Stop, STOP, STOP

Yesterday my friend and I worked the stock. All three. Sheep, cattle, and ducks. And we videoed it. I watched the video last night and found that I am still saying stop way to many times. Rave is much better at taking the stop than she was, but much to often I am saying it three times. Need to watch that. And don't say stop when I mean there!

I am working on her down on stock. I won't use it often but I want it in my tool box. On this one I am giving her multiple commands as she is just learning it on stock. As soon as she downs I let her up, on a walk up command. So hopefully she will learn that it isn't a bad thing.

One exercise that I wish I would have started a long time ago is having my friend stir the sheep up in the pen and then shoot them out at us. I am working on Rave getting excited by watching the activity but still remaining calm in her approach to the sheep. First few times she was whining and giving a sharp bark as she left on her outrun. I stopped her and we reset it up. The third time was better, although she was still tense in approach but not whining so I let her have her sheep and we took them around the arena.

I am trying to stay back near the take pens when she is driving. The furthest distance that she can get from me is on the cross drive. If I stay at the take pens and she is at the other end it is about 200 feet. Not very far. The Nationals arenas are much bigger. I don't really know how we are going to increase that distance. I will start going back to Dianne the BC lady in a few weeks. We will probably work in her hay field now that the last cutting is in. Maybe we can get some distance over the winter. The last time we worked, before the hay started growing out there we where still parallel driving. After a few weeks of reminders of how to work in an open area nice I need to step up and demand more of Rave. I get comfortable in what we are doing and don't go to the next phase.

The weather is cooler now and Rave is feeling her oats. In taking the cattle around she would have them going nice and calm, ambling along. And then for no reason she would shoot to head to stir things up. I got a little better at trying to stop it before it happened but usually corrected after she was already there. Much to late. I don't know if I will ever get to the point where I will see her thinking about it and be able to correct then. And that is what I need to be able to do.

It is very foggy this morning. After breakfast out with my husband and waiting for the fog to burn off I will go out and try again.