topstockdogs, your herding dog specialists

July 2008

We just had a trial down this way that brought to mind a fact that I think is not emphasized enough. That fact is: Good work is Good work.

As we work our dogs it is important to remember no mater where we are Good Work does not change. If I would not be confident working a situation a particular way at home, being judged should not change that.

When showcasing our dogs we want to show them in the best light we can. “Good work is good work and a good dog is a good dog. What makes a good dog is that it does good work. When a good dog is allowed and helped to do good work that is what makes a good handler a good handler.”

It is a never ending cycle, a good dog doing good work makes a good handler, a good handler doing good work makes a good dog. Good work which equates to honesty is the binder between handler, dog , and livestock.

I have been judged and given very high scores and I have received low scores. No matter what the score, high or low, if I do not leave the field feeling that my dog and I did the best job we could and feel confident in our work I am not happy. When we leave the field confident in our work no judge can take that no matter what the score.

I was very proud to know the handlers (new and old) who put themselves out in the trial and no matter what the outcome, left the field understanding themselves and their dogs just a little bit better.

A good dog + a good handler = good work
Good work + a good handler = a good dog
Good work + a good dog = a good handler
Good work + a good dog + a good handler = a Job well done

Until next time…

May June 2008

Well another month has come and gone. We have had a couple enjoyable clinics, one in Michigan and another in Utah. I always enjoy doing the clinics as it is nice to meet new people and their dogs. There is always something new to learn, sometimes about people, sometimes about dogs, and often about myself.

It is interesting how much of ourselves we must put into training our dogs. As they give us their hearts we must expose ours. It is when we expose our hearts that we begin to build a working relationship with our dogs. This may sound odd in that we do not think of a working relationship as a heart time but when we show what is in our heart the dogs give us back the same. If we are controlling, our dogs reciprocate by being obedient. If we are overbearing, our dogs reciprocate with worry. It is when we are honest that our dogs reciprocate with respect.  

The relationship we want is one of respect as you can not have a respectful dog without it being obedient but you can have an obedient dog that is not respectful. A worried dog will seem obedient but will not give its entire heart to the tasks it is asked to preform. The obedient dog will only be obedient when it knows the handler is around and in control but not when it feels the handler has lost control. The respectful dog will try no matter what position the handler is in or the difficulty of the task; this is not to say it can get anything done but it is to say it will display its trust and respect by giving all it can.

Obedience-Respect-Worry, which do you bring out in your dog? Controlling-Honest-Overbearing, which do you show as you train your dogs (or yourself for that matter)? It is with honesty and respect that we develop good working relationships. It is through good working relationships that we work in conjunction with our dogs.  Without this relationship we can get things done, but as we do, there is conflict between handler and dog. We want to manage our dogs not control them.
On another note:
We have confirmed the dates for the fall clinic with Simon leaning (from Australia) on the larger flock here in the Pacific North West. It will be in the Pendleton/Milton-Freewater OR. Area. The dates are Sept 5,6,7 2008.
 
We are developing the format for the clinic but the emphasis will be on yard work. Just in the nature of the operation there can be some paddock work as well.
 
If anyone is interested please email me as we are setting up the list of participants. We have some people that indicated they were interested in this when we first started talking about it, they have first option if they confirm.
 
You can also email me if you have any suggestions of what you would like to see covered or if you have questions.

April 2008

I hope the weather is treating all of you well. We are in the midst of lambing so the snow is a little unwelcome, but the lambs are fairing.

I just returned from attending a Simon Leaning Clinic. Simon is from Australia over by Perth. It is interesting to hear the different perspectives on what people are after from their dogs and how they get it. I am particularly interested in the backing of the sheep and the chute work the Australians are doing. They have the dog get on the back of the sheep (some do this on cattle as well) and go up to the front of the chute then before they pass the animal at the front they drop down and return to the back of the chute underneath the livestock. As the dog comes back the animals it is passing under move forward. In the Americas the chutes are worked in a similar way but the work is done from outside the chutes rather then in the chutes so the principles are the same but there are differences in the execution of those principles.

Good work is good work. Good work is based upon sound principles and understanding. What differentiates the good dogs from the great dogs is… the great dogs understand the principles of good work and execute them in the manner that will work best for the situation.   The good dog is limited by its execution of those principles and will not readily adapt to the situation . The same applies to good trainers; good trainers have a sound understanding of the principles of good work but limit themselves in the execution, great trainers understand the principles but are not limited in the execution of those principles. The great trainers (like the great dogs) will stretch and learn from each situation knowing that closed minds only limit possibilities, but open minds make possibilities unlimited.

Hope we can all be great trainers this month.

March 2008

I just came back from judging a trial up in gig harbor. It is nice to see people and their dogs progressing. Next week the herding camp at Brigands Hideout begins.  Then it is off to judge a trial in Houston Texas. I think it is safe to say the trial season has begun.

As we begin to look at the trials, we should think about how we can help our dogs preform at their best during the trial. It all begins with consistent training and requirements.

When we ask things of our dogs we must have a minimum  requirement for each command that we use. The wording of the command is not as important as knowing what is expected of each command. If our lay down only means to stop forward motion then that is what must be achieved when that command is given, no more and no less. I use the lay down as an example as I see many people use it that way and then get frustrated when they can not get their dog to lay down at a trial. If the command means only to stop forward motion at home it can mean no more when at other places. I personally like the lay down to mean that the elbows of my dog must be on the ground; as a result of this my dog will take a lay down to mean elbows on the ground but when excited will keep his hind quarters in the air. They know if their elbows are on the ground and I ask for a lay down again that their bellies must then hit the ground ( this is only asked for if the dog is being pushy and needs to take a little more time to think). It is important that when working my dogs that if they do my minimum requirement, pressure is released and we continue.  I may ask for more once the dog preforms the minimum, but the dog is not in trouble, it is only receiving added direction.

Clear consistent communication is the key to a good run, or a good dog in any situation for that matter. Knowing what your requirement is for each command is the beginning of clear communication. Consistency is a matter of getting that minimum requirement each time the command is given. When this is achieved your dog will understand what is expected, in any place it is worked. Then, the dog can concentrate on working the stock, rather then testing, to see how long the handler will wait till following through on the command.

Be clear, be consistent, but most of all, have fun.

feb 2008 mailing

The website is currently under construction check back often to see what we have added. If you have services or favorite products you want us to supply please send us an e-mail. We will look into it and see how we can help you out.

Trudy has begun her trialing season competing in a USBCHA winter series in Yelm Wa. running her dog, Tic, in Pro Novice (professional handler or dog and novice handler or dog). She just came back from an AHBA areana trial this weekend with a reserve high in trial on sheep and also on ducks.

Dave has started dog breaking the cattle which Double V Stock Dogs will be supplying for the local trials this summer. He does this primarily with his competitive dog, Ty. Ty runs at an Open level in the USBCHA (professional handler and Professional dog)

When dog breaking livestock it is important to keep in mind the “stock handler triangle”. In this triangle each of the points is dog, handler, and livestock. The points of the triangle are connected by honesty. For the dog to be honest with the handler it must keep the handler in mind and move the livestock in the manner and to the place the handler wants. The handler is honest with the dog by not allowing the dog to cheat the livestock or the handler but when the dog is right the handler must allow the dog to work it’s livestock. The livestock show honesty by moving off the dog, going where the dog is pushing them; in return the dog shows honesty to the livestock by allowing them to move when they are going with the desired flow and motion, not stopping them or harassing them. When all the points of the “stock handling triangle” are connected with honesty the livestock move freely without fear, making it an enjoyable time for all involved (handler, dog, and livestock).

To learn more about the “stock handling triangle” you can buy a copy of Dave’s E-book when available (currently parts are being reviewed by editor) at www.topstockdog.com or www.doublevstockdogs.com  You can also find out more by attending one of our upcomming clinics. We currently have a number of clinics schedualed (atleast one a month through summer) with more in the works. To find out more about Trudys clinic dates and hosts contact her at trudy@doublevstockdogs.com . For more information on Daves clinics and hosts contact him at dave@topstockdog.com