Apply Your Commentary Abilities on Canines and SHEEP!

Skip ran in our first trial final weekend, and whereas watching the video to determine how on earth he acquired a shed (the one actually good one of many trial), I spotted what an important alternative it was to play the “Sharpen Our Commentary Abilities” recreation.

I’ll always remember my first day of Ethology Lab at UW-Madison, through which Professor Bayliss sat us down in entrance of a glass cage with rats in it and requested us to file our observations of their habits. Afterward, our discussions went one thing like this:

Prof: Describe what you noticed, from second one to second ten.

Us: One rat was asleep, the opposite walked to the aspect of the cage.

Prof: However what was the posture of the sleeping rat? Respiration price? Did you describe it’s coloring so you possibly can ID it in one other group? And what do you imply “walked?” Which paw moved first, a entrance or again one? What number of steps? . . . . And so on. And so on. And so on.

Thus we started studying easy methods to be really good observers, or, a minimum of, higher, understanding that habits takes place in microseconds and drilling down into finer and finer particulars is all the pieces.

So . . . Wanna play? If that’s the case, begin by watching Skip in the course of the “elevate,” when the canine makes “contact” with the sheep and will get them transferring. This happens from about second 13/14 to about 60 seconds. (An ideal elevate will get the sheep transferring, quietly and with out stress, in a straight line towards the handler.) Determine what side of Skip’s habits you wish to deal with–His posture? His tempo? How he flanks? Is there a specific factor he does that you simply assume is most vital? Write your feedback and observations down, and make my day by sharing them within the feedback if you’re so inclined.

Okay, subsequent: Watch the elevate once more, however this time deal with the sheep. See for those who can predict by their habits by guessing who’s going to maneuver first. Who is perhaps the “lead” sheep? Similar one? (Notice: You’ll be able to’t inform if they’re on line straight to me or not as a result of I’m out of the image, but when I keep in mind proper, they had been very near being completely on line.) What’s their tempo? In the event that they cease after getting going, are you able to speculate why? Can you are expecting what route they’re going to go by watching a specific physique half? Once more, attempt scripting this down, and don’t hesitate to share for those who really feel prefer it.

Wanna play some extra? Go to six:22 to six:39, and watch Skip’s profitable shed. (The “shed” is an train through which the canine and handler work collectively to separate up the group of sheep, often 2 sheep from the others and held away from the group by the canine till the choose says “Good!”). These sheep had been nearly inconceivable to shed. They’re “college sheep,” and have realized that velcro-ing themselves to the handler is one of the best place to be. They’ve just about no worry of people and behave as if they’re glued to one another, and glued to you.  For instance, one in every of them allowed me, throughout an earlier a part of our try for a shed, to kiss her on the nostril whereas standing on my boot. (I’m not making that up, and if case you’re new to sheep, that’s not typical sheepy habits!)

First, what occurred right here? Now you’ve gotten three animals to watch! What did I do earlier than the precise break up? What was Skip doing? May you are expecting, earlier than it occurred, which sheep would separate sufficient for Skip to come back in? And, critically, Skip’s shed wasn’t excellent, in that he targeted on the three, slightly than the two. Any concepts about why? (Trace: It’s on me.)

In the event you’re completely into this, go to seconds 3:25 to three:50 through which Skip and I attempt to get the sheep by means of the second of the 2 “drive panels.” Jim was videoing in an ideal place as an example why we missed getting the sheep by means of the panels, however I used to be not, and was struggling, with my lame depth notion, to determine precisely the place they had been. But it surely’s an ideal place to observe the sheep and predict what’s going to occur. (It’s additionally an ideal place to view Skip’s greatest problem–at all times wanting to remain on the left, and one in every of mine, which is depth notion on the cross drive.)

That mistake despatched us into second slightly than first, however I couldn’t have cared much less. I used to be very proud of Skip’s work, he was responsive and targeted, and, apart from my one mistake, I managed to maintain my head collectively. I’m fairly certain that Skip is unable to alter his relentless need keep on the sheep’s left (see my put up re his listening to & vestibular dysfunction), and I’ve no bother forgiving myself one split-second mistake.

Total, it was an important day. My favourite sort of trial–small, informal, supportive. An opportunity to see good mates I haven’t seen all winter. Maggie got here out of retirement to get pleasure from herself in a “non-compete” run, and he or she was SOOOO blissful! She didn’t do properly in any respect and neither did I. She tousled, I gave her the improper flank on the worst attainable time, and neither of us cared a bit. I’m so grateful for the parents at Agility on the Farm for placing on the trial!

MEANWHILE, again on the farm: First, enjoyable with Easter! Mates David and Julie came to visit for our annual Faux You Are Children on Easter Day. We ate a grown-up lunch, coloured eggs like a bunch of 5-year olds, and had a boys towards the ladies Easter Egg hunt. We didn’t have sufficient of these little wire dipper issues to dip our eggs into the mugs with dye, so Jim McGyvered with my baking whip. Good.

Maggie will get credit score on the finish of the egg hunt, though I didn’t get a photograph of her saving us. The fellows discovered 15 of the 16 eggs Julie and I had hidden, after which . . . I couldn’t keep in mind the place I’d hidden the final one. Whoops. Not happy by the considered an egg rotting in my examine, I referred to as Maggie into the room, confirmed her one of many eggs, and mentioned “Discover It.” By no means as soon as have I ever educated her to discover a scent I’ve proven her. Ever. She has realized to seek for the tug toy once I say Discover It, however that’s it.

Rattling if she didn’t go proper to the proper space and sniff like loopy. Now, she did NOT go proper to the egg, hidden behind a big piece of xxboard. Nevertheless, she went to that nook, and wouldn’t cease sniffing about 3 toes above and to the fitting of the egg. I’m considering that’s the place the egg scent was transferring to, given the vent within the ground beside the egg. Or, I might simply be making all of it up, however it was spectacular how she stored going again to at least one space each time I mentioned “Discover It.” I’ll always remember Steve White, in one in every of his fabulous seminars, speaking about how canines go to the strongest scent, not essentially the place the scent originated from. I’m calling it Maggie For the Win.

In addition to all of the enjoyable colours of an Easter egg hunt, the flowers exterior added to the social gathering on a heat, sunny day. Right here’s an early bee having fun with a crocus flower, earlier than the inevitable occurred and a rabbit chomped it to the bottom.

Right here’s one other–I get pleasure from them once I can, having determined the rabbits win, what the hell, and I’ll simply plant spring bulbs they don’t like.

And, in fact, it’s April, so this occurred two days later. It’s at all times April Idiot’s Month in Wisconsin, simply a part of the enjoyable. (And, Skip was soooo blissful! I want I might give him snow each day of the yr–however simply in little patches that by no means get icy or soften into mud.)

It’s heat and sunny at the moment, and watching the birds round right here is like being in a bar with dozens of drunken twenty-year olds who simply found intercourse. Out the window, as I write this, I’m watching 3 species of birds compete for a nest in a local vine on the pergola that Jim constructed. Final yr a pair of robins constructed it after the one we offered acquired too sizzling in summer time. Proper now as I write, a pair of mourning doves and a male home sparrow are combating for entry. Just a few toes away, a pair of home finches are doing in depth transforming to the nest out the lounge window. (It will get too sizzling in mid-summer, so we’ll preserve it there for the primary batch after which transfer the place it’s just a few toes over. Or transfer it now? Unsure, each nests are very shut collectively.)

That’s it for me at the moment, however I soooo hope you wish to play the canine/sheep/human commentary recreation and speak about it within the remark part. I’ll be all eyes and ears for the following few days.

My delight for the day? Mr. Mourning Dove besotted with Mrs. MD. He’s lovely, though I’m unsure if I’d assume so if I used to be Mrs. MD. She will barely get a second to herself! Don’t overlook to inform us yours.