A Different Philosophy

Blaine settled on a dog.  An unregistered "farm" Border Collie named Charlie.  He is 10 months old and has been a pet.  The most interesting thing I found was when I went to pick him up.  I have the sketchiest feeling about these people.  It certainly isn't how I do things (not that I'm perfect).  

When I pulled up a deluge had just started.  I decided to sit and wait it out.  The heavy rain wouldn't last that long.  To my surprise the son runs out with the dog on his leash.  He loads him up in the truck, grabs the money and goes.  I had to ask for some dog food so I could mix it with mine.  I had this sinking feeling.  This feeling that this dog hadn't been loved on and trained on, the way I'd love on and train on my dogs.  

I've put him in the X-Pen in the living room for now.  I don't trust him, and my two are singularly unimpressed with this whiny interloper.  I figure they'll need some supervised and care during the transition process.  The big thing I noticed that didn't make me happy is it's clear this dog has become used to entertaining himself.  In the run he ran and barked and ran and barked.  For that reason he won't get any dog run time until I get more training and excercise into him.  Until he's less stressed and has a better understanding of the expectations placed on him, he'll be in lock down.  

Friends

We've been having a very nice season this year.  I have a lot of grass.  More grass than Guinness can possibly eat on his own.  One of my friends has a lovely Arabian named Johnnie.  Johnnie has been sitting and rusticating in the fields at her place.  A few years ago he had 90 days of training.  He's basically sat since.  I really like this horse.  He reminds me of the horses of my childhood.  My friend has kindly "loaned" me Johnnie.  He'll be my summer project.  

When it stops raining I'll get some better pictures of Johnnie and Guinness.  Guinness was a very happy little boy to have a friend.  He got all studish.  Johnnie had to give him a boot to remind him of his manners.  It was awesome.

Fair Practice??

In my search for a dog for Blaine I've contacted many of the people I know who have dogs.  Looking for the right fit.  One of my dog/horse acquaintances has a young dog with minimal training.  When I told Blaine to contact her she told him she'd only deal with me.  Then I check my email and discover she wants me to put time into this dog and we'd split the profit.  This seems so dirty to me.  It makes my moral compass stand up and scream.  Basically I found a potential buyer (Blaine), yet I'd bump the dog's training and therefore the value up, prior to him purchasing the animal.  In my mind this is wrong.    I'm more than happy to find Blaine a dog with minimal training, and finish it for him - simply because Blaine and I have the understanding prior to that this is how it would work.  And quite simply, because Blaine is a friend I wouldn't expect financial gain from this understanding.

So am I right to think this is questionable practices?  Or should I get off my soapbox?

How Fun Is This??

So far, my summer vacation hasn't really started.  I'm currently working (procrastinating) on university work.  All next week I have classes.  However,  not only do I have an invite to Ken's, another of my connections after a random FaceBook conversation today has invited me out to go riding at her place.  She also has a ton of horses.  How fun is that?

The Hardest Thing

Blaine and I have been on a mission.  We've been looking for a dog for him.  Last Saturday I tried a "town" dog for him.  It was a 10 month old, unregistered male.  "Charlie" had never seen stock so I asked his owners if they'd mind letting me see him on the sheep.  They agreed, and brought him out.  As thanks, I gave them some gas money (it wasn't very far from their place to mine).  Charlie was pretty good.  I got him to circle both directions and he was pretty keen.  So keen, it was hard to pull him off the stock.  Unfortunately he hadn't had much in the way of basic obedience (no recall, sit, stay, etc.) which I don't like to see in a dog by that point in time.  The other thing I didn't really like, but could understand, was he barked at the sheep.  He barked and barked.  Not sure if that's something he'd stop with time.  Telling them we'd talk it over and get back to them, Blaine and I made arrangements to go look at another dog he found.

Yesterday we went and looked at the second batch of dogs.  It was one of the hardest things for me to walk away from.  There were about five dogs and one pup with an older couple.  The man, well, he was one of those types that thinks he knows everything but really knows nothing.  The "meet" began with him rapping one of the young (6 months) dogs on the snout repeatedly while hollering to get down.  Finally he smacked it with his cane.  The dog rolled over and gave his belly.  Next he untangled a plethora of chains from his quad.  He went and collected up another young dog (around 1 year) and chained it to his quad.  He then took off towards the pasture.  Cringing, I climbed back into Blaine's truck and went followed.  He then made me (for whatever reason he decided I was the person he was talking to) go and tie up one of the loose dogs.  The dogs wouldn't come to him so I had to catch them, (All very submissive.)  and tie it up to the fence.  They had no collars so I had to use a hunk of chain (also cringe worthy).  When I asked if that one worked he said no, that she was just his "brood" dog.  That comment just left me horrified.

Watching the young dog work it was clear this was not a started dog.  He knew nothing and barked all the way down the field, and the entire time he was by the cattle.  The man kept changing his story.  By the end of the time with him I was half convinced he had Alzheimer's.  (He misplaced his large yellow quad and knew no names for the dogs.)

The icing on the cake? He took us to see the puppy (9 weeks).  Of course, I was the one he sent into the run to collect it.  This poor baby was cowering in the far end of the dog house.  I ended up crawling into the house (and tore my jacket on an exposed nail)  the poor darling was terrified.  He shook and shook.  Cuddling him up I brought him to the truck.  Everybody had a look and I returned the pup.  By this point in time I was edging on really irritated.  When I put the baby down he flipped over and gave me his belly.  I bent down and gave him some love.  It was the hardest thing I've ever done - walking away from that baby.

I had to do a lot of self talk.  Tell myself that taking this poor darling away would not solve the problem.  That the man would just keep breeding more.  I just felt awful.  I wanted to take each of those dogs and rehome them with someone else.  This is the same reason I don't go to the local horse auction.  It scars my soul and I can't deal with it.  I ended up feeling depressed the remainder of the day and had to do some baking therapy.  Those dogs will haunt my dreams.

Hope

Hope is an amazing thing.  It can fill a person's bucket.  Without hope, life is a wasteland of disappointment and depression.  Today, Ken filled my bucket.  I was up with the birds and the bees and on the road by 6:30a to reach his farm before the heat of the day hit.  (Yes, our heat is puny compared to you southern folks...)  We had a big day planned filled with horses and dogs.  Two of my ultimate favorite things.

We began by working Ryder.  He was a superstar.  We stretched out his outrun (where he goes and collects the sheep) and his confidence just grew by leaps and bounds.  I love working this dog.  Next, we moved horses in closer, took a lunch break in which I delighted in teasing his daughter, and followed up with Diva.

My mouth turned down I looked at him when he asked if I wanted to work her.  I kept telling him not really (we'd just had a phone conversation about how naughty she is and how frustrated I was), he kept pushing me.  Finally I told him to work her.  He did.  She was soft and smooth as butter.  The biggest shocker for me was how she kept looking for me.  Diablo Diva wanted her mommy.  (Yes, I know that's icky and bad form but I don't care.)  It got so bad that Ken told me I'd have to work her.  In short order she pulled some of her standard "Piss On You" tricks.  Pulling me to the side, Ken gave me a stern talking to.  Taking a deep breath I walked back out armed with some strategies.  And they worked!!!  I was able to maintain calm and focus.  Ken said it was the best he's ever seen me work Diva.  The best part was I was able to get Diva to a workable, trainable, and team minded stated.

For the first time in a very long time I felt hopeful about this dog.  That I was capable of managing her and working with her through her issues.  And she showed me she wanted to try.  That she wanted to be trained.  I felt really, really good when we walked away from the sheep.

This was followed by riding horses.  What more could a girl ask for?

Well... Ken invited me to come out and spend a week working dogs and riding horses.  Yes please!!

Pride and Epiphany

I had told a friend's family that I would loan them some sheep for the summer to graze down their little acreage.  Today was delivery day.  I hitched up the trailer, put Diva and Ryder in the run, and enlisted my mom and Tessa for some help.  Dad had bought around 20 weanling lambs to graze down the "sheep" pasture.  I needed to pull my six out of the flock.  Using Tessa to push on them and get them shifting around the younger sheep slid into a shed.  Smooth as butter.  Well, until Tessa went deaf.  Then not so smooth.  Plan B was to encourage my three woolies to leave the shed.  I brought Tessa in when they wouldn't respond to my pressure.  She shot them out.  I managed to cleanly pull five of my sheep out.  Deciding I could leave the one hair behind, we drove them out into the field.

Next, I pulled the trailer into the field and parked it at the gate.  I had grabbed Ryder.  Now, mom had Tessa on a leash and I had Ryder loose.  (He listens better.)  I stationed mom and Tessa in a high pressure spot to help create a bit of a human wall.  Ryder gathered and pushed the sheep to the edge of the trailer.  He kept counter balancing them to the trailer, taking off in hot pursuit if something made a break for it.  I was in awe with his manner.  He is so quiet and kind to his stock.  He does not dive in and grip under pressure.  Watching him, my chest puffed out with pride.  He is a young dog and he took his flanks relatively well, and he tried.  He tried and tried to do the right thing.

Taking our time to not put too much pressure on the sheep and create a wreck or bolting situation I managed to get the Blat one of the hair sheep in.  Mom ran off to grab the halter and I tied him in the trailer.  While I was doing this Ryder kept the sheep at the mouth of the trailer.  A lot of time had passed so I felt we should try for more pressure.  I asked Ryder to put some heat on.  Using my cane I began to encourage the sheep to move forward into the trailer.  It was here that I encountered a major problem.  Every time I lifted my arm, or took my foot into the buttocks of the sheep (relax - no beating occurred - just some good shoves) Ryder moved out of contact, creating a window for the sheep to move into.  My poor gorgeous boy was afraid of the cane.  Broke my heart.  This is something we'll need to work through.  Moving mom and Tessa to the high pressure spot - with Tessa leaning hard on her leash - my lead sheep finally hopped in.  And then just like water the sheep flowed into the trailer.  Closing the door, I went in and untied Blat.  Ryder sat there peeking in, pleased as anything.  I was so proud of him.

He hasn't done any functional work yet he handled the high pressure situation like a champion.  I also enjoyed myself immensely even though I spent a good portion getting rained on.  Why?  I think because there was purpose to it.  I sat back and thought about why I procrastinate and in some ways resist my trial training.  Why I'm not motivated.  I think it leaves me emotionally numb, whereas this had a reason to it.  I think I may need to add in more functional activities to our training regime.

There it was pride overfloweth and an epiphany all in one damp package.