Border Collies – Me, Myself and I

All In a Day’s Work

There is so much happening on my little farm this month. So, much to do and last night I was sloooowed down. There are three main projects on the farm that need to be completed before the end of September: the horse pens and terraces, cleaning out the barn for a new water filtration system, and training up the two young dogs to do the work my Hank used to do.

Since Hank’s back injury in March, he has recovered to about 80 to 85% of the use of his back legs. He has lost some of his ability to work sheep in difficult situations. There are also times after doing simple work with the sheep, his back hurts. I need a dog to help me with the work, and we have two of Hank’s sons that need their training completed.

What caused my slow down? I was doing chores last night, and while feeding a group of ewes, and trying to train a young dog on working sheep I was literally knocked off my feet. Probably would have made a great video. I was trying to have the dog stop and lay down as I walked to the grain feeder. He had been circling the sheep, bringing them to me, which is what I was wanting in the beginning, and now the dog need to stop and hold them. Suddenly, a white creature came racing in front of me, hit my right leg and I was airborne. I landed on my side with a spilt grain bucket next to me, twenty sheep and goats vying for position to eat the grain. Not a good place to be. Sheep are very pushing when they are eating, even grazing pasture they will push each other around for a choice bit of feed.

I raised up on my left knee and hands, not wanting to put weight on the right leg due to the pain coming from the right knee area, and starting to evaluate my circumstances. Then I noticed a black hairy dog right under me, nipping at the sheep between my left leg, my arm and hand that were holding me off the ground. Now, I could not move because my young dog was working hard to keep hungry sheep from pushing me down again as they fought for position to eat the spilt grain.

My husband did not see the situation resulting in me being on the ground surrounded by sheep. He called out, “Are you ok?” I responded, ” I am not sure, but I need help.” He enters the pen and walks to me, fights the sheep and goats back with yelling, which sent my young dog into ‘Time to get out of here’ mode. “What do you need?” he askes. ” I need help getting up without putting weight on my right leg.” I grab is strong arm and he lifts me to my foot, and I test to see how much pain and weight my right knee will handle if I put weight on my right foot.

I put some weight, no much pain, and the joint felt stable. I took a few steps, the knee joint was stable, though sprained a little. I knew I would have some bruises show up and there were a few areas of scrapped skin. Not bad considering my age, and the situation.

I looked for my young dog, he was at the gate trying to find a hole to leave the country. This young dog, named Junior, is a very talented herding dog, lots of desire and easy to train. Junior is very soft to the handler, meaning it does not take much action from a person to have the dog want to quit and hide. My husband’s yelling and pushing sheep away from me, was too much for the young dog. While still in the sheep pen, I called Junior to me. It took a few tries before he came. I petted him and told him he was a good dog, which he was before and during the time I was down. Petting him also let him know I was ok, he was not in trouble, and he left the sheep pen with a ‘happy’ feeling. The yelling and pushing the sheep my husband did, would not be remember the next time he entered that sheep pen.

It takes months to train a young dog enough to have solid commands of the dog’s movements in containing a flock of sheep. Junior is a month into his training.

I made some mistakes in this situation. First, I should only have had Junior in the sheep pen with me. I also had his brother, Rusty, in the sheep pen at the same time. Second, I should not been trying to teach that specific lesson with Junior while holding a bucket full of grain in a pen of hungry sheep and goats.

When I fell, Rusty froze in position, confused as to what to do. When my husband entered, and was pushing sheep away, he was looking for an escape hole as well. Rusty is not as soft to the handler as Junior, but no dog likes it when my husband gets angry. Once I was up and walking on my own, my husband relaxed and Rusty came to my husband to see what they were going to do next.

My husband works with Rusty, and I work Junior and sometimes Rusty. I usually work the dogs individually. This day, we were trying to get chores done and both dogs worked, and that was a mistake.

Dogs have different personalities, just like people. To create a great working pair of dog and human, matching those personalities is key. I am a soft trainer of both dogs and horses. My husband is a very dominate personality in meaning he is strong in his opinions and very protective of his wife. Our training methods are different as we are have to adjust to the animal.

I have a good amount of patience, can be forceful when necessary, but try not to be. My husband had a very different process of training a horse, stick with it until the horse or dog does what you want. The concept of accepting little steps was new to him when we met. I have learned to expect a little bit more during my training times, he has learned to have a lot more patience and give the animal time to learn. His biggest challenge in training is be a little softer in presenting and teaching his commands. During the training process, the dog or horse learns to adjust to his loud voice and naturally strong stance. For me, the dog or horse has to learn, my soft command is just as strong as my husband’s natural command.

One aspect of training my husband and I both strongly agree is that bonding is key to training success. If the person giving the commands bonds with the animal, the animal tries harder to please and do things right, and forgives the person’s mistakes. Yes, as trainers and working partners with our animals, we will make mistakes and the dog or horse knows it, but will do our bidding anyway.

I love my border collies. They desire to be affectionate, obedient and are happiest when they do something that pleases you. Border Collies are listed as being the smartest breed of dog. Their intelligence requires that they are mentally stimulated every day with some activity. A Border Collie is never a coach potato type dog. Consider what your lifestyle is when selecting a dog, and pick a breed or individual that loves your lifestyle. Realize that puppies, regardless of the breed, need exercise and mental stimulation until they are mature dogs and settle into their breed personality.

As for today, and the next few days, I will continue to ice and elevate my right knee. Takes chores and tasks at a much slower rate allowing my knee to heal. Things will get done, the sun will set and rise, and soon I will be back at full speed.

amtolle

Brandy and Ace

Fictional story, a part of the novel I am currently writing.

The loft room was actually a very small studio type apartment above the horse stalls in the barn. There was a small couch, a bed, small table and cooking area with a separate room containing the bathroom. All the comforts of home. Brandy unrolled her bedroll on the bed, and prepared for bed and sleep.

“Ace, you are sleeping on the floor tonight buddy. I did not get your blanket out of the horse trailer.” Ace circled three times and plopped down on a rug beside the bed. Ace was Brandy’s constant companion, her border collie dog. Brandy turned off the light and both were sound asleep.

Brandy awoke seeing two large brown eyes staring and a black nose breathing in her face. Ace was awake and ready for the day. Brandy had purchased Ace as a twelve week old puppy. When he grew big enough to jump on the bed, he started starring at Brandy to get her up every morning sharply at 5:00, which was ok as Brandy gets up that time each morning, unless she is sick. Who needs an alarm clock when they have an Ace? Unlike an alarm clock there is no snooze button on Ace, if Brandy was not awake from his warm breath, his jumping on the bed and licking her nose and face would wake her up. When morning arrived for Ace, it arrived for Brandy. Healthy or sick, when Ace woke up, Brandy woke up and had to get out of bed.

Ace danced in circles as Brandy dressed for the day. He acted like such a puppy at times. Eager to start the day and work, Ace would run ahead and back to Brandy as they went down to the stalls to feed the horses before heading to the ranch house for breakfast. Since Brandy could not take Ace to the ranch house, she put him in an empty stall with food and water. Ace’s eyes showed he was hurt by having to obey his master and enter the tall.

“It is only for breakfast. I promise I will return and we will go for a ride.” Brandy reassured Ace. Ace laid down in the stall, and placed his chin on his crossed front legs, looking upward at her with his sad looking eyes. Brandy turned to go to the ranch house. Not everyone appreciated the bond of a border collie with their person. Ace was housebroke, but shadows Brandy’s every step. He thinks if the furniture is for Brandy, it is also for him and will sit or lay on the couches and chairs. During meals Ace sits watching Brandy put every bite in her mouth. Perhaps Brandy had taught Ace to watch her eat, as they shared meals most of the time. Ace never offered to eat off a plate or get food from a table or counter, but Brandy would hand him food from her plate as she ate. Brandy understood that Ace could not be with her when she went into other’s homes. When Ace was not shadowing her, Brandy felt there was a part of her missing.

Author’s Note: I have spent years raising and training Border Collies to herd. Border Collies are very intelligent and affectionate. I train using praise as their only reward for doing well. A Border Collie knows when they do well, and expect the praise. Border Collies are also very high energy dogs. They require a lot of exercise and mental stimulation each and everyday. A Border Collie is not for everyone. When considering a dog for a companion, please consider your established lifestyle and pick a companion that will match your lifestyle.

The post photo is of my partner, MHT Hank, the best hand I have on the sheep farm.

amtolle

Mental Pressure

I raise sheep as a business. I have help when I handle the sheep, my best hands, my border collie dogs. The border collie was bred to herd sheep. Generations of selective breeding has created a dog which works very hard to please their person.

Border collies choose their person, as much as the person chooses the dog. We have five border collies. Two of them I use daily in handling and feeding the sheep. Three of the dogs are in training learning to do the job of sheep herder.

A dog whose training is “complete” or finished is a beauty to watch work. The dogs are not finished in a matter of months, but in a term of years, at least one but more like two years. Two years of working side by side with the handler and the sheep, to learn how to perform their job with grace and beauty.

I have one dog that is finished, my top hand Hank. When we work together, my dog reads the sheep and situation, there are very few commands. My other working dog, Annie, is not finished, although she tries very hard to please and a strong drive to herd, she will not be finished as she can not handle the mental pressure of commands and herding.

When training a dog, even for obedience, the handler must watch the mental pressure being put on the dog. The really good handlers/trainers can gauge the amount of mental pressure on the dog, and keep the mental pressure low and not break the dog with training.

I was not the first person to start Annie in training to do herding. The other trainers “broke” her mentally. When we received Annie, it was to take care of her and her pups for my husband’s son, who owned her at the time. He had decided she would never herd anything, but her bloodlines would produce good puppies to use and sell. It took a couple of months for Annie to develop a bond with us. After a second litter of puppies, my husband’s son decided to sell her to us, since she would come when we called her, and he had no use for her, even to raise puppies. We gladly took Annie.

We started her by letting her work with Hank. When two dogs work together, the dogs will often fall into a dominant herder and balance herder. Meaning one dog will do the actual herding, the other dog is support and responds to what the dominant dog is doing. Letting Annie work with the sheep, with the mental pressure coming from the other dog and not us, helped Annie to learn to handle the mental pressure of herding. With patience and a lot of time, Annie can work the sheep alone. When the mental pressure gets too much, Annie will find a water trough to jump into and sit for a spell, relieving the mental pressure she feels. Annie does her job well, but she is not going to ever be a finished dog, or top hand. Annie is limited in using her full ability and talent as a herding dog, due to not being able to handle mental pressure.

There have been times in my life, I was hinder in how far I could go in a job because of mental pressure. The mental pressure I put on myself. Like Annie, I would let mental pressure I put on myself, freeze my actions and decisions. Learning to gauge the mental pressure we put on ourselves take experience and years to learn. Mental pressure left without a release will break us.

When the mental pressure starts to get to me, I find a release, I look for my “water trough” to release the pressure, then I am able to return to the task. My “water trough” is sometimes breathing, or prayer, or a short break from the task.

Taking care of ourselves is our job. We can not depend on others to take care of us, as we are the only ones who feel what we feel. Others can see symptoms of when things are not right with us, but they do not know all the thoughts or feelings we are dealing with at the time. Since we are the only ones who know all the is going on with us, we have to take care of us. Part of taking care of ourselves is to gauge and release mental pressure in our lives.

I know I have a much higher expectations for myself than I do for others. These higher expectations, put mental pressure on myself when I am not meeting those expectations. When the job I am not doing is not perfect, then I put the mental pressure on myself to make it perfect, although it was not capable of being a perfect job.

An illustration of high expectations, and the job not capable of being perfect is the work I am doing refinishing an old dresser for my daughter. The old dresser is made from red oak wood, but it is old. There are dings, that I am not going to be able to get out by sanding to remove the ding. To remove the ding would require the board to be sanded to depth that is too thin to use. I can only sand so much of the wood, before I start damaging the wood, and the dresser. I have to talk to myself and accept the imperfections that will be in the dresser. I am not using new wood and materials, I am repairing and refinishing an old treasured dresser. It will look great, but it will not be perfect. It will be unique.

amtolle