Working dogs, chilling

I worked yesterday, and afterward packed up Lucy and Danny to work sheep. Lucy got to work on driving a ewe down a hill where she kept trying to trick Lucy and evade her. Lucy made a couple notable stops. One, in particular reminded me of a cow dog. It took off back toward me (we were trying to drive...) Lucy ran back with it, shoulder to shoulder, and jumped/twisted in front, gripped her nose, and turned her butt back. Not a mark on the sheep, and Lucy was fine... Kelpies just significantly rock in terms of just basic sheep instinct, and athleticism. We did a few outruns, but no sheds, as when we do too much shedding Lucy gets a wee bit amped...

Then, I worked Danny. My goodness the lad is getting his boot straps on. He's just something else. Yes, this is my first BC to train, so maybe what he is doing is just average- I don't know. But, I do know he has a great attitude- takes correction in stride, runs his outruns with as much speed as he has in him. Covers his sheep reasonably well for a pup his age, and is calm in the face of possible explosions- like when he is walking up on sheep, and they jump- he stays calm.

I saw him work for my trainer the other day. Danny used to not be able to handle that. Well, the only way to describe it was a ballet dance. My trainer can soft peddle Danny- geting the smallest changes, to the biggest changes with such little effort. I mean, a raise of the finger kind of things. It was truly awe inspiring.

Danny is the son of my trainer's dog Glen, who passed away last August. I loved Glen. Glen was the old style BC, one you would see in "One man and his dog". A "no trouble boy" who "had it covered". He could read sheep very well, he listened no matter what, and he had great innnate ability. Pretty hard to beat that. Glen started to slow down a lot last summer, and I believe he was probably sick at that point. But, he still tried to please his master, in fact, on the day he died, he helped with some farm work. You can see, that to me, if we have another Glen, or almost Glen, on our hands, it will be something I dared not dream for.

When I work my dogs, I try and remember that these dogs are doing what they were bred for, despite my failings as a trainer. All they want is to do for me. What an honor, really. I think we would all do well to remember that.

So, when we were finished working, I headed home, stopping at MacDonald's for food- I know I shouldn't, but I was famished, and thirsty. Got home, did the chores, and then to bed- and a long telephone conversation with a friend, and drifted off to sleep. In the normal fashion, for me, of late, I awoke at 3:00. I don't know WHAT is going on, but my KINGDOM for a FULL NIGHT sleep!!!

This morning I got up a bit later than normal, and now I sit here, pondering a trip to the grocery store, and then back to CLEAN my house.

That's it for now.