Dogablog - April 2009

30th April 2009

Thanks to Shiela Marchant for the 3 Sheep Short  course results for the past weekend.

Border Collie Training

The natural characteristic of a Border Collie is to round things up. If there is no training this instinct may lead to them to chase things such as clouds, planes, pedistrians, people on bikes, moving cars, children, other dogs, birds and basically anything that moves. You can cultivate this by associating a command to the activity that the dog is doing at the same time, like if it is moving counter clockwise use the word "Away!" If the dog is moving in a clockwise direction use the word "Go by".
For that matter you can use this technique for any type of training of word accociation with an action. You can subsititute the use of words with the sound of a whistle.

29th April 2009

I have found that when I was an instructor for obedience training, that it is more about training the handler. Empowering them to go out for the rest of the week and practice what they had learnt at obedience training. I noticed that the dogs knew what was expected of them. Often times it was the handler that would be not place that expectation to perform to a consistant standard upon themselves or their dogs, that allowed the dogs to not carry through with what was expected of them. If your're not consistant and fair, you'll be letting both you and your dog down.
Who better to work you out and try and get out of doing things correctly than a Border Collie.

28th April 2009

Border Collies may give of a one off yip. It can be quite annoying to neighbours and yourself. Firstly established the reason behind why your Border Collie is barking. This will be much easier to rectify the problem.

If it is a good reason then say something like “Good boy/girl” and treat your Border Collie.

If your Border Collie is barking for the wrong reason, make the dog realize that this in unacceptable behaviour, react to the dog accordingly and say “No”.

Other Border Collie training methods like clapping paddles loudly together. They associate the correction noise is from the paddles and not you or another one is to simply teach your dog to bark on command. 

27th April 2009

All of the images taken at the yesterday at Shiela Marchants place Mountain View Lodge are now online.

Rex our Border Collie continues to surprise us at his performance. Rex is a bit of a plodder but with patience he is getting there.

He successfully penned the sheep yesterday.

All thanks to his initial grounding in herding training when attending a Col Webster Clinic. 

26th April 2009

Guess what, we're off to a  3 Sheep Short Course this morning. Hopefully back with heaps of pic's for the gallery. Seeing as we're not experienced in 3 sheep course, we'll be starting in the beginners class.

This short course is being held at Sheila & Tony Marchant's place called Mountain View Lodge also known as Sheep Herding Queensland.

This is a sheep herding training facility at Woodford, Queensland.

8am start

Location:

Mountain View Lodge
437 Kropp Road
Woodford

Directions:

Take the D'Aguilar Highway into Woodford. Kropp Road is on the left with the police station on the corner. Go out as far as you can. Mountain View Lodge is on the left-hand side where the bitumen becomes metal. If you drive onto the metal then back up; the driveway is on the left.

JUDGE:    John Rosten, Armidale, N.S.W.

Beginner:    Open to those handlers who are just starting out.
             Handler can run an experienced dog if they so wish.

Novice:      Open to any dog who has not won a First place previously at Mountain View Lodge

Open:        Open to any handler/dog

Perpetual Trophy:  Beginner Novice and Open: Highest Score on the Day

Placings: First, Second and Third in each division.

$10/run payable on the day
 

25th April 2009

Anzac Day - Lest we forget

24th April 2009

If anyone is chasing pic's of themselves and their dogs in action at the recent Belgium Shephard Herding Trial.

Please contact us direct via email or phone or you can message us via the contact us form.

22nd April 2009

When you're observing a dog is doing a instinct test for herding, ask yourself these questions.

Is it displaying the instinct to prey on the sheep?

or

Is it displaying the instinct to herd the sheep?

21st April 2009

 Yes finally at last I have uploaded the pic's everyone has provided for their own puppies. Please check out your images in the gallery.

If you find your puppy is not there, please flick us an email.

If you have more pic's that you want up there please send them to us.

19th April 2009

I have uploaded plenty of pic's taken yesterday at the Belgium Shephard Club Herding Trial into our gallery.

18th April 2009

Some of the action at the Belgium Shephard Club Trial

Rex our Border Collie completed a great run today and qualified in his A course herding.

Well done Rex!! 

Panda our working Border Collie at work

Gaylene with Fred  Kate Becks dog at work having a great run

Great run Penny with her Belgium Shephard "Shandy"

Earlier today I wrote...now see the results above
We're off herding today out at Postmans Ridge at Anne Mitchells place.
Will be interesting to see how well the dogs will do today especially Rex. 

17th April 2009

Lucy had her first encounter with sheep yesterday. The day before Lucy had shown a very keen interest by chasing the mower as it moved around the yard. This prompted us to see what Lucy would be like on sheep.  Once she had gotten used to the smell of sheep. She showed lots of interest in those big wooly animals with four legs. Lucy was not scared of them and was showing a bit of eye and herding instinct. At 10 weeks of age she would have passed her instinct test if she had have been given the test. We believe she has a lot of potential in this area with careful guidance and encouragement. Here's to keeping the instinct to herd alive.

14th April 2009

A great part of being a good stock handler is being able to read the body language of prey animals, namely Sheep, Cattle, Horses, Goats etc. These animals show signs on how they are going to react. Become good at reading the signs and you have half the battle of herding done.

13th April 2009

Quote of the day:
It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. - Mahatma Gandhi

 Well done Kate Beck and Cato for getting High In Trial out at Postmans Ridge where the mock trial was held. Despite the rain spirt's were high and there was encouragement all round. Everyone has been practicing hard and the improvement in their performance was noticable with all competitors.Those that have persited in their dogs training and practice saw it in thier results over the weekend. It may seem easier to "buy" a well trained dog, but those handler's already know, is that you have to know how to get the best out of a good dog. Otherwise that dog will put it over you and seek to get out of what it knows best.That being said, back to basics, you must build a good relationship with your dog and personally have practicial hands on knowledge of how to handle stock.

Every animal has a flight zone, know what it is regarding the stock you're working with, learn the art of "How to calm stock down", this will help when dealing with fresh stock that are more familiar with dealing with predators and not your working dog.

12th April 2009

The mock trial was a great success, a good time was had by one and all that attended.

Our Rex - (Grand Champion Borbern Mastrs Apprentice PT ) did quite well in A course started, surprisingly enough!!  Seeing he has not been on sheep for a long time. Great to see that he has remembered his sides commands.

At first we thought the whole exercise would be a waste of time, but once Rex saw the sheep he switched on and did fantastic run.

We had lots of compliments after like ... your woolly(show dog) did quite well.

Well done Rex!!!

11th April 2009

 To preserve the Border Collie breeds basic instinct they need to qualify beyond the basic instinct test and prove they can work by successfully do a qualifying round in A course.

10th April 2009

 There is a mock herding trial out at Anne Mitchels place at Postmans Ridge this weekend, this is an opportunity for the trainee judges to get more hands on training.

5th April 2009

Well done Maree and Chook for getting challenge dog.

Heard that you did a cartwheel for good measure!!! Read the April results to see more details