More sheepdogging with Calvin, all weekend!

More herding with Calvin this weekend! This is Calvin and me.
I guess WE are crossing! LOL. Ted waits in the grass.

Happy 10 week old Birthday Ben!

Where have 10 weeks gone? He has grown so fast! In this little clip, you can see him do a little crouch herding pose. He is a Momma's boy, even though he looks just like his dad Ted - mannerisms, expression, coat, size - all Ted. What a stamp he put on this puppy! Including Ben's cheerful demeanor.

The pose is at 14 seconds~!! Below is a photo, the video is underneath it :)

We hope for some of Jet's uncanny brilliance though. Sometimes, I see glimmers, plus this puppy fears nothing. I have yet to see him react extremely to anything. He figures stuff out and never really cries. I've been taking him back and forth to lessons with Calvin, a 3 hour round trip, and he curls up and sleeps in his crate. He's just so easy!

Another great evening of training Jet and Ted with Calvin Jones

What a great evening working the dogs with Calvin Jones, World Judge from Wales! I worked with him last spring, and honestly feel it has turned me around in my pursuit of working stockdogs. I had nearly given up on the 'dream' of coming to Alberta to work dogs, because it is so hard to find anywhere to work sheep. Something motivated me to attend the clinic last spring and I remembered how much I love this work, and felt so positive about it again - thanks to Calvin's encouragement of me, great instruction and compliments about my two wonderful dogs - so different but both very nice in their way.

Tonight, my third time out with Calvin in a week, and I felt a lot more confidence. I had been working Ted, but decided to pull Jet out after her stint of motherhood.

JET

I am so proud of Jet, my Maid daughter from Scott and Jenny Glen. She is my first Border Collie and is everything I could have hoped for, plus just gave me the most beautiful puppy, Ben! Jet is a sharp dog, brilliant, eager to work and has been a tough dog for a beginner to stockdogs like me. She nearly 6 years old - so hard for me to believe. Maybe Jet is like wine - or maybe I am - one of us is improving with age at any rate! Thanks to Scott Glen for his amazing training - Jet doesn't forget any of it, and this shows when I toss her in with sheep whenever I have a chance, and she just goes to work like it was yesterday that she worked last. I can't help but wonder where we would be at, if I had sheep.

Jet was so thrilled to be working sheep. And, she did a "very tidy outrun" (in Calvin's words). In fact, for her entire session, she really didn't put a foot wrong. I am not sure I have ever felt so calm and confident working Jet. Not because of her - she is awesome and Scott Glen trained her - but because she is like driving a Ferrari. And tonight, I drove the sportscar pretty fearlessly! Of course I had Calvin, my driving instructor, at my side. I botched up a little on her second session. The sheep were way out in the corner in the dark, at the farthest spot on the field. I sent her to get them, and she ran out in the dark, did a nice outrun and ran her heart out to keep the sheep in control. I panicked because I could not see and could not remember the lay of the land, and thought they were heading for the road (there IS a fence - d-oh!) So I stopped her in the middle of her beautiful, responsible work. Bad me! However, it was a great lesson to trust her, and put our past behind us.

Here are some pics of Jet. As you can see, she loves to drive sheep, but also did nice outruns and flanks, nice stops, nice walk ups, all in all, I could not have been happier. At one point Milton Scott watched for a bit (he lives across the road). Thanks to Leanne Huber for her place and her sheep. And thanks Michelle Harrington for taking these pictures! Check her website for some info on her sessions with her Canaan Dog Rook. Hit the back arrow to return to this blog.

Jet soaks in the tub after a great session with Calvin Jones

TED

This was Ted's third session in a week. Ted is also from Scott and Jenny Glen. He's a Pleat son and he is Ben's sire. Scott could not have been a better matchmaker where Ted and I are concerned. I adore this dog... but maybe a bit too much because Ted knows it, and I need to be more business-like on the field! Oh Teddy, do you really take advantage of me? I am crushed! :) He may act goofy, but he is a very smart dog, and perhaps a little wiley too.

Tonight he opened right up with big outruns and better flanks. Ted has these, but it is my handling that impacts him greatly. With Calvin's help I adjusted my voice and commands, and my timing. These seemingly small but subtle changes make our teamwork so much better. Ted also felt more calm and began to show how he could help me and be a great partner when I was holding up my end. Ted is easier to read than Jet and I can learn so much more from handling him. These are some pictures of Ted at work tonight, thanks again to Michelle.  Michelle then worked her Canaan Dog Rook out in the big field, and Ted kept watch to keep the sheep from running too far off. I was really excited to do this and so proud of Ted! At one point, Calvin even told me my drive line with Ted was 'spot on!'

Good boy Teddy

And thank you Calvin!

Some new stuff about Ben!

He has grown! He will be 10 weeks old this week. He now weighs 14 pounds. And I think he is pretty good looking. I admit I have a strong bias ;)

His ear is coming up, so he looks like his Pa, Ted!  I don't care, let the ears do as they please!

I caught him doing a little weed - kids these days! LOL

Much to Jet's dismay, he can now jump on and off of the couch

He is holding his own more with Jet - but she is still amazing with him, allowing him to take toys and tugging gently. Good mama! I never would have guessed Jet could be so 'selfless!'

He's starting to compete now. That's me, trying to sit in the last of the sun for this year...

TUG! He's one tough cookie! And fast too.

The little family - Jet, Ted and Ben

Extended family - Uncle Caden and Grandma River

Handsome face! I love this picture.

Busy day, he fell asleep in the dappled sunlight. He is now staying outside during the day in a kennel with Jet. Not a peep from him, he is such a good pup, never makes a fuss, just accepts things as they come along. That's how he rolls!

River is 11 and next week Ben will be 11 weeks so I will get a portrait of them together.
My precious River, she is my best girlfriend. Still doing great.

Ben sees sheep at my Calvin Jones lesson today... (from afar)...

Michelle and I headed down to Airdrie today for another lesson with Calvin Jones who is here from Wales for a week. Ben watched for awhile. He was fascinated by those white things! He said, "Hey, what are those white things out there? I LIKE them!" 

And, he is completely silent. He just watches. He's the most calm dog - he takes everything in. I call him an Old Soul. He hangs with the older dogs, so he is not really puppyish.

How do I get in there?

Michelle introduced her 8 month old Canaan Dog Rook to sheep. He was great, gathering and heading them, bringing back ewes if they split off. I am sure Michelle will post pictures and video I took with my iPhone on her website, which is on my list of handy links - Sufat Sheleg Canaan Dogs of Raven Alberta.

Here is a little video of Rook working in the pen

Ted worked today too, but we got no photos of him, as we went way off into the upper corner of the field, which was too far for the iPhone, and my memory card on my camera was full! :(((

As usual, Calvin was great to work with. Thank you Calvin!

Urban problem solving post on Your Tracking Coach Blog

One happy boy road home with his paw on my leg!

http://yourtrackingcoach.blogspot.com/2011/09/urban-experiment-with-caden-problem.html

Read it here!

Tracking Classes Starting October 8 for 6 weeks

Tracking Classes start October 8 and run for 6 weeks - every Saturday. Your choice - 9 to 12 AM or 5-8 PM (time to be adjusted for the later class). Urban or field. Contact me privately for details at spiritdance@shaw.ca or through blog messaging. Individual coaching and small classes.

Classes will be in the Red Deer and Olds area.

Ted and Ben - lesson with Calvin Jones

Ben meets Calvin Jones from Wales.

Well, it was really me who had the lesson. It was so great to see Calvin again! He just arrived from Wales - and just judged the WORLD TRIALS! Won by someone from Ireland. You can read about that here where you will see his name as one of the judges. Calvin is one of those types who knows so much but is not boastful and will share with you, what you need to get some good work from your dog.

Above, Ted with the sheep and below, Ted and Jet's puppy Ben with Calvin Jones

I attended Calvin's clinic last spring and really enjoyed it. At that time, Jet had just come into season. Now I was going back with Mr. Ben to show him. Calvin liked Ben's tail! He liked the length and said it was a great tail. Something to do with the length of it related to how dogs will move and their attitude about how they carry it. Ben took everything in stride including the drive down and back - nearly 3 hours of driving! And dinner along the way - with my friend Michelle (thanks for taking pictures Michelle!)

Ted walks up

Ted and I started out rough - it's me of course, I need to set my expectations right away and be firm because this is a job. Since I don't have a lot of access to sheep,  I lean to giving Ted a bit of slack. But the thing is - he knows what to do and ends up being too fast or not listening. The moment we laid down the law with him - with not much more than a firmer voice - Ted was out wide, and turning away nicely. I need to keep a distance with him, and enforce his downs, or he will bear down too fast on the sheep. When he is wide and a bit back, there is a lot more control - he's a big boy and has a lot of presence, but the sheep are very accepting of him as he is so kind.

The lesson gave me some good reminders - hopefully there will be another chance for a lesson in a week!

Holey Poses Ben-Man!

Instinct and Genetics are so amazing. As Ben has been growing, he keeps adding to his repertoire of Border Collie behaviours. Today he began to crouch in a classic pose as Jet was retrieving a ball. It was Ben's game called "You be the Sheep, and I'll be the Wolf!" These are just a bunch of photos of Ben posing over and over.

I wish I had been at the side for the picture below - I love his lowered head.

Honestly, such serious business! He's very intense.

He would sometimes lie down, the fly at Jet. Sometimes he had a mouthful of her hair!

And he would often try to block her in a corner. So interesting! Of course, she just treats him like he is some kind of annoying fly buzzing around.

Love the head down pic below

And below - a GRIP!

Below: Fun eh Ma?

Below, at noon, the three Border Collies in my backyard.

And, the German Shepherds are out!

Lie Down (Platz) practice, Jet and Ben are in the ex-pen

And River is very pleased to have her picture taken!