Skip ran in our first trial final weekend, and whereas watching the video to determine how on earth he received a shed (the one actually good one of many trial), I spotted what a fantastic alternative it was to play the “Sharpen Our Remark Expertise” sport.

I’ll always remember my first day of Ethology Lab at UW-Madison, during which Professor Bayliss sat us down in entrance of a glass cage with rats in it and requested us to report our observations of their habits. Afterward, our discussions went one thing like this:

Prof: Describe what you noticed, from second one to second ten.

Us: One rat was asleep, the opposite walked to the aspect of the cage.

Prof: However what was the posture of the sleeping rat? Respiration charge? Did you describe it’s coloring so you would ID it in one other group? And what do you imply “walked?” Which paw moved first, a entrance or again one? What number of steps? . . . . And many others. And many others. And many others.

Thus we started studying tips on how to be actually good observers, or, no less than, higher, understanding that habits takes place in microseconds and drilling down into finer and finer particulars is all the things.

So . . . Wanna play? In that case, begin by watching Skip throughout the “carry,” when the canine makes “contact” with the sheep and will get them transferring. This happens from about second 13/14 to about 60 seconds. (An ideal carry will get the sheep transferring, quietly and with out stress, in a straight line towards the handler.) Determine what side of Skip’s habits you need to deal with–His posture? His tempo? How he flanks? Is there a specific factor he does that you just assume is most essential? Write your feedback and observations down, and make my day by sharing them within the feedback in case you are so inclined.

Okay, subsequent: Watch the carry once more, however this time deal with the sheep. See should you can predict by their habits by guessing who’s going to maneuver first. Who could be the “lead” sheep? Identical one? (Notice: You may’t inform if they’re on line straight to me or not as a result of I’m out of the image, but when I bear in mind proper, they have been very near being completely on line.) What’s their tempo? In the event that they cease after getting going, are you able to speculate why? Can you are expecting what path they will go by watching a specific physique half? Once more, attempt penning this down, and don’t hesitate to share should you really feel prefer it.

Wanna play some extra? Go to six:22 to six:39, and watch Skip’s profitable shed. (The “shed” is an train during which the canine and handler work collectively to separate up the group of sheep, often 2 sheep from the others and held away from the group by the canine till the choose says “Good!”). These sheep have been nearly unattainable to shed. They’re “college sheep,” and have discovered that velcro-ing themselves to the handler is the very best place to be. They’ve just about no concern of people and behave as if they’re glued to one another, and glued to you.  For instance, one among them allowed me, throughout an earlier a part of our try for a shed, to kiss her on the nostril whereas standing on my boot. (I’m not making that up, and if case you might be new to sheep, that’s not typical sheepy habits!)

First, what occurred right here? Now you’ve gotten three animals to look at! What did I do earlier than the precise cut up? What was Skip doing? Might you are expecting, earlier than it occurred, which sheep would separate sufficient for Skip to come back in? And, critically, Skip’s shed wasn’t good, in that he centered on the three, relatively than the two. Any concepts about why? (Trace: It’s on me.)

Should you’re completely into this, go to seconds 3:25 to three:50 during which Skip and I attempt to get the sheep via the second of the 2 “drive panels.” Jim was videoing in an ideal place as an example why we missed getting the sheep via the panels, however I used to be not, and was struggling, with my lame depth notion, to determine precisely the place they have been. However it’s an ideal place to observe the sheep and predict what’s going to occur. (It’s additionally an ideal place to view Skip’s greatest problem–at all times wanting to remain on the left, and one among mine, which is depth notion on the cross drive.)

That mistake despatched us into second relatively than first, however I couldn’t have cared much less. I used to be very proud of Skip’s work, he was responsive and centered, and, apart from my one mistake, I managed to maintain my head collectively. I’m fairly certain that Skip is unable to alter his relentless need keep on the sheep’s left (see my submit re his listening to & vestibular dysfunction), and I’ve no hassle forgiving myself one split-second mistake.

      Maggie in her prime, 2015

General, it was a fantastic day. My favourite form of trial–small, informal, supportive. An opportunity to see good mates I haven’t seen all winter. Maggie got here out of retirement to take pleasure in herself in a “non-compete” run, and she or he was SOOOO joyful! She didn’t do effectively in any respect and neither did I. She tousled, I gave her the fallacious flank on the worst potential time, and neither of us cared a bit. I’m so grateful for the oldsters at Agility on the Farm for placing on the trial!

MEANWHILE, again on the farm: First, enjoyable with Easter! Mates David and Julie came to visit for our annual Fake You Are Children on Easter Day. We ate a grown-up lunch, coloured eggs like a bunch of 5-year olds, and had a boys towards the women Easter Egg hunt. We didn’t have sufficient of these little wire dipper issues to dip our eggs into the mugs with dye, so Jim McGyvered with my baking whip. Sensible.

Maggie will get credit score on the finish of the egg hunt, though I didn’t get a photograph of her saving us. The blokes discovered 15 of the 16 eggs Julie and I had hidden, after which . . . I couldn’t bear in mind the place I’d hidden the final one. Whoops. Not happy by the considered an egg rotting in my research, I known as Maggie into the room, confirmed her one of many eggs, and mentioned “Discover It.” By no means as soon as have I ever skilled her to discover a scent I’ve proven her. Ever. She has discovered to seek for the tug toy after I say Discover It, however that’s it.

Rattling if she didn’t go proper to the proper space and sniff like loopy. Now, she did NOT go proper to the egg, hidden behind a big piece of xxboard. Nevertheless, she went to that nook, and wouldn’t cease sniffing about 3 toes above and to the suitable of the egg. I’m pondering that’s the place the egg scent was transferring to, given the vent within the flooring beside the egg. Or, I may simply be making all of it up, however it was spectacular how she saved going again to at least one space each time I mentioned “Discover It.” I’ll always remember Steve White, in one among his fabulous seminars, speaking about how canines go to the strongest scent, not essentially the place the scent originated from. I’m calling it Maggie For the Win.

Moreover all of the enjoyable colours of an Easter egg hunt, the flowers outdoors added to the social gathering on a heat, sunny day. Right here’s an early bee having fun with a crocus flower, earlier than the inevitable occurred and a rabbit chomped it to the bottom.

Right here’s one other–I take pleasure in them after I can, having determined the rabbits win, what the hell, and I’ll simply plant spring bulbs they don’t like.

And, in fact, it’s April, so this occurred two days later. It’s at all times April Idiot’s Month in Wisconsin, simply a part of the enjoyable. (And, Skip was soooo joyful! I want I may give him snow on daily basis of the yr–however simply in little patches that by no means get icy or soften into mud.)

It’s heat and sunny in the present day, and watching the birds round right here is like being in a bar with dozens of drunken twenty-year olds who simply found intercourse. Out the window, as I write this, I’m watching 3 species of birds compete for a nest in a local vine on the pergola that Jim constructed. Final yr a pair of robins constructed it after the one we supplied received too sizzling in summer time. Proper now as I write, a pair of mourning doves and a male home sparrow are combating for entry. Just a few toes away, a pair of home finches are doing in depth transforming to the nest out the lounge window. (It will get too sizzling in mid-summer, so we’ll hold it there for the primary batch after which transfer the place it’s a number of toes over. Or transfer it now? Undecided, each nests are very shut collectively.)

From All About Birds, Cornell

That’s it for me in the present day, however I soooo hope you need to play the canine/sheep/human remark sport and speak about it within the remark part. I’ll be all eyes and ears for the subsequent few days.

My delight for the day? Mr. Mourning Dove besotted with Mrs. MD. He’s lovely, though I’m unsure if I’d assume so if I used to be Mrs. MD. She will barely get a second to herself! Don’t neglect to inform us yours.