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Gemma,
Clanheath
Perfect
Gem C.D.X. is a purebred Border Collie and
attention-seeking missile :-)
The puppies' sire is Ch. Steadfast Chick Magnet ("Zephyr") from Geelong.
See the Puppy information page
for updates
Gemma collected her third Open (CDX) pass in Wagga Sunday 16th of September 2007 Sorry
girl, I found out all too late that your tail was dipped in the fountain! I did wonder why you looked at me like that… you did make a very
pretty ephemeral ‘Pollack’ on the paving afterward though! Our
apprenticeship at Open level lasted a little longer than we had hoped, but with
two passes at Belconnen Dog Obedience Club (BDOC and
the Gundog Society’s trials on September 1st) we are very proud to
have earned our C.D.X. at the ripe-old age of 24 months. Qualifying Scores: 185,
198(!) and 177. Li’l
Gem had a hard time of it this year, the ‘teenage blues’ hit her pretty hard…
but once her brain was free of the hormone bath, she was back to her usual form
in no time. She picked up her CDX in two
weekends (fifteen days). Now,
we’re taking a break from competition to train up in Agility, Utility, and if
we can arrange it, a bit of Herding too!
It’ll probably be winter before we’re on the road again (especially if
that first litter comes along…) <end newsflash> (Three-Four
Months) Around this age, we had
our first exposure to the show ring and placed a creditable third in
class. We’re concentrating on obedience for
now, which will have spin-offs in the conformance ring in the months to
come. Exactly a year later, at the next Bungendore show, she pulled a first place (all right – she
WAS the only bitch in class 4a!) but didn’t advance any further. She’d dropped most of her coat by the time
the show came along. A first is a first
:) At 13 months, she has
achieved her “Community Companion Dog” (C.C.D) obedience title, despite having
a completely clueless handler (me!).
We’d only entered three trials at that stage, and done surprisingly well
in all of them. At the Gundogs Club trial
in September 2006, the clueless wannabe handler and the Star pulled off a
surprising 88/100 in their first ever outing.
Noone was more surprised than I was when this translated
to second place. I’m not sure how much
of the shock was surprise, and how much was sunburn. At the Tuggeranong club
dual trial in Mid October 2006, Clueless had at least some idea of what was
expected, but did not expect to achieve a score of 98/100 and first place. After a long, hot, day of desiccating wind,
the afternoon trial finally came around – we were both tired and dehydrated by
this time, and a few mistakes nearly cost us the day… and then somehow we ended
up with a 93, another first place, and our first title! A few days later, I still
touched the certificates and ribbons to make sure they were real :) Our first Novice trial was
marred by a dropped sit-stay (we never practiced them, because she was so good
at them for so long…) but our second outing (the next day, Sep 2006) brought
back a shaky but qualifying mark of 179 and first place, with shattered
confidence from the night before. In Feb 2007, after a few
false starts on “day trips” to Then the second night
rolled on, and the clouds rolled in – just as the Novice ring started, the
heavens opened. Gemma the trooper, said
“why are we doing this?” but kept it all together in the rain for a third pass
and title qualifier! “If you’re out here
doing this, then I can too!” she said.
I’m so proud of her, my heart swells just thinking about it. The only significant mistake in our
rained-out session was mine – I was so overwhelmed that I forgot the word for
“finish behind!” 189, and equal first on
score – second after count-back. We’ve never worked
terribly well after Boy, was I glad I hadn’t
given up the night before, and gone home! I’m sure she could have
done it months earlier, if there were trials running anywhere near home, but
earning your “CD” at 17 months is nothing to sneeze at. Chicken is an extra-special treat for Gem,
reserved as an “Attagirl!” jackpot. She’s had it for three days now, including a
celebratory dinner tonight, back home. So now, we’re embarking on
our Open career. She’s never been shown
the Broad Jump, but can do all the other exercises already… but before we go
trialing at the Open/CDX level, Gemma needs just a little sharpening up and I
need one hell of a lot of improvement in my handling! I think it might prove useful to do some
stewarding at a few Open events to see what I can pick up along the way.
Gemma C.D. with “ Image ©
2007 Edwina Bevk, BorderPixNArt The immediate future The next few months will
be about tightening up our teamwork and starting out in Agility, with puppies in
Spring. Now that she’s almost 18
months old, she’s old enough to start building up that bone density with a
progressive jumping programme. There’s not much point
making a mad dash for the Open/CDX title, because most of the local trials fall
exactly in her oestrus window, and I’m afraid she
gets a little inconsistent with her brain floating on a sea of hormones. It’ll probably be June before we get going
again, and push for that first Open pass.
Who knows, we might sneak one or two trials in before she becomes canid non gratis on trial grounds. Between now and (roughly)
September 2007, I’ll be on the lookout for a suitable Sire for her first
litter. It won’t be clear for a while
yet exactly when that will be, but visit regularly to find out what attributes
we’ll be looking for. Clear Genetic
tests, good structure, “classic” BC ears, and a really good temperament will be
essential. Gemma is genetically “clean”
of CEA/CL/etc. She’s a little darling,
with a wonderful temperament that is a joy to live and work with, so I’d hate
to mix that up with a neurotic or noisy line. Some day, must get around
to adding a GuestBook to this page, to contact
us. I’m sure anyone who really wanted to
find us could do so, but I’m not leaving an email address here for a spambot to find. Training She’s a natural. I hardly have to teach her at all – simply ‘remind’ her. In only two sessions, she learned to put her
toys away in a box on cue! I built a
small makeshift cavaletti (hurdle) run for her, and
she worked out what was expected in a few minutes, less time than it took to
build it. Keeping ahead of her is a
full-time job in itself. To anyone training up
their pooch to “Advanced” certificate (Level 1, “Obedience Trained Dog”), I say
– consider going at least that one stage further, and try for a C.C.D. It isn’t as hard as people make out. If you look at the rules and the exercises
objectively, they are (apart from the off-lead stays) rather easier to pass
than the Advanced exam. I highly recommend Pryor’s
“Don’t Shoot the Dog!” as a primer,
and am now training to Morgan Spector’s “Clicker Training for Obedience” – which
I consider the “missing manual” that every puppy should come with. Not so much recommended as essential reading, especially for the
handler/trainer who will eventually go trialing. She’s clicker-trained, of
course. Positive re Herding – she’s had two 15
minute lessons (see http://www.badsa.org.au)
and ‘clicked’ on the idea after only a few minutes; Hmph, I’m not supposed to nip them on the hocks or chase them… I’m supposed
to keep them together and move them around.
Like so! Aha! Play She has the usual BC
instincts and loves to fetch and catch, be it Frisbee or ball… but her favourite toy of all is a simple laser pointer. She goes nuts trying to catch that elusive
spot of light on the carpet, wall, roof… but if she can’t chase that, then the Aerobie Pro Ring is the next best thing. A flick of the wrist, and this thing will fly
for 200 metres or more. The Aerobie Skylighter is good for the nights after a day where we
couldn’t get out during the day (too hot, too wet, too busy…) but it doesn’t
fly nearly as well or as far; its claim to fame is that it has bright LEDs in it so it lights up at night. Caveat – if you try a
laser pointer with your own dog (or anything living), KEEP IT AWAY FROM THEIR
EYES. Choose a very low powered one
(0.1mW) as a precaution, and play in short bursts, as a “chase” game. Keep it MOVING all the time, so that any
accidental exposure is very brief. NEVER
POINT IT AT THE ANIMAL. She’s also a gregarious
type – she loves company, and was born with her ‘Charisma’ chip on overload. Here she is with her second-best
friend (after me, of course!), Porscha. She’s a finicky eater;
Gemma eats only when she feels like it... and when she’s sure there’s nothing
better coming! She knows what’s good for
her, too… ….Nyaaaa What’s up, doc? I’d love to include some pics of her in full flight, but she’s simply too fast to
catch! Down at the training club, she outruns
dogs three times her size, and has been known to get bored after running six
dogs in a row into the ground :-) She even runs down the
local Kangaroos, but she knows better than to actually catch them. They’re just fun
to chase. They move funny :-P Some puppy pics… Her littermates… You can find out more Thanks for visiting!
