Tuesday, April 14, 2009

PBCA AKC Herding Trial Prep - Brick and Pow

The boys weren't entered, but got to work behind the scenes. To prep for providing ducks for the trial, it entails taking all the ducks that MIGHT be needed (more than actually needed, I take lots of spares, about 35 ducks total), x pen, cable ties, chairs, crates, more chairs, buckets - and digging the B course obstacles out of Dee's storage and taking them down to the B course area. Then run all the ducks through the course so they remember that obstacles are ( no worries on that one ) and so I can see if any of them are footsore, bad tempered, or otherwise unsuitable. Then box them all up and take them home, to then trial the next day.

This time I had the boys hitch up to the wagon and haul the stuff from the parking area down to the duck arena. Much easier. After the first load, they knew where they were going, and trotted right down there and would stop and lie down near the fence so I could lift the duck crates or chairs or whatever over the fence. They had a ball, I could carry much more stuff and it took fewer trips, and once again - dogs should be useful and life can be easier if they are!
See all that junk in the back of the truck? Boys have already taken down the ducks, now have to bring down all that stuff. Only after all the hauling did they get to work the ducks through the course.


Pow came back on Sat and Sun to do pick up dog for B course ducks - someone has to catch the ducks after the Advanced and Intermediate teams do their sheds or holds, and that would be Pow (mostly because I figured he'd work for any of my duck wranglers if I was busy). He was thrilled, quietly whined when shedding didn't go smoothly, then flew out when I slipped his lead after the judge called "That's a shed, Thank You!" or "That's a hold, Thank You!"

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