Embarrassing Moments

Most Embarrassing Moments
Alta-Pete: December 24, 2018
Original Post by: Jenny Glen

“After a friend’s recent post about how her young dog embarrassed her I thought we could all have a little laugh. Tell me about your disasters with your dogs! 

For me it’s a toss up between Hemp gripping on the third leg of a drive at Strang ranch and not letting go of the sheep’s hock until I got all the way out to him (sheep was fine but I was humiliated and ran him scared the rest of the year and didn’t even try to make panels in order to keep him happy) and just about every time I went to the post with Ford. One particular time I remember at Dr. Ben’s Trial when Ford took the sheep out of the pen 3 times before I could shut the gate. Then he wouldn’t let the exhaust dog take his sheep so I had to exhaust my own sheep and the only way he’d call off was when I caught his head in the exhaust gate like a squeeze chute. 

Ford recently kept his new owners humble in a sniffer competition by abandoning his search to pounce on a Jolly ball distraction.

So what stories do you have? Some good public humiliation stories in any dog sport to keep us humble?”

Comments from other Handlers:

When I first started running Sid and the first time I was given a “thank you“ I thought the judge was being polite and complimenting me, so I turned around and told him “you’re welcome” with a big smile on my face and then continued to run Squid ! I just thought the judge really liked that part of my run!

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Hair sheep chasing my first Open dog, Floss, from the Fetch panels back to the set out. 

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When I was a stark novice with my first Border Collie running in ASCA we were in an arena trial and my dog had a ewe and her lamb in the corner and neither of us knew really how to deal with that situation. The ewe was stomping at her and Jade kept putting pressure on more and more- until finally the ewe threw her head at Jade. It spooked Jade enough that she tucked tail, turned around, and ran *SCREAMING* in a huge arc across the arena. I was left standing there like “WTF!!?” while spectators asked “Did she get hurt?!” “The ewe didn’t even touch her!”

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Same thing happened to me at Stock Show… big crowd watching. Little OR dog boldly walked up to shift sheep… sheep didn’t move, so she did a big zoomy circle barking the whole time and started her lift a second time, and then a third time…. crowd loved it – me not so much.

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Sent my open dog on a beautiful outrun. lost sight of dog. waited…waited…it was kindly pointed out the dog was behind me.

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Beautiful outrun, lift, and drive right into the exhaust, and proceeds to bring me her sheep, the exhausted sheep …AND all of the fencing. Took me 5 years to get the courage to trial again!

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I was running Trip in PN circa 2001 I think. She had a beautiful run and afterward it was time to send the sheep up to the top. We made a total TOTAL mess of it. Later I went to Alan Hickenbottom (they were his sheep) and asked him what I did wrong. I was prepared for a long lecture, but he simply said “ya skeered ’em!”

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My disaster? More like “my disasters!” But one that stands out is the time I could barely see the set-out at Pleasant Hill, and kept trying to direct Celt who was having a horrible time lifting and bringing the sheep. Too bad I was actually seeing the set-out dog instead of Celt and giving all sorts of contradictory commands to what Celt actually needed (if he needed any at all because the gather is his natural strong point). So, as a result, we lost our sheep, over the fence and into the parking area. And I think this was the second year in a row…some people just never learn!

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Taking my dog who never crosses over to the post….and crosses at my feet.

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I drove the wrong panels at the Knox trial. Twice. At the same trial. Can never show my face again. ( In my defence, I was having serious medical issues with my right eye back then). You’re right, No excuses can make that better.

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I was doing a demo at a Celtic festival. No fences, no way to keep anything anywhere so I brought the quietest most dog broke sheep I owned. Went well first day, I show up the second and there is a huge tent in the grassy area of my demo. Organizers tell me that they were so impressed that they wanted the eating tent to be RIGHT THERE so the VIPs could watch my demo while they ate lunch.

Had my good dog Fuse gather the sheep and starts doing a drive away while I am miked up explaining history ya da ya da ya da. I suddenly realize the sheep are heading straight for the tent and when he flanked he went behind the tent! I am frantically running up the field in a long Celtic dress, begging people not to move, touch, or do anything but breathe. Meanwhile I have visions of upended tables and chairs, old ladies on the ground, and lawsuits, omg lawsuits. As I get to the tent, I hear noises and see Fuse slowly easing the sheep through the tables toward me. I swear to god, one had lettuce in its mouth. I slink back to my side of the area, finish up the demo and prepare to be kicked out, screamed at, any number of horrible things.

Here came three of the event Bigwigs, in mass, descending on me at a high rate of speed. As I steel myself I realize they are in high spirits. It was a big hit and could I “do it again during the next show.”

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As a Novice trialer and French Canadian, I was trying to pen and the sheep scooted around as they are known to do. I yelled « damn » and the kind Texan judge told me I could not use foul language on the course. To which I replied « so sorry English is not my first language ! »

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At a stockdog trial in central Calif. using goats…The judge said, “Any time your dog bites one of my goats it will be a 5 point deduction.” Kilt came off the field with a score of 18 

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Little Horse Mountain, California Trial 2018—-I could of crawled off the field. I was up on the mountain with Chavo almost 9 years old. He saw a ground Squirrel or squeak whatever they are called. After it he went. I was thinking the old dog still has some fun in him LOL -“what ya got there Chavo”? Making him even more excited running from hole to hole. Never once dawned on me what I was allowing would be so detrimental. Next day I go to the post all confident. Awayyyyyyyyy——-he zoomed off!!!!! about 100 yards out he slides to a stop, turned around and chased a squirrel. I blew another Awayyyyy flank—– off he went to the next Squirrel hole. OMGGGGGGGGGGGGG did that really happen???? Where can I disappear? LOL damn squirrel holes weren’t big enough for me to hide in!!!!!!  I had several people ask me why I retired on the fetch LOL OMG I was so livid and embarrassed that I couldn’t make my whistle work. I couldn’t even think.

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Way back when I had just moved Jillie to PN (really green, both of us), we got around the course pretty handily, got to the pen and there was a big fat wether that had his butt out of the pen. I couldn’t close the gate and did everything I could think of to get him to move…nothing. So I stomped the ground near him to hopefully make him go on into the pen, well Jillie took that as “get a holt”, she hit him pretty good and he jumped and knocked down the whole pen! So I’m standing there…have no clue what to do other than excuse ourselves! 

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First open run ever with my dear Mac dog, afraid he would not make the OR so took him out to watch every dog before him lift their sheep and failed to notice his mounting excitement. Beautiful OR stopped dead on at the pressure point, range ewe sized him up than turned back to her group whereupon he busted into her and grabbed her by the hind leg, taking her down ran as fast as I could up the field to call him off. I have been too scared to run him again, maybe this year or never.

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I think I have embarrassed my dog more than she ever did me. First time ever running open (jumped straight from novice) at Shaker Village. Wind at 45mph. Near perfect OR and right drive. I gave a come-bye whistle – now realize I had only learned her flanks by watching a video of the trainer- she immediately took the inside flank at the exact moment I realized my mistake. Great cross drive to second panel. Since I had not embarrassed myself enough I did it again giving an outside flank running sheep back up the hill! We had a perfect pen and 1pt off my first ever shed. Loved that dog Bless. Finished with a 39.

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Randy went to Holly McWilliams Brunner’s with Moose and was there a day early so he helped Holly moving and separating sheep in preparation for the trial. The next day at the trial he sent Moose on an outrun and he crossed over, jumped a fence and went to the sheep he had penned the previous day.

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At the pen with Scoop and here comes Geri Byrne’s old retired dog that got out of its kennel and it’s deaf. They calling it but no go. Gathers my sheep and away they go.

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Borders on Paradise many years ago with Jed had a ewe that slipped around the side of the pen then jumped in from the back! It was spectacular.

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My first border collie’s trial debut. Vashon a big spectator crowded trial. She gripped and hung on at the exhaust riding the sheep right off the field out into the parking lot

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At the Irish World Trial. Tricky OR on field 3. Sloped right to left, short but was partly blind. Tight to the exhaust on the CB, so most everyone sent right. Because of the slope, Price pulled in. When I gave the re-direct he widened but not enough because he couldn’t see his sheep and ended up flat, but he over flanked sending the sheep to my right and they ran around a tree. Bobby Henderson had watched my run. Afterward I said to him; “My sheep ran up a tree, Bobby. Whey did my sheep run up a tree?” He replied: “Oh, aye, it was the only safe place.” Not particularly embarrassing, but really funny and we had a great laugh. It was a very expensive laugh though…

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Most of my stories involve Rex and sheep being where they ought not be (Dorper in a ditch, Tunis in a tree). But I think my favourite was Rex gripping at the stampede and then looking at me with a large hunk of wool on his mouth. That was not our best work.

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It was a trial in New Mexico, I was running my little red dog, Daisy, in a double lift. She loved a turnback. First set brought down, no problem. Turned back easily for second set, then I lost sight of her. With my poor eyesight I fastened on what appeared to be a group of sheep slowly heading downfield. After a couple long minutes, had to admit to myself this was a stationary bush, not a sheep packet. Daisy nowhere in sight. Turns out, she’d left her second set when she heard an energetic flank whistle from me, and turned back happily in search of a third set.

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National Finals in Sturgis: Davey had a beautiful outrun and lift, then proceeded to take the sheep directly to where the truck and trailer were parked without an iota of attempts to take my flanks and bring them to me! He got them to the fence, looked for me, finally saw I wasn’t there and brought them to the post! Mortified!

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Driving a sheep into a pond! ….Jack….in one of our first Novice Novice runs. It was a disaster! John Palmer jumped in and rescued the sheep. BUT!…..I think we won the next run lol. I wasn’t going to let him embarrass me a second time!!

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I will never forget having smoking run with Brae in pronovice at Zamora. I am on the crossdrive and here comes exhaust dog and gathers our sheep and away they go . Brae’s like what the heck

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Bracken got in the set out pen at Athena and wouldn’t call off. I had to do the run of shame up the field while sheep were exploding out of the pen. Then there was the time I got cross wise on my flanking commands and won the Rocky Ewe Boo Hoo prize. Much circling occurred that day…. I still have my prize on display! 

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I got so frustrated by sheep circling the pen with my dog in pursuit that I cracked my crook into the ground so hard it broke. 
Sheep – 1
Handler and dog – 0

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Sue once went into the exhaust and brought out an extra sheep… 

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My Novice dog did a great job penning the sheep at the end of our run, but after I closed the gate he slipped between the slats and was standing in the middle of the pen with sheep exploding every which way. His expression was of stunned surprise and chagrin, as was mine.

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When you are entrusted by owner to move Flock A to point B, and have your dog shorten up the flank so badly there was no cover and Flock A (about 35 head) one by one in perfect bascule and style sailed over a fence to join Flock B. Ah the walk of shame all the way back to the office to report…”Houston, we have a problem.”

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You haven’t lived until your dog has put three roping steers through the top rail of an arena fence and stopped the trial for arena repair.

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Arena trial keen gather dog. Sheep jumped the fence. No real fault of dog’s. But dog thought they were escaping over fence. Sheep went to safe place – lemonade stand. Dog does gather back over the fence. It happened so fast I was still trying to figure out what was happening. Dog pen sheep gatherer and brought back through original fetch line and all I got was a “Thank you” and 6000 people got a good laugh. That was the worst. The rest are just standing in the gate while trying to pen. Having my dog look at me with contempt when I have the wrong command just general humbling stuff.

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Maybe at Triple Cross when Cass went out in her usual beautiful manner, lifted, then stopped to enthusiastically greet her former handler who was doing set-out – well, I guess that was the polite thing to do!

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Oh my where to start….most recent I guess, when puppy Chip escaped , and went after the CDN National trial sheep in front of the CBCA AGM….I dunno, Cap running the sheep through the trailers at Catbird stock dog trial…Gwen and I letting the exhaust sheep back up the trial field and interfering in the next competitors run in Scotland at our first open trial…. I hid in the bushes for an hour after that ’till Lee came to get me….

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My first novice run with Taz at the Labor Day Warmup SDT in Hot Sulphur Springs, CO. Course was just OLF and pen, and maybe five minutes long, on range ewes. We did the outrun, lift and fetch in about 20 seconds, and then rung the sheep around the pen for the next 4 minutes and 40 seconds, which seemed like several lifetimes to me. I was frustrated and embarrassed and had no idea how to change what was happening with my dog and the sheep. Emil was judging. Finally, FINALLY, he called time. I muttered “thank god!” under my breath, only it must not have been very quiet because the entire crowd watching burst into laughter. I could have died (but I looked up and smiled instead). It’s actually kind of a fun memory for me, to be honest, but it really was quite embarrassing at the time.

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 Mirk’s first Nursery trial…After our decent run I took Mirk to swim in the river…He went first, all excited, and I followed. When I got to the river, there was no Mirk…He had ducked back to the field and was on his way to gather the next dog’s sheep – The next dog was also on her way up on the opposite side. I could not call him off until he and the other dog had the sheep – in perfect brace form – back at the (panicking) handler’s feet. I was mortified. They got a rerun, and won the class LOL.

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One year running in PN at Fire Ridge I kept giving my dog the wrong flank command in the outrun  for once I was happy she didn’t listen to me…she kept looking at me like “Are you crazy lady?” lol   Same trial, same class, different year and different dog – I had my dog drive the first leg of the drive through the fetch panels    Of course none of these are on my dogs but are on me…might be even more embarrassing!

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Hands down it was when I ran Bob’s rather I inexperienced open dog Reese at Trailing of the Sheep 2017. She *entered* the set out pen! I could’ve died! Must say everyone was super nice about it.

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Ranger has been the source of many embarrassing moments but one I remember vividly was at Lee Lumb’s trial and Lee was setting. Ranger loves to work for Lee so when I sent him he happily fetched them to her and held them there and would not even come back to me. Walk of shame to get my dog back.

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Had a nice run going with my Angus… we are at the pen … sheep are almost in… one ewe had to take one step with her hind leg and I could close the gate…. next thing I know this streak comes flying in through the almost closed gate and sheep are popping out of the pen like popcorn… he flew back out as fast as he flew in with an awful look of dismay on his face.

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Driving for four hours on winter roads to try our hand at a little arena in ranch class for our first trial ever. My dog, who has never ever taken wool off anything since he was a pup, ignored the outrun completely and ran directly at the lead sheep and fastened onto its neck. . Luckily the fleece got in the way! But it certainly looked liked I was trying to herd with a rabid beast.

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Hopefully you have found some humor, some inspiration and some relief in reading these comments. As the old saying goes, “you either have a great time or a great story.”   I hope it’s  some of both.

Reprinted by permission from Alta-Pete Stockdogs.

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