Tips Story Part Two

Back to Tips Story. Now Tip and I were inseperable. She went wherever I did. If I went to visit anybody, she was in the truck riding with me. Riding may seem like an easy thing...even enjoyable for a dog. Not my dog though. For the first year of her life I had to give her Dramamine (motion sickness) pills like what people take to keep from getting carsick. Had to pop her a pill about 30 minutes before we left...then she was still nervous, but she didnt throw up in the truck at least. After about a year, it just kind of went away and she was fine. Loved to go wherever. We take her to Florida with us, I take her to my parents. Trips to Petsmart when we used to go. She always went with me to pick Shelby up from school when she used to go to public school.

Our first time to the beach she wasnt too sure about the ocean...she would go in and out with the tide...not wanting the water to consume her. She learned very quickly not to drink the salty water as it caused the ummmm squirts you could say! LOL Now when we go she is into it. She crashes her chest against the waves, leaping into them. We keep her on a 24 foot retractable leash just in case. I don't want my poor dog going out to sea. I have some very funny pictures of her at the beach...I will have to see about those too...

So, back to doing the fair. We did the Fair for two years in a row. So if you saw that show, that was Tip and I. I think we may have stole the show as (I will not name him here)the man was amazed at the turn out when people saw the set up. My set up was very colorful, caught your eye. Green, red, blue, very striking colors.

We had some good times, but things turned bad. I don't know to this day why he didnt want me to do the show with him anymore, but he tried to lie to me and tell me the Fair representatives didnt want me doing it. When I contacted someone about this word got back, and he was furious. Furious because I had called him on a lie. At the time I didnt know he had lied to me, so he was caught. He threatened me, said he would sue me if he lost his contract and the money that would have been made from doing the fair gigs. Can you believe that? Pretty bad. He said he didnt ever want to hear from me or see me again.

Well you know each year when we went to the fair we saw his show anyway. Know what. He has told me he hates doing the show. He just does it for the money. Isnt that sad. I really loved doing it and I didnt get paid a dime. My reward was talking to people afterwards.

He told me that my dog was not doing the course perfectly and it made him look bad. Well his dogs were not perfect either. I think it was just an excuse.

So, we came home and I dont do agility shows anymore.

Tips favorite toy is a soccer ball.

Linda, I think it was asked me how I trained her to do the things she does. Well, half of it is natural instinct. The other half is me directing that instinct. If I have the soccer ball, she is focusing on that ball...if I tell her to Come By, she knows to go to the left, and I will kick it to the left. I also have her Get Out (move outwards) and Come By...and I keep saying Come By...and she will circle me...the same goes for Away To Me...that is the dogs right...and I go through the same motions. Walk Up is when I am going to kick the ball straight to her. She has to Get Out, and then I get her to Walk Up...slow slow...and will sometimes make her stop by holding up my hand and saying Wait..if she continues to creep I will give the command Lie Down. Lie Down in herding speak does not necessarily mean stay...it just stops the motions for a moment. I will pop the ball up and she will catch it.

All these commands are useful to direct her in herding because sometimes she gets too excited and will actually herd the chickens away from the fence. This usually happens at first when she is first out there...til she settles in and gets to work.

Tip is seven years old now. She is still like my second child. I love that dog more than anyone could know...so it is hard for me to see her with all the phobias that she has.

I will say this, working her helps her to relax. I have not done near enough of that. So the chicken herding is really helping her to have an outlet.