Lacamas Valley SDT

     A year ago, I accepted an invitation from my good sheepdoggin' friends to fly up to Portland, OR and observe their areas premiere trial, Lacamas Valley.  Leslie and Dennis Capik picked me up from the airport and ushered me around.  And I had the distinct pleasure of staying with Mindy Mayar and helped host her traditional Friday night shin-dig.  About half way through this amazing trial 2011, I became very cranky.  My mentor DD sent me to scribe on the PN field and put me to work.  I am not a very good sit still and observe kind of person.  I'd rather be helping out somewhere.  The whole event was a wonderful experience and I made a goal that within a year I would bring a dog up and participate.

     After our DL experience at the beginning of the summer, I was highly suspicious that we might need to take a hiatus and postpone that goal for at least another year.  I did take a month in the middle of summer essentially off.  Well, I backed off and went back to basics.  Trained with no commands.  (Which didn't help my whistling) No pressure on the dogs or myself, was the hope.

     I had entered all three working dogs in LVSDT 2012.  Val had had some complications, of course.  While on my property she had stepped on a Russian Olive thorn and snapped a piece off under her pad, which proceeded to abscess.  So I had to pull her from her first PN debut.  But I had no other reason (viable) that I could chicken out with Ben or Tic.

     Most of my normal colleagues take their vacations snorkeling/diving, Cosemel, Coos Bay, Hawaii, Disneyland/world or trips over the pond to see something cultural, historical, or at least significant eye candy.....  But for me this was the perfect vacation.

      We didn't run until Friday.  The temperatures were scorching... even for the desert rat that I am.  With the humidity, I could only imagine a heat index of 100+.  Our draws were both in the middle of the day.  The handlers and dogs that got through the course at all on that day are amazing in my eyes.  The sheep, I thought, were good. Light.  Lambs.  A little bit free thinkers.  But overall good for what my dogs are used to.  Both of my boys had nice outruns and lifts, but we lost 'em at a dead run back to exhaust on the fetch.  Tic didn't listen to my LD on the fetch.  He may have been telling me I was wrong and he needed to stay with them....  I may have needed to trust him more....  It was tough.

     PN Field 

          Saturday NN went first.  Ben had a really nice set.  It was cooler and after yesterday I figured there was literally no pressure.  I was way more relaxed.  I told him as we walked to the post that we could do this.  Ben is such a goofy happy gentleman dog, he seemed happy to know that he could.  All we had to do was an outrun-lift-fetch.  Bring them to the post area for a settle (unofficially) and then pen them.  So he did in a very kind and gentle, I'll bring you flowers and chocolates later, kind of way. It was nice.  I knew he could do that, and he did.  Aside from the outrun, these maneuvers were all right down his alley.

     I wish I could say I was so relaxed stepping to the post with Tic.  Although each time I do, it gets better and better.  I love him dearly, but good God he is a lot of dog when he is passionate about his sheep.  

    I do have it taped and I will need to review it. Pretty nice outrun and lift. Nice down at the top and listened when I downed him on the fetch.  But we missed the fetch panels.  I tried to trust him to cover the sheep and not lose them back to exhaust, so for me to get through the course I wasn't too worried about that.  Yay!!!  He brought me sheep.  Already one better than Friday.  We had a nice drive away, but bobbled the cross drive.  He wanted to flank around and bring them back, but he took his down and we fixed it.  It wasn't pretty and we burned some time, but I was very very happy with the trust and teamwork.  We timed out at the pen.  But we made it though the course!!!!!!  In a half-way semi respectable manner!  

     My whistles still leave room for improvement, but we are taking baby steps all the time.  And my poor dogs both have to try to understand my rendition of whistling.  At this point, much to some of my open handlers chagrin, I don't think I can totally trash my whistle and start over from scratch.  It will just have to evolve much like the unique species on the Galapagos Islands.  Most of my training and practicing occurs very solo with only the input that I make up and my dogs seem to understand.  It is a form of communication.  I love that my friend Susan's whistles have the same intonation that she speaks with.  Her dogs love it and understand it.  Mine still sound like a dying squirrel in mud.  On my cross drive with Tic I heard a weird chattering, and it took a second to realize that it was my whistle on my teeth.

Practicing on the way home

     We stopped at Leslie and Dennis' Mack Ranch on the way home and practice some nice driving, lines, and holding pressure.  I love their place.  It has some elevations with some nice sheep.  A great place to focus on precision and reading pressures/draws which is huge for Ben.  That is Rocky the guard llama not too worried about bc dogs with his sheep in the background.

     On my journey to Lacamas I had no idea that I would drive right through Cottage Grove.  So on my way home, Laura was kind enough to let us work on her sheep and field.  Long at last I had a chance to see the legendary Palm Cottage!!!  It, of course, was also incredible.  Both dogs had some nice work. And with Laura's input I learned more about areas of improvement that I can work on as a handler.  I loved that when Ben got stuck under a shade tree with his sheep, she sent out Tucker.  Ben was gaining confidence with the sheep through another dog.  I have heard of this, but this is the first time I have seen it with my dogs.  

   Tired Ben

Back to Nevada

     Back home.  1500 miles under our belt on a sheepdog adventure.  Tired and happy.  Thank you to all who have made this journey possible.  You know who you are.  BIG SMILE!!!