Training April 4, 2009 - K9Z&EWE

This is a regular training Saturday but with the benefit of an informative trial test from Sonoma and with a targeted next trial in Pauma Valley in about a month. Our Sonoma experience has identified that we have a number of things to work on and we are trying to target those in training this weekend.

I have worn my running shoes because one of the big things we will need work on is getting Piper to pay attention to me from a distance. I am expecting that I may be running down the field a few times to enforce the messages being delivered to Piper.

I am also working on trying to get my whistle blowing consistent enough so I can start using whistles to communicate with Piper and also with Maggie. So far I seem to have a "Come Bye" and a "Walk Up". I am still working on the "Away" and "Lie Down" as well as "There".

If we are to have any success in Pauma Valley I need to be able to get Piper to take my commands from a distance. Jennifer tells me I need to project power from the post. It's a good phrase so I ask "How do I do that ?" Pretty much as expected I need to be ready to go out and let Piper know that "down" means "down" - every time. Thus, the running shoes.

On her first outrun Piper comes into the sheep too strong and we have a near repeat of Sonoma. I have planned for it and am already partway down the field."DOWN !!!" followed by a run the rest of the way to Piper who reacts as if I have finally and truly lost it. Just the reaction we are looking for.

The next lift is a better and we have a controlled fetch but it is a little jerky as Piper likes to get up with a quick first step and I am trying to make sure to down her whenever she gets up too quick.

Our third effort is back to a chase lift and another crazed run up the middle. Piper reacts as before but she does not run off the field and we take the long walk of shame back to the post to resend.

This time it works much better and the lift and fetch are both nicely controlled. Everything is going so well that I take her around the makeshift post and start the drive toward the drive away panels on a little practice course. With adjustments we are only somewhat zig zagging our way toward the first panel and so Jennifer lets me keep going. Amazingly we made the panel and then she took the flank to start the cross drive. It certainly was not a thing of beauty but there was only some zig zagging and we made the cross drive panels. We even did some of it with whistles.

We did learn a new command though - the "AwayDOWN" or "Come ByeDOWN" with essentially no pause because Piper is so quick I need to put her down almost immediately on a minor adjustment flank. This is the first time I have ever made a full drive away and cross drive from the post !!! Yea !!

For the rest of the afternoon we play set out dog for some of the other students. Piper is on her best behavior and is taking all (well - almost) of her lie downs (verbal and whistle) and her flanks. It seems that her early in the day experience with berserk trainer sunk in. This also happened when we first got her and the second time we worked I had to really get in her face close at hand. Fortunately she learns quickly and it does not appear I will need to go into psycho mode very often. After only a couple firm corrections running up the field she was like a different dog by the end of the day.

I need to remember that Piper has only been with me for a little over two months. The partnership is definitely developing and getting better each time. She already has taken me farther than I have made it before and we are just beggining to partner up.I am looking forward to the day when she is truly working "for" me and not just "with" me on the field. Each time out there is a little bit more working "for". When she does this she clearly has the ability and if we can get it together it will be a fun journey.