Herding Ht

[piper]

This is Jazz's second run for the day. I was thrilled with her cast/lift/draw and how calm and smooth it was off of a person and a pile of grain! We had a pen issue both trials, in the first trial she got stressed about stopping on the fence in front of the stock - she likes out in the open and ended up coming away from the stock and following me. This run she did similar. I though afterwards what I should have done, oh well. And the big stuff up ear the Z chute is my fault - gave her the wrond command.

Thanks to Dova's OH for recording this 1 for me

[JulesP]

Congrats on the duckies Piper!

But ummmm were is the video link!

[ness]

In the BC thread JulesP .

[piper]

Oops, I decided to wait for the 2nd 1 to upload and add them both at once but hit send without thinking. It's been a looonnggg tiring weekend!

Her really rough and ugly first run:

ANd I should add that it is not really a bad run, just not like what I am used to from her. The outrun, was entirely my fault and caused a large amount of the points off. I should add that I trimmed over 2 mins of waiting at the peg for sheep to be set. She had started to sniff and I didn't get her attention properly and send her I just said her name and ok which she correctly took to be approach as you like.

And the other run that I described before:

[Dova]

Congrats to every one at the trial, piper you did great . I had been stressing about something from Saturday but now it's all the way . In my 2nd run with Pebbles the judge said we'd passed then I got told we didn't because I'd grabbed Pebbles collar, , then we did. On the way home I kept thinking maybe I did without realising it, maybe I cheated to pass , well I watched the video yesterday & guess what, I didn't touch her collar so I didn't cheat .

Edited August 24, 2009 by Dova

[TerraNik]

Took my Keeshond and Finnish Lapphund herding for the first time since their HIC's in May! Had a ball!! Though it seems my Keeshond has a better idea about what to do than my Lapphund! Go figure! Felt completely uncoordinated though, but I'm sure it'll get better!

[JulesP]

My dog has a better idea about it than me full stop!

Poppy can't handle the fluffier breeds herding, it totally freaks her out. I am sure she thinks it is just sheep all running around in a paddock!

[Janba]

I have a couple of minor brags from a double trial today.

I finally fronted up to the start peg for 2 Intermediate Bs. In the first trial he did an outstanding cast lift and fetch and only lost 1(out of 10) point on the lift and none on the cast(20) and the fetch to the handlers post (20). Then we fell to pieces on th drive to the first set of gates so I retired and helped him.

In the second trial he only lost 1/2 a point on th cast for overshooting the top and 1 on the fetch to the handler peg. We then manage the drive to the first panels (losing 5) and the sheep landed up against the outside panel. I needed to send him clockwise to push them through the opening but some fool gave the command for anticlockwise and he pushed them past the panels and it all fell apart. If I had got them through the gap the rest is easy

In the longer casts I have been having problems with him cutting in too close at the top and so I am so pleased with him doing to really good 90m casts.

I also did 2 inter A courses but tried to do them as if I was doing advanced. He scored 75 in the first run with a very ugly cross drive where I did have to leave the hold pen and help from the inter positions. In the second he NQed on the crossdrive because we totally missed the centre line gate but he did some really lovely work and he is not anywhere near ready to compete advanced though I do now know he can do it well in trial situation till the hold pen. I've just got to master that bl**** cross drive.

Seems strange to be bragging about 3 NQs and 1 low score qually.

ETA One of the judges who I really respect knew I was practicing for advanced and wrote as a comment "Starting to look the goods"

Edited September 13, 2009 by Janba

[Janba]

Took my Keeshond and Finnish Lapphund herding for the first time since their HIC's in May! Had a ball!! Though it seems my Keeshond has a better idea about what to do than my Lapphund! Go figure! Felt completely uncoordinated though, but I'm sure it'll get better!

I didn't see you yesterday but I didn't arrive till just after lunch. I will come and say hi when I see you.

[Tassie]

I needed to send him clockwise to push them through the opening but some fool gave the command for anticlockwise and he pushed them past the panels and it all fell apart.

Now, I wonder who that could have been. I'm glad other people do that sort of thing too - I've invented a new agility command - something like "No, don't do that, I didn't mean that .... do this instead" - and bless Kirra's little heart - it worked

Seems strange to be bragging about 3 NQs and 1 low score qually.

Not at all, Janba. Sounds like Cole is coming along really nicely. And I really think we become too hung up on the things the dogs do wrong instead of celebrating things they've done well. The score sheet isn't the only measure of the dog's performance, IMHO - in any discipline.

[Janba]

Now, I wonder who that could have been. I'm glad other people do that sort of thing too - I've invented a new agility command - something like "No, don't do that, I didn't mean that .... do this instead" - and bless Kirra's little heart - it worked

I have a relatively unigue command of "sorry I didn't mean that" and the poor dog is learning to do the opposite of the last command

He is getting really good at just going quietly slightly to the direction I say and just changing the pressure on the sheep then is handicapped by a handler who can't tell left from right.

The 30m drive in inter B in an open paddock is the hardest thing I have ever tried to teach a dog. I hate to think what it will be like to try to do advanced B with 2 30m drives and a shed.

ETA I love this dog. He is so forgiving of my mistakes and a friend (who is competing at a higher level than me) said the other day that he really tries for me.

ETA again. After I had done my last run they needed stock handlers for the tests. Someone offered to go down with a dog and the trial manager said "they needed an experienced dog to do the shedding of the sheep so they would prefer Cole. It made me very proud to think people see him this way

Edited September 13, 2009 by Janba

[JulesP]

You sound on a real high Janba.

[piper]

Seems strange to be bragging about 3 NQs and 1 low score qually.

ETA One of the judges who I really respect knew I was practicing for advanced and wrote as a comment "Starting to look the goods"

SOunding good Janba, well done.

Jazz and Piper can both sympathise with the fool of a handler problem. My last 2 trials on ducks Piper has challenged me at times and I have come out saying "bloody dog" (with a laugh) and been told the dog is saying "Bloody handler!" And poor Jazz, her sides were sooo good and at training 1 day she kept taking them wrong. I would pull her up and resend her and she would try and go the wrong way. After several minutes I realised I hadmy commands around the wrong way and I now have a dog that hesitates and doubts me on side commands Idiot handler!! lol.

[Janba]

You sound on a real high Janba.

I am on a high and do need to come back down to earth before I try to sleep

There is nothing like watching your dog do a wide deep cast with the sheep 90 odd metres away and then obeying flank command at that distance to bring them down to you in a straight line in a controlled manner.

And equally as good is watching your dog with no commands go to block a sheep trying to duck around the z shute and put it through while you are standing at the C cone.

Herding must be one of the most rewarding sports if one of the hardest at the higher levels.

Cole is my first real herding dog and he has taught me so much and continues to amaze me on what he is capable of.

ETA I really hope that the ones who post in this thread who are doing started and PT go on to intermediate and advanced. It only gets better as you progress,

Edited September 13, 2009 by Janba

[Janba]

Seems strange to be bragging about 3 NQs and 1 low score qually.

ETA One of the judges who I really respect knew I was practicing for advanced and wrote as a comment "Starting to look the goods"

SOunding good Janba, well done.

Jazz and Piper can both sympathise with the fool of a handler problem. My last 2 trials on ducks Piper has challenged me at times and I have come out saying "bloody dog" (with a laugh) and been told the dog is saying "Bloody handler!" And poor Jazz, her sides were sooo good and at training 1 day she kept taking them wrong. I would pull her up and resend her and she would try and go the wrong way. After several minutes I realised I hadmy commands around the wrong way and I now have a dog that hesitates and doubts me on side commands Idiot handler!! lol.

I can sympothise with this.

I have a video of Cole when he first started and have often gone back to look at it to check which commands I used for which flanks, particularly after a break from training.

[Dova]

Janba I think we're all guilty of confusing our poor dogs, Izzi & Pebbles will be good trial dogs if the DH yelling the orders gets her act together . Had a lesson Friday, in a howling gale, Izzi kept changing the way she worked to suit the sheep & Pebbles is coming along in leaps & bounds . Watch out next year the :D is trying to get it together & we'll be out there to get some titles . Our instructor keeps asking if I want to leave Izzi there, hmmm let me think about that "NOPE" .

[Tassie]

Jazz and Piper can both sympathise with the fool of a handler problem. My last 2 trials on ducks Piper has challenged me at times and I have come out saying "bloody dog" (with a laugh) and been told the dog is saying "Bloody handler!"

One day on the farm where I had the chance to learn to do sheep chores, I had Kirra holding a group of about 30 wethers at a gate. I was asking her to flank around to push the back of the group up a bit - she wasn't doing it, and I was getting frustrated, until the couple of sheep she was concentrating on, who were planning a breakaway, gave up and rejoined the group - then she took my command and bunched them up nicely for me. My trainer was watching from behind some hay bales, killing herself laughing - she said the expression on Kirra's face was priceless - Kirra was clearly saying "For goodness sake mum, watch your sheep!"

[Dova]

Had a lesson Tuesday & feeling pretty good . We worked on our walk up, Pebbles is better at that, Izzi likes bringing the sheep to me but is learning to walk past me to them, getting our casting right, not straight at the sheep but out around, YAY, & Pebbles got a sharp lesson on "OUT" when I got sick of being run over by the sheep , so I think we can finish our HS title in April next year. Couldn't do the training day, working all weekend, so who went & how did it go ?

[smisch]

I can't believe I missed this topic!!!!!

I am very interested in doing herding with Denver, He shows a natural instinct (In my eyes) he frequently tries to heard the neighbors horses and the wild ducks..

I have a few questions which have probably been answered but I'm being lazy...

1. Denver doesn't have the best recall espically when he's working the horses through the fence.. Is that going to be an issue at heridng or is the recall something they will learn.. He is OBSESSED!!
   
2. Are the herding Trials run thru the ANKC or Do I need to join another club
   
3. With the instinct test, what is involved..
   
4. Where canI find details on herding classes and trials in SE QLD
   

Thanks everyone!! I'm a complete novice with herding but it's something I could really see myself doing!

[RallyValley]

The instinct test requires you to walk up to the line of stock stay your dog, walk away and recall your dog... from what I read and what I remember... I am just starting out too! We have sheep at home but Tobyonce ran through a gate I left open and went between a ewe and her lamb.... now he is kind of nervous of being headbutted again!

I think it would be so much easier to train my dog if I had trained sheep too!