TBT

Crisp autumn day at the farm Sept 2010

Note the border collie with head down, looking at sheep's head

Blue heeler herding

Sheep discussing where to go to eat after work

Border collie

The universal herding sign (really) for telling the dog to lie down

And how is that working for ya?

If I remember correctly, this dog won certification shortly after this training

Those of you who did not know me when Gracie was younger, I drove to a farm about 30 miles to the north every weekend to herd sheep. Live sheep. Me. I paid for herding lessons, and the lessons were for me to learn how to train Gracie to be a good little herder. We did this until the spring of 2016. I had been knocked down 38 times over the years, and yes, I did keep count.  But I did this to bond with my dog, and to give her an activity that challenged her thinking. Aussies are smart, and need to work when young.

The best herding breed is a border collie. It has something to do with their eyesight. Next in line is a good Australian Shepherd. Gracie became very competent at herding. I think age slowed her down so she stopped finding it funny to split the herd so she could bring them back together again. Like I said, smart dogs. We probably would have retired from this activity by now anyway due to her aging. Aussies can have hip problems, it runs in the breed. We quit because I had major surgery and did not want to fall in the field, miles from a hospital. I kind of miss it. Not sure if Gracie does. She will, on occasion, try to separate dogs of different sizes or colors at Puppy Playground.

Probably bored. My girl does like to entertain the staff at the Playground.
Linda

Monday Monday

We are rapidly approaching sheep herding season. We have not been since early November, and Gracie was bossy and disrespectful. Yes, dogs can be that way. These are photos from when we first started herding, in September 2010. Leah is in the field with Gracie because either a) Gracie wasn't listening to me, or b) I wasn't listening to Leah.

I would like to continue the herding with Gracie because it's great exercise, and gives us a chance to do something without Jake. Jake sits at the fence and watches. His job is to protect his women. Or at least that's what he thinks. But I'm not sure I will be physically able to accomplish this. We are no longer at the farm in Boone county, where these photos were taken, but at a different mini farm south of us. Grace had become accustomed to the above fields, having worked them for over 5 years. It was her turf, and she had confidence. At the new farm we work a big field that is fenced, and my Aussie likes to wander to avoid the sheep and me. It is her version of flipping me the bird. Good times.

It is also mud season. Yesterday the temperature climbed to 50, and the packed snow is almost completely gone. My floors are decorated in a lovely pattern of mid size dog paw prints. Goes well with the wood laminate flooring. Cleaning seems to be a continuous process: you start, you pause, you continue. Never ending.

The good news is that spring is here. Sigh. Finally. Life is good.
Linda

Sheep Herding 101

We all went to the farm for Gracie's sheep herding today. The last few times, Miss Grace has done an excellent job. But she has become bored. This happens. Dogs can get turned off to the same type of drill or training, and just enter a state known as avoidance. In my case, this means Gracie will go after piles of wool, sheep poop, whatever she feels like instead of the herd.

Our trainer, Leah, decided that every dog today would return to basics. Get the dogs involved with the sheep again, make them want to run and round up. No instructions . The humans simply entered the pen, let the dog go, and walked around to change directions, often. Needless to say, my dog had a great time of it. Nothing she likes better than to run and chase two sheep without having to listen to Leah or mom. Due to the heat (yeah, already at 10am), we kept these bursts of activity short and to the point. The poor sheep were feeling that sun as well.

We must have worn her out, because both dogs slept in the car on the way home. Just like kids.

Have a great day.
Linda

I Don't Think So...

We have started putting Gracie into the big pasture, in preparation for driving the sheep. The difference between herding and driving is that the human (me) is in one place, not walking in front of the herd. You are calling instructions to the dog to move the sheep to a specific area. Gracie will be ready to do this, once she stops diving into the herd at the entrance. This is my biggest problem right now. Once she is in and she has gathered the sheep together, she is a terrific littler herder. Really.

So because of that diving problem, she had split the herd of 6 head on Sunday. 3 were in the middle pasture, 3 in the big pasture. We had tried, for the first time, to have her gather and drive the herd from the middle pasture, through the gate, to the bigger pasture with me manning the gate. Leah, our coach, had Jake on leash watching. Leah and I tried to get Gracie to leave the sheep and come back and get the remaining 3 head. No, that wasn't going to happen. She was going to guard her herd, and we all could just stand there and talk all we wanted.

Leah, having far more experience than I, said okay, we'll use Jake on leash to drive these 3 towards the gate. I would open the gate when she got them close. There was one little problem with this. When Leah started walking with Jake towards the 3 sheep, Jake took a long look, looked at me, and went behind Leah. His face was saying, "I want my mommy!" He did NOT, under any circumstances, want anything to do with the wooly beings in front of him.

The boy loves to lay at the fence while Gracie is herding, watching intently the entire time. Sarge, my Sheltie who died last year, wouldn't even look at the sheep. He sat with his back to the activity. But now I realize that Jake is not so much watching the sheep, but watching me. I guess he wants to make sure I am not leaving through another gate, that I will come back out to get him. My little rescue guy.

Ya gotta love it.
Linda

Lambs

Because Gracie needed a job.....

Notice the little guy in the background with the brown patch

Love the look on the sheep's face. "Really? Right now you want to eat?"

When Gracie was about 8 months old, I hired a dog trainer who came to the house every week. He told me that Australian Shepherds need to be worked. They need a job. Now that job could be agility or obedience training on a regular basis, rescue work if they have a good enough nose (she does), or herding. When I heard about herding being within an hour of where I live and reasonable in price, I chose that endeavor.

I must have been nuts. I have hit the ground at least 18 times in the past 18 months. This past Sunday I tripped in the pasture, went down, and my darling little Aussie drove the herd around me. Have you ever tried to get up off the ground with sheep crowding you, the entire time being noisy as well? "BAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The one aspect of sheep herding that bothers me is the exposure to different attitudes towards animals. I fully realize that farmers can't get attached to farm animals. The sheep, cattle, llama, and herd guard dogs are workers, not hairy kids that sleep with you at night. Logically I know that. But it breaks my heart when you encounter a lamb that you know is not going to make it. Look at the little guy in the second photograph, with the one brown patch on his left hind quarter. He also is tinged in brown on the very edges of his ears. This lamb is about 2 1/2 weeks old. For whatever reason, he lost his mom in the herd. Or she has abandoned him. But he was staggering around last Sunday, so Leah decided to give him some liquid vitamins and a bottle. To do that, I had to help. I held that guy in my arms, talking in a low, soothing voice, and helped feed him.

When a sheep lays down on the ground all the way on their side, they are probably going to die. I don't know why, I just know this is what they see at the farm. This cute little one laid all the way down several times while I was there on Sunday. Jim, the farm owner, finally picked him up and took him in, hoping that a little TLC would get him back on his feet.

Sometimes shit happens. There isn't a whole lot you can do about it. But it still bothers me. There were 30 lambs born this spring. Leah changed the feed for the herd, so there was only one single birth, the majority twins, and two or three sheep had triplets. I'd like to see all of them make it, but one little one died about 6 hours after being born, and one sheep passed leaving her lamb motherless within hours after birth.

I could not be a farmer. I'd be crying all day long. Have a good one today. Be grateful.
Linda

Slowing Down

Llama will protect the herd from predators

Two of the older babies

I had a very relaxing day on Easter. We left early to drive to the farm, stopping at a rest area. The dogs like to get out of the car and sniff, walk around a bit, on a longer drive. It seems to calm them down. Once we arrived, I helped Leah get 6 sheep for Gracie to herd. At this time of year, it isn't easy because the lambs stay close to the moms. There are very few dogs Leah will allow in the pen with the lambs because we don't want them to get hurt. So while Knuckles, one of her male border collies, was stirring and holding the herd, Leah would grab sheep that had not just given birth, and I was opening and slamming shut the pen gate.

We then had Gracie drive the sheep from pen to pen, through gates, into the large pasture so we could work. Simply sentence. Just doesn't convey how damn hard that really is. Found myself smashed by 6 sheep against the first gate, slammed into the second gate, and once again, folks, on the ground in the pasture. The first time was my own fault. I tripped. When I tried to get up, Gracie was too close to the herd and that drove them forward, over me which in turn knocked me down again.

I didn't get hurt. Guess the reason for that is I'm so used to hitting the ground I've learned how to fall. But it was an enlightening experience. I now see very clearly what my little Aussie is doing wrong. She loves short cuts. No more. I'm onto her now. Gracie must think she worked hard yesterday, well, wait until next week.

The other light bulb going off over my head yesterday was that I have been just too busy. My life had turned into me running in 3 different directions constantly with work related obligations, and then adding the dogs into that mix was the topper. Getting too old for this shit. Time to slow down again. One of the reasons I had not posted on the blog for weeks is that I had no new photographs. I had stopped doing something that I dearly love. So starting today, I am taking a deep breath and making an effort. Life is just too short.

Enjoy your Monday. Stop and smell a spring flower.
Linda

Happy Easter

Born yesterday. Out in the yard with mom.

One of the set of triplets, about 2 weeks old

About 2 weeks old

We went sheep herding this morning. It was a little chilly to start, but warmed up nicely. I can't think of a better way to spend a sunny morning, then watching these beautiful animals. Hope your Easter morning was filled with joy.
Linda

A Good Day

Bella, Cathy, and the sheep

Yesterday we went to sheep herding lessons, and I must say we did rather well. Gracie has a tendency to get better as the day goes. I think she just becomes tired, and decides the best way to get back in the car for a nap is to do exactly what we want her to do. Please look at this photo: Cathy is walking backwards. Unless you have eyes in the back of your head, this is what you do when you know your dog is going to charge around to the head of the herd when they should be walking behind. THIS is how Linda has landed on the ground 10 times in the past year.

Yes, I keep count. But yesterday, I was actually walking ahead of the sheep, not being sandwiched between them, because Gracie was weaving along behind us and not following too close. The closer the dog gets to the sheep, the more the sheep will cling to the human walking with them. Everyone was in line. I had finally, after a year, attained the proper "sheep sandwich."

It was a proud moment. No snickering unless you have personally tried this.....
Linda

Oscar the Aussie

Dustin with Oscar and the sheep.

He is kind of walking here.

Oscar is a rescue from Kentucky. Dustin and his wife have had him about a year and a half. He's a great dog, full of boundless energy, with beautiful blue eyes. A full blood Australian Shepherd, Oscar weighs around 55 pounds, but is on a diet. His fur is super thick, and this dog is a powerhouse when it comes to running.

Because of very busy lives, Dustin doesn't always get to bring Oscar up to the farm for herding lessons. So when Oscar does get in the pen, it is chaos. I love to stand at the fence and watch this Aussie work because he does exactly the same things that Gracie did several months back.....or last week. We think Aussie's like to stir up the herd just for the fun of putting them all back together again. Aussies are very good at amusing themselves.

But of all the dogs that I have watched at herding, this one has the most energy. It is endless. You can't work Oscar too hard, nor can you wear him out. Leah and I can always tell when Gracie is ready to call it a day because she will slow down and do what we want, head hanging low, looking pathetic. Not Oscar. He would run around that pen chasing the sheep until they drop, not him. The same holds true for the dog park: Oscar will chase the ball until Dustin gives it up. And like Gracie, Oscar is a barker. I guess that is another Aussie trait.

Oscar and Gracie tolerate one another. Gracie does not really get along with any other Aussie, including her sister, Bailey. The Diva Princess of Avon wants to be number one. Sigh.

Have a great day. We are going sheep herding.
Linda

Bella the German Shepherd

Bella, the German Shepherd, in a herding lesson

Cathy, Bella's mom, sitting down on the job

The dog is too close to the herd

The sun was warm, and Bella decided to avoid working

A few weeks ago, Leah, our sheep herding trainer, had a Sunday cook-out for all of her clients. We all worked the dogs first in a rotation of sheep, then had lunch. It was a great time, and good to network with other dog owners.

Cathy wanted some photographs of Bella sheep herding. The breeder she purchased Bella from was fascinated that Cathy has been able to train Bella. This is a young Shepherd, not yet a year old, and she is doing very well. In my experience, the best dogs for herding are the Border Collies, because they are obsessed with their task. But the German Sherpherds do a good job of weaving behind the herd, keeping everyone in a group.

And then there are the Australian Shepherds. Like Gracie. Like Oscar. I have some pictures of Oscar. Aussies just love to mix it all up. I was so glad to see that my little Aussie isn't the only one with attitude. Major, major attitude.

Have a great day.
Linda

Sundays

Tilly herding last fall

Today is sheep herding day. You know. The day that Gracie gets to run around and bark while I get to walk backwards with a paddle in my hands. Fun for all.

I'm getting better. Still not good, but I am getting better. And Gracie has matured into a good little herder. At least she knows what she is suppose to be doing. I'm still catching on. An interesting side note to all of this herding is that my dog now wants to herd other dogs. She has figured out that running in circles and occasionally barking is a way to move a group of animals. Gracie just used to play at the dog park. Now Gracie wants that order to her life. "Okay, all you brown dogs line up over there, while the black ones are behind me." Life is not always in order, as she has found out.

It seems that everyday there is new information about what goes on in a dog's brain, or what motivates them to act this way or that. I try to keep up on what is best for my dog, and weed out the here-say. It amazes me how many dog owners there are who are totally clueless as to why their dog, or mine, do what they do. There was a woman who came to the park last year who screamed at her dog if he sniffed another dog's behind. Hello? That is how they identify one another. Gross as it may be to us, it is normal behavior for a dog. So this woman spent her entire time chasing and screaming at her dog.

When I encounter a person who "doesn't like your dog barking at my dog", I have been removing Gracie and Jake from the big dog park, and going over to the small dog side. I don't want to see Gracie get hurt, and I don't want to be aggravated. It would be a waste of time to explain my dog's behavior to a person who already has a closed mind.

Interesting, isn't it? I wonder if these same people vote? Have a great day.
Linda

Say what, again?

Wait, mom. There is a bird flying overhead.

Gracie can be so intent. We went sheep herding yesterday morning, and she did well enough, and I did well enough, that I am considering entering her in a trial next spring. The first round was in the medium size pen, which we have been using for months. Second time around, Leah suggested we see what she does in the big field, and mercy, the dog did what she was suppose to do. We pushed her into a little driving action as well, and my little girl acted like she had been doing this forever. It could be I am finally getting my act together, or it could be Gracie has matured enough to know this is her job.

Whatever the reason, it all came together and we left very happy. Plus, and this is a big plus, the weather has finally decided to change seasons. We have been stuck in "blazing hot" season for 2 months. Now it is suddenly 60 degrees, and the dogs are loving it. Lots of walking going on. A good thing for the kids and for mom.

Enjoy yourselves.
Linda

Sheep 10, Linda 1.5

Remember these guys? The Sheep? The ones who knocked me to the ground 9 times last fall? Yeah, happy memories.

I took the dogs to sheep herding today for the first time in 5 weeks. Between the heat wave and my work schedule, and a few other little commitments like the McCartney concert, we had been unable to go. This morning the temperature was 70 degrees, nice breeze, a perfect day to be at the farm.

Gracie and I have come a long way in the past year. Gracie knows what we expect, has stop avoiding the work (for the most part), and is settling into her little side job quite nicely. One problem: she still has a tendency to follow too closely behind the sheep. When this happens, they crowd me.

I was in the process of turning around to tell Gracie to "get out", a command that means slow down, dog, and don't follow too close, when a sheep stepped on my foot dislodging my shoe. My foot turned the wrong way, and down I went. Falling is no longer a big deal to me. I half expect it. Except I hadn't fallen to the ground in sheep herding since last year. It was a wake up call. I don't want to get hurt again. From that point, I was more on top of the situation, getting Gracie to do what she is suppose to do: walk slowly behind the herd, turn with us, blocking her when she tried to go around.

It was a good session. But it was also a reminder that dogs need to be continuously trained. Gracie has known and performed the "lie down" command for 8 months. Today, she did indeed go down, but would spring back up. No, that is not allowed. She is not to move until she has been released to do so. Back to basics. We will practice at home, and at the same time, train Jake to "lie down" with the hand signal and the verbal command.

A mother's work is never done. Enjoy the weekend. Hug someone. I plan on hugging my two furry companions.
Linda

Sheep herding 101

Aren't I cute?

Probably chasing birds flying overhead

We went to the farm yesterday to herd in our small pen. It has been, probably, 2 months since we were at the farm due to the weather, the holidays, and the weather. Did I say weather twice? Imagine that. I am so ready to put this house on the market and move to a warmer state. Any warmer state.

So little Miss Gracie was full of herself when she entered the pen. Leah had only 4 sheep in there, and they were calm. Gracie did well, we worked her for about 20 minutes, then she went back to the car to think about what she had done. I didn't fall.

Second time out, she was wound up, ready to dive into those sheep. I lost control of her immediately, and my voice came up an octave. That raises the dog's excitement as well. Leah came back into the pen, got both of us calmed down, and we had a great session. I walked backwards with the sheep, no one pushed me down, and I finally, finally after all these months felt like this was something I could do. It was a great feeling.

The above pictures are from June 2009, right after we moved into this house, and before Sarge came to live with us. Gracie was 6 months old. Trust me on this, there is a huge difference in this dog today.

Ya gotta love it. The Dog Whisperer at work.....
Linda

Incredible Video

I don't know about this, Mom...

Baaaaaaaaaaa

My friend, Molly, sent me this link. Please keep in mind that the gentlemen in this clip are working with sheep and Border Collies. And that one of the men is doing commands to the dog by whistling. Just blows my mind. (what's left of it!)

Do you think Gracie could ever do this? Enjoy the sheeplight.
Linda

Part Two

Aren't they beautiful animals?

Havoc, Dan and Amy's pup

Starting to watch the action

Come into the pen, Linda. We like you.

You want me to do what?

No. I'm a stubborn Blue Heeler

Oh, alright. You just won't quit, Mom!

Besides all of the exercise and getting to meet some really nice people, I enjoy taking photos at the farm. In particular, I truly love taking pics of the sheep. Even though they are winning.

Havoc is, I think, 9 months old. They are trying to interest him in herding, so Dan had him on the leash by the fence. He was displaying some interest. Border collies are a nature at this. They instinctively know how to walk up on the herd. That doesn't mean they don't need to be trained, but from my experience, they seem calmer.

Blue Heelers are cattle dogs, and Alex has the same type of problems with Tilly that I have with Gracie. One, they want to dive into the herd. And two, they are stubborn. Alex is performing the movement for the command, "lie down". It took a bit longer than we would like, but she did eventually get Tilly down. I am now working on this at the dog park, when Gracie is excited with all of the other dogs running around. Yesterday was a pretty good day. I kept after her, and she relented. The key is me being consistent with my dog. We're also doing this at home, at odd moments when she doesn't expect it. I want her to get used to my commands regardless of where we are at. The training just never stops, but that's okay. It's part of being a responsible dog owner.

We are having a very late Indian Summer in central Indiana. Great weather to be out with the dogs. I am going to take advantage of this, because I'm sure it will end all too soon. Have a great day.
Linda

The Score

Alex and Tilly starting out

Amy and Debit. Debit turning her best side to me!

THIS is a sheep sandwich

This is not

Sheep 9 Linda 0

Gracie begging forgiveness from Leah

It was a perfect morning to work the dogs. The sun was out nice and bright, warming the air. Still had a nip in the air, but as long as you had on a jacket, you were fine. Alex and Tilly, the Blue Heeler, were first up. I thought Tilly did pretty good. Then Amy entered with Debit. Deb is a corker, a lot like Gracie. But Amy was able to attain a "sheep sandwich" more than once. This is where you, the two legged one, can walk (calmly), with the sheep behind you and the dog behind the sheep.

I am not able to do that yet. All 3 of us have the same problem: our dogs do not totally respect us in the pen. Gracie is the dog most out of control. Are we surprised? No, we are not. Note that in the above photo where I am standing with the sheep, Gracie is up on her hind legs trying to make amends with Leah, the trainer. This is because she just got yelled at, big time.

You will also notice that I am on the ground in one of the pics. I fell twice (count them, twice) yesterday. The second time Amy, who had my camera while I was with Gracie, didn't get the photo. Thank you very much. That was the time I was draped across a sheep with my feet flying hither and up. My abs are sore today.

We are trying. I keep reminding myself why I am doing this. Why I am loading both dogs up early in the morning, driving for almost an hour north of where I live, at times shivering with the cold. It's because Gracie loves this. I want to challenge her, mentally and physically. But I don't want to get hurt. So along with all of this, we are returning to some basic training at home. I love my dogs, but Gracie has to listen to me better than she does right now. It's like having a kid that knows they don't have to do what mom says until the third or fourth time mom states it.

It will get better. That is, if I survive. Have a good one.
Linda