Week 57

Star and I went visiting this week and he had the chance to work fresh sheep in a new field and to lift off other hands and dogs that were holding sheep for us. All new experiences and all in preparation for his first dog trial at month's end. He really took it all in stride and looked like an old hand doing so.

This week's lessons:

1. Standing out in a crowd
2. Go ahead and have fun
3. Quit picking on your little brother

Here's an excerpt:

We went to a friend's place to work today and Star had an opportunity to lift sheep that were being held by other handlers with dogs. Before I sent him on his first outrun, a call came on the radio; "where do you want them?" I answered; "where all the dogs are." Since we will not likely get another chance before the dog trial on January 1 and 2, it was my intention to go from 0, (no one holding sheep,) to 60, (everybody holding sheep,) in one session. Star had to learn some time and there was no time like the present.

Week 56

As a wee pup in Wisconsin, Star is 2nd from the right

The outrun is coming into place for little Star man and all of a sudden he looks like a big dog to me. He has always handled like a sports car and becomes more precise with age.

This week's lessons:

1. I will help you
2. All the way to balance
3. No one's default

Here's an excerpt:

I had Mirk leave the sheep at the bottom of the hill about 300 yards away and then spent a bit of time making sure Star saw them way down there. He has become very adept at spotting sheep. I sent him away to me and he cast out brilliantly with good, strong pace and disappeared down the hill. He popped up again on the next rise and was right on track for a perfect outrun. He disappeared again and apparently lost sight of his sheep, because when he showed up again, he had turned in and was looking back to me for guidance. When he got it, he kicked out and shifted back to high gear. When he was near balance, I remembered this time to give him another away-to-me whistle to make him feel good about himself and let him know he was doing well. He interpreted it correctly, overflanked a little, then came on for a nice lift.

Week 55

All of a sudden I have 6 dogs in my kennel and I have a lot of chores to do. 3 of them are actively in training and then there is semi-retired Price, young Tim, the new kid, and little Dexie, the min pin, who really doesn't count. I am sending Star on ever longer outruns now with his at-hand work fully developed. As the distance grows longer, the holes begin to show up and Star man is overcoming them 1 at a time.

This week's lessons:

1. Over flanking is better than stopping short
2. Your body doesn't lie
3. What I'm talking about

Here's an excerpt:

We worked again on getting him deeper at the top of his away-to-me outrun. The first time I sent him, he flattened out, which causes his tail to rise and his gate to become ragged when he comes to balance at an odd angle to the sheep. It is plain to see from his body when he is wrong. This time I stood by the sheep and backed up as he came near balance after speaking to him at the point of his outrun where he flattens. I am still allowing him to turn in and come on to the lift with intention, but noticed that he defaults to a come-bye flank when I steady him with a whistle just after the lift. A quiet "here, here," brings him back on task, but I would like to avoid the default flank all together. We practiced a steady with an immediate "here, here," and after 1 or 2 tries eliminated the default flank on the steady whistle. Back to the outruns. I sent him a few more times with me at the sheep correcting at his "flatten" spot, then tied him in the shade to soak. I was interested to see if he would internalize the lesson and improve. After a short break I sent him away-to-me from my feet and was gratified to see him carry all the way beyond his sheep to finish in a nice arc on balance.

Week 54

I am continuing to improve Star's outruns in the big field. Exhibiting confidence issues, he still turns in or stops to look at me if he loses sight of his sheep while running out. At 13 months, it is no big deal and I am happy to report that he will take a re-direct without hesitation, which exhibits his confidence in me at least.

This week's lessons:

1. Wider and deeper
2. Away-to-me revisited
3. Some things are just easy

Here's an excerpt:

We worked today on the away-to-me outrun. I haven't been doing much of it because it was to the left where he struggled the most, and so where I hadn't before, today I noticed a tendency to come in flat at the top. I shortened things way up, stood near the sheep and sent him from a hundred yards or so to the away-to-me side. It was my intention to give him a voice correction at the point where he flattens out, but Star man is much smarter than that, and took my presence as a reason to cast out nice and deep. I repeated the exercise and gave him the voice correction anyway, then let him have his sheep on the fetch while I turned my back and walked to the trailer. Star performed the task of loading them with his usual efficiency and off we went.

Week 53

Introducing Tim! He is the newest addition to my kennel here at BorderSmith and I am thrilled to have him. He is 4 months old and a granson of a former International Supreme Champion, Bobby Henderson's ##Sweep. I have previously raised and trained 2 ##Sweep progeny, and I can not express how excited I am to have another. Star was on injured reserve all week with a puffy ankle, and I laid him off to rest it. He came right again after just a few days and will be back at work next week. In the mean time, please welcome Tim.

Here's an excerpt from this week's Real Time Canine:

Little Timmy is a model citizen and Joy did a great job with him. He understands correction, stays quiet in his kennel, walks on a lead, keeps his feet on the ground, (for the most part,) and has been either under my feet or in my lap since I got him. Anything can happen, and he is as much a gamble as a pup born of questionable heritage. I hope his good breeding will shine through, however, and I will give him every opportunity. I can't believe I have him actually. It's hard to imagine that he even came to be after such a series of twists and turns. They say to let the pup pick you and in a way, Timmy did just that. I picked and chose and looked, listened and watched. I spoke to strangers and friends alike and then all of a sudden, here he is, sleeping peacefully in a crate at my feet. It's right where he belongs, I think

Week 52

Almost one year ago today, on November 23, 2008, I traveled to San Diego Airport and collected Kensmuir Star after he was flown to me from Kensmuir Working Stockdogs in River Falls Wisconsin. His training began immediately. At 13 months of age, he is trained to nursery level and entered into his very fist dog trial. For the past year I have kept a weekly journal of his progress, The Real Time Canine, which has been my pleasure to write and provide for my subscribers. I appreciate you more than I can say. Thank you for being such an attentive, supportive and generous audience. In honor of Star's first year I asked my friend, Jan to make a video. I present it here with my deep gratitude for her generous efforts, her time and talent. Please enjoy the results of Star's first year in training.

Week 51

This was an up and down week for Star and I. I am trying to stretch out the distance on his outruns, and Star is telling me in his way that he is not ready. We had some mis-steps early on, but finished the week in grand style.

This week's lessons:

1. Follow my lead
2. Trust me
3. Learning the way

Here's an excerpt:

I worked Mirk first and left the sheep about 300 yards away, up the hill and settled down in a little dip. Star came off his chain looking for sheep, and not finding them. He had absolutely no idea where to look, worsened by the fact that the sheep and old cover are exactly the same shade of pale. Anticipating that he would cross, I sent him come-bye while being watchful and it didn't take him long to turn in. His odometer is set at about 100 yards and I am working to re-set it. I gave him several stop, re-directs, which he took, but never far enough. He never saw the sheep almost the entire way out, and when he did, it was all over. His tenuous confidence was shaken by then, but relieved to find his sheep, he hit another gear and flew across the mid-line of the outrun to land on the away-to-me side and begin his fetch. OK, so I sent him too far.