Good, solid work (another guest blog)

From the desk of H.B. Moy, Sheep King Extraordinaire

Hello dog and human friends,

A quick report from last week's trial. First, I came in fourth overall. Fourth, I said. Did I mention it was fourth out of 16? No, well it was. Although I did not have as lovely an outrun as my buddy, Rafe, I did finish the course on both runs. No thank yous from the judge and my person didn't have to leave the post to help me. Neither run was pretty, but I (sort of) got the job done. I was mostly hindered, as I generally am, by my inept person.

The sheep were wiley, light and frisky first thing in the morning. I was the very first dog of the trial and we poor dogs couldn't see the sheep because they were right under a swale. Almost all the dogs had trouble finding the sheep and they changed the course for the second run--so it really wasn't just me this time. The handler at the post could see them, but we couldn't.

I looked and looked and finally found them. Came in tight though, so they squirted off to the right and I didn't get them back on line in time to turn the post. Bummer. In this trial, the novices had both a chute and a pen. I was working the sheep to the chute, but my stupid person thought they'd crossed the plane of the chute and she moved on to the pen. The judge hadn't told her to or anything; she was just being stupid. Typical. I lied down though and listened to what I was told (even when it was wrong--not sure if I'll do that again). I sweet-talked those ladies right into the pen. I couldn't believe the run was over!! I was just getting started. But I came back when the stupid person said, "That'll do, Hamish."

Second run. Pretty bad outrun just about straight up the middle. What can I say? The holder was faced in a weird direction and it threw me off. So, again, pretty bad lift and not enough room to get them on-line before the fetch panels. But, once I had them under control and walking nicely, my stupid person TURNED THE WRONG POST!!!!!! I was listening very well and she was telling me the right things, but she was in the wrong place. What's a red dog to do?

I moved the sheep through the chute very nicely and then my stupid person didn't get to the pen in time to open it, so we played ring around the pen. I was a little tight and she wasn't putting me in the right place, so we didn't get the pen. Better score than on the first run, though, so that's not so bad.

And, overall, I listened to what I was told and I lied down like a good boy (not like Rafe, who didn't....).

Now, it's back to some training for my person so that she can do better at the pen and teach me what I'm supposed to do too.

That's the quick report from my side of the field. Over and out

Hamish Braeburn Moy