I forgot how much I love working with border collies and sheep, trusting the dog, my own feelings and instincts. It is a special thing, I am lucky to be able to do it.

This is the time to teach Fate that this isn’t a free-for-all chase, she has to do it with me, and she has to be focused and steady, as soon as she can be. She is till too young to expect too much. But she has astounded me.

She has learned “walk up,” which is walk up slowly to the sheep. Susie, usually a pliant creature, came out and challenge her, and then ran right over her. Fate dodged and circled her, got right up when knocked over, and got behind Susie and pushed her back into the flock. Like Red, she was appropriate, she has great poise for  14-week-old puppy.

After she worked, she goes right into the crate. She needs to absorb what she has done, internalize the lessons of the day, balance the intensity of sheepherding with the calming nature of the crate. A life in balance. Border collies can be made crazy so easily, Maria and I are very careful not to let that happen with Fate.

I have to make sure to move around a lot, a great deal of herding is helping the dog to balance me, if I move to the left, she will move to the right, if I move to the right, she will move to the left. That behavior has to be named and marked. It means I have to move quickly, and with border collie puppies, that is a change, even for younger people. Since I don’t have a training pen, I have to place myself carefully, and she has to lie down when asked.

A lot of fun for both of us.