Saturday, March 31, 2012

To those we loved and lost...

Many years ago, we got a sweet, mostly white Border Collie and then our lives changed....for the better.....here is a photo of Shiro in August 1993. She was about 4 months old. Little did we know this cute, lively pup that stole our heart would lead us on to a different path that we had chosen....she was not the best ISDS type of trial dog but got me into the sport. She was a great farm dog that took no bull from anyone. And she was the love of our life. She has been dead for almost four years and we still miss her.

This is dedicated to all of  first Border Collies who stole our heart. Ya'll have had  one and they all took a piece of our hearts when they died but they all put those little pieces together in dog heaven and now our hearts are whole again through their love.

Photo: John Kohlsaat - Aug 1993

Friday, March 30, 2012

Fat Dog Elevator (Lift)

A warning about obesity in dogs has seen the design of the world's first dog stairlift. According to a shock report, one in three dogs of the 8.3 million canines in the United Kingdom are now obese.
So a device that can transport portly pooches up stairs has been unveiled. Based on a conventional stair lift, the 'Stair of the Dog 2022' concept has been in development for six months and has a number of high tech modifications that make it dog friendly.



As well as a comfy basket for pets to sit in during the stair elevation stage, it features an electronic retractable platform - activated by a paw recognition button - to take said dog from floor to basket level. The prototype has been created by MORE TH>N pet insurance, who warn that if obesity levels continue to rise at the current rate, over half of all pooches will be severely overweight (52 per cent) by 2022.

LINK

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Scott Glen online videos

SIGN UP.....I JUST DID!



Sheepdog Training Courses is proud to present Scott Glen's first online training course - The Young Dog. This new and exciting course will begin, Monday, April 9, 2012.

The Young Dog is 4 weeks of training that will include a weekly instructional video, special weekly session that will allow you to listen while Scott answers your questions, and visual homework, designed by Scott, based on what you learned during the week. All of this for $99. Click Here to Sign Up

Scott's Young Dog Course includes:

1) Starting the Young Dog

2) Balance and Confidence with a Young Dog

3) Bigger Arena and Introductions of Commands with a Young Dog

4) Developing Flexibility on the Outrun with a Young Dog.

As with the free penning course, Scott Glen's Young Dog course is filled to the brim with information and training tips.

When you sign up to participate in this private invitation for Scott Glen's Young Dog Course, please note -- this course is time sensitive and will follow this format:
Monday: new training video

Monday-Wednesday: participant submission of questions

Thursday: audio answer session with Scott Glen

Friday: video homework.

Once the course is finished, you will have an additional 6 weeks to review the material. Worried that this course doesn't match your busy life? No worries. The course will be made available with more flexibility and a less time sensitive structure in the future. However, please note, while access to the Q&A session developed from the first participants will be included in the future offering of The Young Dog Course, there will not be clinician interaction. If you want to receive all of the benefits of the course, including Scott's answers to your questions, then this limited enrollment course is for you! Participation in the live weekly question and answer session is a limited time offer and will only be available until April 9th. Click Here to Sign Up Again, Scott Glen's first sheepdog training course - The Young Dog will beginning April 9th...register today and receive a special gift with purchase - the fourth session in Scott Glen's Penning Course. Also, if you were a participant in our penning series, your name has been automatically entered in a drawing for free participation in Scott Glen's course: The Young Dog. The winner will be announced next week.

This is going to be a fabulous course! Be sure to sign up today to take advantage of the Question and Answer interaction with Scott Glen. Click Here to Sign Up

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Opera meets Pop - Britian has Talent

All I can say is WOW!!

Charlotte is a true friend. What a team!!


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

LOST Border Collie in Anderson, CA

She is a Red & White, 4 yrs old. missing from her home in Anderson, Ca. since 2-22-2012. Please if you have seen her. Please contact me. Tanya Williams 530-227-1340  or Chyrle 530-347-4878. There is a $5000. REWARD for her safe return.



Monday, March 26, 2012

Penny Ohajanian and Quill at Heppner

Penny is one of nicest people you can ever meet. She always has a smile and is happy. She brought her mom along on this trip and it was good to see her again. I really like her and her generous heart. if you haven't met her, make a point to find her and introduce yourself.

Penny rfan her Quill dog. I hope I got this right. He has a nice steady way wiht the sheep.

Waiting...

On the fetch. They were leaning hard.

Move it girls.

On the drive. Quill got a grip in so it was then end of a very nice run. She had a nice smile after her run and kept a positive attitude. She is from Canada and has the true spirit for the sport.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

OKC bound

Well, I just landed in OKC, aka Oklahoma City. I am here for two weeks for work training. I know, something not dog related! I am going to hook up with Susan and Bonnie, whom I hung out with the last time I was here. Bob Brown also emailed me, so I will meet up with him. This will be cool meeting another dog person.

Not much new on the home front, aside from the fact, we are starting to lamb in the next two weeks and I am here. So my students are going to keep an eye on the farm for me. We probably will have a rush of lamb births. So far, we have had about 1/4 of the flock lamb all ready. I got some Border Leicester/North country ewes and two had lambs. I am very impressed with them and hopefully the other ewes that I got are bred too. They are fantastic mothers.

Stella, the new LGD has been a dream. She chased a poor bunny who wandered in the pasture by mistake and I guarantee that bunny won't be going into the pasture again.She swept her flock into a tight group, positioned herself between the sheep and bunny and went on full alert and bark mode. The bunny obviously didn't  move quickly enough for her as she went after him in attack mode.  Last I saw of the bunny, he was  headed south to live with  Suzanne Anaya in California.

I haven't worked the dogs that much since Heppner and they now have a 2 week break. The probably will be fighting for who gets my pillow on the bed. Nice to know that I am missed.

Heppner pixs later this week. Just had caramel corn and a Mike's Hard Lemonade for dinner. Are those in two of the four food groups? Corn=vegetable and Lemon=fruit?



Saturday, March 24, 2012

National Puppy day

It is "National Puppy Day" and I guess that is a good excuse  to post some puppy pixs.

 DeltaBluez Billie

 DeltaBluez Billie 

 DeltaBluez Billie 

 DeltaBluez Rudy (aka Flash) 

DeltaBluez Jam and DeltaBluez Rex

Friday, March 23, 2012

Another Caption Contest - DeltaBluez Lucy

It's that time for another caption  contest. I will give a prize and at this time, I don't know what it is but it won't be until after April 10. I am headed to Oklahoma City for two weeks  and you will just have to wait until I get back for your prize. 

Tess will randomly pick the winner.

Rules.
1. Enter as many times as you want but you get one entry in the hat.
2. Keep it clean!
3. Only USA and Canada are eligible for the prize, however anyone can submit a caption.
4. Contest ends April 10 midnight. (note the date change)
5. Put your captions in the comments section.

Photo: Kathleen Torkelson 

DeltaBluez Lucy and the Heppner Sheep.


Thursday, March 22, 2012

A Horse with Stripes!!


What’s one way to stand out in the show ring? Wear stripes!

After Zack the zebra kept jumping out of his field, Sammi Jo Stohler figured he might have a knack for having fun over fences. “I had to build an 8' fence around the property because he kept jumping out,” she said. “He can clear 5' without a problem; he just walks up to a fence and ends up on the other side of it. I said, ‘I bet he can do it with a rider,’ and yep, it was no problem.”

Zack took quickly to the fences. “He’s large pony size, but he jumps very easily. The first time I pointed him at it, I just put it really low and showed him this is what we’re doing,” said Stohler. “And he said, ‘Oh yeah, I got that.’ He likes jumping, and going higher was no problem.”

With Zack’s ability, Stohler saw the opportunity to prove that zebras can do many different things. “Everyone always asks ‘Can they jump?’ or ‘Can you do this with them?’ and I always like to see what I can accomplish,” she said.


Stohler grew up riding horses on a ranch in eastern Oregon. She embarked on a career of training horses and gradually expanded to other, more exotic, species.

“As I was training horses, I kept hearing, ‘You can’t train zebras, they’re untrainable.’ I said, ‘Why?’ To say something is untrainable implies that it can’t learn, and we all know that if they couldn’t learn, they’d all be extinct. They have to be able to learn and adapt. Obviously, the burden lies on the trainer to be able to train them,” Stohler said.

She got her first zebra about 10 years ago. “He was a dream to work with, and I’ve been hooked ever since. They’re very intelligent. When you teach them something, you don’t have to do a lot of review,” she said. “You train them something, put them away for a few months, then bring them back out, and it’s exactly as if you didn’t stop. A lot of horses need review over and over again before they’re consistent.”

Stohler has two zebras, Zack and Charlie, on her farm in Willis, Texas, as well as a zorse (a zebra-horse cross) and a zonkey (a zebra-donkey cross). She rides Zack frequently, especially on trail rides, and drives Charlie. Her exotic animal rehabilitation skills have led her to work with birds of prey, antelope, deer, elk, camels and badgers.

Stohler has shown locally, but she prefers to focus on training and working her animals at home. But she does enjoy watching equine competitions. “Last year, I got to go to the Devon Horse Show [Pa.] and just loved it. A good friend of mine introduced me to Devon, and I think I’m kind of addicted!” she said.

Zack, 6, came to Stohler two years ago after a former owner had trouble with him. “Sometimes people get a zebra and then lose interest. A lot of people don’t really know how to handle them, so they run into problems, and rather than trying to fix it, they give up and get rid of the zebra,” she said.

“Originally, I was going to work with him, get him over some of his issues, and then sell him again, but that’s not going to happen. He’s going to stay with me,” she added.


Initially, Zack didn’t want to be around people, especially new people. “He was picky about who he allowed to be around him, and he was worried and vocal about it. But as I’ve been working with him, he’s really come around and decided that people are a lot fun,” said Stohler. “Now, instead of going the other way when I go out to his field with a halter, he comes up to me, and he’s very jealous if I take another animal from the field. If I get on one of my mules or horses, he will follow along behind the whole time.”

According to Stohler, zebras tend to bond strongly with one person. “Sometimes they get so bonded to one person that that one person can do anything with them, but no one else can touch them. It’s common to have happen,” she said.

Although Zack had definitely developed a relationship with Stohler, she’s been conscientious to make sure he’s also comfortable around other people. He’s allowed others to groom him and to ride him.
Stohler is working toward being able to use Zack in clinics and demonstrations, but the show ring isn’t in the plans for the near future.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Patrick Shannahan and Andi at Heppner

Patrick and Andi put down a screamer of a run on Saturday at  Heppner on Saturday. Patrick is a pleasure to watch. He is humble, quiet and very generous with his time. Classy is his middle name! I enjoy watching Patrick run as it is a lesson on a top notch handler with a top notch dog. This run was a testimonial.  Patrick never says a unkind word about anyone and he always has a kind word to say to you.

 Patrick is wearing green under all his layers of clothes on St Patrick's Day.

Andi on a sweet fetch. She handled the sheep with calmness. 

Plus she is a stunning looking dog.  You could see the teamwork they had...a real sweetness about it.

 The first leg of the drive way very tough but they made it look easy.

 These range yearling had no desire to shed but Andi made them change their minds.

 One thought she was going to double back...."not so quick" said Andi and the lamb listened.

Putting the two she just shed back together to go to the pen. Look at the expression on her face...just happy and serious!

 OK, grouped together and on to the last section.

They got the pen and with this run, they won first place. How nice for "Patrick" to win the St. Patrick Sheepdog Trial on Saturday. Good things happen to good people and this is one good guy! And of course, one good dog!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Gerbing 7v Heated Vest review


I recently got a Gerbing heated vest. I got cold easily with my heart not functioning properly. So I had heard of Gerbing heated vest and thought it would be a good idea. Getty got me this for Christmas and they were on backorder so I didn’t get it until Feb. So my first real usage was at a Sheepdog trial on Feb 11th but I wasn’t running a dog but judging the trial.. It was darn cold, windy and rainy. The warm was sucked out of your body and soon you were shivering. At the last trial, I stayed in Judy’s RV but in the end, I still got sick from the cold.

So my vest arrived and I was the judge. I got to sit in a van but still had to get in and out to judge. It was raining and the wind was quite cold. I turned my battery on to full power and soon my back and upper chest was warm. I took off my other coat and walked about with just the vest on and I am sure people thought I was crazy.

But the true test was a few weeks later on March 10th, when I ram Maid,  Nan and Rainey. It was very cold, a bitter wind that made your bones turn to icicles, made you wish your at home, in front of a hot fire with a hot toddy. Instead, we were at a pasture that had large pools of water, a wind that played with our inner core temperature and rain that rivaled standing under Niagara Falls.  I had two batteries and my charger which I hooked up in Judy’s RV. The batteries last about 2 hours on 100% strength so since I knew I would be at this trial for about 10 hours, I wanted to keep the spare charging so I could swap them out. It last longer if you use it at the lower settings.

The vest is snug and needs to be so you can feel the warmth. The battery is in the left pocket and is plugged in at the top of the battery. One item of note is the plug will slide out easily so I wrapped a rubber band so keep it fastened. Other than that one small item, there is no issue with the vest.  I put it on high and it warmed up my back and front. It kept the cold out and I was able to function quite well. I wore my cap to keep my head warm and rain pants to keep my jeans dry. Having the inner upper body warm was wonderful. I was not shivering and it felt good. I also sat in front of the propane heater as a bonus. Not losing my body heat made me able to stay more alert and function a lot better during my run. When my battery would be low, I would swap out the battery. The vest worked quite well.

The last test was this last weekend at Heppner, Oregon. It was 28 degrees, bitter cold, very windy and just plain miserable. This is when I wished I had gotten the jacket. The vest did keep my inner core quite warm but my hands, head and feet were cold. Too bad I didn’t have the Gerbing products for those areas.  But the vest worked quite well but since I only had a spare battery, I was limited on my time. So I would chose to go out, flip on the battery, run my dog, then turn if off and go back into the van. I would also go out and walk the dogs or watch other runs. I would flip my battery on during those times. It helped quite a bit and I told a lot of folks about the vest. I think Gerbing will be getting quite a few orders for the jackets, vests and other gear.

Additionally, I have used my vest when I am training my dogs. Since my heart doesn't beat very fast I get cold quickly and have to go into the house to warm up. Now, I can go a lot longer as I am warmer and just swap the battery out after two hours. It has been a godsend for me.

It is well worth the price of $169 but I suggest getting a spare battery. You can order a car charger which I recommend. I just ordered the jacket which heats the back, chest and collar. I got the small size for both. I look forward to wearing it. The jacket that I bought is the older version, not the S2. I am on a budget so opted for that. The 7v is the model they sell now. I will do the jacket review soon.

Gerbing makes two types of heated jackets. One is the 12v technology which is for the Motorcycle riders and the 7 v for outdoor folks. Be sure to order the 7 v products.

In case you were wondering how this technology works, here is a brief description from their website

Gerbings developed Microwire™ in response to a Department of Defense contract for heated clothing for Special Ops Forces. Of the conventional heating systems employed in heated motorcycle clothing at the time, none of it was up to the stress and strains that a soldier would put these items through, especially the demands of Special Ops. Carbon fiber wires were too brittle and thick, and common copper wire heated too slowly and eventually the military was able to get it to it fail. In a nutshell, the military wanted something stronger and more durable, thinner and lighter, and which would heat more rapidly. The answer to all these requirements was what we call Microwire™. And when we were done developing it, we patented it.The wire in Microwire™ consists of bundles of hundreds microscopic stainless steel strands, each about 12 microns thick (about 1/4th the thickness of a human hair), twisted and wrapped in a thin Teflon-derived coating. Because heat escapes these strands from their circumferences, and because there are so many of these strands and they’re so tiny, Microwire™ heats instantly. No more waiting for the heat. It's there RIGHT NOW!

In the R&D process, we found that by altering the number of these strands in each wire, we were able to custom-tune the amount of heat. Additionally, by using these wires either in a heating pad, in a woven pattern or in our patented ribbon matrix, we could further tune how the heat is delivered. More, when using the ribbon matrix, we could refine the heat delivery to an even greater degree by altering the number of wires in the ribbon (from 2 up to 6). It is this “tunability” to each garment application that is one of the major advantages of Microwire™. But it doesn’t stop there.

Being as tiny as they are, and made from stainless steel, our strands (and therefore our wire) is incredibly flexible and exceptionally rugged. Also, at about .025” (vs. about .075 for the copper resistance wire that’s been in use all these years), Microwire is exceptionally thin. So much so you can’t feel the wires. Another advantage is at this tiny size we’ve been able to reduce more than a pound from the weight of our Jacket Liner, with similar weight reductions in our other Microwire garments.

So, in the end, Microwire is thinner, lighter, stronger and more durable. And it heats up in just 10% of the time that the old copper wire required.

Microwire is substantially more expensive to produce. However, it is Gerbings' intention to absorb this cost and hold its current retail prices, at least through the end of 2009.
Microwire is currently available in our Jacket Liners, G3 Gloves, Hybrid Gloves, T5 Gloves, Nubuck Gloves, Glove Liners and Insoles. Microwire is available in most of our products right now.

HOW IT WORKS

When colder outside temperatures are detected, the nervous system restricts blood flow to the extremities to maintain the body's core temperatures. The toes and the fingers quickly become uncomfortably cold.

Other factors besides just cold weather or wind chill aggravate the situation even more. Poorly fitting clothing, physical activity levels, individual physiology, and improper selection, use, and care of your clothing are all additional factors that increase the negative effects of the cold. Also, the presence of moisture increases thermal transfer significantly. This causes heat to escape more rapidly and cold to penetrate faster.

Although we all have different tolerance levels for the cold, we all know what it is like to be warm and comfortable. Gerbing's Heated Clothing works with the body's natural ability to generate heat. Adjusting the intensity of the heat allows the user to stay warm and comfortable in a wider range of temperatures without tapping into the resources the body needs to maintain its other health dependent functions. Our products allow you to concentrate heat to specific areas of the body such as just your hands, feet or your entire core, helping to offset the effects of being cold.


You know how it feels when you put on warm clothes right out of the dryer? Cozy, right? All of us, even those who live in the warmest climates, face the cold at one time or another. It may be an early morning spring frost, a blustery fall afternoon or a bone-chilling winter evening after the sun goes down. Gerbing's Heated Clothing products will prevent you from suffering in these environments and help you better enjoy them regardless of your outdoor activity by providing that "just out of the dryer feeling."



This is the link to the vest that I have. I highly recommend this vest. for those of your that are sheepdog trials. Make you get the vest that is snug as it needs to be close to your body to get the warmth. Get an extra battery and car charger and you will be set to go. I hope you will enjoy your heated vest as much as I do.


enjoy staying warm!





Heppner Official results



Saturday:

HANDLER DOG SCORE
PATRICK SHANNAHAN ANDI 85
SCOTT GLEN JUNE 80
MAGGIE MCCLURE LIL 78
FRANCIS CHAI LOON 77
VICKI CLOSE GALE 77
LAVON CALZACORTA GUS 76
SCOTT GLEN DON 74
RAY COAPMAN JILL 72
NORM CLOSE BLAZE 69
DIANE PAGEL NAN 67
BOB HICKMAN CBK MOJO 66
KAREN CHILD JIM 64
ANGIE UNTIZ BUTCH 62
RON GREEN KIKI 60
LYNN JOHNSTON JESSE 58
FRANCIS CHAI CHIME 56
LORA WITHNELL BELLA 56
RAY CRABTREE TY 53
VICKI CLOSE JESS 52
JO FERUGSON TEAK 49
NOELLE WILLIAMS LAD 47
ANGIE UNTIZ LUKE 47
DIANNE DEAL ZORRO 45
RON GREEN CHAVO 39
SANDY JOHNSON JOE 39
DIANE DEAL PETAL 39
ANNE MOCK BEN 39
JIM COOPER ZOT 38
RUBEN CARDENAS VANGIE 36
LAURA VISHOOT BRYNN 35
DONNA DONAHUE KATE 35
DIANE PAGEL MAID RT
JO FERUGSON GAGE RT
MONIQUE FEYECILDE LUCY RT
PENNY OHAJANIAN QUILL RT
SUE WESSELS LEXY RT
BRIAN RICCARDS DOC RT
NORM CLOSE MEG RT
ANNE MOCK ZAC RT
PATRICK SHANNAHAN RIGGS RT
NOELLE WILLIAMS NAP RT
PENNY OHAJANIAN MOSS RT
KAREN MOHNEY GRIT RT
SUE WESSELS LEXY DQ
HOPE HARRIS TIGR DQ
NORM CLOSE CODY DQ
DONNA DONAHUE TAFF DQ
LORA WITHNELL NELL DQ
LYNN JOHNSTON ANNA DQ
LAVON CALZACORTA TESS DQ
MAGGIE MCCLURE KEP DQ
LAURA VISHOOT TUCKER DQ
JIM COOPER SWEEP DQ
BOB HICKMAN TROOPER DQ


Sunday:

HANDLER DOG SCORE
LAVON CALZACORTA TESS 85
FRANCIS CHAI CHIME 83
PATRICK SHANNAHAN RIGGS 82
DIANE DEAL ZORRO 78
SCOTT GLEN DON 78
JO FERGUSON GAGE 76
JIM COOPER SWEEP 76
RUBEN CARDENAS VANGIE 75
KAREN CHILD JIM 75
SCOTT GLEN JUNE 75
FRANCIS CHAI LOON 74
NORM CLOSE BLAZE 73
RAY COAPMAN JILL 71
JO FERGUSON TEAK 70
VICKI CLOSE GALE 68
ANNE MOCK BEN 66
LAURA VISHOOT TUCKER 66
NOELLE WILLIAMS LAD 66
DONNA DONAHUE KATE 64
BOB HICKMAN CBK MOJO 63
PENNY OHANJANIAN QUILL 63
NOELLE WILLIAMS NAP 62
JIM COOPER ZOT 59
VICKI CLOSE JESS 53
RAY CRABTREE TY 51
NORM CLOSE CODY 49
ANGIE UNTIZ LUKE 49
LYNN JOHNSTON JESSE 48
ANNE MOCK ZAC 47
MONIQUE FEYRECILDE LUCY 43
DONNA DONAHUE TAFT 42
MELINDA EDEN COON 34
SANDY JOHNSON JOE 33
HOPE HARRIS TIGR 31
RON GREEN KIKI RT
BRIAN RICCARDS DOC RT
SUE WESSELS LEXY RT
BOB HICKMAN TROOPER RT
MAGGIE MCCLURE LIL RT
SUE WESSELS KATE RT
LAVON CALZACORTA GUS RT
RON GREEN CHAVO RT
NORM CLOSE MEG RT
KAREN MOHNEY GRIT RT
PENNY OHANJANIAN MOSS DQ
LAURA VISHOOT BRYNN DQ
DIANE PAGEL NAN DQ
DIANE PAGEL MAID DQ
ANGIE UNTIZ BUTCH DQ
LYNN JOHNSTON ANNA DQ
MELINDA EDEN JILL DQ
PATRICK SHANNAHAN ANDI DQ