Have just spent the weekend with my Kelpie "Tess" at a working dog school, a very interesting  experience. This is our first school and getting organised for it felt like going on a magical mystery tour, the actual destination only being revealed the day before. The effect was further heightened by rising at 4 AM  and travelling through the dark and mist, heavily populated by wild things (heaps of young fox cubs moving about and dead on the road), to meet up with two of my sheep friends who were also attending.

Tess and I learnt so much, the teacher, Robert is very skilled at reading both dogs and people, and soon had us in the yard, working on "first pattern", this quickly showed my deficiencies. I was not "owning" the sheep and was letting the dog work between me and the sheep. This is the basis of all the problems I have had when working the dog in the paddock, and now I understand this, I can work on rectifying it. Amazing how much easier it is to see someone's problem when you are leaning on the railing, not so easy  when you are in the yard.

I had been going to take the pup "Missy" with me but noticed she was on heat just before we left. I could have been the least popular student if I had had her in tow.

The time has come to start training Missy, the Border Collie pup we kept from the last litter, in earnest. She is seven months old now and is starting to think she has what it takes.

Like most things we undertake, I like to read about fifty books on the topic before starting, and, if it is something we have done before, go back to the books for a refresher. This time I am reading "The Farmers Dog" by John Holmes, who is an old Scottish dog trainer. The most interesting thing I have read so far, is of the need to be very careful when teaching a pup, that you are reinforcing the right lesson. He tells the story of a farmer whose dogs after going away chasing rabbits, on their return, disciplined them harshly. The author said he would see these dogs sitting in the woods above the farmers house, until finally hunger took them home. All the farmer had succeeded in doing was making the dogs afraid to go home. Food for thought when educating a young dog, being mindful of the various way the dog may interpret the lesson. (We are not the harsh types more likely to positively reinforce the wrong bit). Fingers crossed we won't mess up Missy.

This is our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel "Lucky". Last year we went to Amarula Dorper Stud's ram sale in Northern NSW. On the way back to Inverell on dusk we saw a small dog walking along the centre line of the highway. We stopped the truck and called him to us - just as a huge truck roared past. Fortunately he came, and we put this small dirty package of skin and bone on the back of the truck and took him with us. When we got to Martin's son at Inverell we discoved he was covered in thousands of fleas, so thin all his bones were sticking out and was sore everywhere.

The next morning after having fed  and cleaned him up we went to the local council to see the dog ordinance people,( to check if he was microchipped). We were concerned that he was a child's lost pet, as it is an unlikely breed to be  abandoned. He was microchipped but only traceable to the breeder, who had no idea who had purchased him or might have lost him. So the pound man said "if you want him, take him as he has been so neglected". So we did, we just happened to have a vacancy at the farm for a house pet and we called him "Lucky".

You Tube video of two of Meg's pups from her first litter at their first herding school. For young dogs they show a great deal of promise.

Meg's puppies eyes have opened and we are starting to introduce them to some food. We didn't expect open eyes for a few more days. They are also starting to learn to walk on their wobbly little legs. It is hard not to be charmed by the little guys.

The puppies are only a week old and they have tripled in size. Meg is a very dedicated mother and they always beautifully clean and full. Meg however never looks like she is enjoying the experience. Yesterday she insisted on coming with us when we worked the sheep in the yards, even dogs appreciate a little respite and outside stimulation.