It isn't that simple!

I have been reading a book "Herding Dogs, Progressive Training" by Vergil Holland. One of the concepts in there really gave me more incite into the border collie brain. He talked about teaching a young dog and keeping the stress low. In that you have to work *with* the instinct of the dog. Going against the instinct in the beginning creates stress. I believe this to be very true.

These dogs are breed to herd. That is, think, gather, collect, drive, and work with the human. Put yourself in border collie shoes for a moment. Walk onto a field (any field) and there are three dogs. Your instinct kicks in and you must create balance, keep them contained, and be in a position to get control should things get out of hand.

That kind of describes what I believe little Hoot is seeing through her eyes. It isn't the complete story to say "she is sensitive to motion", or "she is overstimulated". It just isn't that simple and I am not doing her justice by explaining things that simply.

At that moment when I am on the field with Hoot and the other dogs and she is "herding" them, I am very confident that if a bike went by she wouldn't chase it, nor give it more than a glance. That bike isn't her work, the dogs are! So to say "she is sensitive to motion" doesn't fully express what is going on.

Overstimulated implies that she is beyond thinking, she is not. She is not thinking about my agenda, but she is very capable of thinking and reasoning at that moment. It is just her agenda.

This happened this morning. Hoot was on a long line, I had to let it go for safety reasons. So, she went into work mode and began to herd the boys. There was no way I was getting her back. She wasn't going to run away, she wasn't going to stray, and it wasn't about staying away from me (completely). She was working (her work). So, we all ran back to the car, I put the boys in. I stood there and looked at Hoot, she stayed in position ready to be on task. I sat down, and without a word on my part she came running to me and greeted me like she missed me. The very act of sitting down communicated to her our work was done and she could relax.

In the long run do I want this to always be the cue to stop work, certainly not. But, it was valuable incite and a message Hoot understood.

Training a dog is about developing that common language. First we use very simple sentences, like me just sitting down. Then we can begin to form more complex messages, sitting down and saying "That will do". So, eventually Hoot just needs the "That will do" to understand that her work is done.

Hoot for the win!

Hoot is now 4 months (18.5 weeks). Not sure what she weighs, but we measured her this weekend and we think she is just under 18".  Bets are all over the place as to whether she will be tall (above 20") or short (somewhere in the 19's).  Doesn't matter to me at all, just want her strong and healthy!!

One thing that everyone agrees on is that she is confident and pushy.  I agree, but again, not concerned.  I have lived and learned to thrive with one "pushy bitch" and Hoot is more biddable than Tip.  I like confidence in my pets and my people!

I love my little pushy girl.  She is awesome!

Here is a video I took yesterday.  This is Tip and Hoot playing tug.  Hoot wins!




Foundation skills:
We are working on sitting at the door.  She is getting fairly good at this, but takes a lot of control for her.  Sitting at the agility gate with the other dogs takes even more control, but she is getting it.

Meal time - she is a rock star in finding her bed (which is in the xpen) and sitting for release to eat.

Wobble board - first attempt she wasn't sure about it, so I CnT her on it.  Second session was like she had loved it her whole life.  Rock Star!

Lie down at a distance - she is getting fairly solid with this skill.  If there are no distractions she rocks it.  If I am working all the dogs at once she does it, but you can tell she is really deciding if it is in her best interest.

Shadow handling - again, Rock Star!  She follows my motion (when walking) like an expert.  We have RC, FC, Pulls down.

Send to a tunnel - she is funny, LOVES tunnels. Will go from tunnel to tunnel on the field, however she doesn't have the handler motion (at speed) thing down so when you combine my motion and her's, the skill isn't very smooth.

Shaping - working on coming between my legs, getting into small boxes, back feet, standing up on her two back feet

Next steps
Shadow handling at a faster pace, sending to tunnels, and continued shaping.  Every week life skills are always reinforced.

She is on fire!

Last night and this morning Hoot has been ON FIRE in her training.

We are working on smaller and smaller boxes (Silvia Trkman).  Last night I had a couple of boxes that I thought would be a nice challenge.  Put the box down, she hops in (all 4), nice duration and gives me that "what else you got mom?" look.  Both boxes, no problem, no thinking, just got it done.

We also worked a bit on shaping a "through".  Which is come from behind, in between my legs and stop.  I use this to line them up at the start line.  She got it in one session.  Brilliant little thing.

This morning we worked on recalls and tugging out on the field.  She is getting so much better about playing with me on the field and not doing her own little girl thing!  So we moved on to a couple of cones.  I have shaped the going around the cone in the house and am working on getting a nice send and drive out of the cone back to me.  She is JUST A PUPPY but I like how she is using her body so far.

We also worked on tunnels a bit.




She is so much fun to train.  Great ethic to work and always eager.

16 weeks

Puppies are ever changing, like kids.  You can always rely on change.

Hoot is 16 weeks, 21 pounds and 16.5 inches tall.  Hard to say if she is going to be a wee one or not.

This week:

• She can finally recall in the agility field
• Recall from the agility field into the main yard.  The agility field is the ultimate fun zone.
• Can send to a cone and tunnel, working on value now
• Sit and stay at the door to be let out
• Sit and stay waiting for her meals.  Working on focus forward now.
• Drop a tug toy (almost)
• A wee bit of IYC game which is NOT her favorite.  She thinks it is stupid.
• Various silly pet tricks

We took a road trip up to the mountains this weekend.  This is Hoot sitting among the willows.  She did a great job staying with her pack, riding in the car and waiting in the car while we ate lunch.

Hoot 16 weeks

Journeys are filled with micro-journeys

The reason that I write this blog is for myself.  So that through time I can go back and appreciate the journey that Hoot and I have been on.  Also, so that I can relearn and bring benefit to the dogs that come after Hoot, or my client's dogs may benefit from the lessons of our journey.

The little mico-journey that Hoot and I have been traveling lately involves her sense of proper-ness (for lack of a better term).  Hoot, like many border collies has certain expectations and needs for certain things to be done a certain way. 

Hoot on the field

Hoot believes that certain things happen on the agility field and it isn't agility.  Some mornings I let the dogs out on the field so that they can stretch their legs and run.  Hoot has developed the belief that the agility field is for herding the other dogs or watching over things.  Certainly not for playing with me. 

Am I worried about this?  Not at all.  The nice things that comes with having trained a number of dogs is patience, the knowledge that I can change this behavior, and the wisdom to know that a ton of things in a puppy's life are just phases (like kids).

I went out to the agility field knowing that I would get this same behavior out of her.  Sitting, at a distance from me, and watching the field.  I didn't bring the other dogs out to keep the stimulation level manageable.  I went to the north side of our property which is only used for playing Frisbee with the dogs (no equipment) and called her.  I slapped the toy on the ground, ran and soon she was biting my ankles :)  We played tug and chase.

We gradually moved this game into the agility field and keeping engaged the whole time.  I gave her a mini-break while I set up a cone.  (I have used the cone inside, send her around, and tug with her.)  Called her again, slapped the toy and ran.  She once again chased me.

Soon we were playing games around the cone ON THE AGILITY FIELD.

One of the many things that I love about this dog is her ability to progress in learning so quickly. 

We will play this game several more times, each time starting with more of a challenge.  I am confident she will understand that the agility field is for so much more than just herding dogs.  And that I am a valuable part of that experience.

13 weeks, can hardly believe it

Well Hoot is 13 weeks, 18.8 pounds!  So, if the rule of thumb is true (the adult weight is double the weight at 4 months) she will be a big girl (since she has 3 more weeks to go).

Not sure that I am going to totally bank on that.  Hoot is from a repeat breeding and none of her sisters are that tall, between 18 - 19 inches.  She doesn't seem like she is growing very fast, nor is she fat.  Who knows.

Hoot and I went out to the agility field to play this morning.  We worked on table games, going around a wing, and some retrieving.  Not really trying to get involved in any direct agility skills, just working on focusing on me with distractions (in this case Split was around), some retrieving skills (useful life skill).





Hoot still impresses me on a daily basis.  Love this dog!!

She is a social thing

 Hoot had several social outings this week.  Still, when she sees people she can not resist saying hi.

She got to go visit my clients this week.  She was awesome, I was pleasantly surprised.  I expected a little hooligan and repeated apologies on my way out of the office. 

We visited everyone for a little bit and then when I settled down to work she chewed on her bully stick and then fell asleep for several hours.  Of course she had to be the typical border collie and curl up in the legs of my chair.

Tangled in my chair

We also went to an outdoor mall that is VERY dog friendly.  Hoot got to go into several stores, but Eddie Bauer was her favorite.  They spent a ton of time playing with her and loving on her. 

In shaping this week, we  put "feet" on command.  She has to put her back feet on the object in front of me.  Also, we put her back up "back" on command.  Lastly we put "lay down" on command. 

Lay down and sit are both hand signals as well.  When the dogs are off lead and can't hear me (trucks, wind, whatever) I use the hand signals to keep them where they are.

We worked on putting all four feet inside of objects.  Sit at a distance.  For that I ask her to go "back" and then ask her to "sit".  Our distance is probably about 5 feet now.

Recalls are a constant training item.  Right now they are good.

When I take inventory of what we do in a week I am honestly surprise at how much material we can get through in a week.