Knotty Pine Ranch: Trial Prep

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Trial Prep

Went out to Dianne's today with Katy. Ellie and Rhonda came out also. It was colder than a witch's tit, but we thawed in my truck and drank Ellie's Coronas. Thanks Ellie! I bought a cooler with some ice for the beers, but I am sure we didn't need it.

Worked Echo the first time just loosening up her inside flanks. She's getting pretty fluid (or so it seems to me) and it's easier for me to put her where I think I need her. Then I asked Dianne to help me getting her deeper on the top side of her outrun. Dianne held sheep for us, and I worked primarily on Echo's comebye side. These outruns couldn't have been nicer. She went nice and deep, and then once she was back off that far, her lifts were very nice. The away side is a piece of cake. Hopefully Echo realized how much better it felt to go that deep on the outruns, instead of it just being because of Dianne's presence there. I'd like to feel like we're on the downside of this hump so we can move on to bigger and better things.

Second time out, I worked on some whistles with her. The painful thing is that she doesn't really have a down ... not a solid one anyway. The control freak in me wants one on a dime, so I'll start downing her out there, and then the minute I do, I see how it affects everything else. She's got some pretty natural pace, so a down as never really been a priority. I guess I'll have to pick my battle with this one.

Something kinda funny happened today. Or at least I thought so. I have been really a bit intimidated by Echo's confidence level with driving, and she just ... goes. And goes and goes and goes. And I've had to not down her and get used to the speed at which things happen. Today, Dianne told me to slow her up! Woo hoo! Happily! With these bits and pieces of into, I am starting to get the feel of what truly "correct" pace is, and really starting to understand the edge of that bubble and how fine it is.

I also threw Zip out there for a bit. He is wondering what happened to the pushover of a handler that used to run him ... or rather he used to run. Every time I work him, I am seeing the flaws in my training with him. Once he understands what I want, he seems to catch on pretty quick. Some of it wasn't my training ... some of it is just who he is, and that's ok with me. I can work with it.

When we were done working the dogs, we all moved into the house and saw the Peg x Riggs pups. I took some pictures of them.

Here are the boys: