okay, time for sheepdog pics! just a few
first off, last weekend in Hollister:
you can just barely make out the four sheep being herded off in the distance at around 2 o'clock to the shepard. the sheep start off on the hill around the area where that pole is. there's a corral just over the ridge where they break off packs of 4 for each round. the shepard sends his dog off and up the hill to bring em back through the various gates in a particular order...
...until it's time to pen them (time permitting, of course). totally the hardest part and very dependent on the sheeps' disposition. not a lot of people were successful at this last step during the time we watched.
specatators and their dogs at the trial in Sonoma on Easter. notice the puppy in the lap - my wife later got to hold him for a bit and it made our dog so crazy jealous, especially when started to try and give him kisses (the puppy, that is).
the funny thing about these events: hundreds of dogs, probably 90% border collies. all totally silent and almost completely uninterested in each other.
our pup parker being a bit camera shy
parker watching his mama watching the trial on the flat field course. notice the b&w bc in the background paying close attention to the action.
the hill course in Sonoma. at this trial the dogs also had to split the flock of four twice - once into twos and then again into 1 and 3. really, really difficult but the sheep here seemed a bit more complacent and we saw a lot of successful runs.
first off, last weekend in Hollister:
you can just barely make out the four sheep being herded off in the distance at around 2 o'clock to the shepard. the sheep start off on the hill around the area where that pole is. there's a corral just over the ridge where they break off packs of 4 for each round. the shepard sends his dog off and up the hill to bring em back through the various gates in a particular order...
...until it's time to pen them (time permitting, of course). totally the hardest part and very dependent on the sheeps' disposition. not a lot of people were successful at this last step during the time we watched.
specatators and their dogs at the trial in Sonoma on Easter. notice the puppy in the lap - my wife later got to hold him for a bit and it made our dog so crazy jealous, especially when started to try and give him kisses (the puppy, that is).
the funny thing about these events: hundreds of dogs, probably 90% border collies. all totally silent and almost completely uninterested in each other.
our pup parker being a bit camera shy
parker watching his mama watching the trial on the flat field course. notice the b&w bc in the background paying close attention to the action.
the hill course in Sonoma. at this trial the dogs also had to split the flock of four twice - once into twos and then again into 1 and 3. really, really difficult but the sheep here seemed a bit more complacent and we saw a lot of successful runs.
