Have had 6 hrs sleep in the last 48 hrs (called back in for shift replacement after my set of nites) ...certainly dragging my butt this afternoon.
Wind has picked up...worked the dogs for only a few minutes, not feeling at the top of my game mentally but wanted to work sheep in
the wind because A) chores have to be done regardless and B) typically the weather is what ever is served up on a trial wkend and you & your dog have to handle livestock on any given day.
Livestock do work different with weather changes especially with a weather front coming in ie) cattle with their heads & tails 'up' are going to be handled alot different than cattle with a relaxed demeanor....flight zones change,co-operative animals become Unco-operative animals....and your dog will read all this in spades. Typically everything ante's up abit more in that triangle of Stock / Dog / Handler of how each affects / feeds off the other with their reaction to the situation.
Quiet confident voice and body language is obviously key and it becomes more natural with miles tucked under a person's belt in 'all' weather
and situations. So when you get up and see crappy weather instead of groaning about it, think of what a great training opportunity it presents you :)
( Remind me of this come January and it's been 40 below out with no end in sight to the cold snap :):)
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