I am continuing the tradition With the theme of “A Little Labor on Labor Day,” I’m posting the photos for you all to enjoy. I’m writing this as Jim is driving us home. WWWSDA Midwest Championships Sheepdog trials outside Hudson, Wis. Although Skip and I didn’t run, both dogs got to work Saturday, picking up each flock of sheep that had finished their intermediate class runs (“Pro Novice” or “Farm”) and carrying them back to a resting area with shade, food and water.
Sometimes it’s easy– The sheep know when their job is done and where to go. Other times, some sheep have poor memories, or prefer to graze outside, or the run itself just doesn’t go smoothly and the dog has to work hard. I love doing the “exhaust work” at these trials because it often requires you and your dog to really keep calm and do a vital good job. And this view makes my heart leap. Here are Skip and Maggie flanking the scene with opposite ears perked up.
It’s a very large course. It’s the toughest race in the Midwest, and certainly the most beautiful. Here’s my friend Tresa and her dog Claire, just after the start of the race. You can see Tresa checking her watch (to keep track of the time, the team only had 6 minutes to complete the course), while Claire sprints off in a passing run (the sheep are to our right, about 250-300 yards ahead of us).
My second favorite part of the trial was this: I had the pleasure of meeting my friend and long-time blog reader, Laura, and her new guide dog, Kyle (and let’s not forget her sister, Julia). You may already know Laura and Kyle from my recent posts. Guide dogs and their owners want us to knowThey live nearby so they came by to say hello. Kyle is a very sweet dog and was very well behaved throughout. It was a real pleasure for me.
The reason why I did not execute Skip in the trial is After placing 1st and 2nd in previous trials (note: small ones), Skip’s “eyes” started to pop out on the “heavy” sheep and he started going very slowly during the drive, so he didn’t complete the course. (You might think “stalking a Border Collie will hypnotize the sheep” but it’s actually the opposite!) Before this trial I found myself pressuring myself and Skip to “fix it” but I calmed myself down and took a breather. A dog like him doesn’t need any more pressure, especially when he limped a little after an unsatisfactory training session, so I decided to pass this trial. I couldn’t miss him and I couldn’t help but watch him run and think “what if”, but after a few days he stopped limping and we were able to do some exhaust training together. He and Maggie were both perfect, didn’t put a foot wrong and I left with an incredibly full heart.
It continued Until I leave the field We told them to get back in the car. They knew what had happened. When they heard “this is it” they decided this was completely over and ignored my calls to shoo them away as they continued to sniff around for anything suspicious. The message was clear: “We were perfect. Now we’re taking a break!”
I had to explain that The reality is, we still need to keep working together, but it’s hard to do that while laughing our heads off. Their little moment of strike passed quickly, and we were soon back in the shade and water and the car. I thought that was a great example that dogs need breaks, too.
Introducing the world’s most adorable dogs Here’s a photo of Jim and I together from a week ago when I was doing an audit. Kathy Knox Clinic. I would argue that Jim is the most adorable husband, but he’s hiding under sunscreen. Next time.
We took a day off from the trial. Explored on Sunday Willow Creek State Park It’s right nearby. A great park with a great waterfall. But it’s popular so I recommend going early in the morning if possible. It’s a bit of a climb up and down, but we went at dog-sniffing speed (same speed as the toddler in front of us) and we all had a great time.
A few more pictures for your enjoyment: This is my friend Paul’s dog Ben after he worked at the Cathy Knox Clinic. I love the yin-yang curves of his tongue and paws (like Ye Olde Tongue and Paw, a British pub).
Remember that book? Dog intelligence What book did I rave about? Author Jennifer Holland joined me. Larry Meiler Last week’s show. Couldn’t have been more fun. Wish we had the scones and Earl Grey tea. If you missed it, follow the link. It should be in the archives.
One last shot from a while ago: A male Baltimore Oriole has grown up colorfully, eager to claim the oranges I put out for him. Over the past few weeks, it has been a lot of fun watching the young birds (especially the Red-bellied Woodpeckers) learn how to land on the feeders and be fed by their parents at the feeders. Right now, the feeders are pretty quiet as many of the birds are molting and getting new feathers in preparation for their long migration and winter.
That’s all for today. I hope this post reaches you after a relaxing holiday weekend (or just a weekend if you live outside the US). Tell me your favorite thing that happened in the last few days! Mine is easy. Skip was trying to get a flock of touch sheep off course when one turned to face him and was about to start a fight. I saw the others moving away and in a calm, musical voice I told Skip to get down. Skip instantly got down, taking enough pressure off the sheep that it turned and started to follow its buddies. But without hesitation Skip circled back to the head of that same flock, this time charging like a deer towards a hole in the fence that led not to a rest area but to a nighttime quarters. Skip switched off and switched on like a champ. Good dog, Skip. Tell me your favorite thing that happened to you. We’d love to laugh with you!
