Herding - making progress!

It sounds like he's made great progress!  Neiko's going to be a great herder, I bet.  He's made such progress since you first started posting about his herding sessions.  You've got to be so proud of him!  He's lucky to have such a patient trainer.
 

 Congrats!  You deserve a pat on the back (is there an icon?) for stickign with it and making it happen for Neiko.  Obviously the instinct and talent is there and it seems he's starting to settle in.  Do post more updates as you can.

My pupper is away at training.  He's doing well but I'm missing him badly.  We'll be loading three loads of sheep going different places this week and it's gonna kill me not to have Ben OR Ted to help.  Loading is NOT Cord's forte and although Gus understands the job very well, his "daddy"  DH doesn't know when to let Gus do his thing, and when to insist on obedience (or how to get it from Gus). 

This has to be one of the worst times for you missing ben, I bet. Again, I'm so sorry. How long is your pup away at training? And what do you expect of him when he gets back? I'm still working on my girls but not as much as neiko. lily loves to "work" the sheep but I have to get on her hard at first because she goes nuts chasing and gripping. then I have to back waaaaaayyyyy off so she will keep working. She's a tough one. Progress with her is really slow because of it. I think at this point our lessons have more to do with teaching her life lessons than anything else. The good news is that she is learning confidence and how to enjoy life. She used to be such a worrier. Now I will catch her tossing toys up in the air and catching them herself. The fearful, worry wart dog she used to be would never have done that before! I only put abbie on sheep every couple of weeks at this point since she is only 9 months old or so. I'm basically just teaching her to respect that I can give her the sheep and take them away. We aren't working on anything specific other than circling and directional changes. Oh and when not to stop and eat sheep poop :p

Sorry for no paragraphs. Apparently paragraphs, blackberry and this forum don't work well together.

This has to be one of the worst times for you missing ben, I bet. Again, I'm so sorry. How long is your pup away at training? And what do you expect of him when he gets back? 

Totally missing Ben.  Last night I finally got the guts to download the pictures and video we took at the vet while we were saying goodbye.  I was bawling looking through them.  I still can't believe he's not just still at the vet, as has happened so many times before. 

Ted will have been gone for a month or maybe a bit more (she got interrupted and actually didn't do any training four days in a row this week.  When he left he was able to pick up sheep reliably from 200 yards or so, wear nicely, was about 95% on his stops and 50% on his flanks.  He hated inside flanks and was only confident enough driving to take them away about 25 yards or so before wanting me to walk along with him.   He also has a habit of blowing into the sheep under pressure when asked to flank in and hold at a certain point on his bad side.

What she's working on and feels she'll be able to accomplish, is first taking care of that little blip where he's not confident holding pressure while flanking.  It's an issue as I mentioned above and it's also related to his weakness flanking.  Even once he's back I plan to do a ton of packed pen work to settle him and continue to build his confidence.  She's also working on clarifying his flanks for him and says he's already 80%.

She expects he'll be able to handle Nursery once she's done, or very close - that's a full grownup course minus the "shed" or separating of sheep exercise.  About a 350 outrun tops, driving about 175 yards in 60 yard chunks, penning in a freestanding pen - all on lightly or unbroke sheep.

I can't wait for him to be back but it will be week after next at the earliest!