At 15 month's of age, and a scant 13 months after receiving him as a puppy, Star won his first-ever dog trial. This weekend he won day 1 of the nursery division at Jennifer and Ron Ewer's On the Border Sheepdog Trial. I've heard it said that the nursery is the potpourri of herding and so it was with Star. From the 6 of 8 dogs that finished in the 2nd nursery, Star was dead last. This week's lessons:
- focus when distracted
- Just like practice
- That's a lot of sheep
Here's an excerpt:
"From the entire weekend, there is one sight that still makes me laugh and will likely continue to bring me joy. On the first day Star and I exhausted our own sheep. As he approached the exhaust pen he was treated for the first time ever to the sight of hundreds of sheep milling about. The look on his face reminded me of the feeling I experience each and every time I visit the Grand Canyon, disbelief, awe, some kind of rapture. There is something so very innocent and pure about running a talented nursery dog. Nothing is taken for granted and each accomplishment is a happy surprise. The youngsters are clean, fresh, untainted, and there is never a time when the dogs are more reflective of our own abilities and shortcomings as trainers and handlers. After our second run and even though it was clear we hadn't run as well as the day before, I walked over to the blind where a friend was watching, and said; "That was so much fun." "
No comments:
Post a Comment