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Herding Was Great!


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Hey Sparty! Come to a day at Tullamarine! We can all 'play' together then. How much fun would that be?? :clap: We drove 200kms yesterday round trip, but it's all freeway for us, so only took a little over and hour each way and was easy driving, esp the trip home yakking about how much fun we had.

Now Chezzy, that rake. :p I spoke to David coz I was really worried about scaredy pants Banjo. The rake is only to be used like an extension of your arm, and kept low at all times, NEVER NEVER raised over the dog or waved around, I hope you can see that by the pics. David said to try him, I might be surprised, but if he was worried, he'd get a thin piece of poly pipe, long or short, whatever he took to stop when asked, but with NO PRESSURE. He was very big on taking the pressure off the dogs, and making it enjoyable for them. As Nat said, once he got Banjo into prey drive, it was like 'what rake'? When I had my go, I had to tap it quite hard on the ground in front of him (again, never on him, above him or too close to him). The object is not to make the dog back off, just to get their attention and to somehow :D start working on control so you can start to make things happen together. I hope I explained that right, can someone who knows more than me help out if I didnt?

Here is a pic of Eb. I've posted one just for Chezzy where you can really tell she's just not into it. David and Nat are in the corner going 'ooh, lovely lovely sheepie', but there is no pressure on Eb to do anything she doesnt want to do... she'd had a good look at this stage, and was just wandering off to have a snif and nibble on sheep poop. :)

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Thanks for explaining. It looks like a neat well organized set up and even in an email David had said he loves working with the "softer" dogs so we might try it one time.

Instinct is a funny thing - we took Rosie to the beach today and she wouldnt have a bar of the water so I carried her in (I was fully clothed LOL) and when I lowered her into the water she just floated and then started dog paddling towards the shore.

Ta for posting the one of Ebony - I dont mind whether she takes to it or not, I just wanted to see the girl coz shes lovely :D

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OOo looks like HEAPS of fun - you can count me in for the next one for sure.

Worse case senenio - was there any dogs there mad keen to get the sheep or to bail them up against the fence in the paddock or anything? I brought Chili up with sheep, but one day she bailed up my pet lamb (he was frozen on the spot after being chased and Chili wouldn't let him move and was barking at him - didn't hurt him though) but since then I haven't trusted her. She's very full on and although she's a quick learner, I really don't know how she'd go. You'd need more than a rake to stop Chili getting to something she really wanted.

Indi would love a go too I think, she's too gentle to hurt the sheepies :D

She'd love to watch her Banjie work too.

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yay Hedds!! im trying to make it soon, just got to handle werribee double andballarat and that is it for trials until the herding one on boxing day so i need practice oh and the lure coursing at KCC.

i think southern obedience is having a herding trial 30or31st october, no instinct or herding test (the first two stages) but the ones after(started, pretrial , intermediate & advanced(?)), might be good to have a look at for u guys, i watched at lancefield and felt a lot easier about having a go, most of the people were friendly and helpful some of the southern ppl were there as well and they were nice :D

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Guest Tess32

Oh do you know if it's AT southern?

I really enjoy trying lots of things with the dogs. I think we owe it to them to find out if there is anything THEY will become really passionate about and enjoy doing. Some dogs need a bit more than parks and dogs...whereas others like Ebony would rather cuddle 24/7.

I think you learn a lot about your dog just watching them react to each different activity.

Nat

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(you could come down to Melb, spend the weekend with all of us and go herding too? :D )

We'd love to! All the extended family are scattered around that area, from Anglesea to Kilsyth and everywhere in between!

We've been saying we'd go down and visit them all sometime so perhaps this will be the impetus.

So the herding trials are held out near the airport? Hmm, my uncle lives near Essendon ... :clap: Not sure if Jack would like his GSD, though.

This thread has certainly given us something to think about! Perry's Mum takes Perry the koolie herding from time to time. I naively thought it was only the sheep-dogs that were really allowed to do it, but it sounds like all herding breeds and crossbreeds are welcome? I just know Jack would be a handful, but geez it sounds like fun.

We'll be taking Jack with us in the new year when we visit rellies on the other side of the family, up near Armidale and Inverell ... I was thinking of bringing him to my brother-in-law's farm to see how he'd go but I'd rather see him with a professional handler first, I think. Maybe THEN we can see how he goes in the real world. :)

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Oh Moop, that would be just soooooo great! :clap:

In the question time, I asked if any dogs had stood out in Davids mind. He said a poodle came along once that worked so well it was amazing. I'm sure it had never been near a sheep either. All breeds are welcome. Sky's little darling 6 month old westie who came to 'watch' was invited to have a go. She wanderd around the sheep (with supervision of course) and was just totally.... soooooo cute. Hmm, where is Sky and her pics????

I just took this pic...... here is my big tough sheepdog from yesterday. Curled up in the cats bed. :D (sorta spoils the that tough boy image doesnt it?) :)

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Yes, the october trial is Working dog club of victoria from memory, at KCC and is pretrial and up, so no instinct tests.

I dont think the 2006 calender is out yet to know if/when Southern are holding theirs, but they held them at KCC this year.

Sparty, may see you at Werribee double the weim is having his first obedience trial there - should be fun :D

When is next lure coursing?

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Lure Coursing is from 10-4 at the Nillumbik pet expo on 23 Oct.

But I think I'll end up going to the Rosebud one in November, not sure.

Nat

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Diamond creek way, I know the feeling Chezzyr!!! i just want a good go at sparty's CD before the new rules come in, after that i can reax a bit, but i have Bodies herding test on the 27&28th December and feel i should work on that a bit more to give ME confidence :D

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The Aussie Shepherd's name is Gambit. He is seven months old and enjoying life.

Thank you for the photo. It was good to be able to let Hubby and son see what I was talking about (any chance of seeing the one of Gambit looking over the top of me in the big paddock?)

Gambit had a lesson the week before with David and it showed up at the Workshop. Shame about the handler :)

To see the dogs first time with sheep was wonderful. Each dog had it's own way of coping.

To those who organised the Herding Workshop, Thank You :D

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Sky: Thanks for all the photos of the Herding Day, they were great. I didn't expect to see any of my boy though! ( I was only there for half the day with my Sable BC Byron, not Bandit - although I do like that name :eek: ) Now I know a few other DOLers, although I didn't at the time (except I recognised Jyra's name.)

I went back on the Sunday to have a full day and took my little BC girl as well as Byron so they could both have a go. What a fantastic time we had. Byron was pretty good but Pippi astounded me. 7 months old, first real experience and she just got in and did the job, wow isn't it great to watch your dog doing what they were bred for. Only trouble was I was the one feeling totally useless and unecessary in the whole event :D I have no doubt my dogs will be fine, me..... thats debatable!! I'll keep trying....

Sparty.. I think I'm hooked :laugh: . I will definitely be there if you and hopenfox decide to go, maybe you can give me some extra tips. :laugh:

Maybe we should organise a DOLer's day at Herding in the near future. Sorry I don't have any pics, I couldn't manage myself, dogs, sheep AND camera all at the same time, so next time a dedicated photographer will need to be arranged :) Any volunteers??

Fantastic time David & Geoff, thanks for your time and help. Me and furkids learnt heaps. We'll be be there again for sure .... :eek:

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Pippi I'm so sorry for calling Byron Bandit - At least I got the first letter correct :laugh:

Maybe he is mishievous and I picked up on that :)

I wish I was like some of you who felt useless. I really want Punpun to get get into it. She is kelpie (mostly) and she is a very submissive insecure dog. If I didn't have her since 4 months of age I would swear she had been mistreated. But she is just sooky. We had a very strong male dog and the two got on beautifully. But since he went to the rainbow bridge she is starting to come out of her shell. I am really hoping that she will take to herding.

On the day though she did ok in the first two session, after that she had no interest at all, none....NUDDA. :eek:

So I will go again and spend time with David to see if he can bring out the 'drive' in her. It would be so good for her in so many ways.

Huge thanks to David, the man with the patience of a saint and who put in so much effort....and to Geoff who was absolutely fantastic! You guys could double up herding days as a health farm day by training us to herd with Rosie and get fit :D

Edited by Sky
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