Jedismom Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 I don't even KNOW where to begin. Ok.. the ride there was only 25 min. but Jedi got sick in the car...1st time. Not a good omen. We get there and meet the trainer and I just loved her demeanor. She was wonderful with both of us. We trained for about an hour and went into the pen 3 times with water and cooling down breaks in between. The 1st time in Jedi just wanted to sniff around the pen and didn't pay too much attention to the sheep. The trainer worked on getting him to look while I followed behind. After a couple of minutes of this his expression changed and he really looked! That lightbulb going off thing really happens! That's when I took the leash off of him and just let him do his job. He caught on immediately. The trainer said he had excellent instincts and the all important balance, which she didn't have to teach him because he just did it. The 2nd time he went in, he had a completely different demeanor. Confident and focused and no putzing around. Like...I know why I'm here mom...He even called off easily. I'm going to have to start using "that'll do" I am SO proud of him. However...I pretty much sucked These were very docile and kind of adorable sheep for schooling but it's still nerve-wracking when they bump into you. I'd never been this close to sheep before. It was much harder to do correctly than the trainer made it look. I ended up getting more in Jedi's way than anything else. At one point..he stopped..and looked at me all confused like ...mom what are you doing...So I think he enjoyed it more than I did at this point. I enjoyed watching him. I'm going to do it again and hope I get better. I can't tell you how much I like the idea of being able to work as a partner with Jedi. Having a dog that is capable of the independent thinking necessary is amazing but also a huge responsibility. Just the brief glimpse into this world (darkside) has shown me how completely different it is from obedience or any of the other dog sports. Having adopted Jedi from a shelter I don't know his background. I asked if she thought he may have come from working lines. She said it's a possibility because of how quickly he caught on. I guess we'll never know for sure. It doesn't really matter at this point anyway. He's a great dog regardless I've posted some pictures. Next time I'll have someone take video and perhaps put it up for your input It was a good day... Georgia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 And another one bites the dust! Glad things went so well for you and Jedi! I look forward to reading about his progress in the weeks to come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 And another one bites the dust! Hehe! Glad you had fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 You're doomed!! A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 I am so thrilled it went well! I knew Angie would take good care of you guys. Did it just take your breath away when you saw those instincts kick in?? It looks and sounds like Jedi did great! Nice pictures. I see his tail is down in every one, which is a good thing, in case you didn't know. He's a handsome boy, too. And as far as you sucking...join the club! Don't worry, you will definitely get there, just takes a while. I still suck big time, if it makes you feel any better. So, you're hooked, right? Going back soon? I'm looking forward to the next update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyoBC Posted April 13, 2008 Report Share Posted April 13, 2008 Congrats. That's great. I was hoping you would have a good time. It is very addictive, isn't it? However...I pretty much sucked These were very docile and kind of adorable sheep for schooling but it's still nerve-wracking when they bump into you. I'd never been this close to sheep before. It was much harder to do correctly than the trainer made it look. I ended up getting more in Jedi's way than anything else. At one point..he stopped..and looked at me all confused like ...mom what are you doing...So I think he enjoyed it more than I did at this point. I enjoyed watching him. Welcome to the "We suck at herding" club. Make yourself at home. I am in it too. When I first went to the clinic (in front of 30 other people that had worked stock before) I felt like an A** the first time. But it gets better. We just learn slower than them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahoops Posted April 14, 2008 Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 I too suck at this herding thing but isnt it fun!I was a bit (alot) intimidated by 6-8 sheep thundering towards me and just about fell over a few times ,I tried running backwards but yes sheep tend to bump into you and run on your feet .The 2nd time I went they were a small merino type with horns !!! They were only small horns but they were horns none the less.After just about collapsing with exhaustion after running backwards around the pen my trainer said "why dont you just step sideways Anne ?" I tried it ,it works !Just a tip for you next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aBC4me Posted April 14, 2008 Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 Georgia I am so happy for you two. I know you really wanted it to go smoothly. And look, NOTHING to worry about, Jedi had it all under control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedismom Posted April 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 Thanks for all the well wishes! Since I've started on this road now, I've been investigating the threads on sheepherding. A little intimidating to say the least, but I am excited about the challenge. Anyone have any recommendations on books (for the novice) to read or certain threads to go through? Perhaps I should post this question in training? It seems that sheepherders have a peculiar type of humor which I am going to have to try to get used too. From the doomed girl Georgia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted April 14, 2008 Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 Georgia, when I first started, I got "Herding Dogs Progressive Training" by Virgil Holland. In fact, I refer back to it often. It's good for a newbie, easy to follow and with little diagrams that really help show what he's talking about. I think you'll like it. ETA: I think it sounded like I'm not still a newbie and I wanted to correct that! I definitely still consider myself a newbie, and the book has been very helpful to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted April 14, 2008 Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 Lessons From a Stockdog by Bruce Fogt is good for beginners, too, as is John Holmes' The Farmer's Dog. For a DVD, Derek's new one, A Hill Shepherd Trains a Pup (or something like that) is also good--he does a lot of stuff where he has a person "be the dog" so you can see what he's aiming for. Oh, and get to a Jack Knox clinic as soon as you can!!!! You might check the Books&Videos section, too, A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippin's person Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 also the website littlehats is pretty great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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