tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post2331174227980851784..comments2021-12-07T02:46:06.396-07:00Comments on Tazimodo: To send out or not to send out...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post-45281879365446467342008-11-25T14:03:00.000-07:002008-11-25T14:03:00.000-07:00Too true...thanks very much!Too true...thanks very much!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15118131996152150797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post-66575853036440461362008-11-25T14:00:00.000-07:002008-11-25T14:00:00.000-07:00Laura It isn't that he just needs to re-learn his ...Laura <BR/>It isn't that he just needs to re-learn his outrun, it's you both need to throw away all the old habits that you have created. That's the hard part. I've no doubt that his outrun could be fixed, but keeping it fixed that's the crux of it all. Whatever you decide, good luck!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post-82695516014656916392008-11-24T09:45:00.000-07:002008-11-24T09:45:00.000-07:00Julie, he really just needs to relearn his outrun ...Julie, he really just needs to relearn his outrun properly, I think. His driving is lovely, and he is very responsive otherwise. We just need to somehow get past this slicing at the top.<BR/><BR/>Mia, it will be very hard for me! I am so ambivalent about it! But I do think it is the best thing for Taz, so I am willing to temporarily sacrifice my own strong desire to keep him here all the time...<BR/><BR/>And thank you, Maddy, for your kind words. It's always nice to find others who are going through this, too!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15118131996152150797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post-17539789462788454322008-11-24T02:28:00.000-07:002008-11-24T02:28:00.000-07:00Hi Laura, Just been checking out your blog, got so...Hi Laura, Just been checking out your blog, got some great stuff on here. I too am a novice sheepdogger (I wont say trialler as i haven't actually competed in one yet ;-))<BR/>I am starting out with a couple of Koolie dogs and a BC pup, and hopefully train them up for trials over here in Australia. <BR/>I am enjoying reading about the experiences you and your BC's have gone through and find that many of the problems you have been faced with very familiar to me and the dogs i am learning to train. :)<BR/>Anyway, look forward to your future posts and keep up the great blog work :D<BR/><BR/>~MaddyMaddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08198975832179427541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post-6988004488468106902008-11-23T17:28:00.000-07:002008-11-23T17:28:00.000-07:00Cute picture of Taz! I would have hard time sendi...Cute picture of Taz! I would have hard time sending any of our dogs away too.Miahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05017734243138988037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post-7947569972840246622008-11-21T05:21:00.000-07:002008-11-21T05:21:00.000-07:00The last time I worked Lucy it was odd. I was irr...The last time I worked Lucy it was odd. I was irritated at some things, and then she did some cool things. It was a real mixed bag. So, I spent hours circle thinking it. Then, the next day I am refreshed, and over it. I think that it's really important that the 'you' part of the team take some pressure off you- and the dog will benefit. It isn't about the dog, it's about the work. Perhaps put his training up a bit, but let him just work sheep- chores, that sort of thing. I really don't think he is doing anything terribly "wrong" you all just have created between you, tension, and learned responses. Sometimes our dogs just have certain "issues" that leave them just a notch below what we want, but in trying to fix it, we detract from the whole picture: dog working sheep for handler, working with the handler.Dancing shepherdesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16864498014986609858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post-8978945158051171342008-11-20T11:36:00.000-07:002008-11-20T11:36:00.000-07:00Darci, I worry that I might not last even a week!J...Darci, I worry that I might not last even a week!<BR/>Julie, I think Taz and I are sort stuck in a nonconstructive pattern that I am not skilled enough to break. We have been at about the same place in outrun training for more than a year. I have learned a ton in that year, but I can't seem to apply it to fix this. That is what I am most frustrated with, and possibly why I panic so easily. I know he is getting older and I feel pressured to fix it before he gets too old. Or I make him completely crazy!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15118131996152150797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post-62532495083198419242008-11-19T06:03:00.000-07:002008-11-19T06:03:00.000-07:00Hey thereI think you need to think about what you ...Hey there<BR/>I think you need to think about what you will gain. Will your dog be a shiny new penny with the experienced handler, and then come back to you and start over on the bad habits? If you do send him out, be sure to take lots of lessons afterwards to make a good transition. <BR/><BR/>It sounds to me like you and Taz need a break from training for a bit. <BR/><BR/>When I have been down about Lucy, and if something is wrong, here's what I do:<BR/><BR/>I go to where I am working sheep. I walk into the field, I bring a chair, and I sit- we sit. The sheep happily grazing along. Sometimes I even lay on my back, on the ground. I tell Lucy that she's a good girl, and I pat her.<BR/><BR/>Soon, though, she's amped to work the sheep. When she gets the fixed stare, I gradually sit up. But, I never stand- I want a different look to my dog- we ain't training, we are just hanging with the sheep.<BR/><BR/>So, eventually, I decide to send her- from a sit, and with a whisper. Now, if the dog has trouble with not being deep enough, or slicing, wait until the sheep are near a clump of bushes, woods, or trees. He will have to use his head to figure out how to get them to you. He can't use his head and slice/run in. When he is right, when he comes around, you say absolutely nothing. You stay seated in your chair. He may not see you well, so he will lay off being pushy. The sheep will alight at your feet, and then you can have him drive them away. The key is for you to say nothing. You need to allow him to figure it out. He is so expecting to be schooled, that he anticipates it. If you are worried about him hesitating when you send, don't send, unless you see the sheep heading for the draw, and don't correct him for being tight. He needs to feel it now, not learn it. <BR/><BR/>This has been very long, but, I think it's worth reading.<BR/><BR/>When I send Lucy from sitting on the ground, and she does it all correctly without a word from me, I realize that it is me, and we need to be in a different place, mentally, and I emotionally, in order to get past whatever is blocking us.Dancing shepherdesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16864498014986609858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9573091.post-5505582461463231302008-11-18T21:13:00.000-07:002008-11-18T21:13:00.000-07:00Hard decision. I dont know if I could do it either...Hard decision. I dont know if I could do it either. (Im such a wimp!) LOL <BR/>I sent Lex out for a week once and I was a basket case the entire time she was gone.<BR/>If you decide to send him, you can worry and I'll sympathize.<BR/>If its any consolation, Chris is 4 yrs and due to her recent ability to start relaxing, her out run sorta just fixed itself.<BR/>Granted, I did/do take her out to work most every day. It seems the more confidence she gains, the more correct her work becomes, some even without my intervention. She must be the natural, cause I know Im sure not! LOLDarcihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09113110576392325773noreply@blogger.com