Dry Lake - Open Education

I ran Piper in Open at the Dry Lake Sheepdog Trial. It was quite an education for both of us.

The field is a 3500 acre pasture that appears essentially flat at first appearance. It is definitely not flat. The outrun was set at about 600 yards. After about 300 yards there were dips in the field deep enough so that the outrunning dogs lost sight of their sheep. Either they needed to be on an already good path at that point or trust their handlers. Many dogs got lost getting out to their sheep. They crossed over. They ran past. They circumnavigated. They stopped and looked back confused. I should have been forewarned. Should have !

I sent Piper to the left. She was on a beautiful route for about 350 yards. Unfortunately the sheep were at 600 yards. At about 400 yards she started to turn in and cut across. I tried to blow my redirect whistle but for some reason I could not get it to blow. I shouted LIE DOWN !!! She ignored it and continued across. I shouted "come bye" and she sped up on what was already a come bye route. (I needed to give her a "get out" but did not think to do it.) She continued on, gaining speed as she crossed over a good 150 yards in front of the sheep, never seeing them. She eventually made it to the group of pine trees a full 100 yards to the right of the set out. Finally she took a recall whistle and I waved thank you to our judge Patrick Shannahan and walked out to meet Piper on her return trip.

Afterwards a couple handlers tried to tell me I was wrong to walk. One said I should have stayed until the judge told me to leave. One suggested that by not taking the opportunity to walk her out to find sheep (it was an available option day one) that I was just punishing myself. My thoughts were that I was sure not going to reward her for not listening to my attempts to redirect her and also that Open is not the time to be training my dog. Talking it over with Jennifer later I think it was the right decision. I could not get her out to the sheep on the original trajectory and best not to teach her she can take a figure eight route, ignore me, and still get her sheep.

So we made a plan. Second run she was going to listen and get redirected. Otherwise it was going to be a very long drive never to find sheep.

Sunday I sent Piper left again. This time after about 30 yards I lied her down. Then told her to get out. She immediately went way wide. Then at about 400 yards she took one step in and I gave her an immediate lie down. This time she took it. Then she took the get out command and travelled the rest of the way on a good routing arriving well behind her sheep. Her fetch was off line at the top as the sheep wanted to pull toward the set out (which they did to a lot of dogs) but she got them on line near the fetch panels and finished the fetch well.

The drive was a bit wild and quick but we did make both panels. In all it was certainly not good but better than she has been doing on the drive.

The sheep - which had been getting difficult to shed late in day 2 of open - actually parted for me like the Red Sea and Piper came in on them and turned on a group of two as asked. It may have been a bit sloppy but it was a clean shed. We did have some difficulty at the pen sending the sheep around twice before getting them to stop in the mouth of the pen. Then Piper walked them in for a completed course.

Final score 63. Just out of the top half. Work to do but improved.

I learned that I need to be aggressive in handling Piper and get in her head early if necessary.