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.

Day 3:Herding Clinic with Linda Holloway

We are near abouts Elizabeth, CO. Lots of dirt roads here....lot of farms and livestock. At this 2-day clinic, the first day the "competition level" handlers train with Linda Holloway (first picture) while the "beginning" handlers train with Tammy Van Deusen. Tomorrow we switch. It was hot and windy today, but generally enjoyable and productive. There were several shelties at the clinic and very nice Co sheltie people I enjoyed meeting(ok, even the Border Collie people were nice.)

Today I trained with Linda Holloway. I haven't figured out why trialing or training is so exhausting...I mean it's not like we are chasing the sheep around (although I do sometimes chase my dog). I'm trashed. But before I crash for the evening, I wanted to do a brief summary of some of the things I learned today:
-I need to be more subtle or at least aware of my herding voice. Not every command needs to be a shouted order; i.e. "go bye" spoken softly should incite a quieter and slower movement than a shouted "go bye." I need to be aware of that and use it.
-I adequately use pressure/body language to get the dog to move. But I need to learn to remove pressure as a reward and allow the dog the sheep. A simple example, is when a dog obeys a "lie down" command, to step back a few spaces. (In our training sessions today, Winnie learned Linda's words "let her have them now" and would happily prance over to her stock when she heard them.)
-Linda gave me a good reminder about using the "tap tap" of the crook to warn or signal the dog to move away. My first trainer Jerry Stewart taught me that. It was good to be reminded. It is more subtle than chasing or blocking the dog with our body.
-One of Linda's main themes is not to "micro manage" the dog. She wants clients to watch the sheep, and then command the dog to control the sheep. But she also wants us to let the dog work the sheep...to be patient and let the dog learn. She says particularly, I use too many commands.

Okay, what you are waiting for...Winnie met Cloud today and they are already enamoured with each other. Because I was working with Linda, I didn't meet Tammy or Cloud until the end. So I didn't get to see Cloud work. But he is handsome and friendly. He and Winnie immediately hit it off and were playing and chasing each other for a good hour..until we had to pack up and leave. Tammy says Cloud only does that with a few females he knows. Tammy seems like a real kindred spirit in how she approaches her dogs and life. So anyways, both Winnie and I are looking forward to working with Tammy and Cloud tomorrow.
P.S. Winnie is trashed too...(see second picture- at one point all 4 of her feet were straight up in the air!)

Day 2:Utah to Colorado

Hooray!! I got here! Another 8 hours of driving and I'm in Castlerock, CO at the "official" hotel for the herding clinic. But after 16 plus hours behind the wheel, my derriere (fr.) is so sore that I sprang for a jacuzzi suite upgrade (another $20 a night).

I came in thru I-70- a new highway for me. I passed through the Utah Spotted Wolf Canyon (see first picture above)with huge red rock mesas. Then Winnie and I had lunch on the Colorado River right after we passed into Colorado (see second pic). Through CO, I-70 follows the Colorado river then passes through all the high mountains where the ski resorts are (e.g. Vail, Cooper Mountain, Steamboat Springs, etc).

Here's what I learned today:
-It's a lot better to be in front of the big trucks going up the mountain passes, and behind the big trucks going down the mountains.
-There are a lot of hardcore skiers who stay in the high CO mountain in summer. You can tell. They are the drivers who race down the mountain hwys treating other cars as slalom poles.
-I get scared in tunnels that last longer than 2 minutes.
-Your dog doesn't care if you burp in the car..even if you don't say "excuse me."


I'm off to my Jacuzzi tub. I can't wait to meet all the handlers and their dogs tomorrow.
:)

Road Trip: Day 1

Hooray! We finallly got on the road! I was up to 4 a.m. still fininshing up paperwork and tying up loose ends. Then my husband's alarm went off at 5 a.m....Oh well. My mother reminds me, that it's not a real journey unless you start out sleep deprived!!

Even sleep-deprived, today I made it half way to the CO clinic site - about 9 hours of driving.

Winnie is a great traveler. She just curls up and sleeps, no matter how long the journey or how cramped the car.

The truisms I learned today are:
-It's not really a road trip until you get past Vegas.
-Only on a road trip, does listening to country music seem the right thing to do.
-Your dog doesn't care if you smack your gum in the car.
-Probably because I was lucky enough to have my parents read bedtime stories to me as a kid, I can only listen to about 40 minutes of "books on tape" before I start to nod off.
-There's nothing to wake you up like turning onto a highway you've never been on before.

I'm sleeping in to 8 a.m. tomorrow!!

I'm Hitting the Road in the a.m.

Dear Friends-
I am up late cleaning my office, going through paper work and paying bills. It is a personal paradox of mine- I don't pay much attention to bills and mail in my regular life (mine, not my client's). But if I am leaving town (which I do often, thankfully) I am obsessed with going through every piece of paper, paying every bill, cleaning my office and organizing my files. Weird huh? Some people shop for a trip...I am compelled to go through my mail.

Okay, for my herding followers, this is my email to the CO herding instructor for this weekend on what I want to work on:
What I want to work on is teaching/showing/having the dog learn the “pressure bubble.” In other words, that she can work stock further away. Now we put too much pressure, a break out happens, she runs to cover..then too much pressure the other way. Often we get thru the course but it is ugly and stressful. I have a feeling it might be a confidence/maturity thing. Also, with Shelties, instilling the glory of “work” versus the dog thinking, this is boring, let’s make a disaster so I can fix it; i.e. “let’s play!” Also, to work on knowing when, if ever, to trust or defer to the dog versus demanding absolute mechanical obedience. I think I trust my dog too much – or at least try to figure out why she is doing something and if there’s a good reason, I let it happen- and this leads to her blowing me off sometimes because she thinks she knows better (probably true, but this isn’t winning me titles.) My trainer now wants absolute obedience, but this makes me nervous because I don’t want to kill my dog’s ability to think/react to stock because it will always be quicker than mine. But maybe absolute obedience is the place to start when dogs are young or maybe it depends on the drive of the dog and how much strict training they will take without killing their self-motivation. Okay, as you can see, I have a lot of questions. I have a feeling that the answers are not simple. Which, of course, is why I’m addicted to herding…it is such a challenge!!!

We will see if I get answers on this trip. But as a great philosopher says, it is in posing the right questions that we reach enlightenment. Okay, back to paying my bills....

"Always Do What You are Afraid to Do."

This is by Emerson and one of my favorite quotes.
Okay, so this is what I am going to do that I'm afraid of, or at least nervous about. I'm going to visit Winnie's breeder. This might not seem like much, but Winnie is likely from a puppy mill.
Puppy mills are places where they breed lots of puppies for profit only, with no thought on the health of the puppies born or, most importantly, the dogs who are bred. Often they live in small, dirty, cramped cages and never let out and never touched (at least kindly touched) by a human hand.
I didn't know about puppy mills when I bought Winnie. I consider myself educated and well-informed on most social subjects, but did not know. If I knew I was going to buy a puppy, I would have researched it and found out.
My kids and I would go to a "pet store" by the mall to look at the cute puppies. We did this quite a lot and just did it for a smile. We weren't going to buy a puppy until our other dog passed. But one day, Winnie was there. She literally playfully herded us inside her little Plexiglas box and wouldn't stop playing even after we held her and put her back in her box. She was too special to leave there. So, we brought her home (it was Mother's Day 2007). At once, I eagerly research on the Internet to find out about her cute, country breeder in Mo...only to find that if you bought your puppy from a pet store who was bred in Mo., the new light of your life was likely from a puppy mill and you were a bad person. Of course, you don't take back your puppy. You love your puppy, you try to educate others and you become involved in animal rescue (which explains the other dogs we have now).

Okay, so it hits me last week. I'm going to Mo for a herding clinic. Winnie's breeder is in Mo. I did research and found the breeder is registered with the USDA and I got the address. I'm going to go there. I know that not all breeders in Mo run puppy mills. I am hoping I will find just a small, normal family operation who loves their dogs, but also makes a few dollars breeding. If so, I will introduce Winnie to them and let them know they are breeding shelties with good performance and herding instincts. If it is a puppy mill, I will be careful. (I have visions of angry men in ball caps with shotguns not wanting snooping city folks checking out their operation). If it is a puppy mill, I will try to buy Winnie's mother and bring her home with me. So, I'm scared, but I'm going to do it.
Stay tuned.

Scroll Down for Trip Map!!

I have learned so much with this blog...even how to edit html codes!!?!?!
Anyhow, I figured out how to post the map, but it's so big-- because I'm traveling sooooo far-- you have to scroll down to see it!
3,888 MILES!!!

Preparations & The Ticking Clock

Oh man, it is always so difficult to get ready for a trip. I have to clear my work calendar, make arrangements for the kids and all their activities (it takes a 3-D spreadsheet to chart it all!), clear my desk and pay all my bills. I always think I need to have everything in order before I leave. I don't think I'd ever pay my bills if it weren't for traveling.

My plan is to leave Wednesday a.m. - actually, that's the soonest I think I can get away....can't wait to hit that open road with my pup!

But a lot to do in limited time before that. Speaking of time...I'm sure you've heard dogs have a different sense of time. I read a book once about a girl who could speak to animals. She was taking care of a some dogs and told them to wait a minute, that she'd "be right back" while she went to talk with someone. One dog immediately yelped, "Last time you said that you'd be right back, you were gone for 5 years!" The girl answered,"I was not, I only went to the bathroom!" The dog replied, "It seemed like 5 years to us." Maybe that's why dogs are so happy to see us when we come home- even if we just step out for a few minutes- because to them it's been 5 years. But maybe time only drags for dogs when we are not with them. :(

Why a Blog for a Dog?

"Be grateful for the gifts of sharing your earthly span with creatures who comfort. Animals are our spiritual companions, living proof of a simply abundant source of love. None of us feel alone. And if there is a gift, then surely, there must be a Giver."

--Sarah Ban Breathnach

I found this quote this morning reading a tribute a woman had just written for her special Sheltie who had just passed to the rainbow bridge (for the uninitiated, this is where dogs go to faithfully wait for their master so that they may "cross to the other side" together.) The above quote partly states the profound philosophical and spiritual effect of a special bond with a dog (or another animal). Dogs are so perfect in their devotion and loyalty and trust that it cannot but remind us that such qualities are possible in humankind. Or at least, we should strive to that beautiful goal that is so constantly placed before us by our canine companions. Or, if humans cannot achieve that goal, we may bask in the perfect love of canines a few moments of the day to give our own souls a recharging reminder of heaven.

Winnie's Reason for the Trip

Okay, Winnie loves sheep - or anything she can herd like ducks, geese, kids or other dogs. And I'm sure she'd travel miles to do so. But Winnie has a special reason for this particular trip.

She is meeting for the first time her future mate!!

The instructor at the CO and MO clinics is Tammy Van Deusen who owns one of the top herding shelties in the nation. His call name is Cloud and he is the right color (a tri) to breed to a blue merle like Winnie. There are no definite plans to breed Winnie as of yet. We are still in "courtship" mode!

We are excited to meet Cloud and watch him work. He also has agility titles and comes from a good line of conformation stock as well. I post a pic of Tammy and Cloud, with Cloud jumping for joy when he got his WTCH herding champion title!!

Watch in a couple of weeks for the posts on how these two will get along!

Route for Trip

Trying to figure out how to post a road map of our trip. In words, on or about 8/19 we leave CA for Elizabeth, CO for a 2-day herding clinic on 8/22 & 23, plus a private lesson 8/24. Then off to St. Louis Mo for a 2-day Sheltie only (!) herding clinic. Then back to Heber City, UT for the International Trial at Soldier Hollow. Winnie and I are scheduled to do a duck herding demo and it is always a joy and learning experience to see the best handlers in the world compete on this difficult course (with difficult sheep).

Anyhow, the map makes the trip look overwhelming- I'm traveling almost to the East Coast! I'll try to post one soon! Okay: Here's the link to a map of our trip: http://www.mapquest.com/mq/5-XfVSHEaf

Reason for Blog

We are about to embark on a 3 1/2 week road trip to various herding clinics and trials across middle America. Hence, the blog "Travels with Winnie." (With apologies to Steinbeck and Charlie). Everyone that knows me can attest I shun social networking websites. But, as usually happens, my dog motivates me to do things I wouldn't otherwise do!! (right now, this includes the blog and the looong upcoming road trip!)

I attach a photo of Winnie herding ducks at Soldier Hollow last year - the last stop on this year's upcoming road trip.