Another gorgeous day in the desert

Bryan White with his dogs Scoop and new BC, Rio joined me in the desert.  What a PERFECT day.  It was almost too warm, without a stitch of wind.  I took all 9 sheep including the barbs. Due to the heat (70's) and the fact that my adult sheep are fat and out of shape we spent almost a good 4 hrs. working dogs, chatting, and having lunch.  A lazy day with a good friend.  :0)  I took 4 large water jugs to water the sheep and allowed them to rest in between works. 

The first time Kilt shed the 5 lambs from the adults she was hard put to hold them.  Those barbs can LEAP.
The 2nd time was easier.  Kilt and I are working on "flanking" on the fetch.  What's that?  I have allowed her for years to bring me sheep like a locomotive.  I talked to Wilda Barr at the Porterville trial on how she gets those lovely wide square flanks when she needs them on the fetch.  Obviously, I have omitted that from my training. :0(

Bryan and I talked about "fairness" to our dogs.  You can't get on their case, if you haven't taught them correctly.  One must go back to square one and teach it right.  Now you all know that I do my own training, so it's not a surprise that I have omitted a few necessary training exercises that are killing me at the trials.  Plus, Kilt is just a difficult bitch for me to run.  So, we are starting at 100 yd. outruns and asking for flanks.
Sometimes I ask for a complete circle, sometimes I flank her around to the front of the sheep and drive them back to where she picked them up.  I'm changing up things with her.  You know how these BC's pattern train.

Yoko is doing so much better with her driving coming 3 yrs. of age in a few months.  She still is a "follower," not a pushy driver like her mother.   But, she is responsive and is wearing to hold a line now.  But, I have been to the desert 3 times this month and we have a "new" problem.  Yoko is outrunning too wide.  Yo loves to run.  Last year her outruns were simply gorgeous.  Now, she is way too wide.  I have tried walking her up in front of me about 8-10 steps and then asking her to go.  That hasn't helped.  Hmmmm  We are off to Jennifer's tomorrow to see if she can shed some light on this for me.  I'm driving 4 1/2 hrs. for lessons and 4 1/2 hrs. back.  Ugh.  The things we do for our dogs!  That's almost a whole day driving.  Double UGH.

It will be worth it if I learn some new strategies.  That's the fun thing about having several dogs to work.  Each dog is so different and each dog presents new and challenging problems.

      My 3 BC delinquents watching Bryan work one of his dogs

 Bryan of Honest Dogs with his new 1 1/2 yr. old pretty BC, Rio

                No fair...look at the pace this dog has on his sheep already!