Teetering






















Training in the dog daze of summer


     I have read everyone's most recent posts and blogs, and it seems like we all are a little bit teetering.  Are we ever going to get somewhere with all this work?  Are we sliding backwards like a heavy snow avalanche in the Sierras?  Am I doing more damage than good when I  train without my binkie....I mean guru/trainer??  Is it my dogs fault or am I failing my dog(s) exponentially?  Maybe it's my sheep?  The cost of hay is insane!!!!  The price of sheep is in the basement!!!!  There is no water/rain!!!!  Thus there is no graze!!!!  Maybe sheepdogging isn't meant to be done in the high mountain desert.

     I, myself, love the heat of the summer.  However, I have found myself a little grouchy.  I think that is because so many many many people get grumpy in the heat!  The reality is, that anyway you cut it, for a living I deal with a different person every 15-30 minutes behind closed doors all day long.  And I am taking care of the "olds" in my family, that are extremely needy and energy sucky.

Regardless.  While I am out in a semi-remote field, it is just the sheep, the dogs and me.  We are coming up on a big trial out of Portland and a week of my vacay!!!  Really not sure we are there yet!!  I don't mind not winning or sucking a bit.  Just not sure that is the right move for my dogs or myself at this time.

Learning curve


     What I learned this weekend.  I had insight to Tic and the sheep bubble.  I have to control him outside of the sheep bubble.  If I don't and he gets 'pulled in', it is my fault.....  And he won't (can't) listen.  Again, the bubble is different with different sheep.  Handler error.

     My whistle is improving!  Ben, the same.  Val, out with soft tissue injury.


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