Here's a vague memory of how the layout of the of the C course at Linden Hollow Farm in FL, for any who are interested. I'll see if Sherry Lee has a pdf of the course - one was shown to me in my handler's meeting on Sunday.
Pow finished his HXCs (AKC Advanced course C) Sunday, with a first place, age 12! That makes him the only sheltie, that I can tell, with advanced titles in all 3 courses. 5th with an HXC. All of this stuff was clicker trained, mostly shaped in addition to natural talent. Most of it was trained as tasks.
Order of things: Pen, narrow road, wide graze, nr, narrow graze, nr, bridge, pause, traffic, nr, repen.
Points off went this way (79 score)
1 off exit and return to pen
8 off narrow road, mostly half points
4 off bridge, some of that was me correcting (angry sheep zen) to prevent a grip on a ewe who had been trying to pick a fight for half the nr. Pow had finally decided she needed discipline, but that would nq us in a trial.
1.5 off Pause and traffic
6.5 off grazes, narrow graze was amazingly beautiful, used it all up to the last foot, wide graze was not nice,he could do better, but was a bear of little brain.
0 off the placement.
I used 39 min and some on the course, of a limit of 45. I had no major issues, so that means that I took a good amount of time on my narrow graze - was getting fearful without a watch, but figured that the course was designed right and if they were meant to walk and graze and my graze was correct I should have time to get back to the pen. Yay me! Watch next time I'm on Advanced level....
He was not in good brain either day (stroke at age 7 means some days hes not all there), but I handled him better Sunday and fixed my junky mess from Sat. Even used my sharp corner (stand stay) to tuck them into the narrow graze and wide graze (figured it was educational for the sheep and got them entering the sides of the grazes I wanted).
Pow's year and a half old grandson, Malcolm was too much for lighter sheep, but I think my self control training and lots of sheep zen is the way to go. He tried really hard to do it right and he called off even though he was crying because the flock was reactive (because he was hot hot hot). He got to ride in the golfcart, that was fun. Work in progress! He llw out to and around the pen, down stay as I put the leash in my pocket, and stand stay to keep the sheep from comimg out while I opened the gate and called the sheep. When they didn't come out, he went to where he thought they could see they were free to come out, but they just didn't trust him. Half bolted out, but he stood when asked, HUGE ZEN!! Got the rest out but half had gone too far away for baby dog brain to handle, he was swiftly heading for threshold, so I called him to me (hooray for recall with bolting sheep zen combo!) and gracefully retired. So proud of my levels baby!! He is going to be a fantastic replacement for Pow.
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