The little things…
Most of the time i take Molly out, we work sheep and I think: How can i be a better handler for her? i’m not seeing something. It dawned on me this morning that part of the problem is the way i’m defining these terms in my head. Follow me here: According to the Collins English Dictionary a handler is someone who handles a dog (or a boxer or a gamecock or baggage). Where a trainer is actually someone who teaches or trains said dog ( or boxer or gamecock or athlete). While it’s commonplace in the herding/stockdog world for the trainer and handler to be the same person as the handler needs to be trained as much or more than the dog, sometimes when you limit yourself by one definition you then in turn limit your own experiences. Many people think labels aren’t important, but it is labels that define how we interpret our world and communicate it to those around us. When i walk out onto a field and think – how can i be a better handler? i’m doing myself a disservice as by definition i’m limited in my own scope. (this is really how my mind works, scary isn’t it?)
Part of what made Zen Handler and The Doughnut Hole so successful wasn’t just that i was calm, but that I was aware enough to see the little details. I am typically so focused on being aware of my place and my dogs place and the location of my sheep that i don’t see the details. For instance, this morning I was working a set of sheep and it wasn’t until after Molly broker her down/stay and busted up the sheep that I noticed i had four sheep not three. Number Four was a punk lamb. He didn’t like his group, didn’t like me and was really dissatisfied about the presence of Ms. PushyPants.
After a little crash and burn, i was always taught to pack up and take a break. Sort of the same way a behaviorist uses a Time Out. The ‘If you can’t play by the rules you don’t get to play’ thoughtline. Which most of the time is a very successful technique that i’ve used. However, today Fido’s was busy and i knew if i left my field i’d loose it for an indeterminate amount of time. Instead of backing off and leaving the field, I let the sheep rest a few and started in again. My game, my rules and you’re done when I say we’re done. Not in a mean way, but with firm and realistic goals.
Control and proximity are of first order. We went onto a not so large but not so small arena and started walking around. She’d walk in my general proximity, i’d occasionally down her. I’d ask her to walk up toward the sheep a little. When it looked like she was getting ready to bolt or the sheep were moving under her pressure and i’d down her and recall. Each time we changed direction we were actually getting closer to the sheep. While it was a lot of pressure on her as she was aware of the sheep the entire time, she didn’t misstep once.
After a well deserved break we started The Game, which was a variation on using the fenceline to teach ‘out’ that Dana Mackenzie has been known to teach. I learned this second (3rd?) hand and Elsie and I have also sharpened it up to fit my dog. If it sounds like i’m butchering it badly don’t blame Dana, blame my poor memory!!
The Game goes like this: I pulled my four sheep into a corner and backed my dog off. The way it’s supposed to look is to have the dog go from fenceline to fenceline, each time shifting back away from the sheep a little. There are a number of components so i decided to break it down into little pieces in keeping with the mantra of realistic goals. Piece number one: not rushing the sheep out of the corner. Done. Piece number two: consistent down on command. Err, after stepping into her a few times, done. Piece number three: she needs to go to either fenceline instead of stopping just shy. When she stopped shy, I walked out calmly and moved her over. Rinse, Repeat a few times and she’s within 18″. Done.
After playing with this for a good while, i started stopping her in random places and sending her the other way. Or I’d tell her to Get Out and then work her Walk Up while i was standing in proximity of the sheep but not with them. These were really good exercises for me because i started to watch little things. I became really mindful of what PunkLamb was up to. Imade a point to control his stress and not let him wander too far from the corner. Remember he’s flighty and not impressed, so sometimes Molly had to walk into him just to tuck him away and sometimes she had to back off and give him room to settle. The other thing i started to notice was Molly’s position and posture. How she’d lift a paw just before she was going to do something naughty. I started to redirect her when i saw her head drop and her paw lift. Even occasionally give her a little verbal warning. The longer we did the exercise the more purposeful her Walk Up became. She’s starting to show more eye, but not working like a Border Collie. She’s starting to learn to use her tools; sometimes eye is more helpful, sometimes body pressure is more helpful.
There’s something deeply satisfying about having someone else notice what you’re doing and comment positively. I suppose that makes me weak or says something about my confidence or whatever; i’m ok with it. I had two Border Collie handlers compliment me on Molly. Which might have just been a nicety, but a much appreciated nicety. i think the next time i’m out i’ll also make a point to say something nice to someone that i don’t know.
[...] in preparation to move forward… i just asked her to dive into something a little new. In a previous post i talked about The Game as learned from Dana Mackenzie. Today i stripped away the training wheels [...]