Sunday, November 20, 2011

Lessons Learned Along the Way – Challenges and a Time to Reflect on New Directions

My dogs are my friends, companions and partners in our adventures. I have always enjoyed taking my dogs for hikes and exploring the beautiful Sedona landscape. Looking at animal tracks and wondering who came before. In the summer we enjoy swimming in Oak Creek or a run on a California beach. To me these experiences are some of the best and happiest times I share with my dogs. 

I have always wanted to experience each of the dog sports that are most interesting to me: agility, herding and obedience. Each brings new challenges and new learning experiences. My dogs usually let me know which one of these they can excel in and perhaps stay healthy and sound for many years.

This spring I had the opportunity to take Susan Garrett’s “Recallers” course. It has been one of the best training and learning experiences that I have had since I started training my dogs. The course was so much more than recalls…. And for me it changed the course of my dog training and the decisions that I would make or reflect upon each step of the way.  We learned about the value in creating games as a way to overcome challenges and to teach new behaviors. Always looking for the positive and joyful way to teach and train.

This philosophy that I have come to believe in added a new challenge for me this past week. 


I have been looking forward to starting Myst herding. I put her on sheep at 5 months of age and she seemed to not only have a lot of instinct but also to really enjoy this natural genetic talent to work with sheep.  Realizing how important foundation work is for each of these performance sports, I wanted to work with someone who is currently very successful in open field herding. I chose a woman who is one of the top open field handlers in the country and traveled to northern California with both dogs this past week.


I was very excited to have Myst work with a top handler and begin with a good foundation. What I was not prepared for is that some of the top handlers have little patience for dogs that have issues that may take time and patience to work through. Myst's challenge was her intensity for the sheep and not wanting to give distance asked for by the handler. This woman told me that it would be a long road of training to train this pup and by the way "look at how wonderful these other one year old Border Collies that she is training are doing."


I was disappointed to say the least and was prepared to give up herding with Myst and focus only on our obedience and agility. I told myself that I was not prepared to venture into the world of negative corrections for this wonderful puppy that I had such a good relationship with and that was working so well with me in all of our training. In fact, my blog post over the weekend clearly stated I was giving up herding.


Time is a healer and driving provides a great opportunity to reflect and consider choices, new directions and what is really important. I continued to be very disappointed that I would never herd with Myst and today talked to my trainer in Arizona about Myst. She had seen Myst work and told me that yes she would take time but she believed that patience and time would help Myst learn to work correctly. She reminded me and had several stories about Border Collies that she had been told would never do open field work. Yes, it took time but if we love our dogs and are willing to put in the time and patience different doors can open.


So today a new direction and perhaps new goals... but I can say that my evaluation of Myst's herding will continue to be her joy in what she is doing. Myst clearly LOVES sheep and I enjoy herding and the learning journey.






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