Teaching the Musher - Bet

Howdy Ho Everybodies!!!

As you may already know (and if you don't, where have you been, my goodness, keep up peoples!) I'm teaching the Musher how to herd sheepy sheeps.

Yes, yes, I flunked out of the Alta-Peet Stockdogs school of herdy herding, but it was a lifestyle choice really.  I had a higher calling to herd Pretty Curly Tails, but whatever, the Musher started going to her friend's house and they have sheepy sheeps, and they have herdy dogs, and she seemed interested in the whole process, and she also likes whistling really loud, so seeing her interest in the job I figured I'd oblige her by giving her some training.

Frankly, I hope she loses interest in this soon because I'm the one doing all the running around, but I can't resist giving her something fun to do.

Anyhooooooo, so we went out to a real field the other day.  It seemed as though she was ready for that next step.  You start out doing it in a small field because if the sheepy sheeps go all wackadoodle and run off... well, that's never a good thing

Photo: Alamy

Instead of going big, we went small, with a nice bunch of sheepy sheeps.  I didn't want to overwhelm the Musher on her first big field event.

It's ok Musher, they're very nice sheepy sheeps, they won't stomp on you

I had a talk with Manny, Frankie, Lou, Nelly, and Lucinda and told them to go easy on the Musher, as she was new to all of this.  Then I took the Musher aside and told her that she would do just fine, just lay off the "down" stuff.  Even though it's a big field, things still poo on it, and I'm not laying down in poo.

So I started them off for a leisurely run to get some real estate between them and the Musher, just to see if she remembered the whole "come here" command.

Beautiful grouping guys, but don't make it too easy on her!

The Musher is having a LOT of difficulty remembering to say Come-Bye or Away to Me because she's so used to Gee and Haw.  When that happens, I just glare at her.

Seriously?  Gee?  Do we not remember our sheepy commands?

Sometimes I just can't help myself and just take over... I mean I don't want to go chasing the sheepie things when she lays out a Walk Up while the sheepies things are running full tilt bozo in the opposite direction.  The Musher gets a bit frustrated when I take over, and I try really hard to let her make mistakes, but eeesh.

Watch out Musher!  Don't walk in front of the sheepie things, they'll smoosh you!

She gets frustrated too, so when that happens, I ask the gang to cut her some slack, and hopes she remembers the "There" so I can "Walk Up" and move the sheepie things at her.

Ok, seriously?  How much closer do you want them, and NO, I'm not laying down, there's a bug on the ground here

She also likes to have things "just so" and all perfect.  I guess she's never heard "close enough for sheepy things work", so I asked Manny to step on her foot.

There!  Um... how about a "That'll Do?"  I'm thirsty you know

She did very well today, despite some challenges, and I think she has a lot of potential, if she can forget all of those mushing commands, but I have a feeling that this winter, she's going to be out on the training trail and TOTALLY freak out the team by yelling COME-BYE!!!

That'll be fun to watch.

- Bet

That'll Do Musher - Bet

In case folks haven't figured it out, I LOVE that wacky Musher of mine.  Yup, I have a lot of human souls that I love and own big pieces of my heart - but that silly, waffle-making, bad ensemble, silly tennis shoed, slightly neurotic, scarf-loving human is in a league all of her very own.

For those of you that don't know, the Musher's passion is racing Pretty Curly Tails, and they are EXTREMELY accomplished in the pulling of Musher sleds and racing.  Crunchie is practically a legend.  The Musher comes from great genes, my Grandmom makes the bestest pancakes, and warms my butter and syrup for me.  The Musher just didn't fit into the city life or show her potential for filing and collating, and that is how she ended up here in the wilds of North Wapiti.

I've written OODLES over the years about that, and her job at the kennel, so I won't go over it all again here.

In her travels with me over the last 6 years, we've come into contact with baa baa sheepie things numerous times and I've made it VERY clear that I needed to concentrate my mad skills on herding the Pretty Curly Tails, training the puppies, making sure the cloud, clouches, and couch were worn in properly, and not something that I could add to my very busy schedule.

All that changed last month though.  We just happened to be in contact with baa baa sheepie things again and I thought "Ya know, the Poutines of Anarchy are getting bigger, and it's getting nice out, which means long runs with the Musher on her stupid bicycle, and sitting by the ponds, lake, water thingie, so why not do some herdy herding to keep my muscles toned?"

As I do have the Musher wrapped around my little paw toe, she took me across the valley to Lisa's house once a week for some lessons.  I'm a bit rusty since my training at Alta Pete Stockdogs and Ms. Jenny's comprehensive training program.  This weekend Lisa was putting on a seminar, so off we went to Landing Trail Stock Dogs.

I got tired of the amateurs running around, willy nilly, not even keeping the baa baa sheepie things in line, and making all sorts of mistakes, so I may have gotten a bit emotional with the yelling and backseat driving instructions, so the Musher had to put me in the van... harumpff.

When it was my turn, for the amount of training I've had, I did a GREAT job. It felt good to get back in the baa baa sheepie ring again.  Of course I was wearing my FASHIONABLE collar that makes my furs pop.  They are the bestest collars and all the rage with other herdy herders (thanks to me).  If I'm going to do anything, I'm going to do it stylish, right Ms. Jenny?

Part of herdy herding baa baa sheepie things is "lie down".  This is not my favorite part of the herdy herding process.  It's like the Musher has no idea how much baa baa sheepie things poop.  That stuff is all over the place, and who wants to lay in that?  I'd rather just stand, thank you very much.

We also worked on doing Figure 8's with pylon things and stuffs and that's pretty hard.

Whoopsies, my bad

At the end of our session, she patted her leg, said "That'll do Bet" and she looked down at me with that tired satisfaction that I see so often in the Pretty Curly Tail eyes, things are RIGHT in my world!

Oh, and she made me waffles for breakfast this morning.  Did I mention that she just can't say "no" to me?  hehehehehehe

- Bet

Dear Ms. Jenny - Bet

Howdy Ho Everybodies!!!

Recently I received this lovely e-mail from Ms. Jenny.  I lived at Ms. Jenny's until I found my calling with the Pretty Curly Tails.

Dear Bet,
Your grandnephew, Try, who is all of 3 months old, turned on to sheep today and bossed them around pretty good.

 Don't you feel just a little bit ashamed? :)

Love,
Jenny

PS I'm glad you found a second calling training up the PCT.

Here is my response to Ms. Jenny

Dear Ms. Jenny,

I'm very proud that my grandnephew, Try, likes bossing around the baa baa sheepie things (until they show their evil selves and attempt to stomp him with their stompy stompy hoove things... and stuffs and he changes his mind).

I am still enjoying my job here at North Wapiti Kennels and am staying in peak shape with my custom NASCAR snow race track:




I am also in the process of inventing a new form of transportation that will take the world by storm!  Not only is it energy efficient, clean for the environment... well, there is some exhaust emissions that need to be scooped up with a shovel, but it is also very comfy and warm.  I do hope that when we celebrate the grand opening of our new show room that you come join us for some waffles and shrimp, and test drive the new "Baa Baa Sheepie Thing Utility Vehicle" (BBSTUV)!


Love - Bet

About Yesterday... - Bet

I want to thank all of you for your support during my ordeal with the baa baa sheepie things yesterday (if that's what they REALLY were).

The only thing I have to say about that whole fiasco is this....

... is it me or is there an uncanny resemblance here... just sayin

- Bet

....And Little Lambs Eat Ivy....

Bet and I headed across the valley today to have coffee with our friend Lisa.
Lisa was the one that brought Bet here to North Wapiti and she owns Border Collies, so she is one cool person according to my freaky little Border Collie. The fact that Lisa also owns a flock of sheep is something Bet chooses not to think about.

I hadn't seen Lisa in months so it was great to catch up, meet her new pup Flint....

Isn't he cute??? He is actually Bet's nephew.

 ...and see all her new lambs!!!

Cute, eh??? Bet wasn't convinced. In fact, she was convinced this one was giving her 'the eye'...

I didn't bother to mention to Bet that he was less then two weeks old and she probably outweighed him.


While we were there I thought it would be a good opportunity for Bet to show off her wonderfully amazing herding abilities.....

"What????"

"Is she serious?????"

"Away to me what??"

"Besides, I don't see any sheep???"

Bet, they are right behind you.

"Yeah, no, sorry....I don't see anything"

Oh Bet for goodness sake....you are a working line border collie.

"Ummmm, I think you have me mistaken for someone else".

That'll do Bet, that'll do.

*sigh*

The Story of ME - Bet

Howdy Ho Everybodies,

By special request from the Facebooks, its the story of ME!

Well, actually, the story of me was told long ago by my former home.  I'm an Alta-Pete Border Collie, one of THE bestest types of Border Collies (if I do say so myself).  Although Scott and Jenny were really nice and all... they had such high expectations for baa baa sheepy herdy dogs like myself.  They actually expected us to... herd sheep!  No really... I KNOW! 

Baa baa sheepy herding competition is really stressful!  Its not like I was just out there moving sheepie things around and stuff, they expected us to herd them all where they told us to herd them and used some weird lingo like "on by"... what?  Or "away to me"... well, what is it?  You want me to go away, or come to you????

On top of everything else, baa baa sheepie things not only smell like wet blankets ALL THE TIME, but Scott and Jenny wouldn't let me wear fashionable matching ensembles out in the field.  no really... I KNOW!!!!  There's this whole thing where we're suppose to lay on the grass to "hold" the sheepie things and the grass is all wet and it smells like sheepie thing stuffs and things and euw euw!!!  I gotta lay in cold, wet, wet blanket smelly grasses without so much as a slicker or perhaps cape with matching booties?

It was dreadful!!  Plus the other Border Collies made fun of me.

Luckily, right about the time when the family decided that I was "washed out" of competitive baa baa sheepie herding, the Musher reached out to a friend, who reached out to her friend, and then a few weeks later once I hitched a ride over to North Wapiti, I knew this is where I was needed.

I wrote my letter of resignation, traded my sheepie herdy collar for an official North Wapiti collar (which I've since traded in for my stylish purple collar with gold accents and name plate that goes with my array of scarves) and have never looked back.

Scott and Jenny were glad that I found something I liked to do and even posted some FABulous pictures of me.  They also did a blog post about the various and sundry other non-herdy Border Collies that found new careers (including myself).

Oh sure, I miss the ol gang and all, but North Wapiti is my home and I wouldn't trade it for all of the waffles in the world... well... no, no I wouldn't.

- Bet

Exciting Stuffs... and Things... - Bet

Howdy ho everybodies, its me... Bet... sigh.

First off, I'm sorry it took me so long to post the exciting stuffs and things like I said I would... I had some problems to take care of.

Secondly... the Musher is going to be pretty mad at me, but I'll explain that at the end of my post...

The really fun and exciting thing is the new E-Bay ™ auction that the photographer minion is running for the Musher to help with Iditarod monies and stuffs!  EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!

These are really cool, and personal items that the Musher has been dragging around like a hoarder... I mean been saving and cherishing... yeah that part... for a while and she is now ready to part with them to make someone happy!

You won't find these cool items anywhere... well, you may find them other places, but NONE OF THEM came from the Musher herself and most are autographed... so there!

Check this out!!!

This is "Fire lit musher" SIGNED by the famed Alaskan artist Jon Van Zyl... yes THE Jon Van Zyle!!!!  It could be yours... if the price is right.

AND THIS!!!

This is Musher mail!!!  This got carried by the Musher and the Pretty Sled Dogs back in 2005... ok, so that was a horrible Iditarod, so it got warm and squishy on the trail and the Pretty Curly Tails got all overheated and sickly and it just sucked and everything, but ... but... THIS WAS CARRIED ON THE IDITAROD TRAIL AND STUFF!  It was probably all sweated on by the Musher and the Pretty Curly Tails and stuff!  Its signed!

Ok, how about this one... you won't be able to resist this one:

Its the Musher's mittens!!!!  SERIOUSLY!!!  Look at all of the Pretty Curly Tail fluff all over those bad boys!  I drooled on them too!  There's some serious Border Collie drool all over those things, and that alone is worth a gazillion bucks!

Just go check out all of the cool things going on in that auction, think of the history of these items... or something...

Ok, the second other thing we're getting ready for is a Memorial Page thingie.  We've had some peoples that wanted to sponsor a Pretty Curly Tail, but they all got snatched up quickly... we've had others want to help the Musher and Pretty Curly Tails in memory of a loved one... which is really nice and it made me all verklempt and stuffs.  So I'm trying to get the lazy cartoonist to get moving on the Memorial page... it'll be really nice and all and a place for peoples to post a picture and write a little something about a loved one.  I'll post more about it when the cartoonist wakes up from her Nyquil coma and gets coding.

Now... about that other thing that I mentioned earlier and I was hoping all of you had forgotten, but I'm pretty sure if I didn't mention it, some peoples would be asking... so... ok, this is just between all of you and me... don't tell the Musher, but we've had an issue with the baa baa sheepy thing herdy bunnies.

I have like a whole month to figure out something, so just don't tell the Musher... ok?

ugh

- Bet

A Surprise For Me! - Bet

Howdy Ho everyone its me, your soon to be roving Border Collie reporter, Bet, here!

The Musher told me yesterday that I have 2 days until my big surprise, which means my big surprise comes tomorrow!

I love surprises, but a surprise should be a surprise and you don't tell the surprisee that there will be a surprise because then its not really a surprise now is it?  I mean if you humans were throwing a surprise party for someone, you wouldn't say "in two days you'll get a surprise" because then you're expecting SOMETHING in two days and then the only real surprise is that its a party and not... maybe someone hitting you in the face with a pie or something... although a party would be better, but getting hit in the face with a pie would still be a surprise, so I guess what I'm getting at is that sometimes surprises aren't that nice... which has me concerned.

The Musher has said that she is sending me off to the New Zealand place to herd sheepie things, which would definitely be a surprise, but not a good surprise

And the Musher even said something about me herding... gulp... COWS!

That wouldn't be a good surprise either.

You know... I would be happy with getting a pie in the face... I think I'd rather have that... especially if it was banana cream pie, or waffle pie or something nice like that.

- Bet

What Do You Mean a Trade? - Bet

This morning the Musher announced that she found the most wonderful winter handler! 

Her name is Sarah Campbell and she's from the New Zealand place, and as you can see, she's very familiar with the curly tails

©2011 Sarah Campbell

Here she is mushing with her curly tails: Polar, Stig, Lutek, and Indy!

The Musher is very honored to have her come to North Wapiti and care for the Pretty Sled Dogs this winter.  Of course she will need some basic training... first and foremost she'll need to take the mandatory crampy toe massage therapy course.

The toes have been VERY crampy since the Musher went gallivanting off to New Zealand, but she's on her way back even as I type this with my crampy toes.  At first I was happy to hear that she'll be coming back, but then she posted this on the Facebook thing:

"Bet - GREAT NEWS!!! I have arranged with Ray and Diane that you can come out to Irishman Creek for a month or so. You can hang out with Frosty and learn how to be a 'kick butt' 'herding dog'. It'll be sweet - 8200 sheep that will be need shearing soon and then will be lambing. Plus when you get good at bossing the Merino sheep around, you can move up to herding the Angus cattle. Start packing!!!! - The Musher "

8,200 sheepie things?  That's a lot of... sheepie things.  I'll wait until you get home and I'll explain to you just why this isn't going to happen... after you fix me some waffles.

By the way, we haven't forgotten about the Iditarod Insider drawing... we're waiting for the Musher to get home for the drawing, so stay tuned for that, and you still have some time until we announce that we're closing the entries to become an Insider and be eligible for the drawing

- Bet