Okay, so it's been awhile. I've been so busy trying so hard to get a new job, I haven't had a chance to post. I did find time to put in some herding fun though - since the last post we had a Roy Sage clinic at Janie's, movie night watching a Lynn Leach training video, lessons at Janies, and trial in New Plymouth that I was going to try to compete in! - but decided best to prepare for an upcoming interview instead. Hopefully all this job hunting will pay off with a great job with less travel and I can be around for more regular herding work. So I have 2 weeks to 30 days to find out about this job! Ahhhrg! The positive - I have 30 days to keep praying all the prayers I can :)

Slow it down!

I had lessons friday night before Labor Day because I'm going to Rockland for the weekend. We made some progress today - Reena slowed down a bit with me - after Janie and I walked around the field for a few. And as always, Reena stayed out real nice, quite as a mouse, and of course keeping her eye on Janie every second. It is hilarious, she is scared to death of Janie! Cause she knows Janie is going to make her do it her way. Even as Janie was walking off the field, Reena had her eyes glued to her until she left the pen! I, on the other hand, have a hundred things I'm trying to figure out myself, so Reena takes advantage of me and tries to boss me around. Or she is just frustrated with my lack of leadership and also thinks I don't know what the hell I'm doing. With me she has a constant string of barks out of her mouth, runs around moch speed, and gets into the sheep! I know she knows how to do it right, she does with Janie. Anyways, in the end, I felt she and I made some good progress on her slowing down and we actually WALKED around the field!! That was my victory for the day.

My training thoughts to keep in mind. I need to stop more often - to slow down the pace, get things back under control, and to repeat exercises - this will keep things from getting so confusing for me. I would like to think of some exercises, and then do them, stop and do them again. This will give me a smaller hunk to chew on and I can focus on specific things. Also, as Janie and Jodie have been telling me lately... talk less, and enforce what you do say the first time you say it. Stop nagging! Maybe that is why Reena is barking...would you shut up all ready! Yeah, well that's what I tell her.

Can't wait till next time!