Whistle for a Cure NC - Ted's First Trial

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Whistle for a Cure NC - Ted's First Trial

Posted : 9/23/2008 3:33:49 PM

The Whistle for a Cure trial was an awesome success. The last figure I hear we had raised close to $1800 for our friend's team sponsorship for the Gail Parkins (sp) Memorial Walk for Ovarian Cancer research. I was so tickled that this was Ted's first real trial run ever, and then on top of that he "grew up" just a couple days before the trial and went from Ted With No Outrun (the part where the dog casts out and runs behind the sheep to bring them back) to Ted With The Best Outrun Ever.

It wasn't perfect - we had some bobbles where we nearly lost the sheep and as usual, while I was working I was unclear where I'd gone wrong and couldn't fix it on the spot. But we finished the course and took home the first place prize.

When I went and looked at the videos later and easily figured out what we need to work on before we do another trial. I'm "overflanking" Ted, which means I'm simply letting him circle around too far before stopping him, so the sheep flip back and forth instead of walking in a straight line.

We had another chance to work after the trial, when they set out sheep again for anyone who wanted to work (including dogs who weren't in the trial). I've posted that video also.

My husband ran Gus also, their first trial together. Gus did better through most of the course, but at the "drive gate" obstacle Patrick got rattled and Gus got rattled. They held it together most of the rest of the way and had they penned, THEY would have been first, but they lost the sheep around the pen, Patrick gave a wrong command, and Gus lost his cool and bit a sheep. Thank you! They'll be good when Patrick's gotten more practice at this!

Here's the two videos of Ted and me, and then later Ill post Patrick and Gus. I don't have that one uploaded yet - they take forever!

Competitive run.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaJCDbXV5u8[/url]

The fun run.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaJCDbXV5u8[/url]

KarissaKS

Posted : 9/24/2008 7:47:09 AM

That was so neat to watch! Border Collies are the most amazing working dogs to watch. Their natural ability (and your training!) is so impressive. I think one of the things that I find most impressive is how they go around wide and come in from the back -- how in the world do you teach that? My dogs would run straight into the middle of the sheep barking like idiots. lol

I burst out laughing in the fun run where (I presume it was) Gus couldn't hold it in any more and tried to take off to help. ;o) It must be hard to just sit there quiety and watch when you want to be working those sheep yourself!

brookcove

Posted : 9/24/2008 9:27:14 PM

That part where they run around and approach from the back is bred into them. It's very, very hard to keep in the breed - at least strong enough to where they can extend it that far.

You start with baby circles and teach the dog that his or her job is to keep the heads of the sheep facing you. Then you start sending the dog from further and further away, gradually extending it until the sky is pretty much the limit. In the video I posted of the "World Champion" run, the dog is running about 1000 yards, over half a mile away. Not only that, but once he gets there, he follows commands. So it's a balance of a whole lot of natural and a whole lot of listening - which we get without shock collars or rough treatment - anyway, that stuff is useless at that distance - you can't even see what the dog is doing!..

There's a practical reason that I'm sure you can see for running around the back. They started breeding for this when they started using the steep and dangerous hills of the UK to expand their sheep raising ability (in response to the boom in city populations). If sheep are grazing on a hillside, you can put yourself at the bottom of the safe path, and send your dog around back, and have himm come up behind and let the sheep choose their way down rather than being pushed in front where you can't see clearly what's happening. "Droving", which is the opposite of this, is more common in situations where you are pushing livestock along a road or a well-known and smooth trail.