Jai still has not quite forgiven me for sending her alone into a dirt blowing battle to capture sheep behind enemy lines.  The trailers full of probable monkeys, the people who scream guarding them. Were they even sheep? 

She would consider another line of work, like ear model or ball tester.  

But no.  The other day I worked her in a small area. Smaller than DDs little pasture, which Jai HATES, but bigger than my car.  The goal was to help her learn to work through pressure; to get her excited and build her confidence in situations that normally make her unsure.

These are days when I yell 'FUCK' a lot.  I mean…A LOT.  I really need a whistle for it. 

DD put sheep in her corral and I walked beside Jai and encouraged her to flank, not letting her go to head; to come into my pressure and drive the sheep through my bubble and the sheeps' bubbles and her own thought bubbles,

"I'd like to squeaze through the fence and run away to be a Therapy Dog with a vest. A vest says 'I'm Working!" unlike a sweater that says "She can't have children!" …  I would comfort people who aren't hungry but hate to waste good meat, be the inspiration for people who sit in roomy comfortable chairs and need something to do with their hands…."

"Jai! Walk up!" I said.  Jai wagged once and continued to stare at the sheep from a prone, not walking up position, cringing, licking her lips.  

"You keep saying your commands like they are a question," DD said, " You ask her -'Jai, walkup?'… You need to TELL HER TO WALK UP and GET HER EXCITED!"

Jay meanwhile licked her lips vigorously and issued a few new wags in my direction. Resumed staring.

"JAI! WALK THE FUCK UP! OMG WE JUST WON THE ORGANIC CHICKEN LOTTERY! CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!! WALK UP! WALK UPWALKUP! FUCK FUCK FUCK…"

Jai took a few steps, then laid down.  Then she'd go to their heads.  Or she'd go behind me and flank which resulted in perpetual swirling.  It was a very patience-threatending endeavor. 

Finally, I managed to use my deep baritone Double D voice (with a hint of Louis Armstrong) to insist in a way that worked,

"COME ONCOME ONCOMEON…SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKER! YEAH! WALK UP!WALKUPWALKUP!!UH-HUH!"

and, after taking her frustration out on the ewes with a few grips, she lost the desire to leave, started to come in more and worked better.

I am leaving for the weekend, sans dogs, then I have just a few more days to work with her and Pat, and then we trial the following two weekends in Utah.  I have *No Idea* what to expect.  She can do nice outruns, she can work beautifully….or she can fall apart, take one flank only, blow me off, grip a ewe…. wag wag wag.

She should model that wag at some cattle dog club.  That tail is the stuff of aussie pet dreams.

*****

This post is dedicated to TT from AG.  I wrote the entire thing on a conference call.

Jai had 2 runs on the pro-novice field, PLUS a re-run …resulting in 2 retires plus a DQ.   The DQ was the Grande Finale, when Thanking Us to get off the field felt really genuine.

The pronovice field was about 400 yards across a plowed wheat field and up a slight incline, down into a draw and finally the last 20 or so yards up a hill where four range ewes were set out of trailers.  Two stock trailers, a horse trailer a couple of four wheelers; plus 4 people and 2 dogs.  The only thing that was missing was clowns, warped organ music and fireworks. 

As far as Jai was concerned it was like storming the beach at Normandy alone.  Still, she went. Each time.  She went out looking pretty good, but ultimately came in too tight, busted up the sheep and swirling near the trailers occurred.  Word at the top was that on the first or second run she actually recovered the sheep but hesitated and lost them again to the trailer suck.  The last run she rolled a ewe and then proceeded to chase it around the trailer.  Growling. 

We have some work to do.  DD likes to haul sheep to the desert and work. I'd like to haul some to a carnival.

Pat's runs went better but I still tend to forget to think once I step to a post.  Or I forget to think about what I'm DOING.  I have a few moments of leisure after sending Pat because that dog is a O/L/F machine.  He will bring sheep; they might come fast, but they will come straight.  His outrun is beautiful. Four hundred yards gives me plenty of time to day dream or just grab some 'me time'…looking up when I hear hooves. 

It's one of the reasons I don't cook.  Once something goes into the oven, or onto a burner…well, my job is done.  The appliance can do the rest.  Sadly, as with my stockdog trialing, I forget how important TIMING can be.  That the occasional INTERACTION with the ingredients is crucial.

We made our fetch panels at high speed both times.  Then I tried to slow Pat down for the rest of the course and we timed out at the pen.  I think I made one of the drive panels, on one of the runs, but I can't remember.  Like I couldn't remember to remain standing at the post until he broke the plain of the second drive panels.  I just sort of walked away, then remembered 10 feet into it and scurried and hopped my way back. 

The judge did NOT DQ me for this or the "SHIT!" that I uttered when I realized.  Maybe she didn't hear, or maybe she wanted to see what was next – would I produce bread, some PB&J, and make a sandwich, eat it langorously at the post while Pat held sheep at the pen willing me to come over and OPEN THE GATE?

No.

We only had 7 or 8 minutes. I had no bread.

SO! I have a few days between that trial and the next one.