Jake Jr. (JJ) Last night Sharon came out to work with Jay, as she arrived we had just finished up using both Jake and Jay to test out whether or not all the ewes would fit in the rear compartment of the trailer, really tight, they all got tucked on but it's not going to work for traveling.
From there Sharon and I walked out to the pasture so that I could show her where Jay was at with is training. He really is changing, I'm still not happy with how he approaches sheep, especially if the sheep are coming toward you but it is managable and I think over time it will get better.
I let Sharon take over the reins, things were going well until she took to long to decide what she wanted done with the sheep, the sheep proceeded to make a break for the barn really close to the fence. She sent Jay on a come bye which would take him between the sheep and the fence, actually causing them to run harder, and rather then recognizing that she sent her dog into a no win situation stopping, and flanking the other way she proceeded to urgently yell Come-Bye, Come-Bye!! This put Jay into overdrive running hard to get to the sheep, all the time I spent getting him to honor the pressure of the sheep went out the window that fast. In the blink of an eye she sent him into the pressure I was trying to show him he did not need to always go to. Poor Sharon just does not understand that we don't catch up and stop sheep by chasing them, he dog is just doing the best to do what she asks working together to defeat the cause.
After that episode I decided to hand Jake keys over to Sharon, some would wonder, why I would do such a thing? Turn a young dog that is just getting solid in the Open level to a novice that is making major mistakes in the livestock handling department. Why, well I trust Jake's decisions with the livestock, he was able to show her what she should be expecting, he eased around the sheep and executed what ever command she gave with near precision, which identified how many commands she gives without purpose. At one point while she was trying to set a line with Jake and sheep to the little bridge we have in the pasture she exclaimed "I didn't do anything, the sheep were going off line and I just stood there watching!" She finally saw one of the many moments that I see each time she is here, when she just stands there watching her dog and not being proactive, not helping him, not giving him direction, just letting him do what ever he pleases with the sheep.
Jay went home last night, Sunday will be his and her next trial, my fingers are crossed that she can maintain what I put on him this past two weeks.
After working with Jay and Sharon I took a few of the cattle dogs for a spin, wanted to check out that flank, well, they were not very happy with that program. Clyde just plain told me to stuff it and Buffy started to get with the program. The annoying thing about the cattle dogs is that they play these distraction games when you don't let them move stock, ohh the flowers smell good, ohh this is good poop. It's alot more work getting them to stay hooked in on a proper flank, they would rather be hands on allowing the pressure of the stock feed their drive. In reality, the pressure of the stock is what drives the border collies also, it's just they don't need as much pressure to be stimulated, oh, except Jill. It's time for Jill to move on to a pet home, the plug has been pulled.
Riley: The stop is the key, if I could just get her to stop anytime I ask we would be in the money, ahh, somethings are easier said then done....
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