Working through....

...working through the pain! Class last week. Had my knee wrapped so tight, think I re-aligned the ligament :) Not the most exciting video, but she had a killer offside weave entry, coming out of full extensions and also our working on the one jump sends and recalls...able to send her off into nowhere...unleashing the tether :) Blinds on serpentines, well I am glad I have dogs that respect my body...
Aframe is a mess, my fault. As weather gets better, just going to suck it up and work on directionals coming off of a running...the 4onthefloor for it, is ugly for Ggrail...creates too much handler focus and we had such lovely drive forward, ugggghhhhh....Dogwalk is working, so far..

Yellow Brick Road...

Handsome Prince!

Always looking for the Emerald City...followed a long and winding brick road, through the Green Mountains of Vermont, to find the perfect Prince, for Zen! Borrowed this photo, hoping to get more. Such a lovely dog and owned by lovely people, couldn't be more excited and looking forward to this cross. May not be able to let any of them go...

Meanwhile, @ 18 1/2 weeks Scream's ears are heading north, like his own personal steeples!!! His natural tip was so cuteee...but as his ears have gone up, he also seems to have found his back feet, and is suddenly more coordinated. Interesting..also see the teething fear period hitting and leaving, but then again he is a Border Collie, even if he looks more like an Army tank, covered in fur.

Scream! and the red girls hit the road with us, yesterday-all did great on the long and winding roads, through the mountains-such gorgeous vistas, along the way. Sky was pink, as we headed home...but did not not want to take time to stop for photos.

Saw the shell of a stone foundation and chimney rising into nowhere, set against a rather bleak background..several dilapidated barns or just beautiful views...need to go back and stop, to take pictures. God, I love New England!!

Jump!

When asked to jump...my dogs say "how high?"

Me...not so much, I usually ask "Why?"...guess it's good that I am not a dog :)

So...snow on the ground again from our late winter blast, but I am in Spring training mode!!! Our clocks Spring Forward this weekend for Daylight Savings time!! Birds flooding the feeders this morning, little furry critters like the sad little "cat-gift" one in C'ura's vid are coming out in droves, temp going up to 60F????-crazy, gas prices are definitely crazy, but at least there is later daylight to look forward to.

Fun to video practice sessions and see how the dogs, use their bodies. And for Zen, she worked with me, like we always have done this together. Good pups!!!

Zen Returns to Narnia

Zen is back!! One of the pups, who most reminds me of her momma..stepped out of the car, through the back of the "wardrobe cupboard" and into Sheep Narnia. Snow of the predicted blizzard had just begun, dark was descending, but really want to see what she had-after a day of total new for her. Didn't skip a beat-Eyes blazing with "oh!!!", she went right to work figuring out how to gather and move the woolies.

Strung the camera around my neck and let it run. We don't speak the same language in working critters yet, but then she has never worked for me-so think she was trying her best. I wasn't sure of her flank cues, let her figure it out some, with none uttered unless needed.

Willow...the evil ice queen sheep (By the way LOVE Tilda Swinton from the film version) stomping and non-cooperative the whole time, Zen figured out quickly how to stop dancing around so much and settle into putting pressure where she needed to, to get them all to move as a group. The frosted sheep, started to resemble the "frozen" statues, collected in the Ice Queen's capture...as Zen settled into to some nice stops on balance.

Really, really nice!!!

Really happy to see how well-adjusted, calm and flexible she was coming back into the house after so much time too-a sign of her overall temperament and being well-raised and well-loved.

 She and Scream! fast new friends, slowly introducing her to the rest, over the next few weeks. Ggrail & C'ura-the other two who most resemble their Momma in many ways-especially in welcoming new dogs with open paws, did their best to try to get her to play in the snow-she wasn't so sure about that. I'm sure they will woo her, but would expect she is a bit stressed and needs time to get used to everything. I never throw a dog into the group-without methodical intro'ing to lower ranking & more neutral dogs first, whether they have lived here previously, or not. Overfacing with expecting automatic social-play interaction is not fair, when they enter a strange land...

I know that with Killer Whales, from a seminar with Ted Turner years back-the leader or head of the pod is always the last to meet the new one, in the house/pool. Let them establish relationships first, then seque into the pack/pod order. I usually take at least two to three weeks to do this, and in Zen's case this will coincide perfectly. She is neither a Witch nor a Lion..yet stepped through the wardrobe quite confidently, into the new land, after leaving so long ago.

We have Baby Zens planned....Hopefully, her future Prince Charming, who for now will remain anonymous...will be the dog equivalent of James McEvoy :) While she is here, it will be fun to work with her!! She is pretty magical and magically pretty, too!

It's Back!!

Winter came home this morning...we are in for a real storm!! Dogs will be thrilled-need to catch Maze's newest of snow angel rolling on her back and then sledding down the hill, on her back....too funny! It happened at least three times the other day, so me thinks she has invented a new game for herself, much like the ones I saw her grand-mama invent, as a youngun'

Scream! and his brother Bodhi (was Ghost) "graduated" puppy class, last night. Obedience is so boring :)....but this class has been really good for him. I should probably continue on and do the next level, where they do a Canine Good Citizen test at the end....

Anyway, snow has already started...storm supposed to last for 30+ hours...so off to get things done, before she really gets back!

Planes, Trains & Automobiles...

So...what does this title have to do with herding, dogs or sheep? Pretty much nothing...just like the way it rolls off the tongue :)

Althought flying, is part of what we do in agility and  flyball....and the dogs as passenger-not vehicle for a person's goals and the " who's driving the bus" metaphors are ones I think of, often.

Considering I was run over by cars twice and in several major accidents, when young...I lived in cities for years, driving was not needed. Really wanted to be a race car driver, that isn't going to happen :) but starting to drive as an adult living in New York City-let's say I could be a Taxi driver for sure!

I guess in dog sports we are closer to being air traffic controllers, in some ways, than we may realize. We have to keep up with details, determine the path, prevent collisions, and keep things going, and be on time-like a well-oiled machine.

Anyway, some good stuff with the young BOy Scream! yesterday. He did not get any opportunity to bum-rush stock and we worked solely on calm, controlled stuff. I am so driving the bus, with this pup.

Walking on a long line at the edge of the flight zone, as the critters ate breakfast and some walk-ups, until we saw a reaction and then stopped or downed, to take off pressure.

Also worked on get backs (Out) to the point out on the flight zone bubble, where we began our walk-up.

He is just so freakin' cool!!! Sorry, he really is. Such an old, serious soul in some ways, yet in a kind of cartoon character face and body-with very goofy, lovey mannerisms to match.

I also wanted our training exposure, to be spending some time letting the sheep know he was okay and not going to make them run-so tethered him on long line, just outside their flight zone.

I worked on moving around close to them as they learned fast he couldn't buzz them-on balance point, he had no success in flying and zooming and quickly learned to pace himself and settle into a holding pattern, for landing. He had a look in his eye, like he did not completely love me at certain points, of my expecting self-control, but we shaped it, he got reinforced and all was good. Good Pup!

Must be the speckly copper & black ticking...he is soooo black, yet so photogenic.., especially when you have such focus on something, easy to get them to "park it" and hold still...since that was what we working on!! Impossible to get photos of Maze with her solid black face, especially against snow, but Scream! has enough tonal variety, that easy to get good photos of him.

Yesterday, also big day for Quechee girl-got her flyball CRN# and hope to run warm-ups with her soon. Practiced boxturns ...which are just U-Turns-last night with all, leaning dummy box up against the couch...I don't know-Clayton was more comfortable going as a righty. I was 12' back at least, with space I have indoors and not in the picture shaping the turn at all, showed he still prefers right. So, maybe he is figuring it out and will be like some dogs who switch back and forth, at first. So, they are both official...Moss still wants his chance to shine! And Ffire really digs it-tugging, getting her Cadillac body into a nice swimmer's turn...hmnnnn...coming in for a landing!!

Getting excited about baby pups again, soon. Also, waiting for other stuff to happen...might need to jump off that runaway train and take the bus! Have cashed in my ticket, in other ways recently...those who are just vehicles in your life or are Sunday drivers sightseeing, don't deserve 1st class seating....so, I am no longer waiting for delayed flights or waiting for apologies from being cut-off, on the road. Sitting next to someone on a long flight, does not make them a friend, especially if they snore or spill their drink on you:) Geez....guess I can pretty much work anything into a theme...still need to address cognitive dissonance....however that is spelled...

Wake Up!

Do you ever just wake up one morning, and know that you have hit a turning point? Whether it is a major life decision, a choice to go in a different direction, gaining a new view, a choice to begin or end a relationship, a job change, an epiphany of faith or loss thereof, a move elsewhere, a change in direction, a change in goals, a realization of the good and bad, a need to give or accomplish-feeling that maybe you have not done so enough...the list can go on and on...

When you wake up, the feeling in your core is different-sometimes triggered by one word from another, sometimes just from within, or a feeling of festering discontent or disappointment or a flooding of good feeling, new goal or inspiration-but the result the same, as a turning point arrived at, as new energy and hope floods you.

Knowing that others may invest in us or our decisions, it can be hard to focus on what we feel at our core, is now important. Awakening to the new, does not have to be selfish or self-involved, but may appear so, as it often leaves at least one's hopes and needs behind.

The responsibility of many, to many, carries a heavy load for the individual. A turning point can embrace letting go, or changing focus. Letting go of some, is very free-ing. No longer suffering fools, gladly. When you serve others or a concept that no longer means anything to you, or lose yourself in the process, it can feel like you are in a speeding car and thinking of opening the door, but know that would be suicide. But, the constant pressure can be wearing.

To serve many or or another's ideals or perception, you often do not serve yourself. To accept our turning points, we hope that others accept it and if not, then we diverge, rather than yield. Some turn with us, some turn away, some we turn back to and some we need to turn away from..three strikes, you're out.

Hard to let go, or put on the brakes when you hit a turning point-kind of like hitting Black Ice-you go with it or crash....but often change is good, on the roads less travelled.


There is light and a feeling of lightness, in turning points- that outweighs the weight of status quo.

When we wake up, it is hard to fall back to sleep...when a turning point keeps poking us, in our conscious mind's ribs. Either you embrace it, or you roll over and close your eyes. I think Spring is coming.....things are coming alive and inspiration is everywhere...not to mention the overload of waxing poetic :)



So serious...yet really not-mind aflutter as the wings of all the returning birds signals, the rebirth and the new.