is truly inspiring.

NCWSA is planning a Pro-Novice, Novice-Novice, and Nursery trial near Oakdale, CA on February 18th. Hope to see you all there. The entry will be posted on the club website soon.

Aug. 6, 1970 - The Geyserville Press - report of sheepdog trial results

2012-01-10T18:22:00.000-08:00

1970 Woolgrowers Sheepdog Trial Results

Check out this wonderful historical article and photo of sheepdog trial results in Boonville, CA on Aug. 6, 1970.

Run Free, Clancy

2012-01-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

Clancy, a blue tricolor, son of Mike Neary's Cap and Jack Pickrell's Kell passed away. Clancy is in a place near the Rainbow Bridge. His extreme arthritis, hip dysplasia, and old dog weariness have disappeared. Clancy is working sheep, and is fetching, retrieving, and collecting a sizable pile of tennis balls! He is greatly missed, and will always be in the hearts of our dear friends Bob and Mary in Illinois.

January 2012-Catching Up

2012-01-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

We are well into the new year. The first weekend of 2012 is upon us and I am amazed once again by how quickly the time flies by. The above picture is from January 2011; there is mud and water in the background and the other photos in the set from that day show lots of green lush grass. That is not the case this year. We desperately need RAIN...the pastures are eaten down to the nubs and we are feeding hay to sheep that normally live on pasture. We found a "deal" on $16.50/bale mixed alfalfa/grass hay last weekend and will buy a few more bales tomorrow. It's a bit scary. I keep checking the 10-day forecast for some raindrop icons. Keeping fingers crossed!

There has not been much of interest for me to blog about. The holidays were good. I hosted the RESDA Christmas party which was a lot of work, but turned out to be a very fun event for everyone ( I hope!) and even for me. There were about 25 people in my house and it was sort of fun to step back and hear all those happy voices carrying on about ten different conversations over wine and snacks, a delicious ham and potluck dinner, and then coffee and desserts. Whew! After that, Christmas Day itself was very simple but fun...working dogs and making soup. New Years Eve was spent playing Jack-O-Poly! What is that, you ask? It is a "Monopoly" game with Jack Russell Terrier characters and themes; my two friends that I spent the evening with both have JRTs. Go figure. And by the way I still suck at board games.

Back to work after the holidays we were given the news that our company has been acquired by a much larger corporation. So there is much change on the menu for the work situation. At least I was given an employment offer. I am staying positive. Such is life in corporate America.

As for the dogs, Ryme is still being rested as a result of his injury and lameness. He is getting a short to medium leash walk every day. I am starting to slowly lengthen those walks and he isn't showing any bad response to that. It has been difficult not letting him run or work. I take him on leashed visits to his park friends and he enjoys the socializing but you can see that he is frustrated more and more and doesn't understand his confinement. But I do think it is working. Eventually when funds allow, I will have him sedated and xrayed to determine just exactly what we are working with, structurally. But for now it appears to be a soft-tissue problem that is getting better with time. Next week is their monthly chiropractor visit. I am hoping she finds Ryme improved from her perspective.

Ten-year-old Chiefie managed to injure his psoas again for at least the third time in his life, this time just playing. So he is on rest restrictions as well. He is almost harder to deal with than young Ryme. Chief's zest for life has gotten him in trouble physically before. I think this will take several months for him to recover. Time will tell.

Coal is working really well and I wish we had trials to go to, right now. He is really on his game, what little I have been able to work him. Coal and I had a good lesson with our trainer in early December; we made a list of what I need to work on with Coal, over the winter. The daylight hours are so short that working dogs through the week is about gone but will return in just a few short weeks. So, it means we make the most out of our weekend sessions. Coal is really good at handling the ewes with lambs that belong to our friend that we share pasture with. I would have been giving Ryme this job in order for Ryme to gain experience, but unfortunately I can't this year, with him laid up. So it has fallen back to Coal, much to his glee. Coal loves working ewes and lambs. A weekend or two ago I watched him back a ewe and lamb into a pen with the most amazing skill that it just floored me. No bites, no overt movements, no nothing, just will and concentration. We spray-painted all the ewes and lambs with numbers this year, to keep track of who is with who...the paint eventually wears off, especially as the lambs grow so fast, and so we do it again. I decided one day to update the paint markings and was trying to catch lambs by myself; how dumb was that? I finally let Coal into the pen and started catching lambs effortlessly in about two seconds and quickly got them all re-painted. That's what it's all about, Charlie Brown. We don't have any trials until all the big ones in March and April. I hope we will be ready because funds will not allow us to travel much again this year; so we'll have to make the most of the ones near us.

A very happy, safe, and productive new year to all!

On The Fence

2011-12-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

Photo by L. Tunstall

Can you guess what these border collies are watching and waiting for? "My turn next" they say!

Twig's Tales

2011-12-12T17:46:00.001-08:00

You might enjoy this entry on the Meeker Sheepdog blog:

Twig's Tales, Chapter 1

Chiefie Smiles - It's Saturday!

2011-12-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Here's another of Lisa's great photos that I have been playing with in my picture software. Isn't it fun?

It's Saturday -- the dogs say Yay!

Did everyone see the lunar eclipse? Wow!

Ryme is Three Years Old

2011-12-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

Original photo by Lisa Dillon

Today is Ryme's third birthday. We didn't get to celebrate by working sheep, as we normally would, because Ryme is still recuperating from the lameness in his left rear leg. I so hope that he and I can go back to working sheep regularly at some point. He sees the chiropractor in a week so I am hoping for good news then. Meanwhile he is laid off except for teeny bits of working, bringing in the ewes and new baby lambs which requires a minimum of running, plus a slight bit of freedom at the field or at the park with his friends. I played around with the original photo above with my photo software and decided on the grid pattern since it shows Ryme as a work in progress... and just putting it out there that his design is not complete and will be able to have more fine tuning! Tonight we made doggie birthday cupcakes which are now cooling on the stove. The dogs are all anxiously awaiting a portion of their baked treat! Special thanks to Lisa Dillon who provided me with a couple of CDs worth of photos that I am having great fun with!

New Mystery Novel Set in Northern California

2011-12-04T10:53:00.001-08:00

Over the years I count myself very fortunate to have worked with and for some incredibly gifted, bright, and intelligent folks...and (near and dear to my frustrated writer's heart) some who are talented and published writers. While this new book has nothing to do with dogs or sheep, it is still a book -- and this blog being named One For the Book -- it seems most appropriate to talk about it here.

At my first job in Sonoma County, I worked in small firm that was basically a writer's shop where we produced written materials and the graphics to go with them, that were all about the utility industry, utilities research, energy efficiency and the like. I was not a writer, but was the lowly jack-of-all trades assistant; however, it was a great atmosphere in which to work. All of the writers were great to deal with and each had a special skill, talent, or specialty area. Come to find out, and not surprisingly, many of them had little personal "writing projects" on the side. My former boss, Frederick Weisel, had a novel started at that time and it has finally come into print. The website (and cover design for the book as well) was designed by our former graphics designer in that shop, who is also incredibly hard-working and talented. I count it as one of my many blessings to work with such great people. It was hard to leave that group when another job opened up for me that had greater responsibilities and better benefits.

The new mystery novel, "Teller" - by Frederick Weisel- is available to shop locally at Copperfields Books . You can check out the book on the author's website, http://frederickweisel.com/. They have put together some neat videos where the author explains unusual background details from the book that are native or unique to this wine-country region.

Saturday Night Sheep

2011-11-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

We didn't breed any of our own sheep-team ewes this year but we are enjoying the lambs belonging to our friend that we share a field with. Last Saturday afternoon we worked our dogs at her place and before we left to go home, we helped with chores, getting sheep into their "night places" and setting out hay for the various groups. There is an "older lamb" group, a "big woolie" working group, a pregnant group, and a just-lambed group. The group of pregnant, very expectant ewes came running into the barnyard from the pasture at the prospect of alfalfa, but one ewe remained, baa-ing and running frantically looking for a lamb that she just gave birth to. We walked out to the pasture to try to find the lamb, and there was none. The ewe had dug a couple of holes but there was no lamb. We'd all been sitting around chatting nearby, inbetween working dogs in the adjacent field, so we were sure that no big bird had swooped in and taken the newborn. So, we decided that she hadn't given birth yet, but thought she had...and if we left her alone that nature might take over and she would settle back down to finish her labor and delivery. We told our friend good bye and she assured us that she would watch the laboring ewe the rest of the afternoon.

I had been home a couple of hours, and it was dark out, when the phone rang. It was our friend. She needed help pulling the lamb from that frantic ewe, who had still not completed her labor and delivery process. I threw on a jacket and headed out into the cold and drove the ten minutes or so over there in the dark of a late-November Saturday evening. By now the ewe had been moved into a small pen. There isn't much light out there but our friend had a headlamp to see by. She gave me a halter and lead rope to put on the ewe, which I did and I held the ewe as best I could up against the wall of the pen while our friend pulled on the tiny back foot that protruded from the ewe. By now we expected a dead lamb and were only trying to save the nice big woolie ewe.

Our friend pulled and pulled. I held onto the ewe. It was a tough process. Finally some traction was gained and the lamb started to come out. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard, "I think it's alive". Pretty soon the lamb was extracted and yes, in fact it was alive, even after several hours waiting in breach presentation. I turned the ewe loose and she immediately began to lick and stimulate the lamb. He opened his mouth and "baa-ed". He was most definitely alive and kicking. Our friend and I were absolutely astounded by this amazing miracle. We wondered if the lamb would eventually even be able to stand and walk after all the pressure applied to his legs pulling him out. Meanwhile we got shavings to bed the pen for the pair and some alfalfa for mama to munch on, and a bucket of water for her to drink. When we got back with all those supplies for the ewe, we were shocked to see the little guy already attempting to stand, like a normal lamb. He was weak, but he kept trying and looked like he would be successful. The ewe continued to fuss over him and care for her lamb who had finally arrived!

When I talked with our friend the next day, she said that both mama and baby were doing fine and were indistinguishable from the other ewe and lamb pairs who hadn't been through such trauma. The tenacity and strong will of sheep is sometimes amazing.

A Song of Thanks

2011-11-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

This article by Jon Carroll - one of my favorite columnists when I subscribed to the paper daily -- was published in the Thanksgiving Day version of the San Francisco Chronicle, but I am just getting around to reading Thursday's paper. I really enjoyed reading it and I hope you all do, too. Happy Thanksgiving!

LINK TO ARTICLE

Dunnigan - the Rest of Our Story...

2011-11-25T13:49:00.000-08:00

On day two of the Dunnigan Hills trial last weekend, Coal and I drew up later in the afternoon to run. I helped by running and posting scores most of the day, mainly in order to keep warm on a cold, rainy, nasty weather day. I also feel that without help, there will be no trials; they are simply too much work for a small handful of people to handle on their own without volunteers. Originally slated to run dog #30, someone wanted to trade slots and since I was staying overnight, Coal and I ended up running dog #41.

Not wanting to mess with success, when it came to our turn, I sent Coal to the right again, as I had done on Saturday. He shot off over the hill and out of sight but I didn't worry. He knows those hills, I thought. Soon, however, it was apparent that too much time had passed. Coal must've gotten lost or he'd gone back to the letout pens. More tick-tock...starting to feel my energy drain. I was about to give up and go over to the judge when here Coal came over the top of the hill and lifted the sheep. So yes - he got to them somehow - but had wasted so much time I knew that any hopes of our completing the course today were gone. We completed the fetch and started on the drive; Coal and I were arguing about the whistles and drive lines, the sheep were squirrely in the wind, and I retired after much ado getting to the first drive panel. Enough was enough. I knew we wouldn't even have time to get our drive points finished. I was not unhappy, maybe a little disappointed at not getting to "attack the course" a second time, but not at all unhappy with my dog. We exhausted our sheep and I went back to helping with scores. Later I found out that Coal had indeed gone back to check the setout pens but had not stayed there long - he checked in and realized that wasn't where he was supposed to be - but then moved on to try to find his sheep. I tried to take this as good news!

Later in the day we were asked to help with setout for the first Nursery class. Coal worked pushing the sheep from the letout pens by relay over to the person spotting for the working dogs on the trial field. Coal thought this was great fun and I was happy to do it, again to keep warm instead of freezing in a lawn chair watching the trial.

On Monday we helped with setout for much of the day, for the Pro-Novice and remaining Nursery classes. Luckily, the weather was much improved over Sunday so it was not so unpleasant to be out on top of the hill at the top of the trial field. Coal worked his heart out. He loves working in the pens to push sheep up into the letout. He is quiet in the pens and doesn't upset the sheep, yet doesn't give them any ground. He did not want to quit, when we got a break and someone else took over for a while. I have to give credit to the "heart" in the little dog.

All in all Dunnigan Hills was a very fun trial and I was glad I was able to go. It's our last trial of the 2011 season, so what a wonderful way to close out the year. Thanks to all who made the trial possible!

Coal - file photo
photo credit L. Dillon

Stand and Deliver

2011-11-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

We spent the past weekend at the Dunnigan Hills sheepdog trial near Zamora, CA. Coal was entered both Saturday and Sunday in the Open, judged by Elgar Hughes of Wales. After last weekend at Hopland, I was pretty discouraged about trialling but landed early Saturday morning at the field (after getting up at 3:30 in the morning to make the drive over) with a positive attitude. Coal ran dog #4 in the early morning-my best time of day. It was cold but seemed like perfect dog and sheep weather. We had a very fluid run, hit all the gates, and penned smoothly. I felt sort of like I was in a blur...it was really fun. Anyway then later we went to look at the scores and I was surprised to see that Coal had earned 86 points out of 90! Whoa! Running dog 4 out of more than 50 dogs meant that we had to wait all day long to see where things ended up. Never before had we placed in an open trial. I was surprised by how calm I felt. Everyone congratulated us on our fine run. I probably had the deer in the headlights look but sat back to enjoy and watch the rest of the runs. By day's end we were still in second place, with Anne Mock and Ben earning 87 points in a stellar run to win the trial. What a thrill this was for me: our first-ever open placement, and our first-ever USBCHA points. What a good boy, Coal. Now our trainer says we have to stand and deliver.

Dog Day Afternoon

2011-11-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here is another nice article about the Hopland sheepdog trial over the past weekend, from the Lake County Record-Bee, plus a photo of Bill Berhow and Gwyn at the pen.

Hopland photos and article

2011-11-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more photos from the Hopland trial, thanks to Teri!

One ewe of our packet did not get a gold star for playing nice with others

Coal waiting his turn

Another UC HREC Hopland sheepdog trial has come and gone. There is a nice little article in the Ukiah Daily Journal about it. This trial is becoming one of the best trials on the west coast if not in the U.S. There was a wait list for the Open class, so we felt fortunate to draw in. The venue is spectacular with a patchwork quilt view atop a hill where you can see across a beautiful Mendocino County valley, and of course the sheep are fabulous. Where else do you get fresh, mostly undogged, very healthy and fit commercial wool sheep for every run, all weekend? The staff from the research center were more than helpful and had everything fixed up so that our trial experience was so much fun. The Ukiah 4-H kids (and their wonderful parents) prepared delicious food on Saturday and Sunday. The trial organizers had every detail planned for and in place, including a setout person flown in all the way from Wales! Doesn't this sound like a recipe for a great trial to draw a lot of handlers and spectators?

As for Coal and me, our late-afternoon Saturday run was one I'd like to forget. All the stuff we have been working so hard on -- good outruns that are wide and deep enough, for one thing -- seemed to have gone out the window, as did inside flanks to release off pressure. It was as if we never trained at all. I was pretty discouraged.

On Sunday morning, our run was better. The outrun, lift and fetch were downright respectable. We still had troubles on the crossdrive that had nothing to do with the placement of the crossdrive panels (which were wicked in their own right). We did make it to the pen as the photos document, however, time was called while we worked on easing the sheep toward the pen. The course time was cut by a minute from Saturday to Sunday which didn't help us, but helped to get the trial completed on time before dark.

It's hard not to still feel discouraged about trialling but a good friend advised me to tally up the good and forget the bad parts. Our trainer told me that he was proud of me for taking a risk on Sunday morning's run that worked well to our advantage. Also, on the good side, Coal is still looking really sound. He got a good report from his chiropractor last week so we are greenlighted to go ahead and train and trial. There is one more trial weekend on our calendar before we close the books on 2011. I guess we're back on the team...

Ryme, however, is not sound. He has a similar rear-leg pulled muscle/soft tissue injury to what Coal had, minus the spinning. So Ryme has been on the bench for sheep chores and training for a week now and it will likely take longer to get him healed up. Luckily his knee itself does not seem to be involved, for which I am thankful. Ryme without work is not a happy camper so that is a chapter in the book yet to be completely written...and I hope it is only a temporary one.

Meanwhile we'll carry on (to quote a favorite Welshman)...

What goofy boys do while waiting tied to the fence!

At Least We Got to the Pen Today...

2011-11-13T17:43:00.001-08:00

A Dark and Stormy Night...

2011-11-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

No, not a Peanuts cartoon....but I'm getting way ahead of myself. This post may end up as a bit of a novella itself as there is much catching up to do. We ended up driving home from Zamora last night in a driving rain storm in the dark with heavy traffic - none of which are my favorite conditions for driving after a long afternoon of good dog work.

RESDA Novice Program Event

The RESDA novice program sponsored a mini-clinic with Bill Berhow yesterday afternoon and there were eight dogs worked. The RESDA novice group is always ready for any challenge and many folks want to improve their ability to tackle USBCHA type courses in addition to RESDA, but they just need some help expanding their dog's and their own experiences. Yesterday, everyone showed improvement on the hills and on their outruns and drives. The weather started out just grey and threatening, but about two-thirds of the way through the event, the rain came down in earnest. Luckily I had already put on my rain gear so I was somewhat dry, but it was still cold.

Coal and I worked on our outrun again, as we did in our last private lesson. I took Coal to this novice event rather than Ryme as I normally would (the program is for novice dogs as well as novice handlers) because we have the Hopland and Dunnigan trials coming up in the next two weekends. This seemed to be the only chance to get coaching before those trials. Coal showed improvement on the outrun in our clinic session. We also did some driving and attempted again to shed those Dunnigan sheep (which can be an exercise in frustration!). Happy with our clinic session, Coal and I went out to take the setout person's place so that she could have a break. Then the real work began. It's a long walk from the holding pens to the setout point, especially bringing the sheep down lower for the less experienced dogs. Coal got a good workout from all this, plus we got to pick up the sheep from the clinic group several times, resulting in more outruns to both sides. It was a really productive day for us. And the bonus is that Coal appears to still be sound. This morning he is gangbusters! And we have a chiro appointment for the dogs this week. I hope this is all good timing.

What made my day was seeing Coal's half-brother two-year-old Angus (who has never worked at Zamora before) take off in a beautiful wide outrun on the hill face, on his second attempt at it, as if the exposure the first time had released his inner hill-dog self! It was a thrill to watch. Angus also made a lot of progress on his baby driving. Angus has beautiful natural flanks from which to build on. The other dogs belonging to our friends also worked well and stepped up to the challenge...all nice to see. Bill is a great coach and draws on so much experience it is an education just to sit and listen.

It was dark out by the time we headed home from Zamora though. And the rain was coming down heavier and heavier. Saturday night traffic was thick on I-80. I was really glad I had company other than canine for the ride home. Thanks Teri!

Spencer Pt. Pleasant

Things are busy as always lately. I never wrote anything about last weekend. On the Friday before Halloween, Coal and I ran at Spencer's Pt. Pleasant 9th annual fall sheepdog trial. That day was nice and sunny; the weather could not have been more beautiful. I only ran Coal on the Friday event. The judge was Michael Shearer from Scotland who could not have been more gracious about his judging duties. At Spencer's the challenge is usually presented for the Open class to send your dog through a gate in the cross-fence line on the outrun, or to send from the center gate. Last year it was not made much of an option so Coal and I fumbled through, sending through the side gate. This year Mr. Shearer said we should send from the center gate and then walk back to the handler's tower if we were not absolutely certain that our dogs would run out freely through the side gate. I took this as a message straight to me (even though we had practiced sending through the side gate at home the weekend before) and sent Away through the center gate.

Coal's outrun was a bit tentative at first but then he bent out. I did redirect him twice. We've been working on his outruns getting him deeper and lifting from the top and not the side. Despite the points lost for the redirects, they were worth it, as he went deep enough, and his lift was good and from the top. The fetch was fairly good and for once we made all of the gates on the course. Yes! I was really pleased with the run up to this point. After the drive you brought your sheep back through the center gate again and to a Maltese Cross. This obstacle should be do-able for us after all our RESDA work but it was not to be, on that day. We had a devil of a time with it, taking at least four (I lost count) attempts to get all four sheep through it. By this time we had used up almost all of our course time, got into the shedding ring, and time was called. It was a somewhat disappointing end to what had started out as a really good run for us. I was still really pleased with the outwork and drives. I do think we are showing improvement over our Open runs from last year. Coal's maturity and our experience last year are helping a bit. Now if his handler could step up with a little more grit!

Jack Knox Clinic - Hopland

Last Saturday and Sunday I spent with notepad in hand, auditing from the comfort of a lawn chair in the shade of a large tree at the Jack Knox clinic at Hopland. It was very educational to sit and watch many dogs working under Jack's knowledgeable tutelage. Lately I've been feeling sort of left behind since I currently have only one dog to run at the trials, after deciding that Ryme is still not prepared enough to run in Pro-Novice. My new strategy is to try to make up for that lag by as much observation and visualization as possible when the opportunities arise. So, watching clinics, lessons and videos will help to take the place of more opportunities at the post, I am hoping. It certainly can't hurt! The Hopland university facility could not be a more beautiful and nurturing setting for a sheepdog clinic. One feels spirited away to a magical landscape of rolling hills, trees, and well-cared for sheep--hundreds of them.

A variety of dogs and levels of training and handling were presented at the clinic. I took notes on all of them! I have found over the years that collecting my notes on other people's dogs has been very fruitful - because sooner or later either one of my own dogs or one of our training partners' dogs has an issue that is helped by one of the comments or suggestions made by those past clinicians. Since my memory is poor I don't rely on it. Paper and pen work much better. I recommend that anyone interested in sheepdog trialling or training go and audit one of Jack's clinics.

That brings us up to date! The time change has come, shortening our training time after work. Year after year I dread this date but year after year, I find ways to adapt. Happy November, everyone. I am very thankful.

RESDA Novice Program Training Day

2011-11-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

Training opportunity this Saturday, November 5

This session is a "beyond Novice" day! Take a look at the link.

UC Hopland Research & Extension Center

2011-10-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

Nice blog article about sheep production at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center, about an hour north of us near Hopland, CA.

Talented staff maintain HREC as a sheep ranch

We'll be there soon!

Y after I

2011-10-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

You've all heard of "i before e except after c". This guy (below) is getting a slightly altered name. I've decided to change the spelling of his name to Ryme. Someone suggested it to me and I really like the warmer, more poetic, rhyming, meaning (rather than the cold, icy, frosty meaning). The spelling won't change how it sounds to the dog of course. It's probably crazy but I'm looking forward to a more harmonious and communicative relationship as we work together on the sheep. Actually things have been going a lot better with Ryme on the sheep (with only those few exceptions -- sort of like "after c").

Ryme with the remains of an old ball that they play with at the field

We were treated to practice RESDA-style runs at a nearby ranch last Sunday morning. What a gift it was to take Ryme to a completely new place (to him, at least) and run a small RESDA trial course with some nice cheviot cross ewes and lambs. It was a really good barometer of where we are. He was far from perfect and did one little blowup lifting the sheep. I felt badly that I didn't handle him better to keep our communication lines flowing on the gather--maybe I was too relaxed! But the best news was that Ryme settled right back down and worked beautifully -- seeming to have no tension -- through the rest of the course. We had a lamb in the group who did not want to play with the adults and Ryme kept the lamb tucked back in time after time when it wanted to wander off. We even got the pen which few people did. Despite the initial blow up I felt really good about our progress in running at a completely new site.

These are all just silly camera phone photos taken at almost dark at the sheep field before it rained a week or two ago. All of these areas are now nice and green. The sheep are happy about all that green! I need new pictures! But I'm just getting around to posting these. I sort of like the grainy quality of the phone photos. They are certainly different than the pics from the Fuji.

Chief

Coal

All three photos were taken within about a minute of each other but it's interesting how the light is different on each one. I really like the one of Coal and the low evening sun shining on him from the west. Someday soon I must get the real camera back out and take some photos with green grass in them.

Coal's leg seems to be doing OK. He and I have come to some agreement on the need for him to not spin. The spinning only really happens now at meal time, and if I plan ahead by crating him, I can avoid that. So I'm very hopeful that with careful exercise, work, treatment, and rest we will beat this leg thing and get him healed up and ready for the upcoming Open USBCHA trials.

It's almost the weekend! And we have a sheepdog lesson planned.

The Only Constant is Change

2011-10-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

We've been nursing a little lameness in Coal's right hind for almost two months now. His esteemed chiropractor now thinks that he's either aggravating or causing this by his incessant spinning and antics when he is not working. So I've been advised to stop the spinning (fact is she begged me to stop it for 48-72 hours post-adjustment on Wednesday evening).

Changing the routine with Coal has not been easy. On sheep he is the serious kid with the pocket protector, white shirt buttoned up to the neck, and calculator in hand. Off sheep - a side of him that many folks do not see - he is a wild and crazy guy who loves to start chase-me games with Chief and runs constantly with a binkie (any available toy or in a pinch a piece of wood or whatever), spinning in circles. He always spins the same direction and this activity is causing wear and tear on his five-year-old right hind leg. Sigh.

So I've been keeping him more contained with leashes, crates, and separation from the other dogs. I am seeking ideas on how to make this work on a more permanent basis. I've already gotten some good ideas (and some good humor) from the Facebook crowd. I'm throwing it out here as well.

The change in the dynamic with Chief and Rime has been the most unexpected part of this situation. Where I thought that maybe Rime was the instigator in a lot of the in-home mayhem, it actually must have come from quiet little Coal. Without Coal running circles around the dining room table, Chief and Rime are almost downright sedate. As they say, the only constant is change...so on we go.

If you have ideas for keeping a border collie quiet, post in the comments. He really needs to stop this spinning and I am probably not a good enough dog trainer to accomplish that.

Wishing We Were Here...

2011-10-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Chiefie X

2011-10-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

Chiefie turned ten years young earlier this week. Tonight we had a little doggie birthday party with his friends down at the park. I even baked a doggie birthday cake! Talk about doggie mayhem. Chiefie seems happy and healthy. I am very happy to have him with me.

More photos here!

RESDA Fall Trial 2011

2011-10-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

The 2011 RESDA season is now history. The final trial of the season was yesterday in Boonville (Mendocino County Fairgrounds - where they also play high school football as well as host the county fair). The added touch of fun detail included the white lines and yardage numbers painted on the field from the football team and the goalpost at the end of the field. (I wonder where the other goalpost was, or did I just miss it?) Once again I felt strangely like I was in Evening Shade! The pen was intrepidly attached to one leg of the goalpost in a bit of extremely good planning by judge Joyce.

The morning started very cool and foggy and the early runs went fairly well. The sheep - commercial (mostly) whiteface ewes from the nearby Johnson Ranch - were challenging but just so. As the day wore on, the sun came out, the sheep were getting hungrier and all that green lush grass was just a bit too tempting. The runs got harder and harder for the dogs. Some dogs gripped out or couldn't lift.

Coal ran #15. By then the sheep were heavy. He tried his hardest but we timed out and didn't get chute or pen - leaving us with only a few points. The sheep continually pushed back on him and he showed a lot of courage for a dog who is not intrinsically very brave. Once time was called I really urged him on verbally as we put the sheep into the exhaust.

After 21 runs in the open and a short break for the judge, we ran the "pro-novice". There were five dogs and Rime ran #3. Last time in this arena, Rime got spooked by the tarps blowing horizontally along the fence. This time thankfully he did not seem bothered by the tarps. I also had made sure the bottom of the tarps were tied down as I helped to set up the course. I really wanted Rime to have a better experience, this time around. While he was excitable at the beginning of his run once we got to working as a team he showed some nice, more "normal" work, stopping and taking his flanks nicely. I do wonder when or if he will get past his excitable phase at the beginning of the runs though. Considering that he is never on this type of sheep though, I am happy with how he settled down mid-run.

I took my camera along but again didn't take any photos. Since no one had been hired to do the setout for this trial as is normally done in RESDA, the handlers who are able to, had to take turns moving the sheep through the pens up top and letting the sheep out of the chute for the trial runs. I volunteered for the first stint which meant that the camera stayed in the car once again. This is too bad as it was a gorgeous day with blue skies, green grass, and great dogs to watch.

Harvest Fair 2011

2011-10-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last Friday through Sunday, the Sonoma County Fairgrounds hosted the annual Harvest Fair. It's almost as fun as the big sister, the annual Sonoma County Fair, but smaller and more friendly, and less crowded. And obviously three days instead of three weeks or so! The main events are grape stomping, wine tasting, apple viewing and tasting plus the usual eats, drinks, things to buy and entertainment to see and participate in. Besides all that there is always a RESDA sheepdog trial in the Lyttle Cow Palace (covered arena) during the Harvest Fair. We had quite a few sheepdog trial fans who showed up, and many of them kept score right along with the judging, on our club leaflets!

In the RESDA system, all Open handlers who have run dogs for a certain number of years are called upon to judge their peers once during the year. Most years we have more judges than trials, and these assignments are drawn out of the hat at the February annual meeting. So, since last February I have known that I, Moi, Yours Truly, was to be in the hot seat of judging the Harvest Fair trial this year. I have judged AHBA trials before, but not RESDA trials. Under California State Fair rules, family members cannot judge each other, so in years past - having been drawn out of the hat first - my brother has taken on the family judging duty while I clerked for him. This year the role was reversed. Oh my! Since last February, I have been studying the RESDA by-laws and thinking through each possible scenario of what could happen with dogs, sheep and handlers in the Lyttle Cow Palace.

When the day finally came to judge I felt confident that I had prepared myself for every eventuality. Once we got going it was actually kind of fun. Jack had already provided me with all the paperwork and office supplies ahead of time. A wonderful team was in place to support my efforts in the form of clerk George, assistant score keeper Teri, announcer (brother), course hauler (another Tom), and we can't forget sheep provider (yet another Tom), sheep handlers, and sheep. Everything worked together really well and I felt like the trial went well. Nothing odd happened and there were a lot of really nice runs. The Harvest Fair provided a rainbow palette of various colored ribbons down to tenth place. So I got to do a lot of handing out of the "goods" which was fun. Western Farm Center provided the Champion with a nice plaque for the win. I'm glad it's over though!

October 1st

2011-10-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

October is here. It's hard to believe that the summer has flown by so fast. In my mind, it's only just past the Fourth of July. I had better catch up quickly!

In Northern California the first part of October is always so nice. And there is excitement in the sheepdog world. Our little "second season" of USBCHA trials is on the horizon. And the RESDA calendar is almost wrapped up. Tomorrow is the Harvest Fair RESDA trial (where I will be sorting the runs); the Harvest Fair is always fun with the fall decor, the wine tasting and grape stomping, and the llama show. This year I'll be looking at the llama show with more interest since we have two llamas to deal with on a weekly basis now at one of the fields that we share. Next weekend is the final RESDA trial of the year, up in Boonville and the RESDA season and the dog of the year competition will be all wrapped up. Then, the USBCHA calendar gets some activity with Pt Pleasant, Hopland, and Dunnigan trials in our (relative) neck of the woods.

Preparing for these trials with the added pressure of less and less daylight each week should put some enthusiasm into my dog work that might have been missing lately. Having a lesson last weekend certainly made us ramp up a bit already. I have been letting Rime slide on his stops and come-bye flanks. I was using two or three whistles to get Rime stopped instead of one. I knew about the stops but was letting it slide anyway - bad me. I had not "seen" the flank issue though - you would think I could notice things like that after all these years but I guess that is why we pay a trainer the big bucks (ha!) to tell us things we are not seeing. Anyway this week I have worked Rime a couple of times in the evenings and he has complied very well with me giving him clear communication. One whistle for the lie down, and if he doesn't take it, then a verbal. And if he doesn't take that, then a correction voice and take a step into him. For the most part I have not had to go beyond the verbal. He's dropping very neatly most of the time on the home sheep. On new sheep at different fields, it will be a different story but there is no excuse for me to not have a good stop on the home sheep and fields. As for the sliced flank he was cutting on the come bye - his worst side. No wonder he can buzz the sheep on that side. I have to get quicker at noticing his body language before he does things - that is MY homework assignment. I also have to correct the cut when it happens but preferably before it happens. I did this a couple of times this week during our work session and it worked like a charm. This worked great for Bid's away flank several years ago - and I just need to put the system into place for Rime.

Coal has been worked just lightly this week to keep him tuned up but with the thought of not aggravating his little injury and letting him heal. I am crossing my fingers that he will be completely sound by the time we go back to trialling. The water has been too cold in the big tub to use it for water therapy - despite some really warm days the past couple of weeks in the 90s. So we are left with light exercise, lots of rest and not too much running on the extremely hard and slick ground. If it rains a little bit next week that will be most welcome, to soften things up.

Next week is Chiefie's tenth birthday. I am still working on doggie birthday cake plans. I hope everyone reads Cold Antler today, and Carol Lea Benjamin's blog. I really liked the themes of home, and life is good. Enjoy!

World Trial Wrapup

2011-09-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

I know most of the sheepdog friends have probably already seen this video of Becca's winning run at the recent World Trial. But just in case there are one or two folks who haven't seen it, I would not want anyone to miss this opportunity! And I know there are at least a couple of folks who view my blog who are not really sheepdog people....so this is for you all. The video is well worth watching - poetry in motion - between dog, sheep, and handler.

Becca - World Sheep Dog Champion 2011

Also if you are further interested in the World Trial, here are a couple of online photo albums that have a lot of sweet and interesting photos of this year's trial in them.

Album One

Album Two

The Universe

2011-09-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

New Whistle!

I am very excited about my new whistle. It is custom made to order by a master craftsman. It came in the mail yesterday. Today I tried it out in a lesson with my trainer. My trainer said the colors in the new whistle resemble the universe. Wow - and I just liked the black background and cool, colored specks. But I will take the universe, thank you very much. And thanks to you Mr. Whistle Maker!

It's been a very busy weekend. We had overnight guests who landed due to the RESDA clinic at Shoestring Ranch. All was good there. The RESDA clinic was a mix of judging clinic and mini-lessons. I think everyone came away with something good from Colleen Duncan. Rime and I did a "judged" run so that folks could practice their RESDA scoring. We provided the example of the beginner RESDA Open run/typical RESDA Pro-Novice run. Oh well. Rime's outrun has improved a lot! From there on, we had some issues with him pushing the sheep too hard. But after his run we got some practice in working together being stock handlers. It's all good.

Today Rime and I had a lesson with our trainer. It's the first lesson we've had since early June. I can't believe how the summer has flown! Rime is showing a little bit of improvement but the problems are still mostly mine. I am very proud of our trainer. He recently did very well, winning Soldier Hollow. The approach that he is taking with me and my two dogs makes my head spin at times but it is also scary that it is starting to make sense. I have a lot of work to do on myself. Today we only worked with Rime. Coal has a pulled muscle so I am forcing him to take it easy so he and Chiefie stayed home. Coal is not happy about this but it's a necessary step. I know how these soft-tissue things go - put the dog back to activity too soon and you will just end up "nursing" it longer.

What I am happy about: my new whistle, lessons with Rime, and a good weekend spent with friends and dog training.

What I am not so happy about: that Coal has an injury. Also on a lesser scale, the "new" Facebook is not particularly cool. I am going to try to spend more time on my blog, here, as a result, which is not a bad thing.

Behold, the universe!

Another RESDA Novice Program Event - 09/24/11

2011-09-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

RESDA Novice Program

Click the link above if you are interested in more information on the RESDA Novice Program's latest training day - a day with Colleen Duncan.

Mendocino County Fair Sheepdog Trial Finals

2011-09-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the finals were held for the Mendocino County Fair Sheepdog Trials, which is always a hotly-contested event. This year was the first time I'd had a dog make it into the finals. The fair is held in Boonville, CA, and I was amazed at how many folks came out on a Sunday morning to watch a sheepdog trial! What a neat event with lots of audience involvement! We eight handlers were lined up in front of the completely filled grandstand, preceded by a young man carrying an American flag, who followed a bagpiper in full kilt and wool jacket to lead us in. It was quite a slice of small town Americana. I almost felt like I was in Evening Shade! One handler mentioned afterwards that this fair is like the equivalent of the "National Finals of the RESDA world"...very true!

Before I tell what happened to Coal and me, first I'd like to send out hearty congratulations to our friend Rhonda from Napa and her lovely male dog Craig who showed us all how it was done, RESDA-style, and won the trial, the belt buckle and the blue ribbon with a very high and well deserved score. Craig is a young dog who was nursery age last year, and is really coming on nicely for Rhonda. They were such a deserving team with a smoothly flowing run. Here are the other placements who were in the ribbons:

1- Rhonda/Craig
2- Patti/Roy (tie for second/third)
3-Barbara/Ben (tie for second/third)
4-Sandi/Liz
5-Karen/True

All of these runs were smooth although the Johnson ewes gave a few of them a little trouble. True is a very young dog, just two years old, and his handler wisely moved on from the chute after a couple of attempts, when it became apparent that the sheep were going to try to get the best of True.

And now the sad story of Coal and me. We were drawn up first to run in the order. That meant that first of all in the little "parade of handlers" that we had to follow the flagbearer who was right behind the bagpiper. At the recent Scottish Games, Coal had his first introduction to bagpipes - about a jazillion of them - all at once. Coal decided instantly that he did not care for bagpipes. Yesterday there was only one bagpiper, but that was enough to throw Coal off his usual merry countenance. Then, we were in a place that was familiar to him - we have been to many RESDA trials at the Boonville Fairgrounds - but everything was different. There were so many people and so many new noises and sights. Horses and trailers were everywhere. There were no tarps on the end of the arena to block the view of several dozen rodeo horses and cattle who were loose in corrals visible through the pipe gates. I could tell that Coal was pretty rattled.

With the parade over, we left the arena and the announcer, our friend Kevin Owens who does such a nice job at the microphone, called for Coal and me to come in for our run. I could only grab a quick drink of water for us both and we were off to the trial field. I waved OK for our sheep and I could see Coal looking up the field although he was also looking differently than normal. He took off in one of his creepy, overly careful outruns that he had not been doing since last year. Uh-oh. I think he was confused by all the rodeo animals and was trying to figure out through all the visuals of green pipe gates, exactly where his sheep were. At the same time that he bent out on his outrun to do his gather, it was instantly apparent that the guys doing the stock handling had forgotten to close the gates to the release chute. The sheep saw the dog and ran right back into their chute. I blew a stop whistle. I waited to see what the judge would do. Finally Kevin announced that we would get a re-run. By this time I think both Coal and I were rattled. I called him back but he was looking everywhere for sheep. Poor guy. We went out of the arena again and tried to re-group. The first set of three sheep were exhausted by the stock handlers and soon Kevin called us back in, to re-run immediately. OK.

So back to the "post" we go. I waved for sheep again. This time Coal did a better outrun but the new sheep, led by one big older ewe, came charging out of the chute this time and that lead ewe took off at a dead run. Coal met her at about 10 o'clock and they were off and running. It was all Coal could do to try to contain that leader ewe and keep her on course. Our run was not pretty at all but somehow we completed all the obstacles with the sheep nearly at a run the whole time. There wasn't much to be done with that ewe from He&l. All she wanted to do was run from gate to gate in the arena, where she knew she had been before, and she took the other two sheep with her. It was all over with in a matter of time that seemed to me to zip by so fast. That ewe was running so much that I dared not watch my dog but just watched the sheep and whistled as I tried to take long strides on the fetching course to try to stay ahead of her. This was no bo-peep run! Yikes! Just bad luck and luck of the draw.

Fortunately the crowd was still appreciative of our efforts. But needless to say it was not the run I had been visualizing. More lessons for thinking on one's feet! The rest of the runs went better and better - with some problems here and there - such as sheep not wanting to pen or go thru the chute. It seemed like the sheep were feistier than normal - perhaps due to the crowds and excitement, and all the extra animals around. Anyway that closes the book on the Mendocino Fair in the RESDA season for 2011...a serial of two chapters for Coal and me that included a high and a low! Just like the Cubs fans say...next year!

World Trial 2011

2011-09-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Good luck to all competing at the World Trial, especially our Team USA folks!

Dog Joint Supplements Question

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm curious as to what others have found to be reliable joint and fatty acid supplements for their dogs. There are some well known joint supplements (GlycoFlex, Cosequin, etc.) and some other well known fatty acids (Grizzly Salmon, Missing Link etc.). And then lately I've had several people tell me they see success with a more all-in-one supplement that contains both (Platinum Performance for example, and the silver Nupro).

Fish oil, salmon oil or flax?

Do you add Vitamin C or other vitamins?

I'm re-evaluating what I'm using and trying to come up with a (somewhat cost-effective) program for my dogs who are still on a raw diet. About half their diet is Xkaliber from GreenTripe.com and the rest is either raw meaty bones (normally poultry) and other cuts of beef including organs, plus a few veggies now and then (and frankly whatever is in the fridge!). Ten-year-old Chiefie has some pretty visible arthritis in both wrists in front and a little bit in back. Chief has seasonal allergies and sometimes itchy skin; they are much lessened on the raw diet but in the high season the allergies do flare up. Five-year-old Coal is showing "crunchiness" all over according to his chiropractor; with his stocky little frame, Coal pounds the ground pretty hard in his work. Coal always tends to have a dry coat and whether that's due to his preoccupation with playing in water or just the way his skin and coat are, he has responded favorably to salmon oil in the past. Almost three-year-old Rime is apparently sound but I'd like to supplement him at some level. Rime has a nice glossy coat and seems to do well on either the flax based or fish oil based supplements. I'm open to the idea of not using the same supplements for all of them.

Some of the reviews I looked at online say that the joint supplements often don't contain what they have listed on the label. After going to the trouble and expense of the raw diet it hardly seems to make sense to purchase a poor quality product to put on top of it! Opinions welcome. Thanks!

Pleasanton Scottish Games Wrapup

2011-09-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend NCWSA hosted a sheepdog trial at the Caledonian Club of San Francisco's Scottish Highland Games in Pleasanton, CA. Our purpose is mainly crowd entertainment and education about working dogs and sheep. Two courses - one judged on driving and one judged on obstacles - were offered in a covered arena setting, and each dog had the opportunity to run four times daily, two times on each course. Each course had a day money payout to the top five dogs and an overall champion and reserve belt buckle is offered for dogs who ran in all eight runs over the two days. There are hundreds of spectators who come to the Scottish Games to view all kinds of fun events; our trial always draws a good crowd of people, especially by mid-day and on into the afternoon.

Consistency paid off for the dogs running all eight courses. Despite the small arena, the trial favored a very experienced dog and handler team in all of the classes. Complete results are available on the NCWSA website. Our overall weekend winner was Stephanie Summers and her very capable Tam. Reserve went to Suzanne Anaya and her consistent senior dog, Jet. Both of these dogs had laid down one good run after the other over the weekend. It was not a surprise that they ended up in the top of the overall scores. There were a few other teams in contention but if those other teams had one or two "off" runs, they were beaten out by pure consistency from Tam and Jet.

Stephanie and Tam on course at the Scottish Games (photo by T. Tucker)

There was a bit of excitement on Sunday afternoon as second place in the driving class was tied up between two very good handlers. In order to provide good entertainment for the crowd, we decided to do a runoff on a modified course in order to determine the second and third placements. This little friendly competition really got our spectators involved and excited. The runoff was between Stephanie and Tam and Charlotte Jones and her young Bet. Eventually the runoff was won by Charlotte and Bet. Charlotte's cool handling brought her the win!

Charlotte and Bet get ready to run off for 2nd place in the drive class (photo by T. Tucker)

I hope that everyone who attended had fun. It was an experimental year for NCWSA, as we had changed the format of this trial from a time-and-points arrangement to a judged trial. A few growing pains are always to be expected when changes are made. I was really pleased at how everyone was willing to adapt.

Since yours truly serves on the board of NCWSA as its vice president, I felt like I should support the trial by entering my own dogs. I hadn't been to the Scottish Games in almost ten years but still I knew what the arena and the courses would entail. I really thought my dogs could both handle it and be successful. In fact, however, I was wrong about both of my dogs. Coal had some good sections on both courses, but his extreme eye again rose to front and center and his stubbornness about releasing pressure on the sheep kept us from scoring well and on each run we ran out of time. He's good on some things but not on others. At least one run I retired with Coal because he simply wouldn't listen and take commands that required him to release even a step off of the sheep when I asked him to. Frustration...

Coal and me working the Maltese Cross. Look at the crowds! (photo by T. Tucker)

I have a wise sheepdog trialling friend who is always saying that the reason she goes to trials is to "test her training". What a good motto to have about trials. Poor Rime was unnerved by the situation in the arena and the best he could do was to complete the gather (with my help) and then we retired each run. I scratched the afternoon runs each day when we had the largest crowds. Jennifer, our announcer, was most kind about talking about Rime's issues as green dog training issues that we all work thru at one time or another, so that I did not feel so badly about taking my turn in the cool of the mornings. I wanted Rime to get the experience and seasoning of participating. It seems that his experience a few weeks ago with the blowing tarps in Boonville really made an impression because as of last weekend he refused to take sheep off the rail that had tarps on it. I've been working with Rime for nearly two years now and we have worked steadily on taking sheep off of fences of all types - he has not had any problems with it. Until now. Rime is flexible without Coal's extreme eye and normally quite obedient about taking his flanks and stops..except last weekend. So for those who wondered why I had entered Rime in the trial, I had every reason to believe that he would handle it just fine. Until he didn't. So as a "test of training" the trial worked very well. We aren't there yet!

Again, I hope that most people had fun and I want to say thank you again to all the many handlers who pitched in to help with making the trial run smoothly.

Pleasanton Scottish Games, Part 1

2011-09-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend NCWSA held a sheepdog trial at the Caledonian Club's Scottish Games in Pleasanton, CA. It is a huge gathering of all kinds of folks interested in anything Scottish! I think anyone with even a drop of Scottish blood had to feel the excitement in the air from the music and festivities. The bands and costumes were great - what little I got to see of them. It seemed like there was no time away from the trial, for me at least, to go wander around all of the venues.

Our sheepdog trial was held in a fairly small covered arena. The trial draws a huge number of spectators during the middle of the day and in the afternoon. It's a hotly contested trial with good prize money and a lovely buckle each for the all-around champion and the reserve. Thanks once again to Teri for taking photos. I had no time to get my camera out of its bag once again -- since I was busy helping with scoring and tabulating all those runs. Each handler had the potential of running 4 runs per day per dog. Many handlers had two dogs. There was a drive course and an obstacle course - and we ran each course twice per day over the weekend.

The sheep completing one of the obstacles

Rime awaiting one of his runs in the arena

More in another post about the details and the winners! (and more photos)

RESDA Oak Springs Open run for Coal

2011-09-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind on blogs, but here are last weekend's photos taken by Teri, of Coal and me running RESDA Open at the Oak Springs trial. What started out as a really beautiful run (zero off the outrun and lift) turned into a boondoggle as I was unable to whistle - at all - on the drives. The dry weather and other factors seemed to combine into a repeat of our poor performance at the first day of the Hopland trial last year when I also couldn't whistle. Sigh. Then we ran out of time before I closed the pen gate on a beautiful pen that followed a beautiful chute. That's dog trialin'!

Coal at the post

Coal lifting beautifully

Fetch

And around the "post" (pen) they go...

First part of the driveaway...just as whistle meltdown occurred!

Driveaway

Drive to 1st panel

Driving

Drive to 2nd panel confounded by no whistling from the handler!

Putting 'em thru the chute...

Penning as fast as we can...

But not fast enough. Time was called before we completed the pen.

A quick order was put into Operation Sheep Herding for a couple of new whistles post haste last Sunday. They arrived Thursday and I started using the new Corian "Moss" whistle right away to try to get used to it.

This weekend we are at the Scottish Highland Games in Pleasanton at the NCWSA sheepdog trial there. Neither of my dogs are really the right type of dog to do well in this type of venue but we are supporting the club by being there. And everyone seems to be having a good time!

More Oak Springs Pro-Novice RESDA

2011-09-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

So, here are more photos of the RESDA Pro-Novice class from last Saturday, including Rime and yours truly. Actually we ran last in the trial, the last dog of the day. Rime did OK and got second place in the class. He was pretty keyed up from waiting for his turn all day, as baby dogs do. He did not show the more cool control that he has at our home fields. But it's coming along. We are both pleased! Thanks to Teri for taking these pics with my camera.

We are at the "post" ready to go. No long wait for sheep to be set this week!

Rime showing some nice control on the fetch

Waiting for instructions...

At Panel 1

Panel 1 complete

Going for Panel 2

At the pen

Shutting the pen gate! Yes!

Rime is happy and so am I!

Andy Anderson

2011-08-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

We meet the most interesting people in our travels with the dogs. I shudder to think of the opportunities I would have missed to meet the fabulous people that I know in the world of dogs, if I did not have the dogs. It would be a bleak existence, indeed. One of those very special gems of a dog handler has passed on - Andy Anderson. Andy was a true gentleman, a well-known horseman and a dog handler, and above all a kind soul who did not know a stranger. Always ready with a compliment about your run or a positive comment on the day at the trials, Andy was a familiar figure around the Bay Area with his dogs Bob, Joy, and Spur. I was very saddened today to find out that Andy has passed away late last week. He will be truly missed by so many. There are so many good memories of Andy down at the Willowside Ranch in Pescadero for AHBA trials, or at the REDSA trials in Northern California. Andy was one of those people that I always looked for at the events and tried to spend time with him. It was always an enjoyable visit. Godspeed, Andy.

Andy's good bitch, Spur

Linda is awarding Andy with the goose egg that was laid literally during Spur's AHBA HRD-geese run!

RESDA Pro-Novice Class, Oak Springs Trial

2011-08-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we had the RESDA Oak Springs Trial. Rather than talk about the Open class first like I normally do, I thought I'd focus on the RESDA-style Pro-Novice class first for once. The RESDA Pro-Novice class is a training opportunity for dogs and handlers alike, to gain some experience in a trial setting without the formality of running in RESDA Open. (Neither RESDA class has any bearing on a person or dog's status in USBCHA trials.)

George Powell is always videoing us so that we have mementos of our runs as well as a potential training tool for discovering our handler errors, in my case many. He and his Gracie had such a nice run this past Saturday that I thought I'd put up the photos that I took of them (which are nowhere near the quality of his videos!).

George and Gracie head out to the field

George and Gracie go to the "post" which in this case is the pen

Gracie has done her outrun and is picking up the sheep off the stock handler. George has moved up to help her on the outrun.

On the fetch

Bringing the sheep around the pen ("post") which will complete their fetch

Fetch is nearly done

Heading for Panel #1

Setting up Panel #1 (one side has blown over)

Panel 1 complete

There is a dip in the field to Panel #2 but George and Gracie get it

The chute is optional in this class, but George and Gracie get it!

And they get the pen too! Well done!

Today is Coal's birthday!

2011-08-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

Five years of joy!

Rime Goes to Boonville

2011-08-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

Every dog has his day. Sort of.

Rime got his first chance on the Boonville Green last Saturday. Following the Open eliminations trial for the upcoming Mendocino Fair, the RESDA "pro-novice" dogs got a turn on the Johnson ewes. I was really looking forward to getting Rime out on those sheep (which he has worked before, out in the open field at the Johnson ranch) and on that field (where he has never worked before). Thanks once again to Teri Tucker for these photos.

Rime and I head to our spot behind the pen, to begin

There was a problem up top. The sheep didn't want to come out of the chute. We must've stood and waited for our sheep for many minutes. It was not easy for a baby dog. I kept walking Rime around and trying to stay loose. Finally our sheep were set and I sent Rime out to the right. He ran out nicely but seemed to be cutting in a bit. I stopped him and blew him out. He bent out nicely - good boy. Then I noticed the wind was blowing and that the tarps on the end of the arena were flapping.

Rime starts a crossover to avoid the blowing tarps

Arghghgh, too bad, there goes the nice outrun. Rime did not like the blowing tarps and spooked. I urged him on around and the ewes gathered in a knot and started to stand up to him. By then I was hiking up the field to help.

Rime considers whether he is willing to go around the ewes and face up to both them and the tarps

Finally we got the sheep collected. He was under control. I liked it! But then it was a long hike back for me to the pen so we could complete our fetch.

Rime holding the side that the sheep want to run to

Rime is listening while I hike back to the pen and we complete our gather

Finally we completed our turn around the pen and headed for the first panel. We are back on course.

Thru the first panel!

Setting up the second panel nicely with Rime
See the tarps still blowing!

No more photos but we made the second panel just fine and walked that long walk again back to the pen. We gave the pen a couple of tries and I retired. I wanted Rime to have a good, no great, experience on his first trip to the Boonville as a participant dog. And the ewes wanted desperately to book to the exhaust pen in the lower corner. I didn't want Rime to have a blow up so we didn't push our luck. I was really pleased with him. We put the sheep into the exhaust and called it a day. Good boy, Rime!

Mendocino Eliminations RESDA Trial

2011-08-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

Not a form of digestive upset, except for some of the handlers (grin), the RESDA eliminations trial last Saturday was a sort of "tryout" to narrow the field from 24 open dogs to 8 for the finals at the Mendocino County Fair sheepdog trial to be held on September 18th. Always a big draw for the sheepdog trial fans in Boonville, the eliminations is a hotly-contested race to see who can make it into that elite eight during the fair. A beautiful buckle and prize money and mainly bragging rights, are all at stake in September.

I have never made it into the Mendocino finals. Most years I have never even tried to enter this nearly-mythical race. This year I thought I should try as Coal is doing pretty well in the RESDA world, middle of the pack most times and would do better if I could clean up my perpetual handler errors. But on Saturday we had one of those magic runs that you dream about. Hardly a hoof or paw out of place.

Coal ran dog #9 out of 24 dogs so I had to wait all day to see his score and if his run would hold up. I was fairly certain it was good but I wasn't certain about how judge and longtime handler/rancher Nancy Todd would see it from up in her perch in the judge's stand.

When the trial was over, Coal was the eliminations trial winner. He got 57 points out of a possible 60! I was shocked and delighted. I about wore out my "thank you" responding to everyone's congratulations. It was just a great run and it was all the dog...and I didn't do anything stupid. I am really thankful for such a wonderful dog who clicked in at the right time on the wily Johnson ranch woolies. We were definitely in that elite eight for the first time. Wow! Photos by Teri Tucker - thank you!

Coal's lift - straight down the arena center towards me

Coal on the fetch on the Boonville Green

We have turned the post (pen) and completed our fetch, and started to the first panel

Thank you, Dee S., I am at this point channelling your long-ago advice, "defense, DEE-fense!" to the first panel.

And the second panel is neatly completed.

Coal bringing them steadily toward the chute

Thru the chute they go...like buttah!

At the pen, breathing...

And in! Yes!

And that's how we came to have a nearly-clean run.

NCWSA Scottish Games Pleasanton CA, Labor Day Weekend

2011-08-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that entries are open for the Caledonian Club's Scottish Games NCWSA sheepdog trial, September 3-4 (Labor Day weekend), at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA. Come and join us for a good trial with a challenging and fun new courses.

Sheepdog Trial Entry Link

Sheep Dog Trials at the Games

This link to the Caledonian Club of San Francisco gives you just a taste of the other highlights of the weekend's Highland Games.

More Sonoma County Fair 2011Photos - Sheep Theme

2011-08-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

Coal at the sheepdog trial (photo by Marcie G.)

Trial sheep from the Johnson ranch, Mendocino County (photo by Marcie G.)

In the Hall of History for the 75th Fair Anniversary

North Bay Wool Growers' booth in the Hall of History

4-H booth in the Hall of History

License plate outside the sheep shearing contest

Sonoma County Fair 2011 Sheepdog Trial

2011-08-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos that my friend Marcie G. took of Coal and me at last Saturday's RESDA sheepdog trial at the Sonoma County Fair.

Sheep Shearing Contest

2011-08-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

The 75th Anniversary of the Sonoma County Fair is under way.

Today I went to watch the sheep shearing contest. Some of the best shearers in the country, if not in the world, participate in this competition. Here are a few photos:

Getting ready - picking out the sheep to use in the contest

3 shearers working at once

Competition shearer

Blade shearing

Dog Hair is My Favorite Condiment

2011-08-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

"Dog hair is my favorite condiment" was a phrase overheard at the handler's lunch potluck this past Saturday. I am quoting it with permission from its original source too! We were all hungrily gathered around in a cool kitchen to seek relief from the blistering heat outside at the Last Chance SDT up in Tulelake/Malin on the Cal/Oregon border. And what a tasty potluck it was too. I didn't find any dog hair in my lunch, but then I wasn't being too particular at that point either. Thanks Amy for the great quote!

One of the highlights of any trip up to that area is a much-appreciated stop at the Grass Lake rest area on route 97 at about 5,000 feet elevation. It has one of the nicest places to walk your dogs and get them out of their car crates for a few minutes when you are on a long trip. And it also has beautiful vistas of what is truly a lake made of grass. There are some beautiful tall trees and who would have thought - sea gulls - panhandling from picnickers. It also gives you a chance to walk around and start to adjust to the huge change you have just made in altitude.

Stopping at Grass Lake

The other highlight of the drive is of course all of the many different views that we get of Mt Shasta. There are just not words and certainly no cruddy photo from my phone does it justice.

Miss Mt Shasta in all her glory!

The Last Chance trial was a no-frills version but fun and of course very ably run with some of the most experienced trial organizers in the country doing all of the honors. The sheep were awesome not-quite-yearling replacement fine-wool ewe lambs belonging to the Rowleys. It was a very challenging trial. I was glad to see everyone that I normally do not see until the early spring events more local to me such as Zamora and Sonoma Wine Country. Sorry I do not have any actual sheepdog trial photos. It was so hot out I didn't even think about getting my camera out of the car...the heat does funny things to my brain. Coal and I did not do very well, but then the fine wools are the type that brings out his extreme eye the most and we have no chance to practice on that type of sheep. So I am trying to look at the whole thing as a practice and I have another long list of things to work on. We were very graciously hosted by dear friends and that certainly made the weekend. I hadn't been up to that area since the 2009 Finals and I hope to get back up there before the 2012 Finals! It is certainly a wonderful place to be for a dog trial.

Various Photos from the Height of Summer Time

2011-07-25T21:02:00.001-07:00

Wow, things have been pretty busy lately! Here are some recent photos of the happenings:

Rime at the Willowside fun trial July 17, 2011 in Pescadero
Photo Credit Barb McPherson

The above picture of Rime was taken at setout so it shows him starting his fetch in the P-N on day two. Yes he's going pretty fast but for Rime this is fairly good - the lift and first part of the fetch have been his challenging area - so the fact that he's holding himself together and his tail is down - is all good!

Rime cooling off - "Wolf in a Bucket" - at one of our sheep fields

Yes all those long legs fit into a teeny bucket. Actually the bucket is larger than it appears in the perspective of the photo but it's a funny one and has created a lot of laughs...

Cookie, a guard llama at one of the other fields where we work

Natchez, Cookie's "partner" who always has his ears back!

We are learning to work with llamas as guardian animals for the sheep. Luckily these two are pretty well socialized and were trained to lead before they moved in. Still it is a bit daunting to be around such a large animal when you are not used to them. We'll get better at it. The dogs are giving them a pretty wide berth - which is fine by me. The grass is drying out enough at this field that we can get back in to work dogs again. We've stayed out of this field for almost two months due to foxtail danger and so forth. It's good to be back!

Pam Cornell Memorial Sheepdog Trial, July 2011

2011-07-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

Rime near the cross drive at Willowside

Coal, Chief, and Rime on the Pescadero trial field enjoying the COOL!

This past weekend NCWSA hosted the Pam Cornell Memorial Sheepdog trial at Willowside Ranch outside of cool Pescadero, CA. The Willowside Ranch was indeed Pam's dream and we hoped to put on an event that was worthy of her memory. I am hoping that we succeeded. The trial field is shown above, where my boys were going for a romp on Friday afternoon before things got started. They were much appreciative of a big open field to run in after their car ride down to Pescadero driving through San Francisco!

The club offered Novice-Novice, Pro-Novice, and Open Ranch fun classes for handlers on the Willowside farm flock of mixed Dorper-Katahdin sheep. The adult ewes have been worked in the past, but are not worked often now; about half of them had good-size ewe lambs by their sides and these made up the packets of four, set by our very able and experienced stock handling team. Each packet had two or three ewes plus one or two lambs, so the sheep were workable if treated correctly. The runs were judged, but if a person needed to leave the post to help his or her dog, they were allowed to run out their time allotment as long as things were going smoothly. In this sense we hoped to provide a training and learning experience for dogs and handlers alike. Open handlers were required to run in Open Ranch, with no open dogs except for non-compete. On Saturday we offered fun runs after the trials were over for an additional practice experience.

I cannot say enough thanks of gratitude to the trial organizers who made everything look so easy. I am on the NCWSA board so I was involved with planning this event but did not have an assigned "job" for the weekend - so I had the luxury of being the floater to pick up whatever job was needed at the moment: exhaust, scoring, gophering - whatever! This is the type of assignment I truly enjoy the most as my job keeps changing. We also had tremendous help from the handlers who pitched in wherever and whenever needed to fill any job that needed doing. For this the Board is most grateful!

I ran my boys non-compete: Rime in the P-N and Coal in the O-R. On Saturday, Rime had trouble lifting the sheep - two ewe/lamb pairs who wanted awfully badly to go back to setout. I didn't want to give him his bite command in a trial as I am working so hard to get him to lift softly and correctly. So I walked a lot closer and he was able to lift with encouragement, we fetched them to the post and then retired and exhausted them. I figured a quiet work was much better than a blowup at that point as the older ewes were flighty and could have caused Rime to get into tail-in-the-air mode! Coal and I had a decent go but missed a drive panel, just skimming it low, and didn't get our shed. I was really happy with his engagement on the pen though, which has been a recent issue. He stayed with me and held his ground and while the lambs in each set had no idea what they were doing we were still able to pen. Pens were hard to come by this weekend so it was nice to get them with my dogs.

Sunday Rime was up third and I was a bit worried about him being too fresh even though he had exhausted runs almost all afternoon the day before. Anyway he was a little on the muscle but we managed to stay under control and got 'round the course. That was an awesome feeling for me as Rime has been quite a project! Coal was up first in the O-R and we again had a decent but not great run - he was a bit too sticky at the turn 'round the post and that ate up time. Again we did not get our shed. You would think it would have been easy to split two ewe/lamb pairs but it wasn't. It was my fault and not his as I never could arrange the sheep to even ask him to come in, before time was called. More to work on.

Rime worked more exhaust as the day finished up and the only casualty in our group was that Coal must've gotten stung by an insect in his foot after his Sunday run. It started to swell and we finally figured out that it must've been a sting and not an injury to explain his limp. I gave him Benadryl and all seemed well soon - which was a huge relief.

Huge thank-yous to everyone who helped out. I am sure that Pam would've been quite pleased with the entire weekend event.

Away to Me

2011-07-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

Check out this website promoting a movie following five handlers leading up to Soldier Hollow 2011:

Away To Me - Sheepdog Movie

It should be fun to see how a film student from USC views Soldier Hollow!

But wait...there's already a pretty nice slide show from the 2007 Soldier Hollow trial here:

Sheepdog Championship

This slide show shows Bill Berhow and Pete the year they won Soldier Hollow. Enjoy.

Sonoma Marin Fair 2011

2011-07-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

Preserving Tradition

Last Sunday Coal and I ran in the RESDA trial that is part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair held annually in Petaluma, California. It's a very big deal for all the FFA and 4-H kids who show their animals in some very hot competition. The very appropriate fair theme this year was Preserving Tradition. All the livestock winners are listed on the fair's website with some great photos of kids who work very hard with their stock. Take a look! These kids are the future of farming and will face challenges in animal agriculture in the future that we can only dream of. No animals, no sheep dog trials; think it over, folks....it's not just about the Ugly Dog Contest in Petaluma!

The RESDA sheep dog trial is held in the back of the fairgrounds, in a very small horse arena; the size of the arena does not make it easier - only more tricky! It is an annual challenge to see which of the local handlers are up to the test on the course. Luckily the weather cooperated better than that last two years when the temps have hovered around 100 degrees. Last Sunday it was mild in the low 80s, and there was a pleasant breeze. The consistent white hair sheep from the Spencer ranch provided the challenge on the course. My goals going in, were to have fun, remain as quiet as possible on course, have fun, respect my dog, have fun, enjoy myself, have fun, stay focused and calm and quiet with my dog, and have fun!

Coal can be a bit creepy and sticky at times so I wanted to avoid that. We've been working some exercises to keep him engaged with his stock and I think it has paid off a little bit. We had a smooth opening and good flow going but in the tight arena I couldn't get the fetch straightened out, alas. The turn around the pen and the lines to the two panels were fairly good. Some handlers had difficulty approaching the second panel, when their sheep ran back to the hay used for setout, but Coal and I handled that OK which made me quite happy! Then we came to the chute. We ex-agility folks all joked on the walk-thru, about how we had to do two front crosses (or two blind or rear crosses, or one of each) on this course the way the handler's position was prescribed for the chute. That comment certainly broke some tension in the handler's meeting! The chute was close to the rail located opposite the spectators. It was really hard for us to handle the desire for the sheep to run down that "alleyway" between chute and rail and Coal and I were not up to the challenge on that day. (Plus on that side of the arena, the exhaust sheep were waiting behind tarps.) After several attempts on the chute without getting it, I regathered the sheep near the end of the chute and went on to the pen which was smoothly completed. Our work was good enough for 6th place with no chute points. We should have gotten that chute and placed higher, but Coal and I still have things to work out related to his extreme eye both in the arenas and in the field. Considering that practicing has been at a minimum due to foxtail season, I was happy and felt like I accomplished most of my other goals. I think this is the best any of my dogs have ever placed at this particular fair. Just because it is small it is still a big challenge. Often times, believe it or not, dogs do not see the sheep at the other end of the arena! That happened once with Bid and me and once with Coal on his first time in RESDA Open there, what seems like a long three years ago.

Anyway thanks are due to the Sonoma-Marin Fair for its continuing sponsorship of sheepdog trials there and to the Spencer ranch for providing the sheep for us. And Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association for its ongoing preservation of tradition.

Respect, and a Birthday

2011-06-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday RESDA sponsored a novice clinic with Bill Berhow in Santa Rosa. What a great day we had! It took me back to my very first sheepdog clinic (also with Bill) back in 1994. And what a wealth of talent, experience and intuition was shared between Bill and Karen Kollgaard at her ranch. The background that Bill provided on himself and his influences and mentors was fascinating...from dog men who are no longer with us but the thoughts that they passed on still remain.

After a Q&A session each handler worked his or her dog in the field with the entire group of folks watching and participating. Bill provided commentary and suggestions on each dog's short session. I like this type of clinic where all of the handlers and auditors are included in the feedback on the dogs. Rime and I went first, partially to "break the ice" and also so I could then help to set sheep for the rest. Rime performed really well; I was so happy with his work! Finally everyone got to see that Rime really does "work better at home"! LOL! We chose to do a small driving-trial type course although Karen also had a RESDA style course set up as well. Rime drew a lot of four wily Cheviots that were somewhat hard to contain as a packet (home flock woes) but we managed. Sometimes Rime still "blows his top" (literally and figuratively) but at age 2 1/2 he is really coming along. [We have been doctoring a lame lamb and Rime can do any chore I need him to do to help with this - he brings the flock into the barn and holds them while I grab the lamb (who is becoming very wary of me at this point!) and then holds the other sheep, functioning as a "gate" while I medicate the lamb. Coal can do this too, of course, but I am really proud that they both can handle a real chore like this. I could not do it without them. ]

After Rime's clinic run, Coal and I went out to setout to move and set sheep for most of the other teams. Coal worked his fanny off but was very happy. I kept thinking about how in his talk, Bill focused on the respect that we need to have for these dogs and how much they give to us. Watching Coal helping me all afternoon even when we were both hot and tired, really cemented that idea. Respect for the dogs is the main "gem" that I will take away from this mini-clinic.

Yesterday was also a birthday. Bid would have been 12. My friend Carl sent me a text with this photo which I received on my drive home from a very long day of sheep "rounds", the clinic, and then more sheep "rounds". This picture made my day:

This is Bid's brother Jess, going strong at age 12. Looking into those eyes made me feel like Bid was looking back at me. It is a sweet revelation now.

RESDA Novice Program - June 25, 2011

2011-06-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

The RESDA Novice Program is pleased to present a special program for the next practice day on Saturday, June 25, 2011.

Bill Berhow will join us and provide individual coaching for the runs, which will be hosted as usual at Karen Kollgaard's Shoestring Ranch in Santa Rosa.

Full information and sign ups are available online at http://www.heringer.com/. Capacity for the day will necessarily be limited, so please sign up as soon as you can if you would like to participate in this practice day.

Willowside Ranch NCWSA fun trial, Pescadero July 16-17

2011-06-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

Entries are still open for the Pam Cornell Memorial sheepdog trial, in Pescadero July 16-17. In fact the club is seeking a few more entries in order to make this trial a "go". Please support your local sheepdog club - Northern California Working Sheepdog Association and join us in the cool coastal weather for a fun trial in mid-July.

Entries available here

Urban Ovines

2011-06-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

Each year a flock of sheep is brought in to the area surrounding the office complex where I work, to graze down the hillsides and the open land between the buildings. A herder is kept very busy moving electronet, and checking and moving sheep, day after day. The process goes on for several weeks while the sheep move through the office park. This has become the annual tradition at the office. On our breaks we can be seen at the large windows watching the sheep's movement. There is a popular walking trail past where the sheep graze. Many folks can be seen stopping to watch the sheep on their lunchtime walks, and taking pictures with their camera phones such as the one above. I haven't been able to count them but I am guessing there are at least a hundred head of young adults and older lambs in this particular group. With lamb prices the way they are, it is quite an investment out there munching on those hillsides. I'm sure it's as close as a lot of the joggers and walkers have ever been to a live sheep. It's nice to see the rural dovetailed with the urban.

RESDA Beebe-Johnson Memorial Trial 2011

2011-05-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, RESDA held the annual Beebe-Johnson Memorial Trial. This trial honors two of the families who were and are stalwart supporters and handlers in the RESDA program over these many years. Normally this trial is held at the Boonville (Mendocino County) fairgrounds but this year the fairgrounds' large grassy arena was not available due to reseeding. So the trial was held at the actual Johnson family ranch.

A compliation of photos from the day can be viewed here.

I was really happy with how my boys worked. Coal ran in the open and had a nearly perfect run - unusual for us - except that we did not get our pen. It was just not meant to be and I have stuff to work on to try to improve this part of our performance. The RESDA pen is unique in that the handler stands still without any assistance to the dog to help pen the sheep. It truly must be all the dog's work and none of the handler except for voice or whistle commands. In fact at all the traditional RESDA obstacles the handler stands still with no crook, and with no arm movements. So if you and your dog "cross over" from time to time from USBCHA trialling to RESDA and back again I have to think it might be confusing for a dog to have you help at the pen sometimes, and sometimes not. I don't think that is the root of Coal's problem but it is pertinent to know. Here we are pictured working on the pen that we did not get:

Billy & Coal at the pen
Photo by T. Tucker

Lack of a pen aside, I was really pleased with Coal's outrun, lift and fetch. I'll get to review it on the video from Powell's K9 Productions, yet to come.

Rime ran in the RESDA pro-novice class. I helped him on the outrun by leaving him back on a stay and walking out. I think we are still at this stage for unfamiliar places so that I can assure Rime will have a cool head and a good run. He needs the mileage right now more than he needs "testing". I was really pleased with how he performed and stayed cool and calm even though one of the five ewes was testing him throughout. This would have been a prime opportunity for Rime to blow up, but he did not. We even penned. Next time I should try the chute (optional in pro-novice) if things are going this well again.

We also had a birthday celebration after lunch. Sunday was somebody's birthday who happens to be my big brother. Here we are showing off a cake and some napkins that say, "What's One More Candle?". It was a fun day for a picnic in the country, that happened to include a dog trial.

Spencer Pt Pleasant SDT 5-15-11

2011-05-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend of driving here and there. Coal and I ran at the Pt. Pleasant sheepdog trial outside of Elk Grove on Sunday. I took a bunch of pictures of the Pro-Novice class (but unfortunately did not get everyone, and no pics of the open class). The pictures are here in a Picasa album:

LINK

Sunday's weather was crazy and changeable. Storm cells rolled through with regularity, giving us shows of lightning and a sound track of thunder.

Dark skies over the trial field

Luckily it did not rain on most of the runs. Coal and I took our turn late afternoon and the weather was fine for us. We also got a nice set of sheep who were willing to separate for the split and single but yet moved together nicely on the outwork and drive. He was pretty amped up (no doubt due to the cool air, the weather, and waiting all day) so he was all gas and no brakes! That was kind of fun though and while he didn't listen to me very well we managed to finish the course with a decent score.

Saturday we attended a friend's celebration of an extraordinary achivement. It was good to see old friends and visit with new. It was a good socializing opportunity for Rime. Saturday morning Rime and I had a good lesson with our trainer, working on outruns. It was indeed a busy but productive weekend.

It's a bit sad that our local USBCHA trialling season is now completed until fall. Thanks to the Spencers once again, and their crew, for providing us with another opportunity to run our dogs!

Board Meeting

2011-05-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

All but one of the one for the book Team

The team held a brief board meeting yesterday afternoon, since it was such a nice day. All but Grace are shown in the team photo; she was off on a committee assignment under some shade. Pictured below are a couple of the VPs:

Don

Coal

The meeting was soon adjourned with ovine activities to follow! (Photos by T. Tucker)

Dunnigan Hills Spring 2011

2011-05-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we traveled to Zamora again for the Dunnigan Hills Spring 2011 sheepdog trial. It has been a few days but time passes so quickly that I never seem to quite find time to write about the trial, or anything else for that matter. As with everyone else in this day and age, the daily and weekly routine keeps a person so busy. If anyone is wondering what happened to the remaining twin lamb born on Easter Sunday, he is thriving, fat, happy and growing. He has a good mom. We also had another set of healthy twin ewe lambs that were born yesterday. So life goes on......without photos. I have a funny superstition about taking lamb photos.

Anyway the Dunnigan P-N/Nursery classes were run on the Friday. The post and course was returned to the "original" layout from a few years ago (basically turned a quarter turn or so counter clockwise from what the course has been the last couple of times). I had always liked this earlier arrangement and it reminded me of running Bid in Pro-Novice a few years ago at this trial. It was a bit of a walk down memory lane for me. Rime had two runs in Nursery. He is really not ready for Nursery/P-N and is not what you call a "true nursery dog" other than in birthdate...he is not one of those early-maturing, super-thoughtful and capable youngsters except in the enthusiasm department! However I thought of all places where Rime should feel comfortable it should be at Zamora, so I went ahead and entered him, just for mileage. There was a large turnout for the Friday classes and it was a very full day of runs. A lot of really nice runs were laid down in both the P-N and the Nursery.

As for us, in our first run, after what started as a beautiful outrun, Rime was fairly naughty at the top and on the upper part of the fetch. He rang the sheep at least twice. Frustration! I could not get him stopped. Finally I got him under control and we were able to complete the whole course, including remaining part of the fetch, the drive and the pen. Whew! That was a first and gave me a bit of confidence. I know he can do the work. It's just getting it done when we are away from home that is the current challenge. In his second run, he was a bit better on his outwork but the sheep were getting a bit tired and when we turned the post and started the first drive leg they opted to snake left around the hill and Rime did not handle this well. He was showing a bit of frustration himself, so I retired. I made a mental note that in the past Bid always did more poorly on his second run in a day at a trial too. More runs are not always a good thing in one day. But at least we got one course completed; that is huge for Rime and me.

I haven't mentioned the wind. The wind dominated the entire first two days of the trial, with gusts of up to 35 mph according to the TV news. It made spectating really challenging and turned faces into dry burnt toast. The dogs appeared to have no trouble hearing their whistles, however. On the P-N/N day, most handlers sent right (Away to me) with only a few sending left; but both could be successful.

Days two and three were for the Open dogs. Coal had one run each day. The outrun was lengthened from P-N. Fetch gates were set up near where the P-N setout had been. The drive was longer with three sets of drive gates instead of two. A single was required following the pen. It struck some of us who had been there on Friday as a little strange, because on Saturday and Sunday most handlers sent their dogs left (Come Bye) with only a few sending right. In past years either direction has been successful with an equal number of dogs getting lost on the outrun to either side. This year was no exception. A few dogs went back down to the parking area looking for their sheep. One or two went back to setout. Most made some semblance of picking up their designated sheep. There were a lot of really nice runs, especially on Sunday. It would have been very hard for me to separate out the top four or so runs in placement order if I had been judging. In particular Tom Spencer's run and Anne Mock's run were both just spectacular.

Coal and I got around the course both days and in both runs ran out of time attempting the single. I was happy that we got to the shedding area (no marked ring) but would have liked to complete a course at least one of the days. Coal had no trouble finding his sheep. He is running out from the post with a lot of purpose which is a big improvement over our Open classes last year. At the top, though, I feel he sometimes still lacks confidence but seems to be improving. Our fetches and drives had good and bad points but as usual most issues were handler-oriented. We also have much to work on in the singling department. I felt like our Sunday run was better than our Saturday run. It would be nice to get out to trials more often to kind of keep that momentum going. But our trial season is winding down and the travel budget is low. It was a nice relaxing weekend spent among good company, old friends, and new. The summer will be mainly for practice, for us, with a few one-day trials and a couple of fairs in the RESDA circuit. I will say thanks once again to all who helped to make the Dunnigan trial a success.

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

It's been an Easter to remember. I set out to make it a low-key, restful and relaxing weekend with no strings and no stress.

Yesterday, I took some photos of the boys working sheep. I hadn't taken any pics in a long time so it was long overdue. The pics are in a Picasa album, here. Rime and Coal worked with a group of 4-month-old lambs plus one older ram lamb. I had never taken the lambs out alone without their mothers before. I did not work them very long. It made for an interesting group to work. It's hard to sort off a group to work these days, when most of the sheep are ewe and lamb pairs. So, things get a bit creative. Rime also worked with the same group after they had a rest break; he found the lambs to be more of a challenge which makes sense. Chiefie also got a turn on the sheep; I sorted off a larger group of older sheep for him to work and only had him out a few minutes. I am afraid that Chiefie will do more than his 9-year-old body should really allow, but he loves having his turn.

We have been watching and waiting for a little 3 to 4 year old ewe to lamb. She was huge and hanging down so low as to appear most uncomfortable. This morning she went into labor. I watched her a long time from a long distance but she was watching me in return and I knew she wouldn't have her baby with us there. So we went off to work dogs elsewhere and came back later. When we came back she had twin lambs and one was dead. The other one was not very vigorous but we got a lesson in tube feeding a lamb with colostrum (and milking a ewe). Tomorrow will tell the tale whether the lamb has made it or not. This ewe was not a first-timer but has always had singles in the past. Because she was so huge we were concerned that she would either have twins with this outcome, or a huge single that she wouldn't be able to have on her own. Anyway it's good to have the dilemma behind us and we've done what we could for the remaining ram lamb.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. It was an Easter to remember.

Progress

2011-04-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

The sun has been out for a few days. The grass is growing, the mud is slowly drying up. With all of this progress, temperaments are improving among humans and animals alike! We have actually been able to get out and work dogs a little bit, more and more each day. Some of our sheep got sheared too.

It was funny to watch the two lambs after their mothers got sheared. The lambs were standing right next to their moms yet were baa-ing trying to find their "lost" parent. They soon figured it out though.

Here's to more happy spring!

A Suggestion to Mother Nature

2011-03-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Miss Bowina at the 2010 Harvest Fair in Santa Rosa (photo courtesy Lisa Dillon)

Dear Mother Nature,

This very happy purple cow would do a lovely dance if you could see fit to offer her some sun! Or at least a lack of rain and wind for several days? Ya think? In fact all the cows and sheep in Sonoma County could really use some sun instead of more rain and mud (not to mention the dogs and people).

Thank you,

Your grateful subjects (purple and otherwise)

Sonoma Wine Country 2011

2011-03-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

This year the Sonoma Wine Country Sheepdog Trial was truly "one for the book". The weather was awful but the companionship was good. The dog work was still great as ever, and the sheep were fine for the most part. The rain tested everyone's rain gear to the max. The fallen tree was just the icing on the cake. Once again we can say it was fun but we are glad it is over for another year! Teri T. was on hand with her camera when the weather got a little kinder, Sunday afternoon, and snapped these nice shots of Coal working on the hill field.

Congratulations to all the winners! There were many nice prizes in the raffles and of course there was the beautiful quilt. This year the quilt went to the one individual in the crowd who as someone noted, was the only person who could possibly win it and yet make everyone else there happy.

As for a personal wrapup with my dogs, it was a mixed bag. I ran Rime in the Nursery on Friday. During his first run, in the morning, the rain was hitting us all so hard it felt like just one step away from hail. I saw him shaking his head and squinting his eyes when he got close to me with the sheep. (Later we heard there was a funnel cloud that touched down in Santa Rosa that morning!) Of course the sheep weren't too happy to be out there, either. It did not make for a great experience for Rime in one of his first trial outings. I had made up my mind to manage his outrun and we did, but things just got too difficult on the drive so I retired. In his second run I really only went to the post to try to maintain the numbers for Nursery. By the time that second run came, it was 6:30 at night and a couple of dogs had been scratched. For us it was a retire almost as soon as I sent him. Rime and I need more time to work on his training even though he works very well for me on a daily basis at our home fields and can handle almost any chore including mamas, lambs, close quarters, gathering a whole flock, or just a stubborn sheep.

Coal ran on the flat field on Saturday, again in a pouring rain storm but not as bad as during Rime's run on Friday. Coal has been on that field several times so I think he felt comfortable. He did a decent outrun and lift. The fetch was not very straight as we were nursing along one particular ewe of the four who wanted to leave exit stage right and was baa-ing for someone who wasn't with her. She made it particularly difficult to maintain any type of flow. We got halfway through the cross drive and encountered the ditch feature in the field that bisects it longitudinally. Normally this is just a hop-over for sheep and dog, but on Saturday it was a raging torrent of rushing water and the sheep just flat refused to go over. And so we ran out of time on the drive for that run.

Sunday we were lucky to run at all, given the fallen tree and all. But the show did go on, and after lunch the weather brightened a bit. We were treated to only a few scattered rain drops while waiting our turn at the post on the hill field. Coal has never set foot on the hill field before and I have never run a dog over there. After I sent him, I just waited as he went out of sight and then watched for any movement in the sheep. On this field Coal did what I thought was a better outrun and the way the field is, the handler really cannot see the lift. The fetch was nicer, and through the gates. We got into trouble, though, on the drive once again, and lost almost all of our drive points. While we got the shed, it was not pretty and we timed out attempting the pen. I'm very happy with the two gathers in Open and we have much to work on, from there. Coal seems none the worse for wear from the runs, and is his typically happy self. I do enjoy running him!

It is always fun helping out with this trial and there were some spectacular runs by the top handlers. There were also some firsts and personal bests among the more local crowd including Lorin D.who won the big Pro-Novice class on Friday. Congratulations!

Wet, Windy, Woolie

2011-03-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

The weather for this year's Sonoma Wine Country Sheepdog trial was the worst that anyone could remember from years past. Rain, hail, wind, and more misery. Saturday night in Santa Rosa, there was a high wind warning. Early Sunday morning we learned that a huge oak had fallen across the driveway to the trial site and was blocking the road as well. The trial must go on, however, so the tree was cleared with the help of an arborist, several handlers and trial crew. The trial got underway late but we were rewarded with decent weather the rest of the day, especially in the afternoon.

First handler on the hill field getting her run under way. Whew!

More to come about the trial in a later post...

Many Hands

2011-03-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

It takes many hands to create a sheepdog trial. A ranch needs to be transformed into a trial field, and in this case, two complete trial fields. Before anyone steps to the post, a lot of work goes into preparation. Just as the dogs have been trained for a couple of years, and the handlers have studied and practiced, the venue for the trial is groomed and prepped. Those who have helped create this transformation over the course of many years all know their jobs. It helps when there is a beautiful day to do that work!

The barn has been all swept and the stalls cleaned for vendors to set up

Supplies are gathered

A door is to be painted

Tarping the setout pen for the flat field

Almost complete

Catching a ride over to the hill field

Assembly line on the hill field

Using the filter fabric made tarping much easier

Discussing strategies!

Tarping complete!

Peaceful ranch that next weekend will be the scene of much activity!

Photos by T. Tucker - thanks once again!

Countdown to Sonoma Wine Country Sheepdog Trial

2011-03-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

So, we spring forward tonight and the countdown clock really begins for the final week leading up to the annual Sonoma Wine Country Sheepdog Trial. Here is Bid running Pro-Novice at 2008's trial:

Get A Grip!

2011-03-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of good fun, as he put it, my very talented friend and videographer George Powell has created another amazing video out of footage from last year's RESDA trials:

LINK

If you need a good laugh, take a look! That's yours truly and Coal at the tail end, closing the pen gate with only a few seconds to spare...

City Park Sheep

2011-03-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

My friend Linda Rorem has written another of her wonderful and informative articles about sheep and sheepdog history on her website, Herding on the Web.

I think you will enjoy reading about sheep who were employed to graze some of the biggest city parks in America in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

LINK

A Ducky Time

2011-03-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we had fun working ducks. Both Coal and Rime got to play. There aren't any photos of Coal, which is too bad, because he is too cute insisting on carrying a ball in his mouth when he works birds. But here are some nice photos of Rime (thanks again, Teri).

Photos by T. Tucker

Back from Zamora 2011

2011-02-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

The boys and I are back from the Zamora sheepdog trial, 2011 version. Coal had two runs in the Open and I was really pleased that he was able to run out and bring me the sheep. Especially during trial #1, the course, the weather, and the sheep were winning alot of the time, so being able to just get the dog out there and the sheep down the fetch was no small accomplishment. Coal was very game and we timed out during part of the cross drive (as many teams did). During trial #2 with a slightly altered course, we actually got all 'round the course and timed out attempting the single. There is a lot to work on but I'm very happy with what we were able to do, and most especially that Coal left my feet with purpose on both outruns. It was also a huge thrill to see him coming down that big hill with the sheep, on both runs.

Rime ran today in the Nursery. The outrun was shortened (a little!) and the drive compressed. The pen was moved across the ditch to join the rest of the course. The same sheep were used as in the Open. There were several good runs before us as well as a couple of blow ups; gotta love the nursery class. What I was most pleased about with Rime was that he ran out so purposefully from my feet. This was Rime's first nursery trial and only about his third trial of any kind and certainly the first where I have not "helped" him on his outrun by walking out. The distance and the hills did not seem to bother him. Rime is very green though and has never seen anything like these range sheep so he put a bit too much body language into his run and we were rightfully DQed on the drive.

The trip was fun but we are glad to be home!

Photos from August 2006

2011-02-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

These are photos I ran across looking for something else (as usual). I like their colors and the lighting. It's sharp contrast to all the wet and mud right now.

Augie

Chiefie

Duffy

Jewel

Some sheep we used to have

Sonoma County grapes

And of course, Bid

Paul Morgan Painting

2011-02-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

It's very exciting because it looks like I am really going to be able to get an archival-quality photographic print of this oil painting by western artist, Paul Morgan. One of his other paintings is going to be used on a poster for the upcoming Hotchkiss (Colorado) sheep dog trial. Both paintings are going into the printer next week to be photographed; one for the dog trial poster, and the other, for me!

If you look at these photos of Bid, you will see why I fell in love with the painting. Take a look at the other art on the Paul Morgan blog; there are lots of really great images captured in oils.

Raw Diet for Dogs Link

2011-02-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

This link with a veterinarian talking about why a raw diet works so well for dogs and cats was posted on Facebook by the SFRAW co-op. I thought it made a lot of sense, so I am re-posting it here.

LINK

My dogs are still eating raw. They have been on mostly raw food for about a year and a half now. I am really happy with the results and now that we finally have a freezer, it should get even easier and cheaper as time goes on.

Sonoma Wine Country Sheepdog Trial 2011, Auction Quilt

2011-02-11T18:42:00.000-08:00

The annual Sonoma Wine Country Sheepdog trial is coming up on the calendar. Raffle tickets for this year's beautiful auction quilt are now available!

I bought some quilt raffle tickets last weekend at the annual RESDA (Redwood Empire SheepDog Association) meeting. The feel of the fabric in your hand and the size of the quilt are not done justice by the photo. Each year Judy M. outdoes the last!

Family Dogs as Therapy Dogs

2011-02-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

This will probably be the last blog post of the "three-parter" that was inspired in my thought processes by reading the new and delightful little book, "Do Border Collies Dream of Sheep?"

My dogs are family dogs first and sheep dogs second. It's just a fact of life when you live in the 'burbs, and even though we work with sheep at least four or five times a week, and care for our own sheep in our little sheep co-op, they are still house dogs when we come home and wash off all that mud and gook. They live in and around the house and are first and foremost, my companions. The fact that two of the three can now work sheep respectably well and are useful stock dogs, is a huge bonus. But on some nights they can be found down at the park chasing tennis balls and socializing with our friends' JRTs and other breeds...and having a wonderful time just being dogs. They have brought me dear friends and fabulous experiences, and also were very important to our parents as well.

I don't think it's any secret that in the recent past we were care givers for elderly parents. Before the parents needed so much care, they were clearly very attached to our dogs. When Bid came to the household as a baby puppy he became The Little Prince and could do no wrong. But when Chief arrived, Bid had to scooch over a little bit because Chiefie won their hearts in a different way...Augie presided over the household like the elder statesman.

My dad went to exercise class several times a week, nearby at an adult retirement complex; he called it the "old ladies home" as if he were the youngster of the group in his late 80s--not! Anyway one evening I came home from work and noticed Dad squirming a bit. Finally he 'fessed up:

Dad: "I took Augie to the old ladies home today."

Me: "You did WHAT?"

Dad:" I took Augie to exercise class."

Me: (thinking quickly about law suits from the retirement facility about the dog in the class who was not certified TDI and wasn't even bathed recently, heck maybe not in months) "you took him to the building and took him inside?"

Dad: (squirming a little more ) "Well...yes..."

Me: "Did you put his Halti on?"

Dad: "Oh yes, of course. He had the Halti on."

Dad was on a kick of wanting to take the dogs for a walk in the afternoons. He was very frail with a bad hip, and even though Augie was age 10 plus, he was still well, very strong. So I had insisted that Dad take only one dog (Augie) and that he put Augie's Halti on so that Augie couldn't pull him around. Little did I know that Dad would throw Augie into the back of the also-elderly Buick and haul him over to the retirement center to meet the old ladies. Actually it wouldn't have been any throwing at all. Just opening the door to the back seat of the Buick would have been plenty for Augie to hop in and go for a ride.

Dad: "I won't do it again. Unless I tell you beforehand of course."

Me: " But was he good?" (knowing the answer)

Dad: "Oh yes of course, and one of the old ladies really got to talking about a farm dog that she grew up with who looked just like him".

Me: (regretting what I was about to say) "OK you can take him again but tell me beforehand so I can bathe him. Therapy dogs are supposed to be bathed". (Thinking: Yeah and they are supposed to be approved and TDI certified, and all of that too!)

I think Dad took Augie back one more time then never took him again. The old ladies had enough to talk about with Dad about the beautiful black and white dog who had come to visit. And Dad would bring them pictures and brags about the dogs. It was enough. I breathed a sigh of relief. Augie had the heart of a lion but the finesse of a surgeon. Thank God.

In the next chapter of what was to come, Mother had become really fond of Chief. Of my dogs, Chief was the one who would stay close to her and sit allowing her to pet his big white head, endlessly. The other dogs would slink off and find a place to nap in the evenings. If Augie was the statesman, then Chief is the Diplomat. I can see Chiefie as an ambassador in a glitzy household, greeting guests and swooshing around, shaking hands, smiling and making alliances between former enemies. He is just that gregarious. With that long sweeping tail and the eyes rimmed with black eye liner, he can win your heart. As a puppy he would literally drag me across the street to greet strangers. There are very few people or dogs that Chiefie cannot get along with; and those few dogs, I think we should have listened to what he was saying about them, because he was right on.

We went to the nursing facility often to see Mother. At first, I took Augie because he was still viable and was so proven and reliable in this venue. (I took Bid one time and that was enough. His legs went helter-skelter on the slick floors and terror shone from his eyes. I wouldn't put Bid through that experience again.) Augie handled it well though. We only had permission to take the dogs directly into her room, however, the front lobby was always lined with folks in their wheel chairs during the day time. Some were coherent and some were not. Augie would stop to see each one who wanted to greet him. Often it was hard to hold back the tears to watch the elderly ones reach out to him. There was one lady who was non-communicative but if she saw me come in with Augie, she would reach out her hands for him. I always made sure to stop with him for her, even if I dared not stop for the coherent ones.

As Augie got more frail, Chiefie took over the therapy-dog job. Chiefie was the consummate visiting therapy dog. As he had done at home, he would sit endlessly for Mother (and others) at the various faclities to pet his big white head. His almost too-long tail would swish back and forth and he adored the attention. One time, Chiefie even got to sneak into the ICU. There was only one other patient in the unit, a man who was regrettably, totally out of it. The nurses heard me talking with Mother about Chiefie out in the truck and asked me if I wanted to bring him in, briefly, to see Mother. I said, "sure!" So the nurse directed me around to a back door and in we came, with all the monitors and equipment on a Sunday afternoon. Of course Chiefie was perfect. He behaved like the diplomat that he is. Mother was thrilled. The nurse was thrilled. We only stayed a few moments. I knew the nurse could get fired for what she did so I didn't push the time limit at all.

I'll close with one more anecdote. The day that I was to pick up Coal from the airport was the day that Mother went into the hospital for the very last time. That week we visited her daily as she gave up the fight. Each hospital visit meant that there was that 10-week old puppy full of promise, waiting for me in the crate in the front seat of the truck. Coal and I have a special bond as a result, as I would walk out the hospital door and open the truck cab door.

I guess the point of the book, and the point of my recent posts, is that each dog has his job and it is an ongoing learning process; so on we go, to open that next "door".

Retrievers

2011-02-09T20:40:00.000-08:00

Thoughts about service dogs made me think about all of my dogs and what kind of retrievers they were and are. Often a litter of puppies is tested (especially in the other breeds, and for service/law enforcement/etc. pups) and one of these tests is to see if the baby puppy will retrieve a tossed ball of crinkled paper or a small soft ball or toy. It is usually considered a good thing if the puppy will retrieve the item and bring it back, or at least show interest in the tossed item. For working sheepdogs I don't know if this test applies, but I'd be interested to hear more about that. Anyway when I think of service dogs, in some cases I think of dogs who pick up dropped items, pull open doors, turn lights on and off, and so forth. I know there are many types of service dogs, and reading the book in the last blog post enlightened me to a type of service dog that I had never thought about. I have always considered the natural inclination to retrieve items back to me to indicate a dog's willingness to be a working partner with me, although it is certainly not a line drawn in the sand. And I've never participated in formal puppy testing. But I've been thinking back to my various dogs.

Alix was a happy retriever of balls and toys; she loved to play. When I started working her in obedience I was a green newbie to that dog sport and when we proudly "graduated" from Novice with our CD I was aghast that I was being advised to force her to retrieve with an ear pinch. Force her to do something she already loves? That made no sense to me. It was at that point (and after some other unhappy experiences with "teaching her to jump" when jumping was something else that she already loved) that I pulled her out of training class. I went to the university library and checked out every book I could find about dog behavior and training -- yes even the old, moldy ones. I finally did teach Alix a formal obedience retrieve using a method outlined by Wendy Volhard. It worked very well and was enforceable without being painful or forced. The only problem was that Alix mouthed her dumbbell. We passed all of our Open classes but we never got high scores due to her mouthing the dumbbell and other small issues. Like any sport you have to be nearly perfect to get those high scores. She had trouble learning the utility scent articles (or was it that I was a newbie to training them? We'll never know.) But Alix loved her retrieve especially with tennis balls, which were her favorite thing.

With Augie I resolved to try to solve the dumbbell problem but didn't quite get there with it. He also loved to retrieve and would bring any item to me that I could single out for him. Augie was much more "directable" with his retrieveing and would search for things by name even when he couldn't see them. He could have easily been one of those service dogs who assisted a person with dropped items and light switches and pulling a wheelchair because he was so strong. In our training together, Augie also loved tracking and the found articles were often his reward. You could tell Augie "go find the other ball" and he would go looking, no matter how many tennis balls you might have in your hand or your lap already. Augie was a great working partner and much more willing to work for me. Alix loved the independent exercises like running, chasing the ball, and directed jumping. Augie liked the exercises close to me although he did love to jump. Augie still mouthed his dumbbell though. I tried some different things but wasn't into obedience enough to try the negative methods that I was being offered to stop the mouthing. Even in their very elderly years I would play tiny retrieve games with Augie and Alix and the tracking/utility gloves. It was a game we could play to keep their minds engaged.

By the time Bid came along I wasn't really training in obedience any more, but one winter when he was about a year old I decided to teach Bid to retrieve a dumbbell as kind of a fun winter project and to give him something to do on the long dark evenings. Bid loved tennis balls and toys but wanted nothing to do with a nasty white plastic dumbbell thing. I took this on as a challenge to make myself think through the steps to make it happen. I experimented with clicker training Bid to pick up and retrieve the dumbbell which worked like a charm. He also didn't mouth it (maybe because he didn't like it to begin with). Bid, like Augie, could be directed about the area to find things that he couldn't see. He would retrieve endlessly if the object was a toy or a ball. He was famous for spinning with a heavier toy like a ball on a heavy rope or a heavier stuffed toy. He spun both ways so that he was even, which made everyone laugh hysterically. But I have to say Bid lived up to his name of being biddable as he was always one to retrieve whenever asked to. He always gave up the ball willingly and dropped it respectfully. Bid had a soft mouth.

Chiefie, Augie's nephew, will chew on anything. He retrieves down and back if we are alone and if I insist on him bringing the ball back; but if we are around any other dogs he will chase down a ball but not bring it back. He drops it for one of the other house mates to pick up and bring back to me. If he does return with the ball or toy, his natural response is to clamp down on it and doesn't want to give it up. In tracking he liked to find the articles and wanted to tug with them but he is very strong. For about a year I took him to competition obedience class after he was retired from agility and sheepdog training due to his physical issues. I clicker trained him to retrieve the dumbbell much like I had done with Bid. By the time we stopped going to class, he had a pretty nice retrieve over the jump and on the flat; but, I always had to reinforce the "bringing it back" which I had never had to do with the first three collies. If we could have gone right into open and utility and skip the novice class, I might have gone further with the obedience training. Chiefie, like Alix, preferred the "working away" exercises to those close to the handler. But we had some issues with the novice exercises and training the other dogs on the sheep as well as taking care of the sheep took up more and more time. Chiefie has a different outlook about retrieving which is just as unique as his personality and temperament!

Coal loves to play. He almost always has a toy in his mouth when he is not working. In fact somewhere there is a photo of Coal working geese, holding a tennis ball in his mouth. I have never taught Coal any formal retrieve. I remember when he was about five months old, he started dropping items in my lap, out of the blue, and he has never stopped since. Coal lives to work and it doesn't surprise me that he naturally wants to retrieve. I'm encouraging him to look for items that he can't see. I'm sure he can do it if I spent the time on it. Coal is a funny one in that he will drop any of his toys into any container that I am working with. I am sure this is a sign that he wants so badly to work with me! For example he will drop a ball into the dishwasher as I am loading it; he will go and get a toy if I am doing yard work and have a muck bucket to collect clipped weeds or flowers that have turned brown, and Coal will add his toy to the clippings. Sometimes this doesn't work out so well for his toy (like when he drops it into the dog-poop bucket when I am picking up the yard)! Coal has a fairly soft mouth and I imagine that he would not chew the dumbbell if I taught him a formal retrieve. If we are alone he drops the ball with no problem, however, like some of the other dogs he doesn't like to give up the item in the company of his house mates or play mates.

Rime, the most unusual dog I have had since Alix, is the world's best retriever. He is content to get a ball and bring it back endlessly and will drop it right at your feet. The guys at the park love this as they can throw the ball a really long way and Rime will always go get it, bring it back, and drop it. Like Coal I have never taught Rime any formal retrieve. He just loves it. Like Coal, Rime can be annoying, dropping toys in your lap. But I also take this as a key to Rime's sometimes difficult personality; he is really willing to work with you if you look for the right "door to open" (thinking back to the Temple Grandin movie that I enjoyed recently) to what makes him tick. I think Rime is really lucky -- and I am really lucky -- that we can work on the sheep as often as we do. In Rime's case, the sheepdog work gave us a communication system that has carried over to help with some of his fears in the rest of his world, much as retrieving for fun has done for him in a smaller way.

This is one of my longer blog posts, but I have enjoyed writing it and I hope if you have made it this far, that you all have enjoyed it too.

Do Border Collies Dream of Sheep?

2011-02-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

The big brother was kind and thoughtful to give me this book for my birthday last month. It is available from Outrun Press. I read it over the past weekend, in a couple of evenings and found it very enjoyable. Both of the authors are accomplished in their fields. Years ago I had read Carol Lea Benjamin's "Mother Knows Best" and had enjoyed her whimsical and heartfelt line drawings (which are present in this book as well). Denise Wall's writing is thoughtful and to the point on a subject that is obviously very near and dear to her daily life and her family's. And, her photos are great!

The dual plot was almost like unraveling two mysteries side-by-side. The story line follows two female puppies from one litter who grow up to lead very different lives and serve very different purposes. One puppy is a working sheepdog; the other puppy is a service dog who lives in New York City. There are other puppies from the litter who are mentioned -- it is not a litter of only two pups, by the way -- something I had wondered about. Part of the mini-drama was following the pups in the litter to see which one would be picked to be the city/service dog.

The background given on border collies and how and why they work the way they do was well organized and understandable. Of course since I am a working collie aficionado it all made sense to me! One of the main points of the book throughout, is the emphasis on how the working heritage of these two pups made it possible for them to excel at their jobs. In addition to telling two good stories, the book is a not-so-subtle statement about the careful selection and breeding of working dogs.

For the sheepdog puppy, May, it only made sense that she should come from a long line of proven working farm and trial dogs. But for the service dog puppy, Sky, it was different information for me than what I had previously been offered about the best types of service dogs. In my limited exposure to service dogs here in Northern California, it seems like the trend is towards conformation lines of goldens or lab-golden mixes, and the less reactive the better. In the past, corgis and even border collies were even used locally in the service-dog training schools around here in addition to the goldens, labs, and shepherds. The emphasis on the working heritage of both puppies got me to thinking and I am guessing that more than one blog post might come out of this !

Another charming part of the chapters from both authors was that they each detailed the interactions of their other dogs with May and Sky respectively. The household relationships will be relative to anyone who has a multi-dog household. Anyway for now...if you get a chance to read this lovely and enjoyable little book....DO.

Sunny and Warm Photos

2011-02-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

The weather here has been unseasonably warm and dry, while at the same time our friends across the country in the midwest and east are experiencing what seems to be a never ending round of snow storms, ice storms, and very cold weather. Right now we in Northern California have an embarrassment of riches in our weather. I'm sure we will get our "due" of rain and cold any time now. But until then it is enjoyable to feel that warm sun. Thanks to Teri for once again getting some nice shots of my boys when we traded off working our dogs on the sheep.

These first three shots are my boy Coal. He has such a friendly outgoing temperament, loves to work sheep, and is a great partner when I have him help me with chores. Off of sheep he is a silly clown and loves to play....constantly. You will find him with some sort of "binky" in his mouth 24/7 when he is not on the stock - it will either be a ball, a bone, a stick, a toy, or whatever he can find. Coal doesn't just wag his tail; he wags his whole body. Coal is truly a happy little guy.

Driving

Coal driving, with some of our sheep

Coal cooling off after his turn

These last two photos are of Rime cooling down in the little "pond". The dogs and the sheep are not quite acclimated to the warm temperatures, so we had to take short turns of working. Rime is looking quite grown up in these pictures. He is still very much the two-year-old in his work. We have our ups and downs but his work is coming along. We were fortunate enough to have lessons last weekend that were very helpful, for both dogs. Keeping that momentum going is the goal!

Rime cooling off

Guess where the sheep are?

Little Blue Birds

2011-01-31T20:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what these birds are called (other than little blue birds!), but they are cute and fun to take pictures of. They are always around at one pasture where some of our sheep live.

Taking Some Photos...

2011-01-30T16:26:00.000-08:00

I've been carrying the camera along on weekends but seem to neglect to pull it out of the vehicle. Not many pictures get snapped that way. Today was an exception as I took a few photos of the dogs, sheep, and so forth.

Rime doing a nice job with the sheep

Rime gathering the sheep

Rime and Neve sharing a greeting

Chiefie on the move and lookin' good!

Somehow I missed getting Coal. Next time!

All the rest of the photos from today are in a Picasa album, here:

LINK

Episode Five - A Useful Dog

2011-01-27T18:22:00.001-08:00

Here is the last episode to "A Useful Dog."

EPISODE FIVE

Episode Four - A Useful Dog

2011-01-26T17:57:00.001-08:00

Here is the link to the fourth episode of "A Useful Dog."

EPISODE FOUR

A Useful Dog

2011-01-25T19:08:00.000-08:00

My friend Joy E. posted these videos over on Facebook and I thought I would re-post them here. The series of videos by a Scottish film maker as a tribute to the Border Collie may be interesting if you haven't seen them.

Episode One

Episode Two

Episode Three

The Youtube site says that there are five episodes but so far I have only found three links. Enjoy!

My Fellow Aquarians

2011-01-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

My fellow Aquarians: once again, it's winter time and there isn't much sheepdog-ish to blog about. For me there was some excitement because yesterday was my birthday. This is a milestone I try to avoid, but others insist upon celebrating it, so I went along with the festivities. What other interesting stuff is there going on mid-winter, anyway? ;-) The football games held the interest of many; I was torn between the Packers and the Bears since both are so representative of the midwest and "home" to me that it was hard to choose.

I got some very fun and interesting presents. From Bob T and Mary T, arrived a "Border Collie Trial Emergency Kit". The "kit" consisted of a Subway gift card and a WalMart gift card. I thought this was inventive! The Ts are always creative and thoughtful! What could be better than lunch money plus mad money for a few necessities?

From TT, breakfast at Big Daddy's, and a new book. Of course he has already read it but I am looking forward to reading it myself:

On Facebook there were so many birthday well wishes (including some strong and smart ladies who share the same birthday date!) that it was almost overwhelming. I have to say, I love Facebook. I thought I wouldn't have time for it but the connections re-connected are well worth any time invested. I particularly enjoy the home-town folks with whom I would otherwise not be in touch. I beg to differ with anyone who says that the social media make us more isolated, when the opposite is so clearly true.

NC, DB and CB surprised me with a tailgate party at the park with a lovely bottle of most-quaffable Korbel. Who else gets to toast her birthday with some of the Russian River Valley's finest bubbly, in the company of great friends and dogs, and then walk maybe 50 yards home?

From the other TT, a lovely wind chime to keep me centered and thoughtful. From LD and DD a money order that will pay for a sheepdog lesson - yes! I am getting those lessons next weekend come what may.

The other CB didn't know it was my birthday but gave me a lovely ISDS sheepdog calendar that had been backordered for Christmas. Did I want it? Of course!

I got beautiful cards both in the mail and e-cards via the internet. I thank you all for your thoughtfullness! It was a nice day, having breakfast, working dogs, working dogs some more, then relaxing and heading to the park to let the dogs just be dogs...then toasting with friends. Ahhh. Here's to 5,000 more hits on the blog.

Wonderful Slide Show

2011-01-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

This was posted on the Sheepdog-L so many of you may have already watched it. Anyway it's a wonderful slide show of a farm, very much worth watching. Enjoy. It's very inviting and tranquil, for a Friday after a long week!

A Day at Shepherd's Meadow Farm

Zamora 2011

2011-01-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

The Zamora Hills 2011 sheepdog trial running orders for Open are posted. I am not thinking too hard about Zamora right now, since practicing with the dogs is almost at a standstill due to weather, lack of daylight, and other factors. But, Coal is entered in the Open and Rime is entered in the Nursery. The trial runs over the President's Day weekend. Just in case there is a soul out there who is not familiar with this trial and its rugged landscape, here are a few photos from the 2008 Zamora trial.

Sheep Fields We Have Known...

2011-01-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

Bid

We used to keep sheep on a field that was really great; it was large enough for fairly long outruns, yet it had a smaller separate arena-size field on one side. There was a big barn-like structure where you could store a ton of hay or more, and it had a holding pen on each end to sort and separate sheep. There were big oak trees for shade and it was easily accessible off the freeway. On two sides there was a beautiful vineyard. Located near the airport, you often were treated to scenes of hot air balloons traveling by while you worked dogs, on nice days.

Jewel and Duffy

During the rainy season, there was plenty of water for the dogs to play in. A ditch ran across one end of the field, and low spots created little ponds for splashing.

Augie

Chiefie

Coal

Bid

What could make us leave such a sheepdog paradise? The answer is, that the predators drove us out. We had too many sheep killed and maimed by both dogs and coyotes, and we finally bugged out in May 2007. The coyotes would grab some grapes in the vineyard, then hop neatly over the fence and grab a bit of sheep. Keeping sheep at a site where you do not live is an ongoing challenge. This location was hard to leave behind but at one point we had to. Now we keep our sheep in locations that are much more supervised. Those were the good old days though! (Yes I am still going through old files and photos!)

What Five Month Old Puppies Do

2011-01-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

Chief and Coal January 2007

Polish Navy

2011-01-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

The Old Friends blog today reported the passing of a grand old race horse and sire, Polish Navy.

Here are some photos of Polish Navy as a young horse that were taken by my friend and I on a idyllic visit to Kentucky one fall weekend in the late 1980s.

At that time, Polish Navy was at Claiborne Farm, recently retired to stud and was being "let down" to begin his new duties in the early spring.

I don't know exactly why, but he always held a certain appeal and my friend and I had followed his racing career with great interest.

Chiefie Sheepdog Photos 2004-2007

2011-01-05T21:22:00.000-08:00

Since we are in the middle of winter and there isn't much current to blog about, I mentioned that I might post some photos of Chief. He often doesn't get much "press" here in the blog like he should. People often ask me whether I have worked him on the sheep in the past. Here are some photos of Chiefie from late 2004. The photo quality (not digital) is not very good but I liked the quiet way that he was working.

The next few photos were all taken in late 2005 with a nice digital camera.

Like any good sheepdog, Chiefie liked to cool off in the water tank after working.

Digital photos above by T. Tucker.

The following photos are from early January 2007.

These were taken by Pam Sturtz when she was visiting us all the way from New York.

Little Bit of a Let Down...Yet Not

2011-01-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

A friend said to me today as we were lamenting our "back to reality" feelings this week, that the first week of the new year is always a "little bit of a let down" after the holidays. I had considerable time off work, with some short interludes spent in the office, over the past month or so. The dogs are not adjusting very well to "back to reality". On the other hand, it is exciting to contemplate all those clean, white, crisp pages on the new calendar! I'm getting some horizontal spaces cleaned off at home and that is also a good feeling.

One new year's greeting that we received was from Zack's owner (Zack is Bid's littermate). Here is the recent photo of Zack looking just as handsome at age eleven as he ever did:

Thanks, Bob, for sharing!

Dog work has slowed down to a crawl due to a combination of recent mud, rain, many baby lambs, and most of all lack of daylight. The park is even almost too muddy to contemplate a game of fetch unless one really wants to wash dogs afterwards. All of that I hope will get rectified little by little, soon. Our two dorper-cross ewes had their babies (one ewe, one ram lamb) sired by a St. Croix ram. We only exposed three ewes to the ram this year because we are just looking for replacements; the third ewe, a little Barb, either did not get bred or maybe she has a "bun in the oven" for a later date. At the other field that we share, our friend's ewes have dropped five white lambs from the same ram in a couple of days. It is a "lambing storm" of miniature proportions!

Since there is not much to blog about I think I will go back and post some photos of Chiefie working. Whenever we go to a sheepdog trial I invariably get asked whether I ever worked Chiefie on the sheep (right after I answer the question about whether he is a border collie or an aussie mix!). The answer is yes he worked sheep, loved it, and there are photos to prove it. He also enjoyed agility and tracking. Unfortunately his recurring injuries and layoffs among other things just precluded us from making progress, so now he is enjoying retirement (and running the household). But, it might be fun to go back and re-visit his training days.

New Year's Wishes

2011-01-01T11:36:00.000-08:00