The Long Road Award

No, didn't win a long road award, and actually wouldn't qualify for it, but it felt like I had won one with Jilly when we ran at Long Shot the other weekend. Most who know me, know the struggles I've had with Jilly, faster than a speeding bullet. When Nancy M and I bought her, she was afraid of everything, hard to correct a dog when all she does is run away. Couldn't use a stick, couldn't raise my hand. The fear was put into her, but still remains to a certain extent today.

She had been trained to nursery level when she first came over to the US, and ran in 1 or 2 ranch courses but then was out of control for her previous owner and since he couldn't get her bred, was sold.

Jilly had 3 litters for me, a pup from her first litter has just started running Open at a little over 2 years old, so I did no consistent training while she was bred, since her previous owner tried to breed her and she didn't catch. Her last litter was weaned end of April of this year, and I've been able to train her on a regular basis now.

I made some progress with her inbetween her litters. Got her to stop wildly circling sheep. Got her to stop crossing on her outrun. Jilly is very reactive, so spent alot of time just getting her stop and not move every time the sheep moved, a skill needed desperately for trying to shed with her. Got her to the point where I could take a stick out on the field. Got her to stand by me at the post and wait to be sent on her outrun. Got her to not run behind the pen after she penned the sheep. Notice most of this has to do with getting her to STOP! Oh, and switched her flank whistles!

BUT our biggest problem was her huge fast flanks. Every now and then I would run Jilly at an Open trial, and have even placed with her. But everytime when I needed a flank to turn the drive panels or a big flank on the drive, she would circle the sheep! Once started on the flank, it was hard to stop her, hmm that stopping issue again. At the Blue Grass (can't believe I had the nerve to run her there) she only circled the sheep once, Woo Hoo! Alot of my runs this summer were retires, because if she wasn't listening on her drive, then I didn't let her continue on.

At Long Shot earlier this month, we had 2 completed runs, both without crossing her course on her drive. And not only that, but drum roll please, when asked for an inside flank to catch the cross drive panel, she took it and STOPPED. But not only that, when asked to then flank back to turn the panel, she took that also and STOPPED! Woo Hoo Jilly Willy!

It may not be much to alot of you, but this accomplishment makes me feel like we won the trial. And yes, that we certainly deserved the Long Road Award!