Sunny days and working dogs

I'm pretty sure I've been transported to another galaxy, because this surely can't be Alberta at the end of November!! Today was such an awesome day......beautiful blue sunny skies, no wind and WARM (relative term, since this really is Alberta in November) temperatures! So after that pesky housework was done, out I went to start dog breaking calves. Chili still needs lots of cattle work, and so we brought about 10 head up into my round pen and started moving them, first one way, then the other. With Betty's lessons at her clinic last June ringing in my ears, it was pretty cool to see Chili respond so well. She really likes to heel but I found her equally good at holding her position on their heads when they tried to turn and challenge her. Chili did really well, she was able to control and move the calves, turn them back when they challenged her, and would easily release pressure on them when they turned and moved off her.

After we worked that group of calves, we put them back with the rest and then brought the sheep in and sorted off 5 head. We took the sheep into my arena and after a few fetching drills started some driving work. Unlike her mother, Chili has been a hard dog to start driving as her intense desire to group her stock and fetch them to me over-rides everything :) Parallel drives are very rounded as she leans so hard to the outside to flip around to head, but *FINALLY* today we managed to get some nice drives going!! Maybe the secret is to work her on cattle first as she seems to be able to easily hold her position driving them.

We'll try again tomorrow and work a different group of calves, and then another group of sheep.....hopefully this is the breakthrough I've been waiting for! ;o)

For those of you interested in the puppies, they are eating me out of house and home and growing like crazy! The whelping box has been put up, and they have the run of their puppy room now. I cover the floor with paper that I get by the roll at the newspaper office. It is roll-end newsprint and works great for covering the floor. Larry made me an over-grown paper towel holder that is attached to the wall. This makes it really easy to pull off 8 feet and with a flip of the wrist I can rip if off. The puppies are certainly getting an education, they are pretty used to that thing bumping and banging when the roll turns on it, and the paper goes sailing over their head :o) Then I get 8 little bodies trying to "help" me........I think we'll have to come up with a different plan at room cleaning time!

Will try for more photo updates tomorrow!