March a Month for Learning

Almost every day is a training day with my dogs but this month I went to two days of sheep camp and did a five day agility seminar.


Last year I went to Brigand’s Sheep Camp for one day to work with Lynn Leach. During her morning briefing she talked about what she had thought about when she went back to her hotel on each dog and what she wanted to try with them that day. I was sorry that I was only working with her one day. So this year I signed up for two days with Lynn with the intention of working Echo in one session and Kant in the rest. Well things did not work out that way. After working Echo in the morning session during lunch Lynn talked about what she wanted to do with Echo in the afternoon. I did not say anything and figure I would work Echo the first day and Kant the second. Well that did happen either the next morning in the briefing Lynn started taking about what she wanted to do with Echo that day so again I did not say anything and figured I would work Kant in the afternoon. Again that did not happen; I know Echo needed the work way more than Kant and that Echo and I would benefit more but boy working Kant would have been so much easier. I did beg Nancy, the owner of Brigands, to please let Kant put the sheep away at the end of the day so she could at least get in a little work which Nancy was happy to let us do. Kant was so happy to finally get to work and she did a great job!! What a great two days with a clinician that works each dog as an individual and does not force training one way! What did I learn…so much but the biggest thing was that I have a very nice working dog and an incredible herding instructor that has us on the right path!

Over a year ago Sharon Nelson announced she was coming to the Pacific Northwest to do an agility seminar. I immediately e-mail her back to put us on the list. I did not know what the seminar would cover or who I would work but I knew that I wanted to work with Sharon. The details and location of the seminar were finally announced late last year and it was going to be in Monmouth, 20 minutes from my house. Perfect! And it would be two distance seminars, one for Novice and one for Advanced, again perfect! I signed Echo up for the two day Novice one and Kant for the three day Advanced. Sharon and Amanda were there for all of the Novice Seminar and I enjoyed hearing what they had to say. I learned to draw the path and that I look at Echo too much which causes her to run collected. When I drew the path she ran extended and smoother.

After putting Kant in one day of the Advanced I switched to Echo. It was not enough of a challenge for Kant but it challenged Echo and by the end of the two days Echo and I were such a better team. There were a couple of family emergencies, one causing Sharon not to be at the clinic much and to leave early and then Amanda left half way through the last day leaving Arlene to work with us. I have to say I was a bit bummed because I was so looking forward to working with Sharon. Looking back I wish I would have audited the Novice and worked Echo in the Advanced. I want to work more distance with Kant and I think Echo will be a great distance dog but I am not sure where to go from here.

Poor Kant did not get to work much in either camp or seminar this month; it sucks to be a trained dog when there is a puppy in training in the house.

Since the seminar Jordana and I have been learning to “draw the path” and it has made an incredible difference in both Pita and Hershey!