Patience, Persistence, understanding.

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Sheepdoggers,

 

In dog training, patience and persistence are Siamese twins: separate them at your peril. Patience without persistence is sloth, persistence without patience is cruelty.

 

Patience and persistence are habits – core attitudes the trainer brings to every session - and as habits they are difficult to instill and uninstall. One can patiently and persistently get nowhere.

 

The trainer must also hunger to understand.

 

For three years I’ve been rehabilitating a soured sheepdog. When I got her, Fly wouldn’t work sheep and once I got her working she hated sheepdog trials. Although I’m not as talented as Fly needed I’m probably as good as she was likely to get. Winning sheepdoggers don’t devote precious training time to poor prospects. They sell those dogs on. Rehoming Fly as a pet was no option. When Fly came to us she was badly socialized, semi-housebroken, nippy, allergic, terrified and deeply weird. She would have been a disaster in most pet homes. Rehome? It would have been more honest to shoot Fly myself.

 

I am a stubborn S.O.B, and fond of Fly who adores me (though I suspect her adoration translates “ANY PORT IN A STORM”.) Although Fly won’t walk with Anne, often growls at her and has nipped, luckily Anne is amused by Fly. Anne calls her “pickle.”

 

If she’s the worst open dog I’ve ever had, she’s also the best. Fly has had long moments so brilliant, they literally took my breath away. That’s why I persisted through Rets and wrecks. And Fly wanted to get it right too. If only Dopey Donald could figure out how.

 

 

My obedience trainer friend, Margot Wood recently told me, “There’s no way I’d try to rehabilitate a soured 8 year old (obedience) dog.” 8 years is the magic age for most sheepdogs, they’re at their athletic peak and thoroughly understand their work. At that age, what you see is what you get: the dog has learned what works so why change it?

 

Fly just turned eight and we were at an impasse.

 

 

Thirty years ago, when I signed up for my first (Jack Knox) clinic, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’m a slow learner and no “natural.” I learned sheepdogging a bit at a time, dog by dog, trial by trial, mentor by mentor. Often the quickest way to solve a dog problem is a mentor’s expertise and Fly and I have been to some of the best where I learned some interesting things but not how to work Fly at where we wanted to be.

 

The best handler in North America saw nothing wrong, a top Brit suggested I go back to basics, my friend Derek Scrimageour was relieved – I think - when Fly and my confusion produced stupid handling on my part. Stupid handling is fixable.

Making rare brilliance commonplace is more difficult and (as I was deciding) perhaps impossible.

 

Her hearing checked, no lyme, thyroid fine..

 

In her other life, Fly accompanied me on a book tour, met hundreds of dogsavvy, dogignorant humans and people were saying, “What a nice dog she is. Isn’t she pretty!”

She wasn’t a problem pet anymore but remained a seriously flawed sheepdog. Our best scores were in the mid 60’s after wrestling her around the course. I’d learned to dislike our training sessions. This fall I arranged to get another dog. Persisting with Fly seemed abusive.

 

I’d give it one more shot.

 

I met Patrick Shannahan at Lexington 1, which he won with Hannah and I got into the semi finals with Harry. We have friends in common and I’ve admired Patrick’s trialing, breeding and training methods.

 

There are many fine coach/clincians. Some I can learn from, others not.

 

At a clinic 10 (?) years ago, Patrick taught me how to be small enough sheep would risk entering the pen. He also taught me how to help young June break the plane on the driveaway.

 

One of Fly’s peculiarities was that she worked better to voice than whistles. Patrick said it was because I changed my voice from hard to soft but my whistles were all too harsh. “She thinks you’re shouting at her,” he said.

 

Timid, hyper-sensitive Fly. Hmmm.

 

Back at home with my 14 ancient, dog savvy ewes, I set up panels 15 (not 21) feet apart, and Fly and I trained to diminuendo whistles.

 

Her response was immediate. Her nasty habit of fetching the sheep back to me rather than persist in a long drive became rare. Since our ewes are extremely heavy to habitual paths or my feet, Fly must hold pressure and listen for those quiet whistles. She does.

 

On half mile routine fetches where she wouldn’t take commands because she knew perfectly well where the sheep needed to end up, Fly’s taking commands – listening to me rather than herownself.

 

Her farthest driveaway has only been 200 yards and most were much shorter, but we’re having real successes and it is a pleasure to go out in the cold windy dawn to train.

 

It’s early days. We are establishing new patterns. Fly is 8 and I’m a card-carrying geezer. Happy New Year.

 

Donald

[Sue R]

Your posts brighten my day, endeavor to enlighten my mind, and benefit my dogs. What more can I say but, "Thanks, Donald!"

[Tea]

Thanks Sheepdogging Geezer.

I saw Fly run on the scotties in WA. (I was setting, I got a photo of her on the fetch.)

 

There is beauty- it is always worth it!

 

Thanks!

[gcv-border]

I also appreciate your thoughts on training.

 

Although my dog is 'trained' in agility, I believe some of your advice also works for us.

 

At 6 years old, we are also establishing new patterns as I try to learn from him what works.

[juliepoudrier]

Once again, a wonderful Fly story we can all learn from.

[WildFlower]

Thank you for sharing Donald.

[Maja]

Very good to read, thank you!

[Tilly's Handler]

Donald as an aspiring shepherd/sheep dog handler I find your post very heart warming and thought provoking I have been around livestock all my life and "farm dogs" The sheep have taught me alot about patience and the need for calmness and queit while working. The border collie I am working with has shown me alot about what we/I have done wrong with farm dogs through the years She is the first dog I have put this much effort into I have been working with a dog trainer friend with her he is not a sheep dog trainer but still showed me a few things and yelled at me when I need it.

The first dog trial I ever went to was at Grass Creek this summer watching the working dogs and handler was like watching a well written poem come to life. Shortly after I had Tilly down in a hay Field behind the barn my son was about 200 yards away he yelled for me to let her go to him she started to run to him swinging wider and wider till she passed them and swung in behind him and then the light went on in my head I had just witnessed her first out run so I can imagine how every little thing that goes right for you and Fly must feel.Keep telling the tale as it unfolds we all want to see where the story goes