Another Lesson For Jackson

[Dixie_Girl]

Well, Tues. we had another lesson. We went into the big field this time! Carol Anne says we will be ready for our first trial the middle of July in GA. It will be exciting! We are going back to the smaller pen to work on his out run. I re-read Carol's explanation on teaching the outrun, well, it wasn't just the outrun she was explaining but teaching the proper launch. So we will be experimenting with that. Also this week at home I will be teaching Jackson the "back up" command. In other words to back up in a straight line so when we get to the pen part if he needs to relieve some preasure on the sheep, he can do so without turning and losing eye contact with sheep. I was told that is a lost point! So we have home work! We are still working on him "knowing" come by and away without me giving cues. He is coming along. He has settled down quite a bit! He is getting the idea that there is something more than just running and having the sheep run and boy this is fun! LOL He is finding that the idea is that the sheep need to be moved to a certain place. Also, this lesson, I had to practice giving him commands WITHOUT saying his name first! I was constantly saying, Jackson, come by, or Jackson, lie down! So, it was a very intense lesson this time. Lot's of learning! Jackson was sent to the sheep about 30yrds away and because he didn't go wide enough, one sheep went the other way. He turned on a dime and got the sheep back with the others. So, that was good but not appropriate as he shouldn't have let the sheep bolt in the first place! All in all, we are both coming along, and I am so happy with this! It has been a dream for so long, to have it coming together puts so much joy in my heart! And to hear my trainer tell me what a great dog she thinks he is, well, it's joy in spades! Jackson is just the greatest dog! He is so amazing! Two more months and we will be in our first trial! I will be a nervous wreck! But I will be competing with others who are also new! What a great thing this is! Well, thanks for listening.

 

If anyone has any ideas or advice, as always, it is welcomed!

 

I went back and checked the post, it is casting she was refering to!

[Jennifer Glen]

Well, since all the cool people are at the Bluegrass you are stuck with me to comment... YEA FOR YOU AND JACKSON!!!!

I will be eager to hear how his first trial goes. My little Laddie (14 months) will hit his first trial in 3 weeks so you and I will probably not have any nails on our fingers at the same time!

Jenny Glen

[Dixie_Girl]

Bluegrass? Dang, what did I miss now! LOL

 

Good luck to you and Laddie! Please let me know how it goes! Sounds like you will be going sooner! Yay! I get to hear how yours goes first. I have to wait till then cuz it is the first trial I will be ready for in this area. As it is it will be about 3hrs from here!

 

I think the first trial, no matter how it turns out will always be the best remembered! It is so exiciting and nerve wracking!

[Little Bo Boop]

Hey Jennifer, we're cool people too LOL. DG, glad Jackson is going well, and that you're having so much fun Makes you want to get about 5 more dogs and get them going too eh? I've got 2 going and I wouldn't mind a couple more of course the husband might have something to say about that. I'd like to do another trail in the near future, but I'm thinking it won't be till fall, as we're in Texas, and I believe I shall be a fair weather trialer LOL, too hot for this gal in the summer.

 

Betty

[kelpiegirl]

Sounds like Jackson is doing great! You also sound like a good student- both of those together make your future working life very bright indeed!!!!

Julie

[Pearse]

DixieGirl,

 

The Bluegrass is probably the biggest trial east of the Missouri river. Put on by the Kentucky Border Collie Association, it is one of the top ten trials in the country every year. I think there are 130 Open dogs running this year including many of the best teams in the country.

 

I haven't made it there either yet but I've heard it's quite something. Speaking of which, anyone have any scores from Day 1????

 

Pearse

[Dixie_Girl]

Originally posted by Pearse:

DixieGirl,

 

The Bluegrass is probably the biggest trial east of the Missouri river.

Pearse

Well, gee whiz, is my green horns showing or what! LOL I will be sure and go next year! Maybe even run my Jackson! Thanks!

 

Betty, you know that is the truth! In fact I am looking at getting a pup in a few months!

 

Julie, thanks for the vote of confidense! It is very humbling when your dog learns faster than you! LOL

[kelpiegirl]

My thing is just trying to stay on task, and not watching my dog! If you can learn on your feet, you are golden! We expect regular photo updates!

Julie

ps: video wouldn't hurt either

[Jennifer Glen]

I don't have scores but I can tell you that they made a mistake on the underclass field. I guess they decided to graze the open sheep on the field next to the underclass field (which doesn't need any help being challenging- it is already difficult) with only a chain link fence separating them. If the open sheep are minding their own buisness, then all is well and you can do your run the way you want to, but if the open sheep come up to the fence to see what is going on, then either your young dog outruns over to see them or the sheep run down the fetch line and hit the fence trying to get to the others. I hear that almost everytime the sheep come to the fence, the handler has to retire their dog and that almost all of the runs with scores are when the sheep were minding there own buisness. I think it's wrong that they have people drive all that way, and spend all that money to support this trial and then they screw half of them before they get to the post. But I guess they don't care 'cause if you don't like it, don't go. They turned so many people away this year that they can do what they like.

Jenny

[Dixie_Girl]

Got too big for their britches huh? Well that is just not right! Especially if you have driven some distance to get there or waited a long while to be able to go. Perhaps if enough people complain, they will change it.

[Pipedream Farm]

Originally posted by Jennifer Glen:

Well, since all the cool people are at the Bluegrass......

Jenny Glen

, Renee and I are not cool.

Yea for Linda & Jackson.

 

Mark

[Pearse]

Jenny,

 

I'd hold off on ascribing motive to what would appear to be one of those instances of "unintended consequences".

 

Like I said, I haven't been to the Bluegrass but from what I've heard from literally everyone who has been there, the organizers go out of their way to accomodate handlers and make it the best possible trial.

 

I sincerely doubt that anyone was out to "screw" half of the handlers. It sounds like a decision was made that organizers thought would have no effect on the trial, but ended up having a profound effect. Problem is, if it wasn't anticipated before the first run leaves the post, it's tough to rectify short of starting over and giving everyone reruns - not always practical.

 

Pearse

[Katelynn & Gang]

Yay for Linda and Jackson!

 

Where are you looking at getting a puppy from?

 

I'd love another pup (one little female comes to mind) but I do not have the room, plus, I think I want a started dog next.

 

Katelynn

[Dixie_Girl]

Thanks all! Katelynn, I was on the list for Bill Coburn's pups with Bud and Hope, that I really wanted. I love that dog Hope! What a worker! But it looks like I was too far down the list! So now I am waiting to see if Hubert Bailey is going to breed. If doesn't and Carol Anne don't I will probly wait. Don't know enough of anyone elses dogs so it depends on what I find out in the next few mos. We are going on another cruise next year, in March, so I want the pup to be a little older before I leave it!

[Jennifer Glen]

Pearse,

I HAVE been to the bluegrass so I know exactly who cares about the handlers and who doesn't. I also know what is doable in that trial and what isn't and I was not saying that it was intended - only that I know for a fact that handlers have complained (my husband is there) and the organizers blew them off. Apparently the guy in charge of that field is offended that they want a change. They had the opportunity to change it yesterday between the nursery runs and the Adv. Pro nov and they didn't. They also had another chance to fix it last night before todays runs and they didn't. This would not have been a change in the middle of the class. Fortunately the judge is giving re-runs today when ever that happens. Now if the judge is saying it's a problem and the organizers still don't fix it (a simple tarp would do it) then you have to admit that they just don't care about the handlers concerns. I did NOT ascribe motive, I only said that the handlers were screwed before their dogs left the post. AND THEY WERE.

Jenny

[Jennifer Glen]

PS

I understand that this is a big trial and that alot of work goes into it, but this is a simple problem. When I pay over a thousand dollars in entries (most of it on that underclass field) I expect a fair shot.

Jenny

[Pearse]

If that's the case that it was pointed out and could have been fixed then it's a real shame that the runs were made uneven by an external factor that could have been avoided.

 

Pearse

[dhstiger]

Where is the trial in Georgia that you are going to in July. I am new to this but the guy that helps me does a lot of trialing in Ga and he wanted me to ask.

[Dixie_Girl]

I am not sure of the town or people who are hosting it. We were doing a lot of talking! But I do remember she said it is close to Athens. I will find out more details tomorrow and let you know. I need to anyway as I need to let them know I want to run a dog. If they don't have enough in the pre-novice they won't run them.

[Pipedream Farm]

Linda,

 

Have you looked at the Georgia Stock Dog Association website?

 

The Upcoming Herding Events lists this trial.

 

GSDA "Dog Daze" Club Trial

July 29-30, 2006

Tom and Carol Patterson's Farm

261 Sanders Rd.

Hull, GA 30646

 

Open Ranch, Pro Novice, Novice, Beginner Novice (for dogs and handlers that have never ran in a trial) & USBCHA Nursery

Mark

[Dixie_Girl]

Mark, thanks! I believe that is the one. Beginner novice I guess is the one we will run in. Carol Anne, bless her heart, suggested Beg. Nov. one day and Nov. the next! Yeah, right! How many nerves does she think I have!

[juliepoudrier]

Jennifer and others,

I did not get over to the novice field yesterday so don't know what the situation was regarding sheep at the fence, but today they did have someone with a dog stationed in the field with the sheep to keep them away from the fence along the trial field.

 

J.

[Valhalla]

I ran my young dog on the underclass field in the Nursery and Advanced Pro Novice classes at the Bluegrass this past week and I can tell you, from my own personal experience, that there was a problem. Many handlers told me they had brought it to the attention of the course director and their requests were ignored.

 

It was a major disadvantage to those of us who ran at the times when the Open sheep were grazing along the fenceline next to the Novice trial field. Even attempting to stop our dogs short so that the sheep might lift straight didn't help as the sheep still bee-lined over to their buddies on the fence line. Those that were lucky enough to have any fetch to speak of managed to salvage their runs, but it certainly was not an equal playing field for all competitors.

 

All that aside, I do want to thank all the Bluegrass crew, volunteers, organizers, sponsors and the KBCA for another wonderful trial. They all work tirelessly and do a phenomenal job. This is one of my favorite trials and I hope that it will continue for years to come.

[Sue R]

I was helping at the Novice field every day, and the Open sheep along the fence did present a problem during the times when they would graze or rest near the Novice field fenceline.

 

The Open sheep were also grazed in that field last year, as I recall, but I don't remember it being an issue at all with that particular group of sheep. I don't remember them coming close to the fenceline but I could be mistaken. I definitely don't remember there being a problem.

 

If this arrangement was not problematic last year, then there may have not been a reason to anticipate trouble this year. Since this trial is held on "rented" premises, there are limitations as to which fields are available, etc.

 

There were tarps (and there's brush) along the lower end of that fenceline so that the drive panels and pen areas would not be affected by sheep grazing in the adjacent field.

 

I hope that this problem can be solved for next year because it was an issue for a number of handlers and dogs, although it may well have been unforeseen to the extent that it occured. This is a wonderful trial and the volunteers who put it on deserve a big round of applause for their terrific efforts to provide a top-class trial.

[Jennifer Glen]

Thanks for that info. I didn't mean to get down on the bluegrass. My orginal post just said there was a mistake made (and sometimes it worked out, like Tweed's run hooray Christine!!!) but when I was accused of saying that there was motive in it, I got defensive and then got a little huffy. I thought I had just reported a problem and not accused anyone of something. Good to hear that by Friday they were dealing with it. I'm sure it is just one more thing to add to their list of things to do for next year.

Jenny