The Plan

Four herding lessons done and what an improvement!! I am so much more relaxed with both Token and Mesa. And the dogs are more relaxed with me as well. I love it when a plan comes together. One more lesson (wish I could sneak a couple in) before the trials and Mesa hasn't worked in the large arena yet. But I think she can do it. I need to practice taking the sheep out of the pen before then; that's for sure. And I need a plan for moving the sheep through the obstacles without me going first. A steep learning curve for Mesa and for me. Thank goodness Louann will be home to guide me through this.

She and Jenny are off to do some competing themselves on an all girl holiday. Hope they have lots of laughs and some fine wins, too.

The kennel is full of very nice dogs. I love that. At Elite Boarding we are adamant that dogs need to be nice to stay here and it pays off for all the dogs. If we do happen to get a grump, it is easy to give it some space and a quiet corner run where it can relax without the play going on all around it. The wading pool is up and so far the only one to use it is my old dog Buschman, who plops down in it and stays there for a minute or two to cool down on a hot day. School is over for the summer and so I get to stay home and play with the dogs. What a treat.

Our entries have been accepted by AKC so we need to step up the program. There is a pups in the park day on Sunday at Henderson Lake Park and I think I will take Mesa, Token, Shaggy, and one of the boys to join the action. Tomorrow I am moving more pea gravel into the outdoor runs . And I suppose I will need to rescue the flowers from the weeds in their beds, too. For now, I will go and put the kennel dogs to bed and bring my own hooligans into the house for the night. Five o'clock comes early.

Talk later.

Judi

Cart Before Horse

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2009

Lesson on Monday!

I am soooo excited. On Monday, Token, Mesa and I head for High River for our herding lessons! I have waited so long for this. As usual, I have done everything backwards and have taken the chance (Gwen says I'll do fine) and entered both dogs in the herding trials in July at Okotoks. Yikes! Better get with the program and begin training. And why not just enter Token in Open obedience this summer as well? Oh, heck, why not Hunter? He needs some training and really should get off the farm now that the bionic boy is back on his feet once more; for how long we do not know. And what about Token's RE title? Should finish that off, too. And so, now that we have entered, why not go a step further and actually train the dog? Thank gosh for talented dogs to begin with. Oh, my! I forgot about BESS! We need to finish Bess's CD and her Rally Excellent and go on with some Open, methinks. Good thing I found my brain at that point and decided to forgo the trip to Great Falls and Missoula to do obedience and rally there. Maybe I'll actually have some money left to fill the diesel!!!

So out comes the logbook and the daily progress reports (or not) will be entered faithfully as I move along the road to competition.

Wish me luck.

Judi