gotta be more pics

Thanks Kelly, plus for grabbing my cam.

more pics- Oh I love this!!

Yes!! Outruns- we are doing them!!! I have to admit I have learned more about stock dog handling than I ever did before. I though I was "rusty" but turns out I'm just plain "stoopid". Thanks to my trainer. (Not for pointing that out- LOL)

Usher working Dec 30th.

Here are a few pics of Usher working on his outrun and me looking like a wicked woman. Notice the "naughty face" You can always click on them to make them larger. A big "thanks" for Kelly taking my camera and actually knowing how to use it better than I do- geeezeee....men........go figure. Lots of pics. Beware.

A little bit about assistant dogs

Service & assistance dogs aren't only for the blind or deaf anymore. I remember when I bred border collies I gave one pup per litter to be a service dog. One was trained to actually remind a woman when to take her medication. Guess he could tell when he was getting strange. Dogs have been known to detect cancer before a doctor can. My new dog will help me with my balance and after a slip in the kitchen. Of course, when he gets a little older. I have already ordered his jacket and cards and will look forward to training him, but not potty training him! Thought I would show you a website and give you some information in case a service dog ever shows up on the door step of a place where you work


Service Dogs assist children and adults with mobility disabilities, primarily individuals who use wheelchairs, to become more independent. SSD also trains service dogs to do balance work. In addition to doing all the service dog tasks, these balance dogs help individuals who have difficulty walking.

What can they do?
A Service Dog is trained to assist a person with a physical disability. Because of the broad variety of potential physical disabilities, each dog is custom-trained for the particular needs of the specific human partner; however, all dogs are trained in basic behaviors in and service dog tasks, which include:

Basic obedience skills [sit, stay, come, down, stand, heel (on the left side), place (on the right side), back, etc.]. They must obey these commands on and off lead. A service dog can be taught to respond to voice commands, to hand signals, or to an augmentative speech device.
Retrieving everything from dropped items, things under chairs, drinks from the refrigerator, to even clothes out of the drier.
Opening and closing regular or counterbalanced doors. The dog does this by pushing the door, pulling on a tether, or pulling on a removable door hook.
Walking in a controlled manner next to the partner or next to the partner in a wheelchair.
Balance work for people who have trouble walking. The dog wears a special harness and acts as a counterbalance as the person moves. The dog can also help going up or down stairs.
Pulling a manual wheelchair, including up inclines.
Turning regular light switches on and off.
Pushing buttons, such as those provided to open automatic doors.
Finding and retrieving a cordless phone.
Purchasing items in stores.
Going under tables or counters and being "invisible" in restaurants, refraining from picking up or eating food items dropped on the floor.
Providing constant loving companionship.
"In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

______________________________________________________________________________

Business May ask:

1) Is this a Service Dog?

2)What tasks does the Service Dog perform?

Businesses may not:

1) Require special identification for the dog

2) Ask about the person's disability

3)Charge additional fees because of the dog

4) Refuse admittance, isolate, segregate or treat this person less favorably than other patrons.

A peron with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless:

1)the animal is out of control and the animal's owner does not take effective action to control it

2)the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others

Any business that sells or prepares food must allow service animals in pubic areas even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.

Refusal to provide equal access to people with disabilities with service animals is a federal civil rights violation, provided by the American Disability Act of 1990. Violator of the ADA can be required to pay money damages and penalties.

Sorry this is so long- It's something I'm very passionate about and wish I would have done long ago with my other dogs who were well trained and denied access because of a stupid vest and a card.

OOPS- forgot the two sons-

Yes, these are my two sons- very proud. The oldest is Matt. He has a BS in computer engereing, has worked at Micron for about 10 years. The younger one, Brian, works for a constuction company making bids. Spell check doesn't work- I'm sorry.

Well, I thought I would wait...........

This is me and my ex and his mom and my mom in their matching walkers.


BUT the weather looks so good, Usher and I are going out to another lesson. We will be "hitting the crate" early- LOL. Hopefully, the big field will have a little less snow- it's time to move on to "greener pastures".

I've got my "sheepdogging" uniform. It's so sexy. I am always awake by 3 AM ready to go. Thought I would show you me and my two sons and that I really don't always look like "that ugly lady" that herds sheep.

Usher's papers

These are Usher's paper's. Thought you might like to see where he comes from.

Usher is not only a working dog

Usher started out as a service dog. Don Helsley knew me and my 6 dogs at the time and trusted my training as needing a service dog. He was pretty young here. We started out early. Obedience first. Then learning the stand-stay, to have him help me up when I fell. He also helps me with my balance and controls my tremors by being there to pet.





Usher also retrieves things that I drop, so I don't have to risk bending over to maybe have a fall. He is my best friend. If I drop my keys, pen, lighter, wallet. He will "take it" and hold it in his mouth and sit until I take it from him. (unless their are sheep around) he will gladly pick them up. He is also trained in obedience, although you would NOT know it around sheep.

Next lesson, weather permitting, I would like to get back into the larger field. Work on some longer outruns. Hope my trainer has a "little bit" more trust in me and that things are coming back to me.

After such a long break, I don't even trust myself and my confidence is pretty much shot. But, here's to you, Usher, named correctly, weather you "usher me around, or usher the sheep" you are and will be always my best friend.

Bliss is still here, too

My trainer likes to give Bliss a chance to just play. She won't amount to any trial dog, but he likes her to have her "glory" and she does cover the sheep. I can't find a shot of her working.
At least he is honest with me and not charging me money to try and make me think she is going to be a trial champion. He said she could do OK in arena trials, but it would take a lot of work. Let's just let her have some fun.
She does enjoy it, has the instinct, but we are working on Usher- he's the one with the talent.

Usher's less today- Dec. 26th

Burr- It was cold. I wasn't worried about the freeway drive, but was worried about the back roads. Here I am, looking so lovely and warm.
Then Kelly stepped in to give me a few pointers. My feet were a little unsure because the ice was a little hard. I'm still trying to figure out how to post pics in the middle of my blog. Usher was a little pumped up from missing a lesson. He has his "there" is down pat and his directions pretty good. His trainer loves working with him and we enjoy working with him. If the fields are plowed we will go over next Tuesday. Don't want to hurt any sheep legs or dog feet from icey snow. I just love doing this!

This is Usher's trainer

His name is Kelly Orr. I discovered him at a Meridian Rodeo. He had such a nice way of handling his dogs, so I asked him if he gave lessons. We've only had 6 now, due to the snow but can't wait for the next lesson. He is "Helsley approved" who said "you've got yourself a good trainer there". Much worth the drive and I'm glad to call him my trainer AND friend.

Early Usher pics.

Usher was not the best dog on sheep- he broke them up and did not want to be the best dog around. Most to MY training, or lack of, show him breaking up sheep- pretty typical in a young dog.

Well, this is my first blog

I guess it's official. Usher now has his own blog. He worked sheep a few times when he was 7 months old. That was pretty much a disaster. He was slow to mature and I blame myself on not training him correctly. Here is his "baby photo".He is now over 2 years old.

We are working with Kelly Orr. I met him at a Meridian rodeo and loved the way he worked his Kelpies. I was going to Don Helsley, but he was so popular, it was hard to fit me into his schedule.

I took Kelly over to Don's and Don said "You have one good trainer there". That's all I needed to hear. I've been doing this off and on (had a long break since my divorce in 1997) and am very excited to get back into it again.

I have tons of more photo's. I will post more as I don't want to flood you with tons. But here is Usher at Don's house.

Notice he stays off the sheep lovely.