Jory stayed at the farm from Wednesday to Saturday afternoon. We did some driving, and his next turn was a mix. He got to work with a big group of lambs! He nipped towards their haunches/back knees a few... Several times. Shauna warned him to keep it together but didn't correct him. She wants him to think he has that bullet in the gun, but only shot it if she lets him. He ran after a solitary striped sheep a few times, but didn't dive at their thighs/drag them to the ground. he kept his exceptional gripping to himself.
I learned that attitude/mentally wise, him learning into me is like jumping on me, and to only allow it when I invite him. He'll learn better self control and confidence by just being spaced a little. She said that instead of paying attention to us, they just feel the pressure and send their mind out. Watching another dog herding, they imagine they are herding, too. "Only they do it wrong! I can't let them watch normally. I'll take them back into their stall. They literally DREAM about it!"
That explains the exuberant REM alpha and I witnessed recently. ^^ His feet were all atwitch, and he was woofing. Ugh! So cute. Probably dreaming of blowing sheep apart and gripping them. :)
Shauna wants me to just come down twice a week for lessons. "He's very odd" with his attitudes, she thinks he'll do better not boarding. I know I will, I miss him! He's like my energy capacitor, when he's gone my moral is zero. I thought that he was happy when I dropped him off, but maybe it was initial excitement. Shauna doesn't think he is very happy staying there. Not eating. :P But the experiment was good for him! He learned some good manners and went from the tiny noob pen with very dog-broke sheep to the bigger pens and different groups. (Original three sheep are terrified of him and just run in circles.)
Since I am already driving twice a week, it will work in my schedule. He just gets fewer LESSONS, ugh!
Mornings are full with old faithful clients. She wants me to try coming in the middle of the day. Blaaaah. Work. To make them both work I'll need to wake up and go in extra early. Doable.
In the car I scratched his forehead, and he blinked his eyes closed like a sleepy rat. (I had rats as a kid.)
Now that Jory is home, he ate his food right away, and enjoyed a trachea treat! :D I had him on a line enjoying the view from our patio, but now that he is inside he is stone TIRED. I suspect the boarding kennels + sheep are too stimulating for him to relax.
He's so cuddly right now, we are all three so pleased to be back together. :) here are some cute pictures. He usually keeps his eyes on alpha when being hugged, and licks him off. Just zzzzzzzzz.
