Happy 12th Birthday River!

See her birthday pictures on the new blog.
Thanks for visiting!

End of the Road for this old Blog

After doing a lot of soul searching - I have decided to put this blog to rest. It will remain online as an archive and resource, as well as a journal of many years. I started this blog in 2005 for my tracking students. At the time, the reaction was "what is a blog?" Now, everyone has blogs. And this one has grown a bit obsolete with fancy new templates available. However, I don't want to transfer it to a new template for fear of losing information. So here it will sit.

I'm going for fire up a new blog shortly for the next chapter of my life with working dogs. Putting this blog to rest also means I am closing a chapter in my life. It makes sense to start fresh. I have a new kennel name - Blackthorn - with the Canadian Border Collie Association. Ben carries that name, which comes from my GSD Thorn who died at Christmas 2007, right before I moved to Alberta. I think it is a great name that honours the past and heralds the future.

Once I have a new blog up and running, I will post the link here. My Your Tracking Coach blog will house all tracking instruction posts in the future. The new blog will describe my personal journey!

Thanks to everyone who has followed this blog over so many years. It has truly been a labour of love, passion and dedication. It is nearly as hard to end the blog, as it is for me to go back and look at posts from what seems like another lifetime ago.

Please join me on the new blog - stay tuned for the link!

Donna
Formerly Spiritance Tracking & Herding
Soon to be - Blackthorn Working Dogs

At the crossroads - with my Little Warrior Caden... looking at the past and the future

I feel like I have done a great job of ensuring that I have top notch dogs in my life. But it is almost as much as curse as a blessing because each one needs to work and be fulfilled. With these dogs at my side, I realize over and over, that moving to Alberta has really been quite a ride - opening new doors to new people, new learning, new ideas, new sports and new opportunities. This post, and the two below on Jet and Ted, are the result of some soul searching as I realize I am at such a crossroads again, figuring out my priorities, re-aquainting myself with the great dogs in my life and looking at my passion and my calling.

When my life was a shambles early in 2008, I picked the name Caden for my new GSD pup (C litter) because it means Little Warrior in Irish Gaelic. My friends told me I was crazy to get a puppy in the middle of everything else going on, but through Caden I have met so many amazing friends in Alberta. He is a dog that requires a strong leader, and has forced me to grow a lot in my training and handling - - in a different way from what Jet (also a tough dog) needed from me.

Caden is the dog who has had the most attention from me since moving to Alberta. I never know where to start when I talk about him. He is my first GSD from a breeder other than Sigrid Appelt, who bred Knight, Hawk, Robin, Thorn and River - dogs I have loved so much over many years. But when I made the SHIFT away from conformation and into purely tracking and herding - and when my life was upsidedown and changing - it seemed like a good time to shake it up and get a working-lines GSD too. He comes from KlienenWiese GSDs in Pennsylvania where Bill and Sandy Wilson work to preserve the "old blood" German herding lines. (They also have an excellent blog).

Caden's grandsire is Alf von Fafnerhaus, Ellen Nickelsberg's dog bred by the late Manfred Heynes. If you want to learn more about the GSD as a herding dog - you must visit Ellen's site - she is amazing and also a regular poster on the GSD-Euro discussion group. I got Sandy's name from Shelley Fritzke, who has the top herding GSDs in Canada and is a herding judge.

The pictures here were taken yesterday while we were working at Phantom Ridge in Okotoks (see the posts below about Jet and Ted). Having a place to work sheep really makes me think hard about where to spend my limited time, and reminds me how much I love it.

At the crossroads... where are we heading from here?

I'm starting to see such a pattern in my life lately. I originally wanted to track and herd with Caden. When I got him, I still lived at home and had my own little flock of training sheep (in Thunder Bay). But within the year, we one day woke up in Alberta. Four years later, I am finally figuring out what I need to be doing with this dog. I am beginning to realize it is not always about titles, but about having a satisfying relationship with your dog, and facilitating that your dog is able to do the things that IT loves too. I've 'known' these things and preached them, but they are coming home to roost recently.

Caden has also experienced a lack of herding opportunities. When he was two, I visited Shelley in BC and she observed that he showed natural herding - tending - behaviours. However, if there is a lack of places to work Border Collies in Alberta, you can imagine how hard it is to find tending training! If only I could win that lottery and have a big farm and training arena. Oh, but if I did win that lottery, it would be on Maui - not here :)) ... and you would all have a long way to go, to come train at my place!

Caden has been tracking since he was a puppy. He really should have many CKC tracking titles by now. But there are not many CKC tests in the west and somehow, I got onto a Schutzhund path with this dog which meant putting other trialing aside to work on his form and style. I am fortunate to have met Dan Waters who won the Canadian SchH Nationals last year with his GSD Ali. Dan is passionate about tracking, and of course, about SchH and is President of the Calgary GSD SchH Club.

Caden has SchH lines on his sire's side (G Orry von Haus Antverpa is his great grandsire - if you know GSDs in SchH you will know of Orry) and also shows great potential as a SchH dog (here are some photos of the Ivan Balabanov seminar). If I think I am green with stockdogs, I am even MORE green in SchH. I've struggled away at this sport for two years now and can't thank Dan enough for his help, friendship and guidance - I know he wants me to succeed and wants to see Caden do well. In other hands (particularly Dan's hands) Caden would be well on his way to advanced titles. It's not me who says this - people who KNOW (like judges and clinicians and fellow club members) tell me how lucky I am to have this dog for my first dog.

Cadan's bloodlines make him want to work sheep.

Around the time Ben was born, I did some serious soul searching about whether Caden should go to someone who could get those SchH titles on him. I realized that my life would not be complete without this dog, plus Caden thinks he has a fine life with me - dogs don't think about titles, as long as they have a full life and are loved. Caden has also recently become my running buddy which helps to burn steam. Add to this - now that I am on my own - I always feel safe with Caden in my car and at my side. I don't think I would feel complete without a GSD, and Caden complements the Border Collies so well. He is every bit as smart as them, and every bit as athletic. Jet is his best, best friend - which is funny as they are SO alike.

The more time I spend with sheep doing herding, the more I am reminded that this was the path I wanted to follow when I came to Alberta. I am at such a crossroads this year. I actually would love to get Caden in with sheep again, because I believe this would also be his true calling. Sport dog people always ask "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT DOG?" as he makes an impression. No one would ever have bought Caden, the herding lines dog, from Sandy, a passionate, dedicated but small kennel, for Schutzhund! Yet here he is - a dog I feel could do everything.

To me, it makes sense that a herding dog (a German SHEPHERD) should be more athletic, quick to learn, intuitive, biddable and genetically programmed to be your partner. As with any breed, when the lines are bred away from the purpose and focused on specific traits, you risk losing the whole dog. I can't thank Ellen and Sandy enough for their love of the breed and their work to preserve the original German Shepherd Dog.

However much I feel Caden can do it all, it spreads me very thin to do both stockdogs and SchH. Most people only choose one or the other. I recently met a man (George Walker) who used to do SchH in Edmonton, but once he got into stockdogs, said he could not do both well. This comment has been weighing on my mind and it is why I am at a crossroads. And of course, it is part of this amazing journey I am on with my dogs.

River, my BFF and a Tracking Champion - in my heart :))

And then there is River who will be 12 on March 2. I know our days together are numbered now and I treasure every day with her. She is the last of my dogs from a past life and has been the dog who went through all the crazy ups and downs with me, where somehow I felt we just didn't seem 'good enough' or measure up in the old life. I look at River all of the time and say "Hey, River - we are AWESOME!" Together we have made a new life here in Alberta.

River SHOULD be a CKC Tracking Champion by now. I am sure if I had stayed in Thunder Bay she would be. The move here meant less trial opportunities for her and me, and a lot of adjusting at the time she was peaking in UTDX. But River doesn't know that - in her mind and in my heart, she IS a CHAMPION. And she's been a great friend and teacher and is now the Matriarch.

River did a short track on February 18. She's getting pretty deaf but still in great shape and loves to get out with everyone - she hates to be left at home! In my heart, she is a tracking champion, though because of life circumstances, missed the chance to make it official - though she came very very close.

Somehow, as I stand at this crossroads, CKC tracking is moving to the bottom of my list of three. I am passionate about tracking, but there are so few tests here in Alberta. This spring I will be going from Vernon BC to Thunder Bay for THREE tests with my dogs (*hoping to get in still at this point). I will literally be driving half way across Canada. I'm also a tracking judge and though I want to give back to this sport of my heart, I simply can't accept more assignments - each one costs me about $300 as I board my dogs. I am working on slating all of the stockdog trials, tracking tests and SchH trials into a calendar to keep myself straight. I love tracking, and as I stand at this crossroads again, I wonder where I will be with it in another five years and where these dogs will take me. Jet is ready for her attempts at a Tracking Championship, but she is also a great stockdog who needs to get out on the field. I am so blessed!

Leaving Louanne's yesterday this was the scene as we headed for highway 2 that would take us home to Penhold - 2 hours north. When I came to Alberta for a herding clinic in 2005 with my Rough Collie Shaman, I dreamed of living here. It was a big move to make that dream come true. But dreams have a way of turning into reality, and the reality is - it is a LOT of work to achieve dreams and goals. But the journey is amazing.

Calgary on the horizon as we drove north to our new home in Penhold

I moved here very quickly, nearly in a panic to leave the old life behind and re-create myself. There are days I wish I had held onto the house in Thunder Bay so I could go "home" - the prices here are so crazy and there, I had a field and a barn... here I will need that lottery I'm afraid. However, everything is for a reason, and I am so grateful for how my life has changed, and for how I have changed. I barely even recognize the person I was before these dogs (Jet, Ted, Caden and now Ben) came into my life.

Alberta has been a place of change and renewal. And 2012 marks another crossroads of realization and change. I can hardly wait to see what the future holds! And as always I am grateful to the new friends I've made on this journey who have helped along the way.

AND THE FUTURE...

Blackthorn Ben
My first home-bred pup (pedigree)

At Scott and Jenny Glen's January 31

Theodore - "Gift of God"

There could not be a better name for Ted! I got Ted as a started dog from Scott Glen. I thought about changing his name to Tweed or Teag but Ted stuck. Then one day I heard Scott call him Theodore and I knew I made the right decision. Ted came to me the same year my GSD Thorn left due to hemangiosarcoma. In the months they were together I marvelled at how similar they are. I called Ted "Thorn's little buddy."

As I am working so hard this year, determined to work my dogs and trial more, I feel like I am getting to know them again. I have been blessed with very good dogs and am having a wonderful journey with them and with the people they've introduced me too as well!


The pictures in this post are of Ted working at Louanne Timmons Twa's Phantom Ridge Ranch yesterday. We are working in a smaller area to get my handling in shape as it is rusty, and my timing is so slow! Ted moves FAST and he is a big boy so he needs to listen to stops, lie down and time commands or the sheep blow by where they should have stopped or turned. So here we are, working on things - and as Ted gets happier and more settled, my mind also calms down so I can enjoy the work.

That'll Do Ted, Good Boy

Ted is not only handsome, he is a kind-hearted dog who really just wants to please and to be loved. He is everyone's favourite, and one of those "ambassador dogs" that helps you make friends wherever you go. I can't imagine a dog more suited to me and thank Scott so much for making this match!

As I wrote in the blog post yesterday, Ted has suffered the same lack of work as Jet due to life changes and big moves and getting off the path - but we are now sorting this out. All of my dogs track, but Ted has never been keen on it - he only wants to work sheep, and I respect that. Lately he has been in "Ted Heaven" as we focus on getting out as often as possible. I did try to trial Ted last summer, but we had not had enough practice and everyone with sheep was off trialing, so I just decided I would go "wild west" and do my best with him despite it all. He ran his heart out for me and I know we looked as green as I felt. I still felt proud of him, and got my feet wet! Anything good he did in that trial was a testament to the foundation put on him by Scott. Now it's up to me to build on that, and we are working hard at it!

I can't thank Louanne enough for the training opportunity and help.

Ted is the sire of my Blackthorn Ben pup. Ted's father is Scott's Pleat, and his mom is a dog named Tess, a working cow dog who is owned by Brad Brechley in Big Valley east of Innisfail. You can see the pedigree here.

Ted is such an athletic dog, I look forward to trialing with him for years to come.

A little bit about little Jet, my first Border Collie - with pictures of Jet working at Louanne's today

I may have dozens more Border Collies in my lifetime. But none will be as special as Jet to me. She was the gift I gave myself after recovering from Cancer, when I decided to change my life and focus on my two loves - herding and tracking. Here is a bit about our journey together...



Jet drives the sheep along the fence line

I don't even know where to start when I write about Jet. She is brilliant. My first Border Collie. Amazing tracking dog. Wonderful companion. And loves to work. When I first got Jet my intentions were to get her into stockdog trials. She was a LOT of dog for a beginner to stockdogs. Up to 2005 I had worked with my Rough Collie, Shaman, and my very sweet GSD Thorn. I remember my "friends" in all-breed herding saying I just wanted a Border Collie so I could win CKC herding trials. I am not even interested in CKC herding anymore! Though I did try one with Jet when she was very young and within the first minute she gripped and was out! She is a LOT of dog.





Nice wide outrun, right through the panels

Jet learned to track and earned her TD on her first try. She went off to Scott Glen's for some training and travelled with Scott to some trials in 2007. When I picked Jet up in Michigan that spring, I saw the scope of work she was doing with Scott - big outruns - beautiful drives, whistles. It was beautiful to watch! That spring I came home with Ted and was resolved to begin trialing in the fall. In the summer of 07 I ended up with surgery and it took me out of the game for a bit. That fall, I ended up being separated, and in the chaos, I withdrew Ted and Jet from all of the Novice trials I was entered in. The next summer, I was here in Alberta hoping to follow the dream of trialing them, but it's been hard to find land I can afford - and hard to find sheep close by to work.

Flanking

Somehow, I drifted off my path for awhile, getting my feet under me in this new life. Jet has carried on in tracking, and in 2010 became the first Border Collie to earn an Urban Tracking title - and she is on her way to a tracking championship. But if you see her working sheep there is no doubt this is her true love. Thankfully - in spring 2011 - I entered the clinic with Calvin Jones, completely on a whim. Calvin re-ignited my passion for herding and I've been working towards my goals ever since.



Getting the sheep off the fence

It's hard to believe that my hot-headed puppy Jet is now 6 years old. She had one puppy last summer by Ted - my little Blackthorn Ben. And now she and I are suddenly coming together as a team! The theory is that having had a pup, she may view me more as a partner. She wants to help me now, and we aren't fighting all of the time.




Outrun (sheep are coming to me)

After visiting Scott Glen a few weeks ago I decided, no excuses - find a place and practice! The only way I can really meet my goals is to be hungry enough to do what it takes. This year I feel so determined to make it come together with Jet especially. She is one of those dogs who feels like a gift - so talented, so smart, and so, ummmmm...... challenging! But the training Scott put on her shines through when she works - I am always amazed at what she remembers despite the fact we have not had the opportunity to work regularly. And despite my greenhorn handling.



More driving

That brings me to today... I've been driving to Louanne Timmons Twa's place, Phantom Ridge Ranch, for a few weeks now to work Jet and Ted. Last fall, Calvin Jones commented to me that Jet had changed remarkablly from spring to fall, after having her puppy Ben. I always have known Jet had a lot of potential, and it feels so great to think I have a chance to develop in her, even though she is now six years old. I don't know where time goes, but she still has years of stockdog trialing ahead of her - even though the events of my life messed us up and her best years are likely behind us.



Louanne Timmons Twa really helped me with both dogs today

I mainly want to do the best by this little dog who just wants to work. And I hate to say this publicly, but she sleeps with me every night, and is the best little friend. I swear at times she reads my mind.

Wish us luck as we aim really high - for Pro-Novice, if we can get our work in. But I would be happy with Novice. Heck, I am just happy to practice with Jet. Plus this year is the big year to aim for Jet's final tracking titles so she will be Canada's first Tracking Champion Border Collie.

Lie down

Jet is a daugher of Scott Glen's Maid (now Diane Pagel's Maid) and Risp, a son of Ken Arrendale's Mac.

Catching up with the Winter Tracking Class

Yesterday we had a 2 hour seminar over breakfast, and 4 hours of urban tracking! Here is the new post - over on Your Tracking Coach Blog - - and stay tuned for more updates now that spring tests are around the corner!

Ben did a little demo

Here is baby Ben - 7 months old nearly - at an article and jackpot

We attemped a group shot... we're missing a couple of people here. See pics of the dogs tracking on Your Tracking Coach!

http://yourtrackingcoach.blogspot.com/2012/02/update-on-our-winter-tracking-class-and.html

Working dogs today at Phantom Ridge with Louanne Twa

I love this pic as I have so few of me with my dogs. That's Jet. We are working in a small arena to tweak our teamwork. She has really become more calm since having her pup Ben. It's awesome to work with her now, and now I need to get as much time in as possible to make some good progress. Thanks to Louanne for having such a great place to work!

Jet fetching the sheep.

Jet lie down. Notice that the sheep in the front has the same mask as Jet? I should have had them pose together! Love Louanne's sheep. They are very nice to work and very pretty.

Jet driving the sheep back. Can you believe this is February? It was +4 and no wind.

More of Jet.

And the same goes with Ted. Working on slowing everything down and trying to get some calm control and teamwork. He was a very good boy today. Louanne really helped us from the sidelines.

Ted fetching

Ted turning around me. He is such an athletic dog.

More of my Ted dog.

Baby Ben felt he should go in the round pen with his friend Rook the Canaan Dog. Ben won't work again for a month or so, to give him some time to grow up a bit more (despite the fact he thought everyone needed his help today)

Thanks to Michelle Harrington for the pictures of my dogs. Here is Michelle with Rook who is just over a year old. Rook works free range cattle regularly, but is not as familiar with working these white fluffy thingies... he did a great job today.

View Michelle's Sufat Sheleg Canaan Dog website and pictures of Rook's lesson here.

Sadly, a rock bounced off my trailer and took out my back window. *sigh*
Thanks to Kyle and Justice for taking out the glass and taping up cardboard so I could get home. Yay Alberta gravel roads!
Thankfully I have retrained my glass coverage from my Ontario days. Everyone in Alberta says don't bother with glass insurance, but it will sure help pay for this.

Thanks Louanne for helping us out today! Much appreciated.
That is you in behind puppy Gus, isn't it?

Ben is official! His pedigree arrived in the mail today!

Border Collie a Hunter, not a Herder? GSD a Mastiff, not a Wolf?

Border Collie a Hunter, not a Herder?

 

Interesting article in February's Nat Geo with the ABCs of DNA for dogs. There are very few dogs in the 'wolf-like' category and based on DNA groupings, dogs we would consider wolf-like or herders are in the HUNTERS category - such as the Border Collie. The GSD is in the Mastiff family and very far from the wolf. In fact, the Pekingese is closer to a wolf than a GSD!

It also talks about the genes that combine to create coat and colour ...- so few (3-4) compared with hundreds of genes required to determine human features. The scientists are trying to learn from  studying the simplicity of dog DNA how to isolate the specific genes that might be responsible for human disease like Cancer or Parkinsons.

 

This issue is worth the purchase - the tear sheets are online but not the entire article, and not readable. Cover photo by Will Wegman - it's a Weim of course!

Wolf-like dogs include Chow, Shiba Inu, Akita, Afghan, Husky and Malamute
Herders include Belgians, Collies, Shelties, Samoyed, Briard
Hunters include Old English, Irish Setter, Golden, Pointer, Border Collie
Mastiffs include Rottie, Newf, GSD, Boxer - oh, and Mastiffs

 

There are many more listed, so I just picked the ones that caught my eye!

Totally gratuitous personal photo

I know, this is a dog blog! But it is related to my dogs when I am getting more and more healthy and in shape - it means I can do more with them! The running, the resistance bands, the personal trainer, the diet - I guess it does start to show over time. I wore this outfit to work today - - I was meeting a friend after work so dressed up a little. Decided to capture it so that when I come home in May you might recognize me on the street (Thunder Bay friends!)

It's an iPhone pic, so it is a little grainy. But you get the idea. I am very, very proud of how I am doing. This summer - a 5K! Maybe even a 10 K!