Sheep happens.

Hi all

Devostating moment in my dog training history was in spring. Some of you readers might now this feeling, when bottom is taken from your hobby.

Ipa got the electricity shock from the fence and i thought he will troung it easily. But no. He didn't.

We took two weeks brake, then we tried to continue where we stopped, but ipa didn't do anything. He just walked behind me nose touching my tight. We tried many things nothing worked.

So we decided to take longer brake. So we were all summer doing everything else.

My appologises to you all readers. Since ipa took a brake and i didn't even know if he's going to herd ever again i didn't have motivation to write anything here. Just waited right moment, and it never came before this day.


Happy news. Ipa herds again! Some work to do to get his courage back. And same time we are working with his self confident with sheeps.

I feel hopeful. Ipa has good thouhts of sheeps when he herds. He deffinetly is not the worlds gratest sheepdog, but he'll be great dog to start new hobby.

Few pictures from our new start . My handsome boy.

- Sari

Heidi Lampela has taken these photos. Thank you Heidi from awesome photos.

Walk away from your dog.

Hi all!

Our fourth herding time was on wednessday. Yay!

The day was sunny and nice until  our herding practice was starting. Of course it started to rain, not any small rain, pouring rain. How lovely? it was.

Ok, what can i say? Herding is HARD.  Keep walking with sheep, and same time look your dog and sheep, and always walk away from your dog.... and i can add here that pouring rain and very very slippery muddy ground. AND! I forget to add in all this the herding stick witch is keeping the dog in some sort of control (if your dog knows that it needs to move if stick is in it's way), or it should keep.. Idea in herding stick is not hitting dog with the stick. It is keeping the balance and distance between  sheep and dog. So i really need to train the respect to the stick, and teach it by not hurting dog. Stick is just on dogs way and dog needs to move, this is the basic idea of it.

This time IPA was again free, it was pretty hard and confusing for me keep up with everything what was happening in the pen.

Did i mention it's awesome to have a good breeder supporting you and your dog. Aino is at the same time our breeder and herding coach witch is really nice, because she already knows my dog and his parents and of course she knows me, when i need little "kicking" and little pushing to go out of my comfort zone. Today i totally was out of my comfort zone.

It took two rounds of kaos to get myself to focus all the things at the same time. But main thing in there was my mind, when i had calm mind things just started to work.

This calm mind is something what i need to work every day, not easy, but it gets easier and i really see the benefits of training my mind to keep calmer. I see the difference in my dogs behavior in every day life and in herding sessions. First it was just ipa running around sheep like crazy i did'n have about any control in the situation.

Then i just collected myself, every time it's easier. I hope herding is going to be kind of same for me, first it's hard and then it's getting easier.

I did learn so mutch about my dog. Last session was just blast, it was fun and ipa was working like old and allready trained dog (ok, not that good, just kidding. But nice and calm working.) We got more of those sheep to our herd so, it was easier to ipa keep working, first two rounds we had just tree sheep in our herd. And i got few chances to change ipa's direction. then ipa and i moved sheep to other pen and that was it.

In the very end ipa took big electric shock from electric fence,  i think it was bigger than normal because puppy was soaking wet and it was raining. But ipa did revet realy fast. I think ipa won't remember it anymore.

Here is short video from our training, and i know the quality of video is realy bad, so sorry about that. Hope you still enjoy it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf0m3C2UQ0A


- Sari & IPA

First time

Here we go!

Hello all! At first some basic facts about me and my dog.

IPA is my wery first bordercollie. It's formal name is Toberoi Pine. Ipa is working line bordercollie and he's smooth haired dog.

Here you can see IPA's bedigree : http://jalostus.kennelliitto.fi/frmKoira.aspx?RekNo=FI53423/15&R=297

Here is about parents : http://www.pikkusaari.com/bordercollies/litters/previous/2015_sole_kapu.html

Then facts about me. I'm Sari 27 young, got sucked in dog sports and there's no coming back.
Dreamed long time about bordercollie, and now when my dream came true i'm starting to learn herding from scratch with IPA.

OK. Let's start. First time on sheep. I must say, i was nervous and didn't know at all what to do and how to do anything. Everything is blurr in my memories. But i think we were starting IPA up for the sheeps and for the herding. IPA was really intressed and wanted to chase sheeps. Might be good thing? He was on leash and we were walking behind sheeps. Thats all at first time. Aino ipa's breeder asked me just enjoy the ride. And i really did!


First time i wanted to learn something more than anything and what is more fancier than working with your best frend seamlesly together. That is what i want. Maybe it take a lifetime, but i'm ready, so bring it!

He did eat sheep poop too but just only first time on sheep. I think this dog would leave me breahtles even just eating sheep poop.. sutch a good boy? Right?

For me ipa is like bugatti too fast to realise. He's long gone when i realise situation.


Herding looks so easy when you open youtube and type herding, there is tons of great videos of great dogs and treir owners and it looks easy. It didn't feel easy to rookie.

second time we started teach ipa to stop in easy parts (when sheeps are walking). Ipa was on long leash and i pulled a little back so he got preassure on his walking and when he stopped i went to him in hurry so he didn't have time come to me. Soon he did need just little hold back and he stopped, sutch a good boy!

Third time was his first time off leash! Exiting!

This part was part witch Aino our teacher and breeder did with ipa, because if i would have done it, well not opinnion. Aino called this training balance, she kept dog allways different side where her herder stick were and let ipa work. She didn't let ipa too close to sheeps or bite them. I think biting is no good with nice sheeps, i might be wrong.  It was amazing to watch ipa really starting thinkin what he's doing. Few nice looking parts. Not just bugatti racing madly trough sheep flock.

I'm so exited, i can't wait next time to learn more with IPA.




Here is few fotos, photographer : Kaisa Vänskä.






There he goes!


Sieltä se tuloo!


















Taking short brake. Tauolla












Hope you enjoy with our stories about learning herding.  Sorry about my bad english.

- Sari & IPA the Bugatti.