Prim: Dont be quite as fussy on contact criteria, if she holds a 2 buckets of rewards. Use placement to get her up if she sits. Leave come back . Treat.
Watch my shoulders for tunnel cue. Think about an exit tunnel cue to turn back- check.
Teeter start making it great . Toss treat to get her in a good place, teeter two. Lots of cookies leave come back.
Two is duration. So build the time between cookies as we build her two.
After weave pole fails weekend before I need new strategy.
1. Dont carry treats or toy with me when I train.
2. Don't always reward every time we do weaves at home, be random.
3. Next trial use gambles for training, but be random, don't always reward weaves, maybe one jump.
4. Get Phira engaged without treats and toy.
Remind Nicole next class to work on waus to keep her from popping out
Nicole showed us start line stay techniques, use words and movement before releasing
Tandem turn: Dog crosses in front to far hand, go!
Weekly Herding Lesson
Picked up where we left off, worked on some driving and balance work.
Prim: Let her make the mistake rather than correcting it before it happens, give her a chance to figure it out. She did some awesome driving work.
Take pen-send around stock there to slow down, and either stop at gate or send to cover.
Worked on some balance. I need to focus on getting a square flank and out and around. If they cut, make them move out. Prim wasn't happy when Carrie helped me but it was clear she understood Carrie's directions and the picture was clearer to her.
Phira: Worked same thing. Hung out in take pen a little longer as she was wanting to dive in. Got her working well, we took the sheep out.
Her driving was pretty good. Then worked on balance, again need to square flank and not get ahead of her.
Balance: Yes and No and There
Worked on getting to balance and then pause or stop
Prim: We worked out in big field but I was always behind the eight ball, letting Prim cut in and get behind the sheep rather than around them.
Moved to smaller pen where we could slow things down. Had her gather and slow down, then put her out of balance and find it again.
Take aways: Let her figure it out, yes when right and stop the action by blocking when not. Go to sheep, I need to look at my stock and not my dog ( use peripheral vision).
Phira: We did same thing, she was somewhat better.
Takeaways: Stick to show where we're going. There needs to be an instant slowing of pace but not necessarily a stop.
2022 Herding Lesson 1:
Phira said I was a hot mess and she wasn't even sure she wanted to play with me.
Set the tone outside the ring. Work gates, take charge, go through first.
When I down on one side of gate, I go through, and say "here" or "come" rather than "OK" which is a big release.
Work corners to set tone (do this at home). Make her get into them without asking 3 times. Praise when she does. Instead of "goooood", a there, good would work better.
Out the gate. Have her by the gate, send to get sheep, if she cuts, stop her and go to the sheep and get her back.
Gate: Have my crook pointing with the gate.
Crossdrive: Put my hand up to get her out. Keep it up if need be.
Position: Be very aware of where the sheep are and where the draw is, try to think before telling her what to do as most of the time I'm wrong.
Driving away from the draw she can fall in behind.
Going towards the draw she needs to get out and up to catch the leaders eye.
Going through gate that the sheep want to go through-she doesn't have to do a flank. A release of pressure is all that is necessary. Clear the gate, click the latch, release the pressure and the sheep will go through. To block forward momentum towards sheep, use pop bottom of crook propped out at an angle.
Prim-she gets the "smarter" me. We had a better time.
Today we worked corners, I think 🤔 I may have finally figured out how to be authoritive
Process; cue go by or away, and get back. If she doesn't get back, stop her. Wave stick slowly at her shoulder. If she looks the right way praise her. If she doesn't say go on. If she barks tell her to knock it off. When she goes the right way praise and release pressure when she's where I want. Release body pressure, turn away.
When doing chores if she runs off, go to her and tell her to get out of there. Praise when she does. Give her choices and praise for the right decisions. Same with eating poop instead of working, let her know when she does right. Make the grey area clear.
Driving set up a drive from the corner. Ask her to walk up, if she flanks stop her. Reposition, walk up. Cue for a go by inside flank, turn My body 90 degrees, call to me use stick to cue go by. Try to avoid using name and give useful information.
Things needs to be lear- be sure to follow up with stick to stop her, no creep allowed.
Praise good work.
When out in field and she's letting the sheep get away take a couple of steps back to show her she needs to go get them.
