Dare's Previous Updates - 2007

©2007 Michael McAdoo

June 2008 News: 2007 in review

Dare and I have been working hard to get ready to enter some local NEBCA Novice/Novice trials. We didn’t meet my personal goal of entering a June trial, unfortunately. We could have entered and would probably have had about an average run as many Novice/Novice pairs, but I didn’t feel ready. I still struggle with some things as a handler even after years of lessons. For example, I know my flanks, but darned if I can say the correct one when I need it! Just as important as working on my own shortcomings as a handler, Dare needs more finesse at the top of the field. She is a pretty sensible dog, but as yet I haven’t been able to quite temper her enthusiasm for lifting and fetching the sheep to me as though we are racing against time. Since the dog’s introduction to the sheep at the lift sets the tone for the whole run, this is a pretty important part to get right. If I’m going to enter a trial, I want to look as though we’ve worked hard and are ready to be competing at the Novice level. I don’t want to give the impression as though I think I’m “entitled” to enter simply because I can afford the entry fee.

©2007 Michael McAdoo

We’ve been working in different fields on unfamiliar sheep when possible, which helps and is always fun. Lately we mainly focus on the lift and pace; although Dare is quite biddable, she seems determined to not allow “steady” into her vocabulary!

July 2007
To get a bit of a measure as to how ready we were to trial, I entered both Dare and Perky in a “fun run” on July 13. The setout was only about 50 yards, and the course consisted of outrun, lift, fetch, an assisted drive or wear away from the post, drive and crossdrive panels, a pen, and then a “hold” in the shedding ring. I was pleased overall with Dare’s run, and that we managed to make the turn from the drive panels to the cross-drive panels against heavy pressure at the top of the field (directly on the drive line). We just saved the drive panels and made the turn, which we had been unsuccessful at in our lessons in the recent weeks, so I was happy that we did it. Dare’s fast pace was no surprise to me, but the Tunis sheep—well known for being difficult at this farm—were being reasonable and I was satisfied with how we handled the rest of the course; imperfect, but not too bad.

September 2007
I entered the Novice/Novice trials at the New Jersey State Sheep Dog Trials with Dare and Perky. The judge was Michael Dathe of Vermont. The setout was about 100 yards. Two trials each for N/N and P/N were run consecutively on the same day, so essentially I got to run each dog twice. I thought we were ready; I didn’t expect to keep all our 80 possible points, but I certainly thought we wouldn’t humiliate ourselves. I was in for a very humbling day.

©2007 Michael McAdoo

When Dare and I went out to the post, I had to hurry out on the field. Neither of the two people ahead of us in the running order were present. I did not know the people and wasn’t aware that they were absent, so I thought I had time for one more quick, nervous stop in the porta-potty and then to get my dog, but in fact they were calling me for my go just as I came out of the potty! Comedic timing, indeed! Feeling embarrassed and hurried and flustered just to get to the post for my first run in my first “real” trial ever, I sent Dare a little too early; the sheep (who were not a really great bunch) were not quite settled yet. I wasn’t surprised that Dare was a little tight on the outrun and that she brought them back to me in a rush. As we zoomed around the post (or maybe we missed it--I don't even remember) they raced away down the field to the bottom left corner, where the trial flock had been let out through a gate the previous two nights to a grassy field for overnight grazing. Dare didn’t even attempt to cover by getting around them, but just chased in hot pursuit as though it was her first time on sheep. The lead sheep knocked down the temporary fence and left the field. The other two leaped out and followed. That was the end of that run, "Thank you" very much.

©2007 Michael McAdoo

After talking with an Open handler, I decided to send my dogs to the away side for their second runs, based on where the setout dog and handler were positioned. I’d sent left on both dogs’ first runs because the setout pen was on the left. There wasn't anything terrible about their first outruns, but both lifts (the moment when they make "contact" with the sheep’s flight zone) were too hard and fast, and that moment is what sets the tone of the entire run. Both dogs are better to the right, so thinking about the position of the setout dog and sending them their comfortable direction seemed like a reasonable plan.

Dare’s outrun for our second go was okay, but as she zoomed back on the fetch, I called directions to her, and my hands were shaking like crazy; I was pretty rattled after the previous poor runs I’d had with both dogs. The sheep reached the bottom of the field, and this time they escaped (or maybe they were just chased) to the bottom right corner…the exhaust pen. Dare blew off some of her stress by not only chasing, but actually gripping. That was the end of the day for Dare. My one and only goal for the trial of NOT looking like we’ve just started “herding” lessons was not realized.

© 2007 Lori Mauger

November 2007
I had another go at a fun run in November, at the same location as the one in July. Dare’s outwork was fast, but okay in general. On the drive (wear, in this case) the sheep bolted through the drive panels up the hill toward the setout pen, as I blew the turn to the crossdrive. Dare covered in time to prevent them from escaping completely, and we headed back down the hill. I realized too late that I was not heading straight back to the crossdrive line as I should have been (back to the point where we went off-line), but in fact I was heading diagonally to the crossdrive panels. That meant we were off-line all that time as well, with many more imaginary points lost! The rest of the run was not too bad except for her pace. Dare did everything too fast as usual, so a whole lot of the run sounded like this: “Lie down. Lie down! LIE DOWN!” She would take the lie downs, but would not stay down. The sheep and I could barely gain any distance from her before she’d pop up again like a jack-in-the-box. Rather than lying her down, I would prefer her to control her pace and stay further off the sheep, or at least to respect my “steady,” but I guess the unfamiliar atmosphere was too much for her to keep her cool. I can’t blame my own nerves for her tension this time, as I was considerably less nervous than our outings in July and especially September.

Our recent lessons show improvement and I am pleased overall, but I suspect pace and staying off her sheep may be something we work at for a long time.

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