Results and photos
PAIMENNUSLEIRI Rymättylässä 10.-12.9.2004
PAIMENNUSTESTI Rymättylässä 15.5.2004
Herder camp 18-19.10.2003 in Rymättylä
Arttu in work
After breakfast and after housing arrangements we got to start. The group was splitted in half, so that everyone got to do something. Our group started with obedience training, which I had not done with my dog very much before. Some obedience basics I had thougt to my dog before. It was quite imposing to see how fast the dog got the grip of it, what was expected from him.
After being busy for a while there with obedience we started going towards the pen where the sheep were. There we just standed butterflies in our stomachs watching imposing performances of the others to learn the herding skills. Finally became that moment we got to go to the pen with Arttu and meet the sheep. For a moment I let Arttu sniff the sheep while he was strapped in the leash to see what kind of animals were they. And then I let Arttu loose to get contact with the sheep. I would not believe in what I saw. I was amazed to see how fast the dog got to grip of what we were doing. Arttu circled around the sheep and kept them together. And what I wondered the most was that how the dog had patience to listen how I gave him orders what to do and where to go and so he did. Sometimes I had to move to get the flock of sheep on the move. Few times the dog splitted the flock and immediately he gathered the lost sheep back to the flock. The time went terribly fast hustling with the dog and the flock of sheep and soon was our turn to hand over the pen to the next dog in line. We still stayed standing by the pen to see the performances of the others and still wondering our own. The rest of the day went eating good food, training obedience and get to know basics of the agility.
When the evening fell we ate quite tasty supper. After the supper we got to relax in sauna and in hot tub bubbles relaxing the feet and sore backs and wash the dust of the sandfield’s away. The hot tub was really something! One could not want to get up from the bubbles anymore!
After the next morning dawned after the tasty
breakfast it was time to go back to the herding pen. I how nervous I was now
after the yesterdays perfomance still fresh in my mind. But unnecessarily
I worried because my dog was that morning actually better than he had been
the first time. Arttu circled the flock of sheep and every now and then I
had to cool him down to stay in place while I backed up. He was waiting the
releasing command and after getting it I commanded him to bring the flock
to me, which he did do again and again back and forth in the pen. It was amazing
to see my dog herd like this even though he hasn’t done it before. Again
it was our time to leave the pen to the other dogs to try herding, which we
stayed watching with great interest. After that it was time to do some obedience
again.
After lunch it was time to train some agility basics again and again it was
pleesing to see how he got the grip to that so easily too. So many obstacles
what we learned then was made possible by the good guidance we got,thanks
to that. All the good ends in time, so did this herding weekend too and it
was time for the finishing speeches and coffee.
Special thanks for Kirsi, Tuija and the people from the training center Haukku-apaja for the training weekend. Also thanks for all those who did this weekend possible and enjoyable, special thanks goes to the chief of the kitchen for the tasty food! Wistfully Arttu and I stay to wait the next time for similar weekends.
Recollection by Petri Karlsson