The Test!!!!

The judge called the handler’s meeting and you have to remember this is the first time I have ever been to a herding trial. She sounded TOUGH! I thought no way is Shara going to pass and of course luck of the draw Shara is first dog in the ring!

The judge walked in with everyone for the HT and T told her as they walked in; this dog is 11 years old and if it gets rough I will pull her.

Shara did her sit and wait!! WHOO HOOO!!! Of course as soon as she moved the sheep moved, no chance to get close to them or for T to be able to calmly walk ahead of them. It was a rather wild, fast, drive up and down the fence line, not pretty, but doing what is asked and what could be done with the stock and level the dog is at.

Stop of course is Shara’s big bug a boo and the judge said at the beginning that the stop and recall must be a recall NOT a swan dive after the dog! LOL

So T is trying to get Shara to stop and come to her, Shara proceeds to blow her off and wander off hoping T will follow her as I used to do. Which allowed her to get around me and back to the sheep!!!! T of course isn’t going to fall for that trick. Then the llama comes up and sticks it’s head over the fence. Shara is like ewww…what is that? Broke her sheep focus a bit. Then she wandered over by the judge, who growled at her so maybe she would lay down. She didn’t but T was able to move towards her a bit and with all the distractions finally got Shara to come to her without her diving back to the sheep!!!! YIPPPEEEE!!!!!!!!!! Shara now has an HT leg! Took under 4 of the 10 minutes and I bet a good part of that was the stop and recall.

Judge wrote on her test sheet that it was a shame the dog hadn’t been started on sheep younger. I can’t tell you how many knowledgeable people have told me that about Shara.

Oh yeah, forgot my camera after getting batteries. So hope the photographer got some action shots.


Pam

"We must be willing to let go of the life we had planned
so as to have the life that is waiting for us"