Day 17: Second Day at Soldier Hollow

My mom is Vice-President of the Park City Newcomer's Club and she has made the Soldier Hollow trial an event for the club today. She recruited me to give a 30 minute talk about the trial and sheep herding in general. I don't really plan anything. I've only been herding about 2 years. But I sure have read a lot on the subject - both fact and fiction. I try to include all the interesting and fun things I've learned- the history, the great stories about border collies and, finally, how difficult and time-consuming the training is. It goes well. I'm happy because I have opened up the excitement and beauty of this sport to several new people. They love watching the dogs work!

Winnie's duck herding goes better today. It's frustrating on the ducks. I have just learned to slow things down with Winnie. But ducks are so fast (these especially) that I can't slow her down or the ducks are gone- especially with no fencing. Two of the women working with us are trainers and they give me some pointers. The advice is to let Winnie work a bit more. Let her chose which direction to take the ducks off the fence, and then just be glad she can do it. Save my battles for the bigger issues -- like stopping or going wide. I'm also reminded to "watch the stock" versus watching my dog. (No matter how many times we hear that, I guess us new handlers don't ever do that enough.)

Anyhow, we move the ducks a bit better today. Winnie is wider on her flanks and I am happy.
In between herding duck demos, we watch the trial. Below is a picture of Red Oliver- an octogenarian handler that has qualified for Soldier Hollow since the trial's inception. He is one of the few handlers that was able to pen their sheep today.

At Soldier Hollow, they also have a "splash dogs" competition. Dogs dive into the water (usually after a toy) and the winners are the dogs that jump furthest. (See pic)
When we walk around the trial (it's kinda gotta country fair going on at the same time), everyone wants to pet Winnie. I notice that she is not being her usual friendly self. Driving back to my mom's, it hits me that it is perhaps too hard on Winnie to meet the challenge of herding ducks in this situation and be an ever-lovable sheltie at the same time. Poor thing. I vow to not invite everyone to pet her tomorrow.

Day 16: Soldier Hollow Heber City Utah

Today is the big day. The Soldier Hollow Classic- a premier sheepdog invitational trial in the hills of Utah. Winnie has been invited to participate in the duck herding demonstration. It is our second year doing this. It's not necessarily because hse has great skills, but that everybody loves to see a sheltie. ;) I personally love to come and participate and rub elbows with the best handlers in the nation.


Well, it turns out to be a very hard day for Winnie. First, we find out there was a miscommunication with the set-up crew and three sides of the duck arena are unfenced!! Well, ducks are terribly difficult to herd and for a young dog like Winnie, without a fence, is a disaster waiting to happen. The woman in charge has a frank conversation with me about whether Winnie should even be allowed to participate. This is a demo at an international trial - we can't have ducks escaping and getting lost or injured. I know I have a stop on Winnie and I promise to call her off if things start getting out of control.
Ducks are so difficult that there aren't many dogs that have volunteered. We have an Open Class border Collie, two talented Kelpies and two WTCH Australian Sheepdogs. These are very advanced dogs- then there's poor Winnie. But, for better or for worse, we are game.
Our runs are very short because Winnie loses he ducks back to the pen (because there is no fence and our skills are lacking). I'm pretty frustrated. But, from my sports background, I know to focus on the positive. I tell myself she is good because she didn't bite any ducks (Winnie has been known to work ducks with feathers in her mouth) and she did stay off of the ducks pretty well. The low growling "hey" command I learned from Larry was working.
Back for our second demo, my fellow handlers tell me how much Winnie has improved from last year. That makes me feel better.
Then, things start to go bad. After the demo runs, one of the kelpies nips Winnie on the nose. It is just a small thing but, like humans, noses bleed profusely and Winnie and I are quickly covered with blood and she is yelping and pretty shaken up. After holding her and cleaning her up, I put her in her crate to relax. It is a collapsible crate. The wind has come up and it blows the crate- with Winnie in it - tumbling over and over. Her water spills and she is soaked as well as shaken up.
Winnie can't get in the car to go home fast enough. (Even though I call her out and make her wait for permission, like she knows she's supposed to). Driving back to my mom's place, Winnie gets stung by a bee in her mouth. She jumps on my lap when I'm driving and almost jumps out the window. I get to my mom's and Winnie hides in a corner, is shaking and her eyes are closing. I'm afraid she is having an allergic reaction and going into respiratory distress (i.e her throat will swell and she can't breathe). Luckily we find an after-hours vet close by who will see her. I don't know the area well. I've got my mom and her fiance on the phone giving me directions and I keep getting lost. Finally, I find it and the vet gives her some pain medicine and an antihistamine. I don't think she'll die now. But even after she is home, Winnie is still shaking for almost 45 minutes and wants to lie the couch touching me (Usually, Winnie likes more space). The vet tells me Winnie can work ducks tomorrow. We are both exhausted and traumatized. Of course, I let Winnie sleep with me that night.

Day 15: Wyoming to Utah

I get up early because I have an appointment at the car dealership in Salt Lake City as 10 a.m. I was overdue for maintenance before the trip- and I'm WAY OVERDUE now (3,000 miles later).

I'm driving I-80 into town with the morning work traffic. There's this flashing "amber alert" type sign on the interstate - it reads "19 dead on I-80!" OMG! What a terrible accident..and I'm going right into it! I put on the brakes trying to get my mind around it. Then I realize, they must mean 19 dead on
I-80 like in a year all year or something. Well, it sure scared me and got my attention.

While my car is serviced, the dealership drives me to the mall- Nordstorms! I don't buy anything there but lunch. When I get my car back, I drive to my mother's house in Park City.
It's as good as being home! I have a nice bubble bath, a glass of wine and my first home cooked meal in over two weeks! It feels so good to be at my mama's house. I enjoy just talking to my mom and being close to her...really I guess I missed genuine human company on my trip.

Tomorrow is Soldier Hollow. Winnie is doing a duck demo at the Soldier Hollow International Invitational Border Collie Trial. I'm nervous. I just want her to be decent. She doesn't have to be great - I know she's invited mainly because she's a cute sheltie. But I want to show we have made progress (we did this last year) and I don't want her to eat any ducks! I make Winnie sleep in a separate bed tonight..she doesn't seem to mind. We are working on our discipline in every aspect of our day-to-day lives- going up stairs, waiting to go outdoors, waiting to eat, getting in the car - I'm trying to make my dominance clear so it will carry over to herding. But I'm just happy to be here and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Day 14: Nebraska to Wyoming

We are off across more farmland! You cannot help but feel positive about our nation, and even our world, when you spend 2 weeks driving through endless green farmland and ranches. You feel we are living in harmony with the earth, there is plenty of food for everyone and we will all survive. Life seems simple and basic.
Living in Southern California, you more have a sense of dread and doom. With its cookie-cutter strip malls and tract homes, there is a sense we are out of sync with the natural world and the only way to survive is to have lots of money. In the mid-West, you feel all you need is hard work and the proverbial 40 acres and a plow. I heard on the radio that a lot of farmers are on food stamps. Still, you think that the philosophical and physical rewards of living close to the land would make it better to be a poor farmer than an unemployed apartment renter in Los Angeles County. But maybe that's just romanticism.

Reestablishing my roots as a southern California consumer, I stop at Cabela's headquarters in Sidney, Nebraska. It is a huge and very nice complex. (see pic)<
They have a large grassy area for dogs to run and even kennels you can use for your dogs when you shop (a lot of Cabela fans are are hunters with hunting dogs). Winnie and I play fetch on the grass for a while and we share a McDonald's chicken salad. Because the kennels don't have locks (and I'm sure someone would love to steal my sweet Winn), I put Winnie's "therapy dog in training" vest on and we walk on in. It is an amazing place-almost like a museum of natural history with its displays of elk and deer in natural dioramas and the fish aquarium. I need some new boots and take advantage of the fact that here I can try them on before buying them (I've bought boots from Cabela's before and had to ship them back when they didn't fit). All the folks are very nice. Winnie does her tricks and is on her best behavior so it makes it easy to make friends. The store even has a little restaurant where you can get buffalo burgers and I think even elk or venison. Too bad I had my McDonald's salad already.

Back on the road and we make Wyoming. A lot more cattle ranches than farms. I stop in Laramie, Wyo and visit the Territorial Prison State Historic Site (see pics). <
<

Butch Cassidy was in prison here for cattle rustling. I read that he was later pardoned by the governor with the promise that he would never return to Wyoming. As you perhaps recall, Butch Casssidy went on to even more fierce exploits and crimes and he likely returned to Wyoming as well. But such is the stuff movies are made of. It is late afternoon and a warm wind blows. I see the grass move in waves like the "sea of grass" Walk Whitman invoked for the title of his homage to America.<


I stay the night in Rock Springs, Wyo. The wind has given me an allergic fit. The hotel sells 5 kinds of pain reliever in the gift shop but nothing for allergies. I'm so tired, that after a bath, I sleep soundly anyhow.

Day 13: Kansas City to Nebraska

Today I set out to Larry Painter's place about 45 minutes south of Kansas City. It's a journey of more farms and more unpaved roads. Larry has a nice 80 acre farm and his star herding Australian Cattle Dogs greet us when we pull up. (See pics- sorry I didn't get photos of Larry himself).


I like Larry right away- he doesn't make any comments about how Winnie is so little or so cute. He gets right to business and we start working. Of course, on the first outrun, Winnie runs straight up the middle (a very bad thing for all my non-herding friends). Larry states we don't allow that. I explain what I have been working on with Tammy- trying to get her to slow down, think and rate the stock. Whenever Winnie gets too close or is too fast, Larry has me say "hey" and gradually build up pressure with my voice and the crook and my body until she stops and looks at me. Of course, Winnie must be "pressured" to the back of the barn before she stops and submits. But, with Larry's encouragement, we keep this up until Winnie starts to stop and look at me sooner and sooner. When she does, I turn away and release the pressure - her signal that this is what I want. After a bit (okay, maybe a long bit), Winnie is giving me square flanks (versus running at the stock) and is starting to slow down and "rate" the stock while she moves them toward me. Larry teaches me to not start out with a blood-curdling "hey", but rather to make it softer at first and only build up intensity if she doesn't stop and listen. Larry takes Winnie by the leash and demonstrates: he says a low-toned, soft "hey" (kinda like a growl) and Winnie immediately sits, ears back and looks plaintively at him. That's the power I want with my dog (still gonna look into making an "Alpha Bitch" t-shirt). Write me if you want one :)
Larry is very generous with his time and advice. I am so thankful to have an opportunity to take the next step in the training I started with Tammy and see the "picture" of how Winnie is supposed to rate stock. Larry tells me to practice the "hey" command with Winnie in the next couple days and hopefully that will help us when we get to Soldier Hollow this weekend. Larry says Winnie is a "nice dog" a few times. I have a feeling that's a high compliment from him. I think it says a lot about his skill as a trainer if he can apply the same techniques to cattle dogs and shelties. I thank him for seeing me last minute and get on the road for Nebraska.

Note to everyone:beware, your GPS can freeze!! You know how your computer freezes sometimes? While your GPS can do the same thing. On my way to Nebraska, my GPS kept saying 20 something miles to the turnoff. I kept looking- it was still a ways, so I was sightseeing and listening to the radio. Then, I start to think it maybe said 29 miles the last time I looked...sure enough, it had "froze" and I was on a 30 mile detour into Iowa!! (Turns out it looks just like Nebraska anyhow.)

Okay, back on track for Nebraska. So far in this trip, I haven't pulled off for much, but I saw a sign for a Pendleton Outlet store in Nebraska City, so I went.
Nebraska City is a lot like most of the towns I've seen on this trip. Interesting, historical buildings lining a "main street", but the buildings are almost all abandoned and/or rundown. (See pic)

Not many thriving old towns around these parts. After buying a classic Indian Blanket coat for me and a wool shirt for hubby, Winnie and I walk a bit around town. A bar and an antique shop are open...nothing like the Starbucks on every corner in CA towns (I was thinking a Starbucks would be nice).

Winnie and I drive to Kearney, NE to stay the night. Many of the trails West converged in Kearney( e.g. Mormon Trail, the California Trail, the Oregon Trail, the 49'ers Trail, the Pony Express and the Overland State Coach). There pioneers followed the Platte River to the West (it assured water and they wouldn't get lost). Kearney has an Archway Monument Bridge that spans I-80 with a three-story museum inside. (See pic)
I debate seeing it, but decided I didn't have time. Winnie is tired from working with Larry earlier in the day, so we crash. This is my first time in Nebraska (I keep hearing Bruce Springsteen songs in my head when I drive).

Day 12: St. Louis to Kansas City,Mo

I get a late start today. For the first time since the entire road trip I sleep in ('til 9:30). I get some work done on my computer. I am thinking about calling Roscoe's owner to see if they will sell him to me. I don't feel pressed to do so, because he is clearly not miserable where with the Mennonite family (they have about 3kids). A friend that breeds shelties writes to me to say Roscoe's coat just looks like it needs a good brushing (versus a disease) and his teeth situation occurs in shelties, "even in the best of lines." I also am concerned about thrusting him into our life- I haven't asked anyone in my family. I am also concerned about the effect on Winnie. We already have two other large rescue dogs (a Newfoundland and a pit bull mix). Bottom line: I don't feel compelled to try to get Roscoe. And I also feel I'm being a little presumptuous in assuming I am "rescuing" him. So I decide to just hold on to the number and call them to say "if ever" they want to give Roscoe a retirement home, we will take him.

I am also feeling anxious and impatient about Winnie and herding. I want to get better! I want to work on her rating! I know she can do it and it is just practice she needs. I remember Tammy said her favorite clinician, Larry Painter, is in Mo. So...I get on the Internet and find out he's just south of Kansas City I leave a message asking if he can give me a herding lesson this afternoon or tomorrow.

I get on the road around noon. I decide to stay in Kansas City, just in case I hear from Larry Painter. Okay, honestly, I decide I want a nice hotel. If I'm in podunk nowhere, I don't mind staying in a podunk hotel. But if I'm in the big city, I want a nice hotel. I'm a room service kinda girl. And I love the historic hotels in the center of town. So, pulled over at a rest area, I google on my blackberry "best historic hotel in Kansas City." The best "hit" seems to be "The Raphael." This is from the website:"Originally constructed in 1927 as the Villa Serena Apartments, the Spanish Renaissance Revival-style building was transformed into the elegant Raphael Hotel in 1975 following a renovation that faithfully preserved historic features while providing for the comforts of contemporary travelers." See pic.<
I arrive around 6:00 p.m. I am very happy - there is something about the graciousness, service and amenities of a nice hotel that helps you relax. I acknowledge I'm spoiled from years of business travel paid for by my former law firm. The hotel overlooks Country Club Plaza - a very nice outdoor shopping area in Kansas City. I get Winnie and we go out strolling, there is a nice bridge and park over the Missouri River(?) and lots of friendly people visiting the shops and restaurants in the Plaza, which goes on for about 3 blocks in each direction. (see pic of Plaza driving into Raphael Hotel). <
It feels good to walk.

We come back and it is room service time! I know KC is famous for beef. I'm not a big steak person, but I believe in experiencing the attributes of the places you travel. With advice of the nice young man who answers the phone, I order a petite fillet, salad and a glass of red wine. Wow- I have never had steak like his. It was succulent and you hardly even needed to chew it. I've had halibut in Alaska....how halibut is in Alaska versus the lower 48 is how steak in KC is compared to other places. I like it so much, I don't even give Winnie a piece!
I take a hot bubble bath, using the big robes they provide and read a book in bed. Oh, I watch Mad Men on HBO. I don't have TV at home so this is the first time I'd seen the show. It was good- funny and scary at the same time. I'm old enough to at least have residual aversion to the suppression and falsity of that time that the series portrays. I think of my poor mother- married and raising a family at that time. Finally, at about 10:30 at night, I get an email from Larry Painter's wife. She says to call in the morning, that he can probably fit me in for a lesson tomorrow!!! Hooray!

Day 11: Second Day Herding Clinic With Tammy

Today is our second day of the clinic. We are all pretty tired apparently, because we all show up 2-5 minutes late. I think the clinics are tiring because we are learning so much. Herding requires you to learn with your mind, learn how to change and manipulate your body and also to control your attitude and demeanor. Plus, it requires you to be "humble" - this gets harder as you get older, but they say the ability and willingness to learn new things also keeps you young.

We have a great supportive group- we cheer each other and the dogs when there are break throughs. There are women who learn to be assertive and dogs who learn it's okay to have fun and chase sheep. We have a few shelties that are not sure it is okay to be interested in sheep. We are all their "cheerleaders" and we have some happy shelties and owners at the end of the clinic. There is one lady who works in the local sheltie rescue. She has a rescue dog that has never had a herding lesson and that dog shines!! It is keen and you can see it thinking and learning faster than any dog there! Tammy says she has never seen a rescue sheltie that did not work sheep.

A few of us move to the bigger arena today. It is a bit frustrating because Winnie and I fall back into some of our old problems. But we get some good outruns. It's just the fetch we have trouble with. These are picture of the sequence. She does a pretty good outrun, I turn away to relieve pressure. She comes around Tammy nice at the top of the outrun. But then you can see she charges the sheep and they run past me.



It is apparant she hasn't leaned to "rate" the stock because I have always been micro-managing her with down, up, down, up. I put her in a down and then she charges the stock because she knows I will just put her in a down again. It will take time to go back to basics and give her time to learn to read and rate the stock. It's a good thing she's only 2 1/2 years old. I tell myself we still have time.
When the clinic is almost over, Tammy lets me "work" her sheltie, Flutter. Flutter is her 9-year old female bi-black herding champion and mother of Cloud. She is little like Winnie and, according to Tammy, started out willful and pushy (like Winnie). It is a joy to work with her!! I can be so relaxed and trusting as she does her job with just a simple command. I try to remember this "feeling" as the picture I am striving for with Winnie.

Some of the ladies brought some beer and, after the clinic, we sit around on the grass, drinking beer and talking all things dog. Two puppies run around and play- Winnie barks at them when they get too far away from the group.

There's a neat lady who came all the way from Canada with her talented Sheltie. We go out to dinner with Tammy before calling it a day. We all agree it was one of the best clinics ever- both in the great people that attended and in all we learned.

Day 10: Tammy Van Deusen Clinic in St. Louis

Today was the first day of Tammy's "Sheltie Only" herding clinic in St. Louis, Mo. We start the clinic with a lecture about herding in general and herding with Shelties in particular. Some of the big points:
-herding is all about dominance. Basically, the dog has to know we are the boss. Tammy passes out a handout of "10 rules to live by" to assure you have the right relationship with your dog for herding (i.e. you go out doors first, dog moves for you, you dictate when dog eats etc.) This is a hard rule for folks who love their furry, lovable shelties, but the more I committ to this sport, the more I realize it is correct. Dominance is not being mean. A dog feels secure when it has a strong master and clear rules. I committ to re-enforcing my status as "boss." I decide I want a t-short that says "Alpha Bitch."
-shelties, more than most other breeds, become good herders in large part because they want to please us, their masters. It is up to us to show them what we want and teach them to choose the right action.
-one of the most important parts of a successful herding dog is for the dog to have "correct attitude"; it is submissive and attentive to owner versus amped and focused only on stock. Correct attitude starts at the car. Today, many owners work several minutes at their dog having the correct attitude at the gate..the dog cannot rush in.
-Tammy explains- amazingly- that neither of her shelties Flutter or Cloud have not qualified on a run (she admits she has "called" a few runs that were not going well). This is amazing to me. I have "NQ" far more runs than I have qualified.
-Similar to the theme of her CO clinic, Tammy emphasizes the key to training your dog is "pressure" your dog into doing the right thing (with crock, stick body or voice) then releasing that pressure versus "nagging" the dog constantly with the pressure.
Here is a pic of me "pressuring" Winnie with the rake because she was charging and barking (i.e. wrong attitude).<

Here is a picture of me turning my back to Winnie (relieving the pressure) because she went wide on her flank.<
-On a scale of 1-10 for herding instinct and natural talent. border collies are a 10 and sheties are about a 4. Only 30% of shelties can do the started level of herding and only 10% can be a herdimg champion
-have the "picture" in your head of what you want before go into arena; otherwise, you cannot communicate to dog what you want. Make plan or "picture" of what you want to achieve as you are driving to your herding practice or trial
-patience plus picture plus practice = success

We have a great group- all women- and we go out to dinner afterwards. I try some Blackberry wine- yuck! Tastes like cough syrup! I am exhaisted and go to bed right away.

Day 9: Winnie's Breeder

Well, today was the big day. I was going to track down Winnie's breeder in some small town in Northeastern Missouri. I was starting to get real nervous. This area is very rural and very remote. I got a late start because I was doing some business work that morning in the hotel.

So I plugged into my GPS the address I got off the USDA approved breeders website (This does not necessarily mean it's a good breeder). Near the town I started to get directed to smaller and more remote roads. (See pic.)
My GPS was not working well...I would be directed to dirt roads that dead-ended into someones homestead- I backed up and got out of there as quick as I could. I finally figured out to stay off of anything called a "county road;" this meant it is dirt and likely a dead end. Okay, after driving around for almost an hour, I drove by the place. It just looked like a lot of the other farms out there. I had a work telephone conference scheduled so I went to town to take care of that and get a sandwich. The "town" didn't feel too friendly...small and rural. If felt like my little CA-plated sports car with the luggage tube on top stood out like a sore thumb. I was feeling like an outsider - unwanted and distrusted ....and I was a bit scared to go up unannounced to that farm. But I said I would do this...and, quite simply, I wanted to know where Winnie came from.

So, an hour later, I go back and drive up the driveway...I don't hear any dogs. There is a house, cars, several "out buildings" and barns.
When I get out of the car, 4 guys with bloody knives come out of the barn! (Turns out they run a butchering/meat processing business). I say, "Hello! Are you Mr. so-and-so?" (I am not going to use real names.)
There is total silence in response. They don't seem mean, just distrustful. So I do my version of an "aw shucks" shoulder shrug and answer my own question, "Well I guess that depends who's asking." I immediately smile, walk forward with my hand extended and start gushing that I got that great dog bred by Mr. so-and-so and I had come all the way from California to tell him so and see his dogs. Well, I'm such a goof, that people lighten up. The man explains the dog breeder was his brother who sold all the dogs a few years ago and moved to Illinois. I'm pretty crushed. But then another young man there(I think it was his son) reminded his dad they still have two dogs. I ask the names and it turns out one of the dogs is Winnie's dad, Roscoe!!! So, meet Roscoe in these pics.
Roscoe is in a cage, but he is clearly socialized and friendly.
They let him out, and Winnie and him are introduced.
He is little and cute. He lets me pick him up and the family tells me he's a sweet and calm guy. But on closer inspection it turns out his fur is coming off in places and his teeth are terrible- his canines stick out close to right angles from his mouth.
I'm trying so hard to be friendly that I'm not right then judging these people. We make small talk a little more. I determine they are Mennonites and they tell me abit about their 180 acre farm. Winnie does her tricks for them..they are more amazed than amused. I thank them and leave.

Thinking about it later, I think they treat dogs like livestock; favored livestock, who they play with and let out of cages, but still livestock. I try not to be too judgmental. I conclude that at least this is not the bad puppy mills where the dogs are never let out of their cages and have broken bones and sit in their excrement. Humanizing dogs is most likely a symptom of our modern urban wealth. Who is to say that those in more rural impoverished areas don't have the right to treat dogs more like horses, sheep or chickens, as long as they aren't cruel. I don't know. But I try to see both sides.

I am relived and start driving. I end up driving through Hannibal, Missouri- the home of Mark Twain (also the home of "the unsinkable Molly Brown" on the Titanic). Incredible to see the "mighty Mississippi" which inspired so much of Mark Twain's work (that was his pen name, his real name was Samuel Clemens). I wander the town a bit with Winnie, seeing mark Twain's boyhood home (see pic) and a little bit of a museum.
We get some good coffee- finally, a real coffee house versus the brown water of gas station coffee! We follow the Mississippi River in to St. Louis. We get to bed late, but are excited about the herding clinic with Tammy Van Deusen here tomorrow.

Day 8:KS to Missouri

Today I woke up in this Kansas ranch house to the smell of Elaine making bacon and eggs just for me. I dressed and went out to walk Winnie. After meeting the ranch foreman, Jerry, I was summoned to the kitchen for breakfast by the traditional triangular dinner bell! Just like my grandmother, Elaine eats standing up in the kitchen while her guests/family are served with generosity.
Jerry has heard that I have horse experience. He asks if I am in a hurry and I said no. So, he says he would like me to help move some cattle this morning. We round up a group of heifers, pen them. Go to another field, round up 5 bulls and move to a field by the heifers (using natural magnetism to move the stock). Then we move the heifers to another field. They give me, "Secret," a nice, sensitive mare (no plodding trail animals on this ranch). Moving these cattle was challenging and fun! I had to use that "stock sense" from sheep herding to know when they were going to bolt and then whirl my horse to block and persuade. I was a little intimidated by the big bulls..but they didn't have horns, so it wasn't that scary. Here are pics of me with a bull and the heifers we rounded up and penned.

The third pic is Jerry and ranch hand Leeann in front of one of the bulls we moved. We worked for about 2 hours.
They wanted me to stay that afternoon and help out some more! But I said I had to get on the road. Elaine didn't charge me for the "trail ride" because she had watched me work the cows and appreciated my help. This is a place I would definitely stop by again. I recommend it for everyone driving through Kansas that wants a taste of real Kansas life and not just a Super 8 motel. Sunrockranch.com

Back on the road. I get an email from my sister who just started reading my blog. She tells me my brother-in-law Tom lives in Kansas City and gives me his number. I do a quick check on the map and I will be in Kansas City in about 1.5 hours. So I call him and make a deal- if he shows me the best BBQ in KC, I will treat! Well, Tom is a foodie and KC has the best BBQ in the world (even I know that) so it was going to be a guaranteed good time. Tom lives in a cool converted historic building in downtown KC. We leave Winnie there with his cats (poor Winn, what she puts up with) and Tom drives me to Oklahoma BBQ. No lie, this place is in a Shamrock gas station (see pic).h Tom tells me there is usually a line about 20-25 people deep. But it is mid-day so we walk right in. M

y mouth is watering as a write this....those ribs were tender and juicy on the inside and a bit crunchy on the outside. The flavor permeated the meat and the sauce had a perfect sweetness but wasn't heavy.
I ate more than I should of...but hey, how many times do you get to eat the best ribs in the world. The manager pointed us to a prestigious magazine article on the wall: "13 Places to Eat Before You Die." Along with famous restaurants in Paris and New York, number 13 was Oklahoma BBQ in Kansas City!
Feeling full and happy, I head out to the address I have for Winnie's breeder. But my gas in low and it's getting late, so we stop and stay the night in Chillicothe, Missouri. It is the county seat and has a downtown with many historic buildings with mainly thriving business and -no lie- this town is the home of sliced bread! (The desk clerk at the hotel affirms this is the town where they invented the machine that slices bread). Tomorrow, to track down Winnie's breeder on my way to St. Louis.

Day 7: Co to Kansas

Wow- this makes a week on the road. I miss my husband and kids a bit, but I know they are well. I try not to get too sentimental (I avoid country music and sad movies while on the road).

Today was driving through eastern Colorado and western Kansas. Yesterday, there were thunderstorms and floods. Today there are blue skies with large and interesting clouds (they look like shelties chasing sheep). (see pic.)

Eating on the road. You are not really hungry because you've done nothing but sit in your car. But you feel you MUST get OUT of the car. The last thing you want to do is continue sitting down in a closed-up restaurant. Winnie and I have a routine. We find a McDonald's (they are everywhere around interstates) and get a chicken salad and an iced coffee in the drive thru. Then, we go find a park or just an open space. In this part of the country, there are wide open grassy fields wherever you are.
We have a picnic- I eat the salad and I feed Winnie some chicken. Then we run around in the sunshine for a while. I recommend some kind of slip-off shoes when traveling - it's nice to rub your toes in the grass.

Kansas- apparently there are tons of famous people from Kansas. Every town has signs urging you to pull off and see where X was born, lived or died. I did pull off at Russell, Kansas. There is really nothing there except this water tower (see pic:):


One interesting thing I saw in this part of the country - entire fence sections made with stone posts. Really...tall, rectangular pieces of stone placed every 10' or so, wrapped with barbed wire to make fences, sometimes for miles. How determined do you have to be to hew fence posts out of stone, drag them to the proper place, dig a hole, secure it and make a fence --- for miles. Makes me proud to say my family is from Kansas.

So this night, I stayed at a working cattle ranch outside of Junction City, KS. The Sun Rock Ranch (also operating a bed & breakfast- 3 rooms only). They have about 3000acres and about 250 head. The original ra

nch house section where I stayed is built of limestone and is dated 1870. (see pics).
The ranch owner, Elaine, is super-sweet and made Winnie and I feel right at home. She put me in mind of my grandmother who hails from Kansas and passed away last year. Tomorrow, I am scheduled to go on a trial ride.(This post is late because I had a hard time making my internet connection)

Day 6:Hanging in Castle Rock, CO

Today was a re-grouping day in Castle Rock. The town is named after a large mesa right above town that looks like a castle. It is a real landmark you can see from far away. (see pic, but there's no snow now.) Today I did such mundane tasks as laundry, washing the car and taking care of work things. I learned today you need a lot of quarters when you travel. You need them for washing machines, vending machines for "nutritious dinners" and Diet Coke addictions, parking in cities and even car washes. I have also learned you kinda become obsessive about a clean car on a road trip. That is, of course, because your car is now your home...your caravan across the desert...your covered wagon carrying all your stuff across the plains. Although I know it's going to get real dirty again, today I vacuumed with a passion at the do-it-yourself car wash. Those industrial vacuums are awesome....you really don't even have to clean out your car. They suck up everything within a 3 inch radius. I mean big stuff(I'm not going to tell you what exactly).
After cleaning the car and a visit to the UPS store, Winnie and I went to the movies. We saw District 9. All I can say is everyone should see it and the guy who plays the lead should get an Oscar. Afterwards, Winnie and I headed into the historic part of Castle Rock for dinner at the Castle Cafe. The cafe and bar was the "hell-raising" capital of "this here parts" for more than 100 years. The menu says there were shootouts and horses were ridden by drunk cowboys through the bar. This being Tuesday night, it was quiet and Winnie and I had a glass of wine and salad. (See pic.)


Big news. When Winnie and I came back to the hotel, there was a pigeon in our room! He didn't fly but he was alive (likely exhausted from trying to get out, judging by the feathers and bird poop around the closet). I went and grabbed my key card and called Winnie to leave and alert the front desk. Then I thought, well this will take forever for someone to fix. And, hey, I've got a herding dog! I'm still freaking. But I put Winnie on a down about 6 feet off of the bird and go open the balcony door (which must have been how the poor bird got in). Luckily, the bird did not really fly. It got away from us a few times..and Winnie was about as nervous as I was. But once she saw it, she would do a "walk up" on it and together we were able to "herd" it out on the porch. Winnie knew she had "done good"..this was a real job! (I'm starting to talk like a rancher.) I was relieved. Too bad I didn't have presence of mind to take a photo of the ordeal! Not many herding pages have photos of dogs herding pigeons!

Tomorrow, we travel about 8 hours to Junction Cityh, KS. We are staying at a real working cattle ranch. (When I called for reservations, the lady rancher told me she has a sheltie!) I'm looking forward to getting on the road for more adventures with my dog.

Day 5: Private Session with Tammy 2 of 2

Okay, I know this is what many of us are waiting to read and see.....Winnie's meeting with Cloud! Tammy's herding champion and Winnie's future mate.

Anyhow, here are pics of them meeting and then Winnie flirting terribly with Cloud!
I think it will be a great match. Cloud has a wonderful disposition- sweet and calm and obedient. But a keen herder who has great instinct and can work independently on stock. I also saw him back down some very aggressive sheep! Plus, as explained before, he is the perfect color (tri) to mate to Winnie's blue merle color. Once I get Winnie's eyes and hips tested and okay'd, we will make some definite dating plans. I will want pups to go to herding homes, so let me know if you are interested. In the meantime, we are learning a lot from Cloud about being a star Sheltie herding champion!

BTW-Tammy says Winnie is the type of dog that can be a herding champion because she has so much drive and she is willful!! (I'm taking this as a compliment.) I think I did hear some sympathetic whispers today about how hard it would be to have this for your first herding dog.) Well, it takes one to know one. :)

Day 5: Private Session with Tammy Van Deusen 1 of2

Today, Tammy gave some private lessons at the ranch. I was there almost 12 hours, watching everyone work, listening, and trying to learn as much as I could about herding, shelties and dogs in general.
(This pic is Tammy talking to me about the dogs having the correct "attitude" before coming in the ring. Winnie looks a little too amped; she should be more submissive looking. Everyone wish me luck -this is our #1 task!)
Today the weather was cooler, cloudy and we had a bit of rain. Jerry Stewart gives great advice that you should always carry in your car rain gear, extra food and water for you and your dog, extra warm clothes and shoes, extra cash and a blanket. I've used those supplies several times over the last 2 years.

Anyhow, today most everyone worked on the pressure/release drill in the round pen. A key thing I learned from Tammy is that most of us don't release pressure from the dog when it is right. This results in a "nagging" relationship with the dog...we are always pushing, pushing on him to move a certain way (pushing with the crook, the stick, our bodies, even our voice). As a result, the dog gets frustrated, angry,or shuts down, and, most importantly, the dog doesn't get a chance to learn to read the stock and learn the pressure bubble. This is because the dog is responding to our pressure and not the stock. A lot to think about and very different than most of us are working.
So this is the drill we did in the round pen. The dog is at 12o'clock, a few feet out from the fence, and the sheep are at six o'clock. You are in the center of the ring, you walk towards the dog, giving pressure with your body, a rake, a crook, whatever. You pressure the dog like normal in to the direction you want him to go (i.e. rake to right for away to me, and turning your left shoulder back to the sheep to "open the door"). Then, when the dog takes the correct flank in the correct picture you are after (i.e. do you want correct attitude, no barking, a square flank, a slow flank, a go out before the flank), you reward it by turning your back to the dog and walking across to the head of the sheep which the dog is bringing to you. Turning your back to the dog releases the pressure so the dog is more apt to go calmly (versus you pushing him with the stick which only makes him faster) and rewards him for doing the correct flank with a release of pressure and getting the sheep.
If the dog does not do the flank correctly, you "cover" your sheep- don't let dog have sheep. Tell dog to lie down. Come back and try it again. A big point is to not try to block dog from the sheep - just get your sheep and make a wall in front of the sheep. If you go to and block the dog, it desensitizes the dog to pressure and is not quite as clear a message as "these are my sheep and you don't get them."

Okay, it seems weird. And I tell you it is really hard for us humans to learn the new skill of releasing pressure versus constantly applying it. Today, however, I saw huge differences in dogs who suddenly were allowed to really work their sheep and experience the "bubble" themselves versus constantly being pressured by a stick or crook. They were slower and calmer and strangely wider. It is hard to replicate this by just reading it without a trainer to show it to you. But the concept you can employ: Release pressure when your dog is right and allow your dog to learn stock without you pushing constantly.
(cont.)

Day 4: Herding Clinic with Tammy Van Deusen

Today was our day to work with Tammy Van Deusen. These are pics of Winnie and I working with Tammy.

Tammy is from Indiana and specializes in herding shelties! She has bred and trained several of the top herding shelties in the nation. In our group today, we had more shelties herding than I have ever seen in one location before - maybe 5 or 6. Anyhow, it was very interesting to see other shelties work. Mostly, they are more calm than Winnie. I want Winnie to be calm but I don't want to give up her speed and keenness. I think Winnie is a lot like a Border Collie in speed and keenness, but like a sheltie in being erratic and not working stock for the sake of the stock (versus Shelties who are working to play or please their owner). I think this is the foundation for why I am confused on how to train Winnie and our up-n-down herding path.
It was pretty confusing to have clinics on a weekend with different clinicians each today. I think the best lesson I learned from my experience this weekend is how it must feel like to be my dog in training.....you are given conflicting information, you don't understand what to do, you are pushed and frantically re-directed across the herding field and you start to think you can do nothing right. Nonetheless, inspired by the fidelity and faith of my own dog, I too will come back and keep trying to figure out what they want me to do. :) (I have private lesson with Tammy in the morning.)
Okay, but I took some good notes and these are I think some great points to share and remember:
-learn to read stock is the best advice ever (I must get my own woolies!)
-upright breeds should not lie down on a stop. The rationale is they have no power when they lie down (versus a BC who still has "eye). Then, when the upright breed pops up after a down, they "pop" power and this can send stock bouncing. I think this makes sense, especially for Winnie who is so small. (We did an ASCA trial once and you could not see her in the tall grass when she laid down.) Winnie lately has been giving me a hard time about the down....maybe she is trying to tell me she doesn't want to because it will completely release the stock. I'm perhaps going to have to figure out how to train a firm stop without a down.
-don't enter a trial unless you are ready for the class above you
-don't be afraid to correct your dog during a trial (In the long run, it is money well spent) "You are not here for HIT, you are here to train your dog."
-a trial is to showcase your training (I like this one!!)
-train by working on individual skill sets at a time. In other words, train outrun, lift and fetch til perfect...then put dog away for the day and do this for several days until it is solid. Then train, for example, pen and only pen work until that is perfect, then put dog away. After you have worked and conquered the individual skill sets, you "stitch" them together and can practice a course. Tammy likens this to how you train obedience. I think I am one of those guilty of always wanting more and pushing me and my dog to challenges (bothe Winnie and I like challenges) before we have our foundational basics down.
-And Tammy also says, as I hear my trainer Terry always adamantly stating: "if the dog doesn't go right, it doesn't get sheep!"

Winnie is already asleep and I still need to hit the jacuzzi tub, so I will sign off.