Herding and magpies

[Michael Romanos]

Was at agility competition spread over two days at the weekend and got hear about two stories that I thought I would share with members.

This guy has an uncle who owned a farm in New Zealand and the uncle owned a Pem Corgi. Well, every morning for many years, the farmer would get up and before he prepared his and the Corgi's breafast (porridge for both). he would open the front door of the house, not having to say a word, and the Corgi would go out to the fields and herd the dozen or so cows into the milking shed to be ready for milking. Then the Corgi would return intoi the house and eat his breakfast along with his dad, the farmer.

Australian magpies are well known in NZ as noisy, sometimes very friendly and tame birds who can sometimes talk and mimmick lots of things.
A pet magpie copied the farmer's (not related to the story above) whistle he used for organising the farm working dogs into acton. So instead of the farmer having to make the necessary loud whistled instructions to his team of dogs, the magpie took over - and the dogs obeyed this clever bird.

Incidently, Taylor, my Pem Corgi had near misses for a clear round all weekend - in three events he only derailed one bar of a hurdle, and in one other event failed to contact on a dog walk for the only error. However in his very last event - which he very clearly told me he didn't want to compete in, he went a clear round at a fast clip - thanks to the judge realising that though he had knocked down one rail - that hurdle's rails had been set at the wrong height. So we finished sixth out of 64 starters and he won a nice prize including a medallion on a ribbon - and received the biggest cheer of the day at the prize giving. He is not racing as fast as he has been say a year ago and I know that it is a weight issue. I think he has become slightly too solid - just a pound or two but it makes a lot of difference.

[Jane Austen]

Michael, I am so glad you told us that even with all your attention to Taylor's weight, he managed to get a bit heavier than he should be. My Duchess is a few pounds more than her ideal weight and I was feeling very guilty. Now I know that we are all, even Michael, tempted to feed more than we ought.

Congradulations to Taylor on how well he did at the agility. Sixth out of Sixty four is a great accomplishment for you both.

A while back you mentioned that your knee was giving you trouble? How is that going? Jane

[Clogs]

Go Taylor! Not a bad result, eh?

[Michael Romanos]

Thanks Jane and Clogs. In agility a dog just cannot compete as well as he/she might if they are anything else but decidedly slim. I don't want Taylor too slim because an underweight looking Corgi looks almost as wicked as an overweight one though not a health issue as it is with overweight Corgis. So there is this fine balancing act. My knees are ok at present for racing around a course in 40 seconds - but no good for racing up hills. In fact I am getting some free (Govt paid) physio on my knees from tomorrow.