Flash the Horse Herder

Today is Sunday, the day when normally Dennis does everything and I sit on my but, except for taking care of the kittens (now mostly cats). But this afternoon he went to a community event and I had to put the horses up at night. That meant I had to trade sneakers for my slippers. Rats!

Anyhow, Flash and I trudged down to the barn around 5 o'clock and I saw that Shalla was patiently waiting at her stall door. I warned Flash not to chase her (Flash! NO!) and he reluctantly hovered but did not chase. I opened Shalla's door and she calmly went in. I said to her, "Where's Doc?" because he wasn't hanging around the barn as usual. I walked around to the other side to see if he was there. He wasn't, but I opened his door and started off to hunt him down in the pasture.

As I came around the barn again, I saw him walking toward me some distance away. Then I saw Flash quietly walking behind Doc, bringing him to the barn. I swear when he heard me say "Where's Doc?" he went out to get him. I swear!! Betsy and I have been playing a game every Wednesday when we go to the barn for a riding lesson. Betsy started it and I've been carrying it on. We have dog cookies in the tack room to support this training. We ask Flash "Where's Doc?" and he's supposed to jump up and touch Doc's stall door. Later I started doing the same thing with Shalla. Flash doesn't get it right all the time, but for the most part he touches the correct door and gets a cookie.

So today, while I was astonished to see Flash actually herding Doc back to the barn, I think he was acting on the training we did in the barn. Huh. Who knew?

Here's the proof. I took these with my iphone camera. If you look in the center of the first photo you can just barely see Doc through the trees. The subsequent photos show Flash walking him in all the way to his paddock. (This is so great.)

Back on Track

Apologies...I have neglected Flash's blog for a while, but we are back on track. Tonight was lesson night with Rachel. I am happy to report that Flash was excellent. The last two weeks weren't so good. Flash was overly excited and distracted. So, tonight when he was so good, he really surprised me...pleasantly. We worked on heeling, the stay, the down, come, and even retrieve. He is just doing so much better I can't believe it.

Fun with the Whippets

While Dennis and I were in San Francisco, Flash got to spend the week with Rachel and her whippets in Alpine. He really had fun with the dogs (not all of them whippets) and Rachel and Henry report he was a very good dog.

I think he was happy to see us, but I don't think he would have minded staying at Rachel's forever. He really had a lot of fun.

Lesson Tuesday

Tonight was a different kind of lesson for Flash--patience. We spent a good part of the class on the sidelines letting the adorable Havanese puppy, Danny, get some practice in. He hasn't been to the class for awhile and we've benefitted from having private lessons. So tonight we let Danny work alone with his handler much of the time.

Flash had to learn not to dash after Danny's toy or try to herd him. This was as hard on Flash as it was on me, trying to hold him back.

Flash also practiced the stay and down commands and heeling without sniffing the whole yard in the process.

Pond Scum

If you take a deep sniff of Flash's coat, that's what he smells like--pond scum. I bought him an orange float toy like they use with hunting dogs who swim after birds that land in water. Now that Flash knows he can swim, I encourage him to do it as much as possible. It's very hot and it cools him off. So for the last couple of days, I've been taking him down to the pond and throwing his toy in the water. He knows what to do--retrieve the toy and -- what? Take it down the shore and chew it to death? No, no. Bring the toy, Flash. Bring it!

That is why we don't spend too much time at the pond. I get tired of retrieving the toy.

Smart Dog

Tuesday was Flash's lesson with Rachel. He did pretty well; I was the one with issues. I have to practice how I tell Flash to "get ready" or "get around."

We did some training asking Flash to move back. I wasn't sure he got it, but tonight when we practiced the back command, I could see that he knew what I wanted and did it. Huh.

Stand

Flash and I are working on the Stand command since it is the basis for other commands. As long as I have a cookie, Flash will stand up from a sit and come forward. It's not exactly what I want, but I think in a few days he will get it. Then I need to get rid of the cookie.