Finally starting to get it
I was beginning to think that he was going to run my paws off. And the sheep were not very optimistic, either.
Fortunately, by the grace of doG, the patience of Cathy Modica, and repetition it’s starting to sink in. Don’t get me wrong -- he’s got a long way to go. But today the Old Man started to actually catch a glimpse of the ‘big picture’.
After warming up with some nice circles and changes of direction and moving back and forth across the arena (with my characteristic enthusiasm), we started incorporating the ‘stop’. Several times.
Naturally, I wanted to help the Old Man make sure that he really wanted me to stop. And Cathy needed to remind him that, if I didn’t stop, he still had to stay with his sheep. (He gets confused when he switches from ‘obedience’ to ‘herding’. I try not to be too hard on him. After all, he is just an Old Man.)
After a while we added something new called “Walk Up.” Walk? What’s this Walk?!
I know Trot -- and I do it beautifully.
I know Run. If you want to see me really run, just let one of the sheep decide to go the wrong way, away from the others. My Run makes that sheep remember that There’s Safety In Numbers!
I know Stop. Or at least I’m working on it. Being the Beasil, my Stop is easiest to do when there is nothing else going on. Like when I’m sleeping. And I really didn’t think that Herding and Stop would have much in common. Unless the sheep want to Stop, too. But I’m learning faster than the Old Man is!
Walk Up? The only way that Walk Up makes sense to me is if I make it a game: I follow sheep, they stay with the Old Man. I Stop, they stop. I Walk Up, their butts tense up! Ha, ha, ha. (The photo above was taken after I did a Stop, then a Walk Up and the Old Man is trying to get me to Stop again. Sure wish he’d make up his mind.)
It’s not as much fun as trotting after the sheep and watching them act like Old Man will make them safe, but if it makes him happy, I’ll try.
Now if I can just get him to remember (yeah, like there’s a chance of him remembering anything!) NOT to say ‘good girl’ when I Stop. Cathy has told him several times that in herding the positive reinforcement is... more herding.
She must think he’s learning. During our last session she stood over by the gate and let me try to train the Old Man all by myself. I’m pretty good -- she said that we were doing the required elements of something called the HT. That made him smile for a second.
Cathy and I will try again next week.
The Old Man is
Monday, March 3, 2008
