So I've just rediscovered this blog and thought I would try and make use of it...
Detox
I don't know what else to call what I'm doing. It's not a diet, although it feels a bit like it. But I'm not going full out or anything, I don't think I have that kind of willpower haha.
What I'm doing is pretty simple:
No chocolate, no ice cream, no "treats" and no fast food.
It's not completely a "no sugar" rule, but it's pretty close. Fruits are allowed, candy is not, kind of thing. And I'm allowed one hot beverage with a maximum of two teaspoons of sugar each day. So like I said not completely cancelling it all out, but it's close and I hope it'll make the difference.
I confess I'm one of those sadly well overweight people, and I try, but it's been hard lately. No extra money for fuel and such so I can't go to boxing classes which I used to do. I was getting somewhere for a little while a bit over a year ago, then I tore a ligament in my ankle. Then I tried again with exercise this year and did some muscle or tendon damage in my upper thigh according to my doctor. So yeah, exercise is not working so well.
All I have right now is limiting myself with food, so it's been 3 days so far. Pretty hard too because all this 'no sugar' sort of thing seems to be making me more hungry than usual... or I'm really just not eating as much as I used to. One or the other... potentially a combination of both.
Sheep Herding
Today I took my dogs sheep herding for the first time this year. It was late in the day and it was dark by the time we left. Plus it's been a bit rainy every so often so I of course got soaking wet from rain while herding.
So I'll go through the 3 dogs that I took today and how they were.
Niyah, youngest first I guess. This was her first time with sheep, apart from being shown some when she was 10 weeks old, but I don't think she remembers that and they were a lot bigger than her then. Now she's 9 months old and was definitely intrigued. I could see the herding instincts at play as she was taken by the trainer up close with a flock of sheep and got them to move a little. It's a good start for the little one.
Delta, now 17 months old and very aware of what sheep are. She was naughty today, not really listening to mum who was handling her. Even went so far as to get under the fence and into a close quarters yard with lots of sheep who were not being used for herding. Turns out she's pretty good as a yard dog for sheep shearing. Confidence in close quarters unlike her mother Summer who I tried to train for that but preferred staying away from the sheep, and definitely not invade their close quarter space.
Hunter... well he's almost 4 years old and it seems that brain of his is really starting to come along finally haha. Such beautiful stops and drops on him as he waited to be told what to do in terms of herding the sheep. Where last year he was kept outside of the pen and directed around the outside away from the sheep, now he's in with the sheep and finally getting some good listening. He's really good with distance work, although still likes to run in and scatter the sheep every so often. We're getting close to that sweet spot with training I think, soon it will all come together and he will advance amazingly.
Unfortunately for Summer she didn't get to come along for the trip, but considering she's not really into sheep herding unless someone else is doing the moving of the sheep... well she's finished with herding now. Better for her to focus on obedience and agility.
