Working Dog Diary
about me: my name is Kay Spencer, I live in the Monterey Bay area of California, and I am the proprietor of Working Aussie Source. Working Dog Diary is my continuing series of essays about my journey with my working Aussies.

Previous chapters are located at the bottom of this page:
through 2006      2007      2008     2009     2010


Chapter 158: One Sunny Day

Today was sunny. It is supposed to start clouding up and heading for rain again tomorrow, but today, I took Ty out to the ranch. No one was home. Every new working environment is an adventure just getting the hang of where things can go wrong. I have gotten much more interested in trying to do this by predicting and preventing, instead the other way, with which I have had a good deal of practice. So the first thing I did was put the loose dogs in their kennels. I knew some were shy of strangers so I had brought dog treats, which I tossed into the kennels. They all popped into their boxes and I shut the doors, feeling sure that the next time would be even easier.


Then I scoped out the corrals, without my dog. There was only one nasty pool of rainwater-manure soup, and if I stayed out of the small paddocks, the boot-sucking goo was quite minimal. The first lambs had arrived. Kam's black Katahdin cross, a funnylooking horned sheep she'd bought at auction on a whim, was in a small pen witha pair of black, white-spotted brand new lambs, sort of like Dalmatians in reverse. I checked the udders on the rest of the flock. Two of mine were definitely bagging up, and a couple others were getting broad. I decided that I would work them with the others, as my goal was to get them to simply walk quietly between me and Ty the length of this small corral. I didn't believe Ty would harrass them, and there was nowhere to go.


Next, I got my dog and my stock stick out of the car. There is a right and wrong way to do even this. I fastened my leash over my shoulder like a sash, which has proved to be the best way to carry it without it getting in my way or getting lost. I didn't intend to need it, but I have been wrong about this. I had Ty wait in the car until I told him he could get out. I didn't try to block him, which would have diminished the chance for him to demonstrate self-control.


Ty followed me, leashless, to the gate, lay down and waited for me to open it, waited for me to invite him in, lay down and waited for me to close it. It was a big heavy gate which, like most farm gates I have met, had some tricks up its sleeve. I had to stand on the lowest bar and simultaneously jerk the latch handle to the right. Meanwhile, yet another dog in a run with a clear view of all these proceedings began to bark deafeningly while racing back and forth, and the sheep pelted to the other side of the corral.


Ty lay there patiently in a less-muddy spot, ignoring the barking dog and observing the sheep pelt, a perfect demonstration of why you practice the whole lie down and wait, go through when I ask you, lie down and wait, on every single gate from the very first time you take your dog to stock. Eventually, you will get a dog who doesn't make a unholy mess of things when you have to put your attention elsewhere. At least, that is the concept. When he's being so obedient, it's hard for me to remember how he used to take off like a rocket every time I turned my back.


As we had the previous times, I had Ty ease them out of corners, and tried to get a steady flat-footed fetch to me without running past. I wanted the sheep to start thinking of me as a draw and focus point. I was very pleased, once more, with how Ty did. He had to turn back a single a few times. But the sheep were noticeably calmer and much more of a cohesive group than they had been. We got some nice slow fetches down the middle of the corral, and Ty was really getting the hang of the corners.


By the end of the second work, I could see Ty was getting weary or overloaded with all the drill. Before he started getting sloppy, I called it a day. I rinsed off my dog and put him in the car. Kam had told me to "let them all out" when I'd finished, into the big field. So I did. Which turned out to be one of those good-faith decisions that I have so often made that turned out to be exactly wrong.







Archives Through 2006
Ch 1: That'll Do Ch 28: Pigs With Feathers
Ch 2: The Good Shepherd Ch 29: Stockdog Book of Virtues, Part 1
Ch 3: The Original Aussie Ch 30: Stockdog Book of Virtues, Part 2
Ch 4: Finding Bonnie Ch 31: Perseverance Furthers
Ch 5: Grit Ch 32: Duck Wars
Ch 6: The Border Collie Snob Ch 33: Baby Driver
Ch 7: Of Hobby Herders Ch 34: What Is A Breed?
Ch 8: Sherry Ch 35: Getting My Goats
Ch 9: On The Road Ch 36: Tule, Melba, and Snowdie
Ch 10: Green Dog, Green Handler Ch 37: One Morning
Ch 11: Out of the Playpen Ch 38: Quiet and Slow
Ch 12: Cows Ch 39: Hard Times
Ch 13: Trial Watching Ch 40: Rethinkings
Ch 14: Other People's Sheep Ch 41: The Not Boring Day
Ch 15: Taking To the Hills Ch 42: Being There
Ch 16: When Show Dogs Herd Ch 43: The Fate of the Farmdog
Ch 17: Back With The Cowboys Again Ch 44: Further Adventures With Goats
Ch 18: Bonnie Gets A Job Offer, Part 1 Ch 45: The Wasps
Ch 19: Bonnie Gets A Job Offer, Part 2 Ch 46: Taking Time
Ch 20: The Joy of Panels Ch 47: Sheep Shopping
Ch 21: Circles Ch 48: Me and Time Magazine
Ch 22: Ad Astra Ch 49: Trust
Ch 23: Sheep Church Ch 50: Bonnie Gets Another Job Offer
Ch 24: Be Prepared Ch 51: Fourth Clinic
Ch 25: The Point Ch 52: Right Dog, Wrong Dog
Ch 26: Ranchette Blues Ch 53: Winter
Ch 27: Post Mortem Ch 54: Versatility


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Archives 2007

Ch 55: Wool Ch 79: The Glorious Unknown
Ch 56: Hot Fences, Steep Pastures Ch 80: The Good Breeder
Ch 57: Reading Stock Ch 81: Something Comes In A Box
Ch 58: The Black Day Ch 82: L Bar J Oya Ty
Ch 59: Goatwifery Ch 83: Center Pen Novice
Ch 60: In Search Of Ch 84: More About the Boy
Ch 61: Mediocrity and Its Discontents Ch 85: Limiting Factors
Ch 62: Gambling Ch 86: The Tale of Tails
Ch 63: Lent Ch 87: More Fun With Livestock
Ch 64: Conservation Ch 88: The Tortoise
Ch 65: Ranch Trial Ch 89: Adventures With Ty
Ch 66: If Wishes Were Horses Ch 90: Center Pen Tantrums
Ch 67: The Holy Quest Ch 91: Learning the World
Ch 68: A Sea Change Ch 92: Homeliness
Ch 69: Long and Winding Road Ch 93: New Pasture
Ch 70: First Do No Harm Ch 94: Dog Games And Choke Chains
Ch 71: The Silver Bullet Ch 95: Cat Tails
Ch 72: Getting Serious Ch 96: Coyotes And Decisions
Ch 73: The Superior Horse Ch 97: Oor Bob
Ch 74: What's In A Name? Ch 98: Ty Goes To Kindergarten
Ch 75: The Grindstone Ch 99: A Little Help
Ch 76: We Head North Ch 100: Pygmalion
Ch 77: Olympia Trial Day One Ch 101: Healing
Ch 78: Bonnie Wins A Big Ribbon

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Archives 2008


Ch 102: New Year's Resolutions Ch 119: Rehab
Ch 103: Stepping Out Ch 120: Freedom
Ch 104: Stormy Weather Ch 121: Goats and Wildfire
Ch 105: Sacrament Ch 122: Ty's Progress
Ch 106: Stop and Stop Ch 123: Kelley of the Triune
Ch 107: Living In The Past Ch 124: Timing
Ch 108: Sheep At Last Ch 125: Gratefulness
Ch 109: The Five Stooges Ch 126: Cool Stuff
Ch 110: Greener Pastures Ch 127: Helper Dog
Ch 111: A Day Out Ch 128: Goose Wrangler
Ch 112: A Peaceful Heart Ch 129: Partnership
Ch 113: Teen Angel Ch 130: Teachers
Ch 114: First Kids Ch 131: Courage
Ch 115: Disaster Ch 132: Our Cougar
Ch 116: Nervous Nanny Ch 133: Widening the Circle
Ch 117: Pushing BackCh 134: My Posture Improves
Ch 118: Milk and EggsCh 135: The Seeds

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Archives 2009



Ch 136: Intention Ch 145: Carter Clinic, part one
Ch 137: Following Fear Ch 146: Carter Clinic, part two
Ch 138: Ty Junior Ch 147: God Talks About Wool
Ch 139: Being Nice Ch 148: Sour Milk
Ch 140: Don't Shoot Ch 149: They're All Collies
Ch 141: Carpe Diem Ch 150: O Canada
Ch 142: Chore Dog Ch 151: My Sad Happy Hat
Ch 143: Dream of Green Ch 152: The Lovely Bonnie
Ch 144: Ashes and Grace Ch 153: Romantics With A Cause
  Ch 154: Leaving Home
  Ch 155: Conclusions

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Archives 2010

Ch 156: Who's Talking?  
Ch 157: Animals In Time  
   


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