Type of handler

[airbear]

Fly is a novice handler's dream because she is so ridiculously easy to handle. She is classy, refined, and super stylish, with a wonderful feel for her sheep and a kind nature that puts them at ease. Gorgeous, natural outrun -- I like sending her to do a silent gather and watching as she makes that beautiful arc, lifts her sheep, and brings them back to me dead straight without a single whistle. She is also the kind of dog you can practically keep in the closet and dust off only for trials and still do well with, which is fun. Fly has too much eye and has always been someone sticky, and is getting stickier as she ages. She has quit on me before. She has a tendency to flank off pressure when she feels underconfident. She will not grip and has never even thought about gripping; I am not sure she knows she has teeth. She does not like working in close quarters and has been beaten by tough sheep on a number of occasions.

Man, if we ever bred Fly and Lou, they probably would produce the world's stickiest pups (assuming they could stop staring at each other long enough to do the deed, and assuming that spay/neuter was reversible )

 

Lou is very much like Fly. He has a lovely feel for his sheep, beautiful outruns and lifts, and he is very kind to his stock. He doesn't have a lot of power and has had trouble moving tough ewes. He has started to show me he can rate very well, and while he is a bit softer than what I would like, he is not sulky, and hollering at him (mildly) doesn't shut him down. He hasn't ever quit on me, and I would be absolutely devastated if I ever pushed him to that point. He is probably too honest for his own good, and he pays for it by having to do twice as much work when I blow the wrong flank, stop him short, or prevent him from covering. In the shed and pen, he does almost all the work and he is happy to do it. He will grip if asked, though I rarely ask for it, and he doesn't seem to be inclined to do it on his own (at least not at trials). He also, like Fly, is very low-maintenance. We work sheep once a week (if that) in a small field, and we take one or two lessons a year. Despite this, he always finds his sheep, and for a novice, that is a huge bonus!

 

I drool over the fast, pushy dogs with the lightening flanks and the instant downs. While I covet them greatly, I know that I am not enough of a handler for them. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the handlers who can keep these 'lightening in a bottle' dogs screwed down just enough to keep things in control. I also drool over dogs who can walk straight into pressure, without falling off the pressure. I'm not quite sure what I would do on the drive if I had one of those kinds of dogs. I might get bored!

 

So from my vast experience (hee hee), I would say that I may not have the dog that I thought I wanted, but he is perfect for me, for where I am, and for what my goals are currently. I hope that one day, I can be the handler that he deserves.