Saturday, March 29, 2003

This is fun!

 
I'm really having a good time working Phyl lately: the contrast with the long, grey winter is startlingly invigorating. (One of the things I like best about sheepdogging is being so much more acutely aware of the world's waking up and going to sleep: I'm not a gardener,and I've never been much of an outside person. In years past, the difference between winter and summer was the difference between switching on the heat and the air conditioner. But now I'm loving watching everything become green again and turn into food for the sheep. Nature really *is* interesting!)

I'm trying to curtail my desire to practice shedding over and over, because I'm a little obsessed with it after the Kent lessons. It's going better: I'm much more competent at making holes with a large group of sheep, and Phyl knows that her job is to take a group away when we split a big group. We're still not at the trial-ready stage: I haven't managed to have her single of and hold one sheep in a group of three or four, but I haven't tried to push the point much, either. But I'm starting to think that I *will* be able to master this someday, even if "someday" is pretty far in the future.

posted by Heather Nadelman

Sunday, March 23, 2003

I'm the laziest blogger on the planet . . .

 
Sorry, sorry, sorry--I can't believe it's been more than I month since I blogged. But now that the snow is melted and spring is here (and now that we have Nora, our very first lamb!), I feel rejuvenated and energetic. Life is good! Here's how it's been for us:

When I last blogged, Phyl and I were about to depart for Kent Kuykendall's place for a couple of lessons. It turned out to be a wonderful trip, not the least of which because Kent had no snow at all, and we were buried in the stuff. Kent worked with me on shedding, helping me learn to feel how to push the sheep who aren't the ones I'm going for away when setting up a shed (I'm to back up and follow them away while moving sideways, and I'm still pretty awkward at it). He also helped me see how important it is that I face the sheep I want Phyl to take before calling her in--that seems very basic to most of you, probably, but it was something that I hadn't been doing consistently. I'm hoping to combine what I learned from Kent with the logical, stepwise approach to teaching shedding that I've been reading about in Derek Scrimgeour's new book: the end result, if I'm lucky, might be a confident shedding dog and a slightly-less-bumbling handler. Kent also helped me develop a longer version of my away-to-me whistle for times when I need a wide, slow away flank (I'm still fiddling around with that one), and gave me the very good tip of not telling Phyl to walk up on a drive after I stop her--if I wait for her to start up on her own (which she always does) her pace improves. That was one of those "duh!" moments--I've worked hard on Phyl's pace all winter, but I invariably tell her to walk up after I stop her, only to steady her a moment later. It's akin to kicking a horse onward and then immediately jerking him back. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

The week after the Kent lessons I drove back south again (not so far this time!) to attend one of the Shirley Plantation trials in Richmond, Virginia. I had a great time: again, they were much closer to spring than we were in New Jersey. Phyl worked very well for me, and we had some nice moments. (We also had some really goofy moments, owing to plain old-fashioned bad handling. But there was enough nice going on to make me feel optimistic about the coming trial season.

Our next trial is in two weeks, at Sherry Smith's place. I promise to do a much better job keeping up this block from now on!

posted by Heather Nadelman