The "right" angle plus a little

Jenny Glen and Hemp
This weekend Jed and I lit out to a shedding clinic at Scott and Jenny Glens'.  To say that Jed and I had the least experience there would be akin to saying that Jed didn't look like the other dogs there.  Luckily for us there were no points for how your dog looked or how much experience we had.  To be truthful I was seriously considering jamming out of the clinic.  I thought to myself "Who wants to watch my dog and I waste Scott's time time and embarrass myself in the process? "

As a novice handler I really do take pains to get the hell out of everyone's way and let the "real" handlers do their thing. I could not have been more wrong. The clinic was awesome and among the best things I have ever done with my dog. Scott and Jenny could not have been more welcoming and Scott could not. . . .literally could not have tried to impart more shedding wisdom on me.
There is a lot to getting a shed completed, and to say even that is to diminish the process.  Shedding sounds simple and when done correctly it looks simple.  However, when you are out there on the field, in front of people or not, with 5, 10 or more sheep that have had enough of both you and you dog, all the planning you thought you had doesn't mean a thing.  The shed, for me, was about keeping the sheep where you needed them, far enough away from where you didn't and hoping to ensure everything stayed that way as you shook things up with your dog.

With varying degrees of success It seemed to come together in the end.

To say that I learned a lot at this clinic is insufficient. I took away so many things that apply not only to shedding but handling my dog in general.  Of course like all good clinics there are the phrases you take away that become the comical mantra our was "Get to your corner." To the uninitiated this applies you getting you own feet moving and crossing in front of the group of sheep you don't want and calling your dog through to cover the group you do want.  Manny people had, expectedly, a better grasp of this concept. This fact merely added to the effect the clinic had.  Watching people successfully complete a task you are just struggling to understand let alone complete enhances your own chances of success.  I mentioned at the clinic that is made me bitter -- Envy -- I think it's a deadly sin. . . . It was nice to see everyone and their successes.  Everyone progressed at their own pace and, as some people were starting at different places in terms of their shedding prowess the 3 day format suited most dogs and handlers really nicely.
For myself we started on just --what is it we are trying to accomplish and ended with realizing that Jed and I just needed to settle down a little. (sorry Jed . . .I am the only handler you have) On the final day as the light bulb went off for me the more experienced handlers tried their hands at the marked shed.

Marked sheds resulted in both frustrations and elated cheers upon success from the handlers watching in the shade.

The clinic wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be and couldn't be happier that I went.  The handlers that intimidated and I though would embarrass were helpful and insightful and a pleasure to be around. I reaffirmed friendship and made new ones.   The sheep - - -actually they were pretty much how I thought they would be.   Most of all the hosts of the clinic did a fantastic job.  Jenny did yeoman's work prepping all the meals in addition to the daily chores she already has. As someone who has done a little catering for others I know all too well how stressful that can be. "Did everyone get enough? Did everyone like the food? Will it be ready on time?" As for Scot ?  If you don't know him . . . my condolences. He has a dearth of knowledge and stockmanship that is obvious in his own performance.  What  I  loved about the clinic was his patience and ability to rapidly re-adjust to the different levels of dog/handler combinations he faced.  If you haven't been to a clinic with Scot, then beat the door down to the next one; it was the "right" choice for me and I got more than a little out of it.

Nap

I have been struck with the word nap.  In fact I have a learned a great deal about the word nap.  Of course we all know that the word nap refers to a short period of sleep.  However, it also refers to fabric IE; brushing the nap in all one direction to create different effects. It also refers, interestingly enough to the Airport code for Naples-weird hey?

In the UK nap can refer to a tipsters' most confident tip of the day.  It may also refer to a bet on a horse race. My favorite is probably the adjective nappy referring to an appearance usually disheveled. And while there are a ton of uses for the word nap and countless acronyms, my reference to word nap, is in fact a name.

Don't be mistaken I have not converted to the other side of darkness.  I am still a Kelpie fan and will remain so.  However, as I am hoping to acquire a Kelpie puppy in the next year. Obtaining this fella, who needed a home, seemed like a great way to use my first round of training mistakes up on him. As I am sure, certain inf act that I will make all kinds of mistakes and have much to learn --why not do it on a dog I am less concerned about..

OCD

As a Kelpie  Jed is moderately obsessively compulsive, If not frantically chasing a ball then he is obsessively watching the cat,sheep,cows or Aussies.  He has  have found a new obsession it seems. . . .

Or should I say a new friend, in fact hundreds of them. But there is a problem Jed's new friend doesn't always want to come out and play.

Maybe. . .He will just go to him. . . . .

Hard work and a teeny tiny hole, I am sure Jed was wondering how he could get in there to play. Alas, like all boys with new toys the inevitable occurs.

It gets broken. . . .

"I know maybe if I roll on him he'l come back to life !!"

Oh the Horror !! No such luck buddy keep working on that OCD.

We Don't like you Kind Around Here !!

Now I know, that people are not that  keen about a blog about death,shooting,etc. However, there is another side to this blog which is to my utter amazement the destruction that can occur in less than 24 hours.

This was the first hole

And the second,

The third and while it doesn't exactly show up on the photo these holes are 4-6 feet deep.  None of these holes were here yesterday. All of these holes in 1 night courtesy of our or not so friendly neighborhood badger.  That is pretty incredible for an animal not much bigger than your average Jack Russel Terrier.  Needless to say, that with dogs and cats in our house neither Billie, nor I are particularly eager to have them living in very close proximity to our house.  They can, will, and DO kill, and injure dogs and cats.  Not only that, they carry Bovine Tuberculosis, and a reduction in their numbers can result in a 37% reduction of it's spread.  I am passionate about anything that will reduce TB in Cattle; as that is one of the reasons there are no chickens at the NCR.  Anyway, in a bid to do my bit for king and country, I have been taking care of the badgers I see on walks etc.  This morning however, was a different story.  As I was laying in bed dreaming of rainbows and lollipops, Billie. who was getting up noticed deer in the yard, not particularly earth shattering news, then she notice a badger out our bedroom window.  Keenly aware of the danger posed to the "most ungrateful cat in the world" she informed me that it had to go.  All too happy to oblige I took care of him.  I must agree, it was far too close for comfort.  Frankly any predator you can shoot from you bedroom window is too close.

That's the view from outside. . . .like a hillbilly I shot right through the screen.

Look at the size of this Bugger !! Nice thing is, they dig their own graves.