Stockdog Clinic and Exciting News!

On Saturday, Jinger and I attended another stockdog training clinic, put on by her breeder. He did indeed have some tips to help me with Jinger's biting issues, and after the first session of training, she was already better. By the end of the fourth session, she was exactly where I need her to be-biting the wayward stock, but then immediately disengaging and tending to the rest of the herd, instead of pursuing the wayward animal back into the herd, biting it the whole way and not stopping until she gets run over by the rest of the herd. So, now I need to figure out how to make these tips work in our training sessions with our different stock and larger pens, and we are set-no more injuries, right Jinger? Like last time, everybody loved Jinger, both who she is, and as a cowdog. One fellow liked her so much that he wants one of her pups when they are ready to go.

 

These dogs were the show of the day-constantly playing musical chairs, constantly getting in trouble for breaking their spots and trying to "help" the dog that was working, getting two or three on one spool, and both or all three frantically pushing and shoving, trying to stay on, often resulting in the rightful owner of the spool being shoved off and having to go find a different empty spool. Also, the dogs Kate, Dave, and Sage gave us the giggles when all three would answer when any one of those names was called by either owner. 

 

This is Bear, a wonderful young dog, owned by the clinician.

   

Major, a super spicy and headstrong dog that I really liked. 

Folks also got a kick out of Jinger having trouble staying on her barrel too-she never intentionally jumped off, but would often be balanced on the edge and slip, and flail frantically to get back on before touching the ground. Often just one back paw would still be on, and she would back back up onto the barrel. Or, when we had taken our turn working and were coming back to the barrel, she would leap on and go into a cowhorse stop, and invariably slid all the way over and off the other side-she did it every time, and could never seem to learn to get up slowly and calmly. Jinger cracks me up every day, by her crazy, goofy attitude. 

 

My first and most exciting news is that Jinger has been bred to the below dog, Brick! I had brought her up on Friday, a week before the clinic, and hoped to pick her up last Saturday, after the clinic. Unfortunately she had not yet been bred, so has to stay another week-I hope to pick her up this Friday. 

Last week was kinda desolate without a dog of my own. It was the first time in 6 years-since I got Riika-that I personally have not had a dog on the place, and it was no fun. Fortunately, I have a remedy for this week! 

 Meet Flint!

Flint is almost 8 weeks, and is from Jinger's breeder. I had decided that, if I want to really start breeding dogs, I need a stud, instead of racing around using somebody else's all the time. I've been looking for a suitable male for awhile now, and after having some other really nice ones not work out, I settled on this little fellow.

Flint's mom is a littermate to Brick's mom, so there will be some nice line breeding on the female I plan to keep from my Jinger/Brick litter.

 I'm not familiar with his dad's pedigree, but he is a very nice dog too, and super friendly. 

So far, Flint has been a little quiet and shy, but is really coming out now and shows himself to be very smart, playful, and quick, with a lot of eye. I think I'm really gonna like him!