Ranger at 16 months

[Maja]

Since Bonnie has now also reached 16 months, I was wondering how Ranger is doing three months down the road. Any videos?

Maja

[juliepoudrier]

Hi Maja,

I don't have any videos, though I can try to get one the next time I go to Robin's. This evening I took him over there and for a lark, since we had someone who could hold sheep,I sent him on a (shorter) open outrun. This field is tricky and the sheep were off to one side past a gully. The first two times I sent him he was bit tight but did manage to land behind the sheep. The third time he did as gorgeous an outrun as anyone could ask.

 

We drove the full course, but it wasn't beautiful. I don't usually train on a course, but I wanted to see if we could do it, and we made both panels, though there was some definite zigging and zagging in between.

 

And just for fun, after he got the sheep back to my feet, we did a couple of sheds, which is something he's never really done. But he came through like a champ and held his sheep away from the others and kept them from bolting to the draw. On top of all that, he helped me hold the sheep each time we were done with them so that the person setting sheep at the other end of the field could send her dog for them.

 

He'd probably be even further along if I were working him with any consistency, but with the move and freelance work that's keeping me busy, fence that needs to be put up, and now lambing, he's just not getting any consistent work. It doesn't seem to be hurting him though, and he's still quite young, so I'm not worrying about the lack of work he's getting. I need to get him on whistles (he knows stop and walk up, but isn't clear on his flanks).

 

His littermate, who is getting worked pretty much daily, is probably a little further along in some respects, but not as far in others (she's a bit of a wild child).

 

Anyway, I was quite pleased by what I saw tonight--even though I put him in over his head (asking for more than what should be expected considering the amount of training he's had), he worked like a champ and was really working hard to please me. His gathers were especially nice in that I really didn't have to speak to him at all on the lift or fetch (which is an accomplishment as in the past he'd just kind of let the sheep go here or there as long as they were heading in my general direction), and the fetch actually came through a gully where I would lose sight of him and the sheep (and he would lose sight of me) and yet he was correcting the line himself. I think he's finally maturing mentally and I expect that if I work him regularly he'll really start improving by leaps and bounds! (I hope, anyway.)

 

J.

[Maja]

Thank you for the detailed update. It all sounds great. When you were busy, Ranger was searching youtube for instructional videos and was thinking things through. I was watching Derek's DVD the other day and both of my dogs were glued to the monitor (there were no dogs or sheep just Derek talking )

 

Watching the dog mature mentally is fascinating, and when they find new solutions and abandon older ways of dealing with problems in favor of a better one are really exhilarating moments. I am planning to go to two competitions this summer with Bonnie just to get her used to the idea, since her away-from-home performance just about halves her skills. I am so pleased that we were able to change the sheep, and there will be more new ones coming in May.

 

So I am looking forward to Ranger's new video.

 

Maja