Chapter Two

"Herding it's a way of Life"

I guess I have never said that I belong to a couple of Dog Herding related new groups on the internet. I have been surprised to find so many people wanting to give me encouragement and ideas that might help Dixie and me along the road we travel. Some are funny and other are what seams like sound advice. There are one telling of what worked for them or thing they feel I doing wrong and ones like if I really serious about herding then buy an already trained dog or ship Dixie off to a trainer for a few months who knows what there doing. I guess some people just want to buy their way to the top not earn it the old fashion way, or can't live with we didn't make it, which sometime happen in life and that OK. But first we must run the race. It not about what Dixie can do or what she may accomplish in the future, It about sharing time with my dog and helping her to enjoy life, anything else is a lucky strike extra.

In two more week the new herding class will began, and I’m ready to get back in the in the pen and I’m sure Dixie is, I think she been wondering when we go get in the truck and go why we aren’t stopping to see the sheep.

While waiting for the new classes to start I put together a reminder of where we may be headed. I got a poster from the Meeker Classic sheepdog championship and a few good herding pictures along with a poem I like. Did a wall in the den up right nice, I just know my wife will like it.

To Enlarge a picture click on it, click on again to reduce

We started back practicing our walking downs and letting Dixie get back to feeling the drag of the long line this week. I got a booklet at our last class with ideas for Dry Work to do between times with the sheep. I hadn't try all of them yet, but did want to keep the team work growing.

This week end Dixie, my Wife and I went to watch the herding instinct test for new dogs and handler. I enjoyed watching the different dogs and how they responded to their first time in the pen. I can remember how it felt as I enter the pen the first time. I can also see we have make progress in learning to herd, although not much at this time.

Yea it got here, the first class of round two herding. Dixie was on ready, she was defiantly ready to get back in the pen with the sheep, too ready at first. She did lay down better than she did last round, but at first she would lay down and crawl forward toward the sheep, she was on go. We startes off today back to practicing walk ins and walk outs while she settled down. She wanted to rush in on the sheep as soon as we were close, but got better as the day went along. They also had me just follow the sheep around the pen fence line, like having Dixie heel with me as we walk behind so she could see she could pressure them to move with out rush at them and she got to where she was fine on a loose lead most of the time. We also were told that the were only eight command we needed to learn that would take us from where we are now up a champion title. That along with reading our dog and the stock and teaching our dogs how to put pressure on the stock and to receive pressure from us the handler. All this and with out voice or physical commands. Well doesn't that sound easy, I guess we won't be going to the Nationals Championships this year. Our homework this week is to continue our walking downs and downs on recalls plus a new pressure thing starting to teach Dixie to back up away from me, to learn pressure from me.

This week we did more walk in's and out's then we try some flanking, and that is what Dixie been waiting on. She didn't do it right, but she wasn't totally out of control. It's just going to take a lot more practice to get it going in the right way. The bad part of the day was she just would not settle down and kept trying to grab at a small child's feet as she would come close by along with grabbing at one mans who was wearing a Kilt on his way to a Scottish Festival. She's now two and half year old and much much better about her aggressions toward stranger, but someone meeting her for the first time would not be able to tell. We have spent 80 week in different obedience class, read a lot of books, seen a lot of video's and try lots of methods to help or change this problem in Dixie. There has been a lot of improvements but no solution yet. It is this problem I been trying to change that is just about to wear me out, you can't take her anywhere with out having an embarrassing moment or two and I beginning to wonder if I'm up to the task or if I should just quit taking her out, going to the different Dog classes, or getting to interact with others and there dogs. I enjoy the good time out with her and seeing her learn new things, and a lot of the people are nice and understanding, but I beginning to feel like a lot of them would like it if I didn't show up to for get-togethers or Classes. I keep a muzzle with me all the time and I try to remember to keep it on her when she not in the ring or pen. I have found that with it on at Obedience classes or Sheep herding classes, she just won't do anything, she just wants it off, making it a waste of time to be there.

This is one of those what to do, what to do days, but maybe when the sun comes up tomorrow I have a renewed outlook and can carry on.

Well the sun up and it a new day, but it hard to see the shine, we got a email to day from the Herding school and they just aren't please with my handling of Dixie outside of the pen. They felt I'm not watching her, there too many outbursts with other dogs and stranger. They have come to the belief that I had not spent enough time in classes or with other instructors trying to help fix her aggression problem like they had first believed. They went on to say " The most dangerous issue with an aggressive dog is a clueless owner, and you need to begin taking steps to educate yourself ". I can't say that this was a very up lifting email. They did how ever say we could keep coming to class just keep her muzzle on at all time when not in the pen and to seek out better professional help with aggressive dog modification.

I guess I'll be going back next week although for I guy with my personality it well be very embarrassing and stressful. But then I been there before as this journey has gone along. It hard to go where you feel not wanted or misunderstood. I know Dixie likes going and I think she shows signs of being able to lean the herding process. I've enjoyed get outside with her and starting to meet the new people most which have been very nice to us. I have a few day to think about what to do, what best for my family, and for Dixie and me.

This week, week 3 was more of the same. Dixie behaved herself with only one lung at another dog heading into the pen as we were coming out. I guess she thought they were her sheep. I don't feel like we are leaning much anymore and we're back to the beginning of basics again. I have mentioned before having read that learning to herded is different than obedience school, in that you don't learn something new each week and get better with time. They say that in herding there is peek and valley with flat areas sometimes. I feel Dixie was doing a lot better on the last day of classes last go round than any week so far this time. I guess and hope this is just one of those flat or down time and thing will change soon. I do need to find out what causes her aggressive moments. I always been told it was fear aggression, but it looking to me more like Territorial or Protective of me aggression. I've seen her walk with others in and out of people and other dogs and she just walks along ignoring others as she go, but with me by her side she acts total different when we're approached by strangers. I think maybe I been working on the wrong thing, so it back to the books to see what might help.

We got back to classes this week, week 4, and Dixie did do better, more settled than the last few weeks. That always give one motive to keep on. Today we started with our walk ups and outs then we walk the sheep around the pen fence line both clock wise and counter clock wise letting her see she could move the sheep from a just by walking slow in circles. The sheep would move around the fence line which is about 40 ft a crossed in a circle, but she only needed to move in about an 8-10 foot circle in the center to keep them moving. Yes she would from time to time try to run in at the sheep but as time went along she got better. She did better going clock wise with her on my left. Counter clock wise she should be on my right and she keep wanting to get back to my left, I guess come from a year and a half of heeling on my left in obedience school, we'll have to work on this at home this week. Our other homework is to read and put in to practice ideas from a new book the instructor loaned me called Aggression in Dogs (Practical Management, Prevention & Behavior Modification) by Brenda Aloff. I have just start reading it and haven't got to the how to parts, but so far she sound like me and her feel the same about what most other books I read and what they feel is the root problem. O yes she quick about saying a lot of the problem will be me and that ok, just tell me what and how to change and I'm there. I don't care if I the main problem or Dixie, I just want to fix it so she and I can go join the world and all it has to offer.

I went to herding classes this week but did not get time in the pen, I was as they say "Felling under the weather" and most of the other students were helping the instructor to mended fences and clean up getting ready for a herding trail they well be having in two weeks. I didn't fell good enough to help so headed home and got out of their way. Dixie was glad to get out and about, but I think she was wondering why she didn't get to play with the sheep, you know I try to explain. We haven't practiced like we need to, the weather been colder and there been rain. The rain ran from here to St. Louis and stop the World Series. "Go Cardinals"

This week the instructor is gone to judge a sheep trail so there will be no classes. This along with my being unable to go twice means Dixie and me haven’t been in the pen more than one every three week or so. I can tell nether her or me are going to lean very quickly how to herd if ever. Maybe a next round of classes will help and go better. I did feel bad that I did put her in the Trail they had at school last week, I can see that most of the other dogs in her class pass the second leg and got thier HCT, so I feel sure she would have to, the instructor had said she would. I didn't think she or me were ready, but then I thought that about some of the other dog that passed.

I have been giving a lot of thought to this Herding, and I come to love watching the good dog run and would like to be a part of it, I feel Dixie dose to. But then she is a Border Collie you know. I find for me it more fun to watch than any of the other types of dog trails like Obedience, Conformation, etc. I like watching Agility but have come to believe it too hipper for me. Sheep Heading looks and feels more like smooth, quiet control when things are going right.

The other thoughts I having are not what I want to think about, they are reality, something we all have to do as we go though life. I can see from going to all the Obedience and Herding classes so far that most people spend a lot more time than me in their chosen area of dog training. I can see from watching the newsgroups on the internet about Herding that the other people in my class and other around the world go places with there dog and get to practice about three day or more a week even if that don’t live on a farm. They go all over our state and near by states. It not that I couldn’t find the time or the desire, But and this is the big but, I could not afford the cost, and that’s a reality. Gas, Turnpike fee, Eating out, Motel rooms, Herding Clinics, there just no way. So in my heart I want to keep trying for Dixie and me, but I being to feel in my mind on this day it would be best for her and me to get on the side and watch and remember the fun times we’ve shared together in the pen.

As far as her aggression problem it has not gone away, but improving a little all the time. She not to a point I feel safe with her around strangers and other dogs. I will continue to try and help her to get over this if at all possible. I think along with other things I talked about earlier in this book, I feel that my life style has a lot to do with her being this way and by this I mean what happen in our life day to day. During her life time so far I been unemployed and with a limited income I don't do very much, most day it just get up in the morning and stay home waiting for bed time. This is one reason I enjoy practicing with her during the day, it something for both of us to do. I spend a lot of time on the computer while she sleeps under my chair waiting for us to do something. I take her with me to the store, if it one she can see me though the window while I go in. There are almost no one who comes by but family member for her to see, this is why I've tried so hard to keep her in Dog school that way both her and I would get out and see others one or twice a week. She has turn out to be a very good dog, loving, kind, patient, with a willingness to please me at all time, and I'm pride to have her.

More to come as time goes bye