the next workshop at Binalong (near Yass and Canberra) will be on 19 and 20 April - cost is $120 for Koolie Club members and $130 for others. If you are interested please email me at ailsat@netspeed.com.au for a booking form.
Check out my dog's report on the last school:
PERRY’S GUIDE TO SHEEPDOG SCHOOL
I thought you might all like to see what it is like going to sheepdog school. These are some pictures taken by my photographer last weekend at Binalong.
The farm we go to (you know it is a big one because it is not called a farm, it is called a station) is about 2 hours drive north west of our house. The last six kms or so are down this dirt road which is where we saw a big brown snake – Ailsa thought it was a branch and was going to get out and move it off the road but then it moved itself so she stayed in the car:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...BobbaraRoad.jpg
Here is a view of the wool shed and shearer’s quarters from that road – as you can see Brad has taken to running cattle as well as sheep. I do not approve of this because I do not like cattle.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...ersquarters.jpg
When we went to visit my foster mum Janine and my Koolie foster sister Spy up in Armidale we drove up through lots of small rural towns. In one we had to stop and wait while a farmer moved his stock through the town. I was back seat driving and at the same time helping the farmer get those cattle through quickly. One of them had the cheek to stop and press her face to my car window and moo at me – the nerve of it – it was an insult to me as a professional sheepdog and I have held all cattle responsible for this breach of protocol ever since and given them a jolly good barking at. Here is me with Janine and Spy:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...PerryandSpy.jpg
Here is a close up of some of Brad’s cattle: http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...Bradscattle.jpg
I thought you might like to see inside the woolshed – this is a big shed – it has 8 stands so that 8 shearers can work at once. It is a very old shed – well over 100 years old and originally it had 16 stands. Shearing has just finished for the year – they do it in February.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...rawoolshed1.jpg
Sometimes if it is very hot or wet we work in this one. Sometimes Brad makes the people be sheepdogs and we get to watch them doing a rotten job as they move the sheep around the pen. Once my Mum had to move one sheep around and it was going OK when suddenly the sheep decided it had had enough, it stamped its feet and charged – I was worried she might be hurt – my Mum not the sheep – but it went straight past her and jumped out of the open window and was last seen running off jumping in the air for joy.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...raWoolshed2.jpg
At sheepdog school the people all have their morning tea and lunch in the shed to get out of the sun.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...rawoolshed4.jpg
Usually when we first arrive we have a go in a small yard to get back into the swing of things and then we move down to one of the big yards.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...sheepyards1.jpg
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...sheepyards2.jpg
For the first go we get a handful of sheep – about 10-12 because that is easier to work:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...ngMarch2008.jpg
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...datBinalo-1.jpg
Most of the dogs get tied up in the shade between the cars to wait their turn but just before you go in you get to go with the people. In the breaks we can go and play and have long runs in the paddock behind the cars:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...gintheshade.jpg
Here is me:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...gandwaiting.jpg
At this school we were learning to work 3 sheep – this is pretty difficult but what you have to do in a trial. The sheep won’t stay together and you have to make them. Sometimes you just have to sit down and wait patiently because the one on his own will always want to come back to the others.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...eesheep3-08.jpg
Sometimes the sheep try and hide behind the water trough and you have to creep up on them:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...nkingtrough.jpg
Here I am putting them away – we had to put them through a narrow obstacle and then put them in a pen in the middle of the yard. I was the only dog to put them through the obstacle and everyone cheered me and started chanting “Perry, Perry, Perry” so to show them it was not a fluke I did it another six times but then I did not have time to put them in the pen so I had to put them away in the next yard instead.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...ngsheepaway.jpg
Afterwards I went for a paddle to cool off in their water trough:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...ffafterwork.jpg
Sheepdog school is really hard work and on the way home we always go and get a bowl of icecream at the local shops – I find people are often rude and stare at me enjoying my icecream – anyone would think they had never seen a dog enjoying an icecream before. Then there is a two hour drive home and a rest in front of the TV before getting up to do it all again tomorrow:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o285/sc...afterschool.jpg
Love
Perry (now known as Princess Perry because I have a diamante P on my nice new hot pink working collar)