Sheepdog School Near Canberra

[Perry's Mum]

The next Koolie Club Sheepdog School at Binalong will be on 19 and 20 April. Cost is $120 for Koolie Club members and $130 for others. The school is open to Koolies, Border Colies and Kelpies and crosses of those. PM me for details and a booking form.

Here is my dog's report on the last school:

Perry's report on sheepdog school

Here is my report on sheepdog school with some photos taken by my photographer last weekend at Binalong.

The farm we go to (you know it is a big one because it is not called a farm, it is called a station) is about 2 hours drive north west of our house. The last six kms or so are down this dirt road which is where we saw a big snake:

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...BobbaraRoad.jpg

Here is a view of the wool shed and shearer’s quarters from that road – as you can see there are cattle as well as sheep. I do not approve of this because I do not like cattle.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...ersquarters.jpg

When we went to visit my foster mum and my Koolie foster sister Spy up in Armidale we drove up through lots of small rural towns. In one we had to stop and wait while a farmer moved his stock through the town. I was back seat driving and at the same time helping the farmer get those cattle through quickly. One of them had the cheek to stop and press her face to my car window and moo at me – the nerve of it – it was an insult to me as a professional sheepdog and I have held all cattle responsible for this breach of protocol ever since and given them a jolly good barking at.

I thought you might like to see inside the woolshed – this is a big shed – it has 8 stands so that 8 shearers can work at once. It is a very old shed – well over 100 years old and originally it had 16 stands. Shearing has just finished for the year – they do it in February.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...rawoolshed1.jpg

Sometimes if it is very hot or wet we work in this one. Sometimes Brad makes the people be sheepdogs and we get to watch them doing a rotten job as they move the sheep around the pen. Once my Mum had to move one sheep around and it was going OK when suddenly the sheep decided it had had enough, it stamped its feet and charged – I was worried she might be hurt – my Mum not the sheep – but it went straight past her and jumped out of the open window and was last seen running off jumping in the air for joy.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...raWoolshed2.jpg

At sheepdog school the people all have their morning tea and lunch in the shed to get out of the sun.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...rawoolshed3.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...rawoolshed4.jpg

Usually when we first arrive we have a go in a small yard to get back into the swing of things and then we move down to one of the big yards.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...sheepyards1.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...sheepyards2.jpg

For the first go we get a handful of sheep – about 10-12 because that is easier to work:

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...ngMarch2008.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...datBinalo-1.jpg

Most of the dogs get tied up in the shade between the cars to wait their turn but we sit with the people just before our turn. In the breaks we can go and play and have long runs in the paddock behind the cars:

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...gintheshade.jpg

Here is me:

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...gandwaiting.jpg

and this is my friend Jessie who is also a Koolie:

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...rdog/Jessie.jpg

At this school we were learning to work 3 sheep – this is pretty difficult but what you have to do in a trial. The sheep won’t stay together and you have to make them. Sometimes you just have to sit down and wait patiently because the one on his own will always want to come back to the others.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...eesheep3-08.jpg

Sometimes the sheep try and hide behind the water trough and you have to creep up on them:

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...nkingtrough.jpg

Here I am putting them away – we had to put them through a narrow obstacle and then put them in a pen in the middle of the yard. I was the only dog to put them through the obstacle and everyone cheered me and started chanting “Perry, Perry, Perry” so to show them it was not a fluke I did it another six times but then I did not have time to put them in the pen so I had to put them away in the next yard instead.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...ngsheepaway.jpg

Afterwards I went for a paddle to cool off in their water trough:

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...kingwater-1.jpg

but there is also a bath we can use to cool off in - here is my mate Harley who is also a Koolie

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...andHarley-1.jpg

Sheepdog school is really hard work and on the way home we always go and get a bowl of icecream at the local shops – I find people are often rude and stare at me enjoying my icecream – anyone would think they had never seen a dog enjoying an icecream before. Then there is a two hour drive home and a rest in front of the TV before getting up to do it all again tomorrow.

Love Perry (now known as Princess Perry at school because of the diamante P on my nice new hot pink working collar)

Edited April 1, 2008 by Perry's Mum

[PAX]

I can't view the photos.

[Perry's Mum]

I can't view the photos.

I have redone all the links and put in a few extra photos so please try again.

[Paula-]

Go Perry!