Chiro and Herding

Iris had her first chiro appointment last Wed. I was impressed with Dr. Anne, especially how gentle she was with Iris. Iris was stressed out about being in a new place with strange people - she was spitting out string cheese! The method that Dr. Anne used was very gentle and didn't bother Iris at all, which is something that I was worried about. I admit, the whole thing wasn't quite what I expected. My naive brain was imagining something a lot more forceful. Given that my Wheaten battled chronic disc problems, I was a little hesitant about anything that concerns the spine. Iris doesn't have disc problems, why cause one? Her occasional limping prompted the chiro visit, and I'm glad I decided to take her.

The right side of Iris' pelvis was out of alignment, which I expected because it's her right hind leg that she limps from sometimes. The funny one is that both sides of Iris' head were out of alignment. Dr. Anne said that could be from running straight into something. Yes, I can definitely believe that Iris ran full speed into something at one point. Iris only had her pelvis and head aligned this time. Anne explained that if the two ends aren't right, the middle can't be right either. Makes sense! Iris goes back in two weeks for another adjustment.

After the appointment, Iris was very mellow. It wasn't that she seemed tired. She just seemed really relaxed. I don't know if it was her crashing after being stressed or if she just felt that much better. I think it was probably a combination of both.

Today, Iris went sheep herding with Julie and Bug. Iris had a great time! She's gotten a lot more relaxed about riding in Julie's car. She was so excited to the sheep. It's been a while since our last lesson. We worked on get around and walk up/out on a leash. Iris also did great with her downs! In the past, I've had to step on her leash almost every time I asked her to down. Today she was doing it on her own. Good girl! She did eat sheep poop for the first time, and decided that it was pretty good, so we'll be practicing "leave it" more.

Sometimes, I am better at taking care of my dog than myself. Iris got breakfast before we left and I didn't. I was also way over dressed because I HATE being cold. So no food/liquid in my stomach, running in circles and being much too hot made me very dizzy. I never eat breakfast before work - I usually grab something light when I get there. Feeding myself just isn't part of my morning routine (is it any surprise that my dog can't change her routine either?) So Iris' turn got cut short so I could sit and drink, and Julie worked with Bug. Bug had a great lesson! He is really doing awesome.

Colleen brought her Tervuren, Hannah, out and let Julie and I practice our handling skills with an experienced dog. One thing really stuck with me fro the Tenley clinic I went to last spring. She said in the horse world, you wouldn't put a novice rider on a green horse. Because a lot of people get started in herding with their pet, it ends up being a novice owner and a novice dog trying to learn together. Even though you can do it, it just takes longer. With that thought in mind, I enjoyed the opportunity to work with an experienced dog. Hannah was much better behaved for us than she was last time. I think I'm starting to get a better picture of where to be in relation to the dog and the sheep. It made a big difference when I started to watch the sheep more instead of looking solely at my dog. Funny, that seems to be a habit I have in agility as well. Course? What course? At least I know where my dog is!

Iris got to come out again to work the sheep again after we finished with Hannah. She was thrilled. She's very focused on the sheep. She also decided that it's fun to dart in, bite the sheep's hocks and dart out. Bratty dog. I need to work on keeping Iris pushed out further from the sheep so she stops being fresh. Colleen mentioned that Iris would probably make a good cattle dog, which I thought was really interesting. Iris' dam was bred by Pincie Creek, and it looks like they place an emphasis on working cattle. I'm not sure if I would ever be brave enough to try her on cattle, but it does explain why she works the way she does.

So far tonight, Iris hasn't limped at all. Hopefully she won't wake up stiff. Looks like the chiro appointment was worth it!