Skip ran in our first trial final weekend, and whereas watching the video to determine how on earth he obtained a shed (the one actually good one of many trial), I spotted what a terrific alternative it was to play the “Sharpen Our Remark Expertise” recreation.
I’ll always remember my first day of Ethology Lab at UW-Madison, wherein Professor Bayliss sat us down in entrance of a glass cage with rats in it and requested us to document our observations of their conduct. 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 may 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 forth. And so forth. And so forth.
Thus we started studying easy methods to be really good observers, or, at the very least, higher, understanding that conduct takes place in microseconds and drilling down into finer and finer particulars is the whole lot.
So . . . Wanna play? If that’s the case, begin by watching Skip in the course of the “raise,” 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 raise will get the sheep transferring, quietly and with out stress, in a straight line towards the handler.) Resolve what facet of Skip’s conduct you wish to give attention to–His posture? His tempo? How he flanks? Is there a selected factor he does that you just suppose is most essential? Write your feedback and observations down, and make my day by sharing them within the feedback in case you are so inclined.
Okay, subsequent: Watch the raise once more, however this time give attention to the sheep. See when you can predict by their conduct by guessing who’s going to maneuver first. Who is perhaps the “lead” sheep? Identical one? (Notice: You possibly can’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 have 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 path they’ll go by watching a selected physique half? Once more, attempt penning this down, and don’t hesitate to share when you 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 wherein 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 have been virtually unattainable to shed. They’re “faculty sheep,” and have discovered that velcro-ing themselves to the handler is the perfect place to be. They’ve just about no concern 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 might be new to sheep, that isn’t typical sheepy conduct!)
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.)
If you happen to’re completely into this, go to seconds 3:25 to three:50 wherein Skip and I attempt to get the sheep by way of the second of the 2 “drive panels.” Jim was videoing in an ideal place as an instance why we missed getting the sheep by way of the panels, however I used to be not, and was struggling, with my lame depth notion, to determine precisely the place they have been. But it surely’s an ideal place to look at the sheep and predict what will occur. (It’s additionally an ideal place to view Skip’s largest problem–all the time 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 pleased with Skip’s work, he was responsive and targeted, and, aside from my one mistake, I managed to maintain my head collectively. I’m fairly certain that Skip is unable to vary his relentless need keep on the sheep’s left (see my publish re his listening to & vestibular dysfunction), and I’ve no bother forgiving myself one split-second mistake.
Maggie in her prime, 2015
General, it was a terrific day. My favourite type of trial–small, informal, supportive. An opportunity to see good pals I haven’t seen all winter. Maggie got here out of retirement to take pleasure in herself in a “non-compete” run, and he or she was SOOOO joyful! She didn’t do nicely in any respect and neither did I. She tousled, I gave her the flawed flank on the worst potential 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! Associates David and Julie came visiting for our annual Fake You Are Youngsters on Easter Day. We ate a grown-up lunch, coloured eggs like a bunch of 5-year olds, and had a boys towards the women 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. Sensible.
Maggie will get credit score on the finish of the egg hunt, though I didn’t get a photograph of her saving us. The blokes 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 research, I known as Maggie into the room, confirmed her one of many eggs, and mentioned “Discover It.” By no means as soon as have I ever skilled her to discover a scent I’ve proven her. Ever. She has discovered to seek for the tug toy after I say Discover It, however that’s it.
Rattling if she didn’t go proper to the right 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 ft 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 flooring beside the egg. Or, I may simply be making all of it up, however it was spectacular how she saved 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 canine go to the strongest scent, not essentially the place the scent originated from. I’m calling it Maggie For the Win.
Apart from all of the enjoyable colours of an Easter egg hunt, the flowers outdoors added to the celebration 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 take pleasure in them after 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 all the time April Idiot’s Month in Wisconsin, simply a part of the enjoyable. (And, Skip was soooo joyful! I want I may give him snow daily of the 12 months–however simply in little patches that by no means get icy or soften into mud.)
It’s heat and sunny at present, 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 12 months a pair of robins constructed it after the one we offered obtained too sizzling in summer season. Proper now as I write, a pair of mourning doves and a male home sparrow are combating for entry. Just a few ft away, a pair of home finches are doing in depth reworking to the nest out the lounge window. (It will get too sizzling in mid-summer, so we’ll maintain it there for the primary batch after which transfer the place it’s a number of ft over. Or transfer it now? Unsure, each nests are very shut collectively.)
From All About Birds, Cornell
That’s it for me at present, however I soooo hope you wish to play the canine/sheep/human statement recreation and discuss it within the remark part. I’ll be all eyes and ears for the subsequent few days.
My delight for the day? Mr. Mourning Dove besotted with Mrs. MD. He’s cute, though I’m undecided if I’d suppose so if I used to be Mrs. MD. She will barely get a second to herself! Don’t overlook to inform us yours.
