You can find us now at:
http://merike.wordpress.com/
7.12.07
27.9.07
New trial brag
Riva and I got our first Q in a search trial last weekend and Riva got his HK1 title. :-)
The Finnish working trial system has different diciplines: tracking, search, messenger dog, "combo" and IPO/schutzhund. All diciplines include an obedience part which is the same as in the international IPO trials, its max. 100 points. There are three levels. In the first level search trials a dog has to find three people from an area of 100 by 100 meters in 10 minutes (max. 170 p.) and one article out of three in a 50 by 50 meter area in 5 minutes (max. 30 p.), so 200 points together. To earn a title you must get min. 70/100 in obedience and 150/200 p. in search. Riva and I scored 82/100 in obedience and 162+30=192/200 in search and placed second. Riva is a joy to trial, I can concentrate on doing my bit as handler as well as I can and he takes care of the rest. With Karma trialing was always quite stressful because I had to be very careful she didn't get out of control especially in obedience but with Riva I can actually enjoy myself :-).
Our next trial (level 2) is planned late October and I'm considering entering him to a SAR certification test in early November. The SAR certification test and lever 3 trials are roughly equal in requirements but certification test is graded on pass/fail basis, not scored.
The Finnish working trial system has different diciplines: tracking, search, messenger dog, "combo" and IPO/schutzhund. All diciplines include an obedience part which is the same as in the international IPO trials, its max. 100 points. There are three levels. In the first level search trials a dog has to find three people from an area of 100 by 100 meters in 10 minutes (max. 170 p.) and one article out of three in a 50 by 50 meter area in 5 minutes (max. 30 p.), so 200 points together. To earn a title you must get min. 70/100 in obedience and 150/200 p. in search. Riva and I scored 82/100 in obedience and 162+30=192/200 in search and placed second. Riva is a joy to trial, I can concentrate on doing my bit as handler as well as I can and he takes care of the rest. With Karma trialing was always quite stressful because I had to be very careful she didn't get out of control especially in obedience but with Riva I can actually enjoy myself :-).
Our next trial (level 2) is planned late October and I'm considering entering him to a SAR certification test in early November. The SAR certification test and lever 3 trials are roughly equal in requirements but certification test is graded on pass/fail basis, not scored.
25.7.07
Vacation
My summer vacation is over and its back to the office :-(
During the vacation Riva and I had a chance to go work stock at a new place. They have both sheep and goats and so Riva has had his first experience working goats. I don't know if he noticed any difference, the goats are supposed to be a bit more independet and to challenge a dog more easily than sheep but at least so far none of them have thought about challenging Riva :-). However, the greatest thing about the new place is that we have a chance to train with larger flocks, 30-40 head at a time and even larger once all of their animals come home from summer pastures. Definately requires the dog to figure out how to keep the whole group under control. And hopefully helps us to find some steps between stop and 100 mps speed, which is at the moment the biggest thing holding back our progress. I think I have already seen some slowing down also at home...
Not really a topic for this blog but my smooth collie, Bardi, has also turned on and is working sheep. He's VERY different from Riva, working wiiide and nicely, no biting. He could have some more power though, my own sheep don't take any notice of him but with lighter sheep he is showing some quite nice moves, flanking wide, staying at balance and nice sense of group. We'll see how much he gains confidence and authority with experience.
We have also continued search training with Riva and I really need to get him to a trial sometime this year. Riva has been working really good, his motivation is back better than ever. I think at least some of our problems were caused by too easy practices, he was just too bored to give it his best. Now every time I set up something new and more demanding the challenge just makes him work better :-).
During the vacation Riva and I had a chance to go work stock at a new place. They have both sheep and goats and so Riva has had his first experience working goats. I don't know if he noticed any difference, the goats are supposed to be a bit more independet and to challenge a dog more easily than sheep but at least so far none of them have thought about challenging Riva :-). However, the greatest thing about the new place is that we have a chance to train with larger flocks, 30-40 head at a time and even larger once all of their animals come home from summer pastures. Definately requires the dog to figure out how to keep the whole group under control. And hopefully helps us to find some steps between stop and 100 mps speed, which is at the moment the biggest thing holding back our progress. I think I have already seen some slowing down also at home...
Not really a topic for this blog but my smooth collie, Bardi, has also turned on and is working sheep. He's VERY different from Riva, working wiiide and nicely, no biting. He could have some more power though, my own sheep don't take any notice of him but with lighter sheep he is showing some quite nice moves, flanking wide, staying at balance and nice sense of group. We'll see how much he gains confidence and authority with experience.
We have also continued search training with Riva and I really need to get him to a trial sometime this year. Riva has been working really good, his motivation is back better than ever. I think at least some of our problems were caused by too easy practices, he was just too bored to give it his best. Now every time I set up something new and more demanding the challenge just makes him work better :-).
4.6.07
ASCA stockdog trial at Kitee
We had entered for two duck runs in started and two sheep runs in open. Weekends total was one qualifying score on ducks and one on sheep. The judge was Dana Mackenzie.
On Saturday the ducks were very uncooperative, every single run had at least one, some more, ducks that decided to play dead no matter what the dog did. I was not taking any chances and our run was more obedience than herding. On Sunday I trusted him a bit more and let him do more and we managed the course and got 70 points and a qualifying score. Nothing very spectacular but what can you expect when Riva has seen ducks a total of three times in his life, including these two trial runs?
The sheep were very light and we have been only working my sheep that are very heavy and stubborn. On Saturday we got to a rough start on sheep, I let Riva go into the take pen too fast and the sheep pelted out and I lost control of him. After I got things back under control and set up for the drive we managed quite nicely through the first and second obstacles and after a bit of negotiation even got the sheep through the center chute. I felt miserable because of the start but I guess the rest of the run was pretty good and we got 90,5 points and qualified! On Sunday I was determined to do a better take pen and we did, it was near perfect :-). The rest of the run didn't go so well. At some point the sheep decided that they want to hang around with the human and Riva went to fetch mode and I couldn't get things set up so that we could progress nicely on the course.
On Saturday the ducks were very uncooperative, every single run had at least one, some more, ducks that decided to play dead no matter what the dog did. I was not taking any chances and our run was more obedience than herding. On Sunday I trusted him a bit more and let him do more and we managed the course and got 70 points and a qualifying score. Nothing very spectacular but what can you expect when Riva has seen ducks a total of three times in his life, including these two trial runs?
The sheep were very light and we have been only working my sheep that are very heavy and stubborn. On Saturday we got to a rough start on sheep, I let Riva go into the take pen too fast and the sheep pelted out and I lost control of him. After I got things back under control and set up for the drive we managed quite nicely through the first and second obstacles and after a bit of negotiation even got the sheep through the center chute. I felt miserable because of the start but I guess the rest of the run was pretty good and we got 90,5 points and qualified! On Sunday I was determined to do a better take pen and we did, it was near perfect :-). The rest of the run didn't go so well. At some point the sheep decided that they want to hang around with the human and Riva went to fetch mode and I couldn't get things set up so that we could progress nicely on the course.
11.5.07
Videos
A couple of videos of Riva doing obedience and article search. You can't really see much on the article search video, because I didn't have anybody handling the camera, I just set it up and let it roll.
Heeling, sit and down from heeling and recall
Retrieves
Article search
Heeling, sit and down from heeling and recall
Retrieves
Article search
19.1.07
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
