# Getting ready fo our HT



## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

We went into the 100 x 100 pen today with the sheep. T kept telling me how much better Thunder would do there because he could move off the pressure so much easier then in the small pens. I always believed it but just didn't realize how much. Thunder be ROCKIN today! :-D Aside from his handler not keeping up with Thunder's thinking, I was REALLY happy with the work.
Even with the duckS he was holding his distance much better. Lifting them out of the corners needs a little work yet but every week he takes quantum leaps in his training. 
By Sept 19 - 20 I have no doubt we'll be ready,............ with T's guidance. :-D:-D:-D:wink:


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

Good deal!


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Gosh, except for watcing him just glide around the stock, it was almost boring. As we get closer, we'll have to put in the guaranteed to split l freckled Tunis cross :twisted: to give them a little more of a work out.


Terrasita


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Terrasita Cuffie said:


> Gosh, except for watcing him just glide around the stock, it was almost boring. As we get closer, we'll have to put in the guaranteed to split l freckled Tunis cross :twisted: to give them a little more of a work out.
> 
> 
> Terrasita




 :lol: :lol: Now that just cold hearted ! :lol: :lol:
If I see any of those little freckled Tunis crosses on the trial field, YOUR going in with Thunder! Little bassids are like chasing a flock of paniky deer.....that have noooo idea which way to go. ](*,)
He did decided you were cool to work with today too. :twisted: :razz: :razz: :-D .


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Sounds like Thunder is coming along in "leaps and bounds". So have you gotten "away" and "go by" down yet  Good luck on the HT.


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## Trish Campbell (Nov 28, 2006)

Wow, you guys are doing great Bob  Doesn't surprise me though!


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2009)

Sounds like good fun. Good luck on your title!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> We went into the 100 x 100 pen today with the sheep. T kept telling me how much better Thunder would do there because he could move off the pressure so much easier then in the small pens. I always believed it but just didn't realize how much. Thunder be ROCKIN today! :-D Aside from his handler not keeping up with Thunder's thinking, I was REALLY happy with the work.
> Even with the duckS he was holding his distance much better. Lifting them out of the corners needs a little work yet but every week he takes quantum leaps in his training.
> By Sept 19 - 20 I have no doubt we'll be ready,............ with T's guidance. :-D:-D:-D:wink:


This is great. You guys (you and Thunder and Terrasita) do cool stuff!!


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> Sounds like Thunder is coming along in "leaps and bounds". So have you gotten "away" and "go by" down yet  Good luck on the HT.



Thunder's "go by" is pretty much natural to him. We just put a word to it. "Away" comes and goes. He's a natural header and my commands are intelligently ignored if the stock don't do what "I" think the're going to do I think he'd make a much better natural ranch dog then the AKC trial dog but both are comming along.
His only problem IMHO is he is to tight on the stock and pushes them past me at times, THEN his instincts take over and he rounds em up and pushes them back to me.
This is all comming together though. The larger field made a huge difference after we defined the basics in the pens.
He's a natural gathering dog. I couldn't run away from the stock if I tried when he's there. 
Terrasita's challenge is training ME. :lol:


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> This is great. You guys (you and Thunder and Terrasita) do cool stuff!!


Terrasita is keeping me honest. My NEED to be in control :roll: could easily make Thunder a very "correct" but mechanical dog. His natural herding instincts are fantastic and I don't want to loose those for the sake of his being "correct". 
I've seen enough herding trials to realize that, often, the top scoring dogs aren't necessarily the best at herding. AKC herding in particular is a handlers game. 
WOW! That sounds like sport dog dejavoo all over again. :lol: :lol:


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## Annika Friberg (Mar 27, 2009)

when are we getting to see some videos of Thunder´s work!?

PS. and of your corgis working Terrasita.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Annika Friberg said:


> when are we getting to see some videos of Thunder´s work!?
> 
> PS. and of your corgis working Terrasita.



Gotta have a camera and the talent to use it. That ain't me and Terrasita is to busy keeping me on the strainght and narrow with Thunder. :lol: 
Hopefully my wife will come watch the HT and get some pics!


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Annika:

I've been eyeing video cameras. I'm basically waiting on a sale on one of the ones that I've seen that says its Youtube ready. However, that said, I've forgotten the digital camera two weekends in a row. I've been wanting to do pictures of Khira [bouv] and Thunder. Bob will attest to the fact that I'm not a morning person and I can't seem to remember the camera or Bob's video after packing dogs, ducks, drinks and such, I forget. I'm bound and determined though to get some pictures up. Bob is right though, I'm soooooo intent on what's going on, we'll see how good my picture taking is.


Terrasita


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Terrasita Cuffie said:


> Bob will attest to the fact that I'm not a morning person and I can't seem to remember the camera or Bob's video after packing dogs, ducks, drinks and such, I forget.


LOL Do what I do, and just let your camera equipment live in your vehicle. I purchased hard sided cases so I didn't have to worry about them being damaged by me tossing other equipment on top, and both my photo camera and video camera "live" in my vehicle, only coming into the house when I want to download something or maybe take a few photos inside. Although I usually use my smaller backup camera for that.

That way I'm always ready to rock and roll when it comes to photos/video.


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## Annika Friberg (Mar 27, 2009)

Terrasita Cuffie said:


> Annika:
> 
> I've been eyeing video cameras. I'm basically waiting on a sale on one of the ones that I've seen that says its Youtube ready. However, that said, I've forgotten the digital camera two weekends in a row. I've been wanting to do pictures of Khira [bouv] and Thunder. Bob will attest to the fact that I'm not a morning person and I can't seem to remember the camera or Bob's video after packing dogs, ducks, drinks and such, I forget. I'm bound and determined though to get some pictures up. Bob is right though, I'm soooooo intent on what's going on, we'll see how good my picture taking is.
> 
> ...


that´s understandable! I just think it´d be great to have some pictures or even better videos as illustrations to the descriptions. I sometimes have difficulties visualizing the work you do even though I always find it really interesting to read about.



> Hopefully my wife will come watch the HT and get some pics!


Here´s to hoping!


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Way to go, Bob! I'm taking Deja back down this Saturday, and a friend said she would go with me, so maybe she will be able to get some decent video/pics. At this point, it's not very exciting to watch, really, if it's not something you're interested in, but to watch her natural talent is amazing to me. :mrgreen:


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Here's hoping that Terrasita's camera doesn't have sound on it. She's reeeely mean to me. :lol::lol::lol::---)
Plus I scream like a little girl when the ducks run me over.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> Plus I scream like a little girl when the ducks run me over.




:lol: :lol: :lol:

Well, they do have those big flat steamroller feet .....


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Hell! One of them ducks even grabbed Thunder by the shoulder Sunday. Dern near flipped him on his back. Poor dog went into shock!


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## Annika Friberg (Mar 27, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> Hell! One of them ducks even grabbed Thunder by the shoulder Sunday. Dern near flipped him on his back. Poor dog went into shock!


Can´t wait for the pics of the killer ducks in action!!! =D>


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Terrasita's Bouv, Khira, is frickin awesome on the ducks!
IMHO they are the hardest to work because of their small size and slowness but the're also great for teaching all the moves for the dog. Everything is right thee in front of you and, for me at least, I'm not running mytired old butt all over the place.
Even the running is getting better now though.


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> Even the running is getting better now though.


this is what bernard flinks calls "building the stamina", bob--and i found after one weekend that mine was getting "built", haha.

i'm w/everyone else, you and T get some pics at least. PLEASE????


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

We'll sure try! ;-)


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Many a big hat handler won't go near herding ducks. You haven't been mentally fried until you've met up with a bad set of ducks. We still giggle over one of our club members calling a hit on a duck. We were trialing and and her BC [awesome dog] couldn't get this evil duck to do right for love of money. All of a sudden she said "take a hold." We all took that huge intake of air that goes along with shock. Well, the BC did as she was told and the handler looked like she was gonna pass out. Needless to say, the judge instantly said "thank you." That's not politeness in herding but means leash your dog and exit--removal. For years at the mention of ducks, the handler would ask if we were passing out Prozac and Psych consults. She kept saying, "I didn't think she would actually take a hold." 

I had one of my ducks go down my basement steps. I sent my corgi down to get it. It was taking her too long so I went to help her out. When I got down the stairs, she was dodging it coming at her with the beak and the wing. I had no idea they used the wings offensively. I downed her and just decided to pick it up. Low and behold it came at me the same way toward my face as I bent over. I told Maia to get it. She pounced it for a bite and held it. When I told her that'll do, it went straight up the steps and rejoined the flock. Maia followed it, gathered the group and put them in the pen. All my pals couldn't believe I sicked her on a duck. Well coming after me, changed the situation. Don't do attacking the hand that feeds ya even if its a duck. I used to let them get away with murder until one went for Rory and just missed his eye. From then on I treated them like any other livestock. Generally the dogs don't take them that seriously and won't bite down on one. Most you get is a feather pull. Thunder thinks they are cool toys.We downed him in the corner and he showed mean ol Bob that platz was still platz even with a duck climbing over your back. 

That fuzzy butt bouv of mine spent most of her life thinking of ducks as dinner. From the time she was a itty bitty puppy, she was fascinated with wings. Mine was the only puppy in petsmart in a transfixed state as we passed the bird cage. At the park, she would literally try to jump up and snatch the geese out of the air. A couple of months ago I decided we were just gonna get over it. She had hit that wonderful mature age and I thought I'd give it a shot. She's done awesome showing that she's gone from stalking predator to a stock dog partner. I'm going to try her in the September trials in started. Hopefully, I won't have to chalk up a $50 replacement fee. 

Ducks help put precision and rate in a dog. The training work you do on ducks transfers to sheep and cattle. They are not very forgiving of mistakes the way some sheep can be. My ducks are well trained by my little corgi Khaldi and now Khira so they are like wind up toys. They are gonna fetch and drive like a good set of sheep. We get a lot of training mileage out of them. Thunder has it pretty down. Follow the little blue crate--work those and then off to the sheep pen.

Terrasita


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Bob Scott said:


> Here's hoping that Terrasita's camera doesn't have sound on it. She's reeeely mean to me. :lol::lol::lol::---)
> Plus I scream like a little girl when the ducks run me over.


Hahaha, first order of business is to find the mute button and we can always edit. Is there a photoshop for video??? But I'm too cheap for editing programs. Bob, you're just gonna have to have one of those stellar sessions like Sunday where you and Thunder are doing one of those BORING Sunday strolls in the park with the sheep. I now. I know. You STILL want more distance.


T


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

Terrasita Cuffie said:


> ... I know. You STILL want more distance.T


and this statement brings me back to "herding basics", T. and perhaps it would be most efficient (if not already posted/linked on the forum), if you would link the rules you guys are gonna be trialing under and the HGH rules, but could you point out the main differences between the 2 in plain language as well?

and are there even any HGH trials held in the US? and should this be a new topic?? (probably--bob, move it if nec, or let me know and i'll start a new one).


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

The only place I know of is in NY, Ann, with a guy named Ulf Kintzel, at White Clover Sheep Farm.


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Ann,

Google Ellen Nickelsberg and/or Manfred Heyne. As far as trials are concerned, Ulf is the only HGH game in the country that I'm aware of. Linda Holloway runs a dog [Caro] out of his breeding. I consider HGH a different type of work. What you are reading about with Thunder right now is what I consider basic training for any herding dog---how to effectively move stock from Point A to Point B. HGH is more about containment although there is some movement and pen work. I think you are also tapping into the dog's instinctive guard. With any herding function or job there are rules of engagement. At the very beginning level of tending/graze work, the dog is taught not to enter the graze or disturb the sheep in a graze. I do the same thing with my dogs. With Thunder we backed up to the fence with the sheep and marked off his boundary. Not one time did he invade the space. I use this as a way of establishing to the dog the distance he can work off the sheep to move them without over working them. If he pushes them too hard, he has to flank to the head to keep them from escaping. If you have a peanut butter sandwich, the handler is one slice of bread, the dog is the other slice of bread and the sheep is the peanut butter. If you are fetching livestock, the sheep shouldn't pass the handler. The young dog will work too close and cause this to happen. You are looking for the dog to work at a distance where he controls the flow of the stock without making them go too fast or pass the handler. Dogs feel off contact or out of control if they are too far away. You have to show them that they are still in control . The more eye/mental control the dog has, the easier this is. I tested a young DDR dog that had all eye and mental control on the sheep---almost nose to nose. My bouv has a lot of stalky prey eye. She's better about distance. If the dog isn't controlling the sheep with eye, he is using some part of his body. GSDs are bred to control and discipline sheep with a grip--i.e. the body. He is patrolling the graze to keep the sheep there. If one of them gets stupid and runs out, he grips. However, GSDs also have eye. The best explanation of what you are looking for in a potential HGH dog is Ellen Nickelsberg's work with Manfred Heyne. Ellen is also one of the few people who understands that the same drives that are utilized in protection work, are utilized in stock work. 

With HGH you need a dog of good nerves for large flock work and the type of stock that have more fight than flight.  One of my concerns is breeding up on prey for the sake of prey. I think you lose some aspects of instinctual territorial guard and other things as well. Guard dogs don't leave what they are guarding to go run after something. I think concern over what the dogs used to be is valid. A good herding dog [different breeds] had instinctual object guard. I never had to train it in any of mine. I've left my herding dogs in pens with sheep or ducks. No harm was going to come to them and you weren't going to walk off with them. Its the same with leaving anything with them with my scent on it. Its a shame that you see a softening of the dogs to the extent that you no longer have the protection phase in HGH. Rumor has it that the dogs are very handler soft. Instead of educating the dog with experience, everyone wants obedience. High instinct dogs aren't generally robotic obedient. I find it interesting to find that the dogs that are viewed as great producers for protection work and had "natural" aggression were not point dogs in protection and the comments are that they didn't trial well because of their "instinct." Its the same with the truly keen herding dogs. Herding is based on the dog's relationship with the stock. Its not about obedience placement. But obedience placement wins trials. It takes YEARS to truly educate the working herding dog. There are commands but situational experience is the best teacher. 

In the beginning, Thunder would circle a group of sheep containing them. Bob was not in the circle so this was not a fetching scenario. I have no doubt that he has instinctual containment. Its in him in a way that I have not seen in other dogs. The gravy is that he also covers stock and has a sense of circling. Some tending people don't want a GSD that has circle in him. I DO! Thunder can do it all. He can contain on the graze whether its 3 or 4 sided. If you had a 4 sided graze out in the open and you needed that dog to contain the stock, he would in effect be circling. They get into these powerful debates over it. I like the all purpose dog. A dog that only works sides is not the most effective gathering dog. I like a dog I can send out into the pasture on an outrun to bring in the stock. It didn't take a whole lot to put flanks on Thunder and show him what fetching was all about. He instinctively balanced [placed himself where he needed to be] to keep the stock going in the desired direction. A lot of tending flocks are bucket trained to follow the handler. The sheep know the rules of the game. They follow the handler. The dog is there to make sure they line out in the correct fashion and no one strays onto the wrong field and the goofy lambs keep up. Once the handler gets them to the graze, the well trained dog can be left with the flock to make sure they stay where they are supposed to. My wonder corgi Rory was the quintessential tending dog. His half brother Bob just titled on C Course. With the lambs at home, Rory would keep them in a section of the yard away from the perimeter fence and gate. He chose this on his own. Again---instinct. He knew where the escape route was. He didn't trot back and forth on a border. He would lie under a tree. If one of the lambs strayed, he would trot or walk over and put him back, stand there for a second and then go back to his tree. Herders will talk about closing the door. The tending dog by trotting around the stock is closing the door. I didn't train this dog to tend. He had INCREDIBLE stock sense and would always alert to predators. In his mind, he would guard what was mine until I returned. My GSDs were the same. I do not see this really in my high prey bouv. She might be maturing into it now. She has had though since she was a baby puppy that sense of guarding me and watching my back. In this regard, like the GSDs and Rory, she is worth her weight in gold. 

Bob will tell you, at times I will sit back and just watch the dog to see what he is trying to do. This is when you learn what's in your dog's head. There are dogs out there that have excelled in both the HGH type work and in the gathering/driving work. They are not mutually exclusive as some people might want to think. If my buddy assembles a tending flock, I'm nominated Bob's Trooper as the tending dog trainee--another one of my favs out of the instinct testing. 

Terrasita


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Nice explination T, and thanks for the kudos on Thunder. Helps me NOT feel such a need to be in control because you KNOW how hard it is for me when you tell me to just watch and learn. :lol::lol:
I figure, in time, with Thunder as my gathering dog and Trooper tending, I'll just find a nice tree to curl up under for a nap. Ofcoure Thunder will probably run them over the top of me. I don't think I could run away from the sheep if he's in the field. 
"Hey old man"! "Don't these belong to you"? :grin:


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Anne, here is the site for the AHBA. It's a more realistic herding trial then most of the AKC. We'll be doing this also. http://www.ahba-herding.org/

I couldn't cut and paste the "AKC herding rules" but if you google the same it will direct you to it. 
AKCs C course is their version of HGH style herding.

Here's Ellen Nickelsburg's site on the real HGH type herding. 
http://www.german-shepherdherding.com/


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

T,

i always love your posts. i have both ulf's and helen's websites/articles in my favs list, and check on them, re-read the articles etc. when i think a GSD should work at what it's originally intended to do. i'm REALLY glad that ulf is even in the continental US, lol.

at any rate, i agree with you in that ANY herding dog that's expected to work stock needs to know the basics of bringing stock in, helping sort and, if need be, take them to another place, ie pen, after the stock's been thru the chute or whatever. and i guess i see no reason why a GSD can't do that, plus keep the animals in a designated graze.

it's very possible (haha) that i'm naive, and heaven knows i have NO experience, BUT, i do love the thought of having a dog that is versatile enough to do it all: tending, fetching, and Sch. i doubt i'll ever have 2-300 sheep to REALLY work tending, but if it can be done with, idk, 15-20, i'd sure give it a try. but who knows what life will throw at me next?

it's kind of funny you mentioned the DDR dog; Brix (50% DDR) as an 8 wk old pup and on, would show gripping behaviors when trying to control my Dobie--usually a shoulder grip, but that was exactly what it was: not a "bite" per se, but a "grip"--there's a difference in the 2 that's hard to explain....but he's the one (Brix) that got my interest in herding started. 

now Edge didn't have that behavior, he was all about prey drive, but he was heavily linebred on on WG (?) working lines--well, you know, i sent you his ped...

bottom line: i need vids!! at least until i can get there to watch and learn.

bob--we were typing at the same time (and using the same terminology "watch and learn", haha). thanks for the links, i'll def check them out.

here's a question: T, do you know shelley fritzke of tehillah GSD up in CD? she's given me some good ideas on starting tending GSD (b/f Brix disappeared).


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Ann,

Have you seen Ann Garner's site on the web? Ann wrote a series of training article. Herding is very progressive and "in the moment." Part of what you are doing in training is reading what's happening between the dog and the stock. There are some YouTube videos on herding and tending if you search. For starting the tending dog, I'd start with Ann Garner's articles for guidance. Maybe Daryl can talk about what they did in the clinic. I started out being interested in the tending but we don't have large flocks [100+] all year round. Sure, you can do it with a few sheep. Its just easier working the GSD types on larger numbers. You work with what you have. You can tend with 10 sheep. 

Terrasita


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

T,

i don't think i've ever heard of ann garner..but i'll def do a search now that i Have heard of her.

i think it's interesting (and telling about the diff between USA and Europe as well), that the big sheep herds here use Komodors/pyrs/etc in their flocks vs the GSD. the flocks here don't NEED tending as the GSD does, they need protection fr predators. 

and truly, i think "tending" 10 sheep would be PRETTY boring for a GSD bred for the job, and might even lead to "mischief".


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Oh, about Shelly, other than bookmarking her site several years ago, I don't know her personally. She has dogs that work stock and she also OFAs so that put her on my list of sites to watch. There's a graze tending video of one of her bitches. Also, I don't think you are being naive. There are multi-purpose dogs. My corgi Rory was a pasture gathering fool and a natural tending dog. Interesting your comment about the WG prey dogs. If you look at Daryl's bitch she carries lines to DDR. Bob's Trooper is a strong gatherer and control freak and also works very easily off the handler. He reminds me more of the WG type dog. I have a work trip to Denver in October and was gonna try to figure out if I'd be close enough to Daryl. Would love to see his male work. I like to see the raw dog before all the training. With more dogs starting to work in herding, it gives a better idea of what different lines may have to offer. High prey is a pain. But I should have had my bouv doing in drive work off stock. We have a lot of conflict baggage over that prey drive of hers. I do notice that the more I work her in herding, the less she follows my son's cat around. But I also don't want less dog. Thunder is a good balance. He has that I'll work stock all day type drive, biddability and analysis. While he's going to do the job you train him to do, he's not mushy handler soft. Herding is more about time than anything. If you have a confident dog with some basic intincts for the work, you can train him to do just about any farm job you need. I learned long ago, don't get hemmed in by breed descriptions or limit yourself or the the dog. My 12 inch corgi could bring in a flock of 130 with an outrun that could rival a good BC. My GSD Asta conditioned the flock for the clubs first BC Course trial. The most important thing is to start with good sheep that aren't panic stricken. Otherwise, it ruins your training.

Terrasita

Terrasita


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

It became very clear to me, as I put Nickie's mother "Sasha" on sheep for the first time ever today, that her incredible natural talent comes from her DDR side. She was working all four sides of the grazing area on about 10 sheep, doing an amazing job.

Anne, with the great turnout and fun we had with the recent tending clinic, we've already scheduled ANOTHER to take place September 5th, 6th, and 7th (Labor day weekend). Location is about 10 miles south of the Wyoming border, just off I-25. Not terribly far from you!

We are very commited into getting a C course offering available for next year's trials.


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Ann:

Here is a link to one of Ann Garner's articles.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/5093/herdingdogsq_a.html

Thanks Daryl. You're filling in some blanks for me. Early on when I was researching dogs, DDR/Czech seemed to be my type of dog. The all DDR dog I tested from the RWDC club had an amazing vibe going on with the stock--all eye, all mental control and just the amount needed. He held pressure almost nose to nose, never wavering. You could feel it as he increased the pressure until what ultimately turned the sheep. He also fetched the stock and delivered them to his handlers feet from across the pen. He was in the 6-9 month old range. 

Terrasita


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Ann:

True herding dogs aren't out for "mischief." They want to control stock. They HATE chaos. They want order. They may not have all the skills yet, but you can see what the intent is. My natural tending dog would do so with three lambs or the flock of ducks I keep. This is what they see their job as and they are very serious about it. As I told you, I leave trained dogs with stock all the time. The dog must be responsible. My last GSD I left in the pen with stock while I went off and worked somewhere else on the farm. She would just switch to guardian mode and wait for me to come back. Same with my corgi Rory. While you can train certain mechanics, there is an instinct to guard and keep what is the handlers and to keep the handler safe for that matter. Maybe this is where the pack drive comes into play. Once you are working in partnership with a stock dog, you'll see that the relationship takes on an altogether different level. Watch how they nuzzle the lambs along with the attitude of "come on you can do it." Ask Bob what it felt like the first time he and Thunder did a chore---moving the sheep from one pen into another and ultimately returning them to the sorting pen. 

Terrasita


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

now this is getting even MORE interesting! 

i've been thinking that a DDRxCzech or a DDRxWG (Brix) or a NetherlandsxDDR (i'm really kind of liking the GSD bred in the Netherlands), and a few (very) few north american breeders for my next dog. heaven knows i'll have time to consider this part.

question darryl: why do you say that Sasha's talent comes fr her DDR side? keep in mind that it's after 1 a.m. and i'm going to bed so won't be checking your site/doing pedigree search, ok? i WILL do it however. 

T--i need TIME!! got any extra?

before i bought Edge, i talked to shelley about upcoming litters bred for an emphasis on herding abilities. she advised me about a number of possibiities for this year, i think she really knows her bloodlines and certainly keeps up on the dogs. Edge just came along at the right time. 

at any rate, she's definitely one of my resources--i'll have to "poke" her to update her website someday soon 

and thanks for the "you're not being naive" comment--i truly think the GSD should, ideally, be able to "do it all". and THINK while doing it. now--can we breed 'em to not blow a coat 2x/yr???


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

I just got through Sasha's heat cycle, so still no litters planned this year, since I hope to move to Montana soon. But soon, I'd really like to do a Hutch (Netherlands) and Sasha (DDR) breeding. I'm liking the idea of breeding a schutzhund talented stud to a herding talented dam. Nickie's pups were prominently stamped with their sire's character and drives, but I think the black pup I've held, Pitch, is going to have a real nice balance for all types of work.


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

Oh, and I was referring to Nickie's mother's side for herding talent. Of course, Faro was predominantly DDR as well, around two thirds, but Nickie was the most like her mother (all DDR) of any of the pups in that litter.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Well come on man, I want to see some video of this stuff! Bonus points given if it shows your ass hitting the ground.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Both my GSDs are Czech x WG. I think the WG dogs bring a bit more prey into the situation.


Michelle, I got to work in a nice grassy field last week with the sheep. It was soooooooo nice and I didn''t even get to take advantage of it. Kept on my feet all day.;-)


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