Ducks!

We worked ducks today.  Its been a long time since we have done that.  We took a group of about ten ducks out of the pen and worked them all.  The dog has to work just a bit harder to keep a larger group of ducks together.  Overall I was pretty pleased with Rave.  Her flanks were not square and she didn't take her downs righ away.  But as the duck arena and the stock are smaller/slower it was a great chance to reinforce the down.  So if Rave did not take it a quietly went to her and put her in a down.  Not forcefully but with confidence.  She would see me coming and run to me playing the I'm sweet card.  But I just calmly took her back to the spot she left and put her down.  No muss, no fuss.  She started taking the down much quicker.  But I didn't realize until I was typing this blog that I did nothing to correct the flank.  So should I have corrected that also or just worked on one aspect at a time?  Food for thought.

Short and Sweet?

It was cold today but we worked dogs.  I just did one turn with Rave.  I have cones set in a line, like agility weave poles, and we attempted to drive-weave through them.  A good test of my fine control and 'aim' but not sure it was good for Rave.  She couldn't figure out why I was flanking her back and forth so quickly.  I think she thought she was doing something wrong.  Its a good exercise but not sure if it is accomplishing what I wanted.  I think perhaps it is a better fetching with no commands exercise.  Making sure that she squares at each change of direction.

Of Mud and Manure

I was sorting out the two old sheep we don't work much anymore. I have some short sheep panels that make a bit of an alleyway from my sheep living quarters to a stall they can get into out of the weather. My pasture has become much overgrazed since we got the horse so I have been keeping my stock off the grass areas and dry lotting them. Well you could call it dry lotting but it is quite muddy. Especially where the gate is and the sheep come around the corner and into the stall. The run off from the barn roof plus the sheep churning the ground makes quite a gruel of mud and sheep manure. So we bring all the sheep out and then I am trying to sort the two old girls back into the dry lot and leave the other sheep out for my friend and I to work our dogs on. Rave is applying the pressure to keep the sheep interested into going back into the dry lot. Well there is a bit to much pressure LOL and the sheep start crowding trying to push through with the one I have sorted off. And then it happens. I am sqooze against the little panel trying to pull it shut before another sheep pushes through when the little loop/pin that holds the panels together gives. This panel has been in the weather for many a year and I guess the rust just ate it through and the whole pin thing comes off and the panel with me goes on the ground. And my feet are higher than my head as there is a slight slope there. Now there is an opening, about two feet maybe of ground where the panel and I am not lying, about a sheep width, and me laying on top of the panel in the mud, and did I mention, sheep manure, with Rave saying "Oh the gate is open I will take the sheep through" So flat on my back with 8 sheeps' feet going by I watch the sheep come crowding through, me say STOP Rave, just hoping they don't decide to fan out and step on my stomach. My sheep tend to be on the plump side so I really did not want the pitter patter of tiny sheep hooves planted on my face! Fortunately Rave did stop and the sheep stayed calm as they filed past me. Whew. Then I struggled to my feet with a strip of mud down my back, but not in my hair ;-). As I was wearing my winter getup of overalls and windbreaker I was able to strip them off after we finished working stock and still be clean for our after work lunch.