This year we had a special (for us ;-) treat. Helen Dunning, from Ontario, Canada, was in town and came over to do a short demonstration/clinic with her fabulous dog, Cap. I've always loved watching good dogs and handlers work and now that I have Kate, I'm trying to learn as much as I can. We asked Helen to show a few things a good dog can do to help you work with your sheep.
Here they come!
"Okay sheep, this is what we're gonna do."
Graham thought it sounded fun, but that he'd just stand back and watch ;-).
First she had Cap send the sheep up the hill. This is something you would want to be able to do to rotate the flock into a fresh field... Then she had him bring them back to her.
Straight to her.
You would want to be able to do that to bring them into the barn or pens, get a close look at your sheep, check for any problems...
Kate and I can do these jobs, but not at this speed. Well, Kate can go at that speed, but my brain can't keep up with her...yet. I'm working on it though and it's fascinating and fun!
20 likes to watch a good dog work, too!
Hank watched patiently from the sidelines for awhile, but when he decided the sheep had had enough, he went out to lead them back home.
Kate can attest that this is not an easy flock to work (lots of, um, "strong" personalities in there ;-), but Helen and Cap made it look easy and it was a real treat to watch. Thank you!!!
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