TMT #8

1. What blogging tip would you give other dog-bloggers?

Be authentic to yourself. If you want to whine, bitch and moan, do it. If you want to brag, do it. If you want to share training tips or be mysterious in how you train, do it. It's your blog.

2. If you were going to be stranded on a deserted island and could take five things with you (aside from the clothes on your back), what would they be?

1) My baby girl Josie

2) Diapers for Josie

3) My handy husband who is a chemist, is good at building forts and rafts and can carry heavy objects

4)  My dogs - all have unique survival skills (Mattie being the quintessential utility dog, master of all things)

5) My Russian Orloff chicken, Mergatroid.

3. How much pain are you willing to endure in the name of physical appearance? Do you have painful things done to enhance beauty?

I once had a professional stylist bleach my hair platinum blonde for a show. That HURTS! I won't be doing that again. I won't be getting tattooed eyebrows or botox treatments, nor will I ever get surgery to 'enhance' my features. I suppose the only painful things I do to enhance beauty is the pain incurred to my credit card after visiting the beauty counter at Nordstrom.

4. Speed limits... how fast do you drive? Do you drive Miss Daisy? Do you do the Indy 500 to work?

I tend to speed rather than go slow. On freeway, when the limit is 70, I will go 78 if I can. In a 25 zone, I go 25. In a 35 zone, it's usually okay to get into the 40's as long as the car you're following is also speeding.  I like to stay in the middle of a pack of speeders if I can; that way the cop will get the guy in the back. Never be the last in the speeder-pack.

5. What trial (that you go to) is your favorite, and why?

Of the trials I have been to, I've actually liked all of them for varying reasons. I love Judy Norris' Rocky Ewe trials and I really love her sheep (aka The Girls). I love the field and facilities at Susan Crocker's on Whidbey Island (she has nice Katahdins that are gazelle-like in running ability). Sue and George MacDonald always put on a great trial too (and I adore their Scottish Blackface sheep). Lacamas is pure awesomeness - wild lambs and excellent accommodations for handlers. Dirt Blowing has super fields and the elusive range ewes that challenge you. Joe and Heather Haynes' trials in Arlington are HARD with their crazy field and some pretty great sheep. I really enjoy the Highland Games arena time/points trial in Mt. Vernon each summer. And, the Calagary Stampede arena time/points trial was so much fun. I'm hoping that the National Finals this summer will end up being my favorite though :)  My goal this Spring and Summer is to get Jude qualified for that!

TMT #7

1. Jorgen would like to know what skill would you like to have that you don't currently have?

I'd like to know how to sew, well. I can sew a button on by hand when it pops off, but fallen hems on pants, or wanting to make some new dog toys or whatever else that demands a straight line of stitches, I am at a loss.

2. If someone were going to play you in a movie, who do you think it would be? 

Julia Stiles. She and I look a lot alike. 

Julia Stiles (Bourne Supremacy)

Me

3. Kelsey wants to know what is a quality that you admire in a dog but would never fit with you?

I admire dogs that have no-quit in them. I love their intensity and passion for work but for me to be happy, they have to have an 'off switch'.  "That'll Do" means that-will-do; you are done working for now and it's time to take a break. Dogs that insist on breaking into pasture to work on their own and dogs that have no regard for a lie down or 'that'll do' drive me nuts.

4. If you had just enough money to pay someone to do one chore for you, what would it be?

It's a tie between bathing and grooming my dogs or cleaning the bathrooms after I bathe and groom the dogs.

5. Are you a procrastinator, a doitnower (I made that word up), or something in between? 

I'm a do-it-nower.

What is style at a Border Collie trial?

Earlier this week I read through all the USBCHA rules. I was specifically looking for the rules on Nursery age since Jude will be entering this class this year but I ended up getting sucked into reading the rulebook for all competition, and judging and so forth. 

As I was reading through the different sections of the rule book, I came across section 29 regarding style. This is how the USBCHA defines style:


SECTION 29: STYLE
Style maybe otherwise defined as a dog’s attitude to his work and his method of doing it. His attention should be on his master’s commands. Inattention, turning away from his sheep, unsteadiness or rashness all amount to poor style and should be penalized. As with command, style is included in the points allowed for each phase of the work.

Now, I always thought style was the way the dog looked when it was working stock. That is, the physical traits displayed during the application of herding methods, specifically focused on a dog's overall movement (the 'creep' or the dog's 'eye', its overall intensity, "flash," etc). I understand that USBCHA is not a beauty pageant for dogs - I know it should all come down to the quality of work (overall efficiency, sheep safety and task completion). But, this definition from the USBCHA leaves me with questions. And, in the event a winner of a big trial is being decided by one or two "style" points, I want to know!

I suppose if the dog's attitude is poor, then that will show physically on the field. For example, dog won't listen to lie down, dog loses sheep around the panel. However, I have seen some very flashy, lovely looking dogs who were not honest dogs at all on the field yet they do not seem to be dinged in "style" points. And then, I have seen some steadfast, strong, thoughtful but ugly (think Mack Truck) dogs with a positive attitude who have accomplished the same level of work on the trial field yet receive comments about them not being stylish-enough.  This, as you can see, has led to my confusion. Both dogs are getting sheep around the course but the "prettier" dog receives a higher score based on its "style."

So, what exactly is style in a border collie trial???  The USBCHA says it MAY BE defined as attitude toward the work. Is this what you see or have you understood stlye to be something different?