The Blog of Gordon Watt

Gordon will be offering lessons at his farm in Alden/Harvard, Illinois. Lesson dates are: December 18 – 23, 2018.

Gordon works with dogs and handlers at all stages from totally new to advanced skills. Private lessons are one-on-one sessions with Gordon where he helps guide you and your dog to the next steps.

Contact Kerry to set up your private lesson.
email: bre.2002@yahoo.co.uk
phone/text: 573-619-2393
Address and directions provided once lesson time confirmed.

Check the events calendar for other dates and locations for private lessons and clinics.

Gordon Watt will be offering a long list of clinics in the winter of 2018-2019. Please read through these definitions to be sure you are entering the correct level. If you have any questions, the contact information is at the end of this post.

Move Forward Clinics
For pro novice and open dogs. Dog must be capable of at least a 250 outrun and can drive a full cross drive. These clinics are designed for handlers and dogs wanting to move forward to the next class (pro novice to open) Designed for open handlers and dogs to further their trial course skills.

January 23/24
January 26-27
March 2-3
March 6/7
March 30-31
April 3/4
May 8/9
May 11-12

All “Open” Move Forward clinics held at Cedar Stone Farm, Cambridge WI

Novice Move Forward Clinics
These clinics are designed for novice handlers and dogs that compete at novice level and wanting to move forward to the next class (pro novice/ranch.)

November 24-25: Counting Ewe Farm, Raymond, Wisconsin
December 29-30: Laughing Frog Farm, Kansasville, Wisconsin
April 6-7: Nic Of Time Farm, Walworth, Wisconsin

Shedding Clinic
This clinic is for pro novice/open dogs completing at trials. This will be a basic shedding clinic to cater for handlers and dogs needs. (International Shedding clinic will be later in the spring.)

March 16-17: Cedar Stone Farm, Cambridge, WI

Judging Clinic
Judging clinic is open to all handlers. This clinic consist of is people running dogs on a course and everyone judges them. We watch and talk through them and compare points.

May 18-19: Cedar Stone Farm, Cambridge, WI

Puppy & Young Dog clinics
This clinic is designed for puppies 6 months and over. We will take dogs up to the age of 5 years. For first time puppies that need an introduction to sheep or puppies that have already started on sheep and young dogs slow starters late developing dogs.

Held at Nic Of Time Farm, Walworth, WI or Farm in Harvard, IL (Depending on weather)

Dates:
January 5-6
January 12-13
January 19-20
March 9-10

How to sign up for these clinics:
All clinics will be a cost of $230 for the 2 days with lunch included.  All clinics will be limited to 12 working spots. Auditing spots are $35 and includes lunch.

To book a slot at any of these clinics send email to bre.2002@yahoo.co.uk. In the email, state which clinic and how many dogs.

Checks made payable to: Gordon Watt sheepdogs
Mail to: PO Box 611, Lake Geneva, WI 53147

For those of you that have entered more than one clinic, individual checks for each clinic would work best please. Just put which clinic in the Memo section of the check. For weather purposes in case we should cancel, no checks will be cashed until the day before each clinic.

 

 

John and Connie Seraphine are happy to have Gordon Watt back at Heatherhope Farm, Sycamore, Illinois, and happy to invite sheepdog handlers for a clinic Thursday through Sunday, November 1-4, 2018 and again April 25-28, 2019.

Post by John Seraphine

We first had Gordon at Heatherhope in 2007, prior to his judging the Wisconsin Working Stock Dog Trial in Portage, Wisconsin, and for many years he has offered his expertise here both in early November and in April. It has been a wonder to watch him quickly get raw dogs comfortable with being in their “zone” for working sheep quietly and smoothly. It has also been a revelation to see him impart real skill and confidence to handlers—some of whom had become discouraged with past failures, only to be given new hope and motivation.

Of course, everyone has a good laugh as well. We develop thick skins as Gordon uses his Irish humor on us to keep us humble. And we even sometimes turn the tables on him and get to give him a rough time. Gordon assures us this is all a vital part of sheepdog handling.

We plan to open up 10 working slots a day for the clinic. If you get in touch via email we will keep track of you, but those slots are guaranteed on a first-come-first served basis for those who get their full $130 in for two times out with Gordon on that day. If you must pull out, refunds will be made if we can fill that slot with someone on the wait list or someone who begs for that slot at the clinic. In the past we have just about always been able to make those refunds.

The $130, or the cost for a one-time-out lesson, which is $75, or the cost of a day’s audit, which is $45, also covers the cost of a continental breakfast and a full lunch. Dinner is on your own, and a couple of nights we will go off to a restaurant with Gordon. Connie is well known for her down-home-friendly meals of breakfast and lunch. Speak up soon if you want to reserve one of a handful of camper spots on the farm, and consider slipping John a fiver for a day and night’s  electricity.

These are the most common questions asked about Clinic’s with Gordon. Here is how we handle it at Heather Hope Farm:

• Do you have to sign up for all the days? No. You pick-em.
• Is it a themed clinic? Only if “whatever you need to work on” is a theme.
• How many work spots does a person get? For us a “working spot” entails two times out with Gordon. You can go out with two different dogs or one dog two times. Keep in mind that a very young, inexperienced dog may only be able to mentally handle one time out a day.

• 

Please make contact with John Seraphine at heatherhopefarm@gmail.com, or 815-895-9736 for further information. But mail in your check payable to John Seraphine, 22417 Airport Road, Sycamore, IL 60178 to guarantee your spot. You can also see Heatherhope’s web site for directions to the farm.

We hope you can join us for the good doggy times this November and again in April.

Monday, June 18th Gordon will be offering private lessons at Cedar Stone Farm in Cambridge, WI.  This is the Monday immediately following the Cedar Stone trial.

Handlers signing up for these lessons will have a unique opportunity with Gordon. He will watch your runs during the trial and provide valuable feedback during your private lesson times. Gordon has impeccable memory and a keen eye when watching runs. During your lesson, he will help break it all down to explain what went wrong at the trial.

These lessons are perfect for handlers needing to brush up on trialing skills and to discuss how specific handling techniques can make all the difference in having a successful run.

Limited spots are available starting at noon on the 18th (morning times already taken.)

Gordon works with dogs and handlers at all stages from totally new to advanced skills. Private lessons are one-on-one sessions with Gordon where he helps guide you and your dog to the next steps.

Lessons are from 9-5 and cost $75. Several working areas including a 20 acre field.

Contact Kerry to set up your private lesson.
email: bre.2002@yahoo.co.uk
phone/text: 573-619-2393

Check the events calendar for other dates and locations for private lessons and clinics.

Double Lift Clinic In Ohio

We arrived on Friday April 13th at the McNutt Family Farm in Blue Rock Ohio for a day of lessons. The weather was glorious, warm almost up in the 80s! It was a lovely day with a nice warm breeze which was just right for training dogs.  This day was a different variety of dogs from young ones and open dogs. Each handler/dog team floated in and out of their assigned time and it was a nice relaxing 😎 day.  It is always a great atmosphere at the McNutt Farm with plenty of banter and lots of fun.

Saturday was the first day of the double lift clinic. With a small number of handlers, we could fit plenty of time in for each working session. The weather was a little cooler in the morning and heavy rain forecast for late afternoon so we made the most of the nice weather with an early start. This clinic was mainly about having control of the dogs and getting them to take your advice to you when they were lost. If you have proper control, you can direct your dog to the unseen sheep. Micheal McNutt has the ideal field as you stood on a rise so the dog could see the first packet of sheep on a right hand outrun. The dog had to run down the hollow losing sight of his sheep as he come up the hill on the other side. It was a tricky right hand as you had to almost direct your dog down the hill before sending or your dog would go too wide and completely miss the sheep. For some dogs, it was confusing to be asked to walk on in front of the handler.  It just seemed unnatural for the dogs to do this.

You then had to pull your dog across before sending him right. This clinic was not for the faint hearted as you had to dig deep and really work WITH your dog. No time for mistakes! The dog then had to bring the sheep down into the hollow of the hill and have a blind turn back up the hollow to out of sight sheep. Gordon was on hand to help the less experienced dogs and handlers.  But most experienced open dogs had to listen very well and figure it out for themselves. It was tricky: one wrong command and there was trouble ahead.

Handlers had to be quick to command and dogs really had to respond with the same quickness. For me, the most impressive dog of the clinic was Anne Spearman’s Ted.  He was the least experienced of all the dogs and tends to worry some if things don’t go to plan. He seemed to be a changed dog. He listened well and took every command that Anne gave him to get him to his sheep. What a star! He never faulted and the more Anne asked of him the better he went. Anne and Ted are becoming a real team.

Sharon Allswede’s Ben was the smoothest dog. Such a quiet way with sheep: his turn backs were with ease.  He soon picked up the routine of bringing his first packet and glancing across the field for his second packet. All the while being in full control of his first packet. Amazing little dog.

 

By the Sunday, Gordon made things a little more challenging with 3 packets of sheep. The weather was wet, very wet.  We had no stop heavy rain all day, but it never seemed to deter these handlers. The first packet was 20 yards in front of the dog to the right just down in the hollow dogs really couldn’t miss them. They had to fetch them in front of the handler down the hollow and drop them. Turn back was up the hollow for the second packet. The third packet were in the next field; meaning handlers had to direct their dog through a gate to get to the sheep. Everyone managed to stop their dogs and walk them through the gate where the sheep were right in front of them. This gave the dog a choice of either hand out run. But Gordon said the handler had to direct them right handed.  Almost everyone managed, it with little help from Gordon.

This clinic was about getting your dogs to listen and becoming team players. From my view, everyone seemed to really enjoy it.  With less dogs, we had plenty of time at lunch with the white board and explaining things. Having this valuable time really helped handlers get the job done once on the field.  All handlers and dogs worked as a team. It was a joy to see happy faces and handlers realizing what their dogs where really capable of when questions were asked and dogs delivered. And that’s what it’s all about!

I’m looking forward to these guys running their dogs this Open season and gaining points for finals sometime in the near future.

It is always an enjoyable time at the McNutt Family Farm.  We would like to thank Micheal, Phyllis and Patti McNutt for having us . Especially thank you to Phyllis for her delicious cooking. It’s a real treat!

And to Claudia Frank (who couldn’t make it to the clinic) for her loan of the sheep for 3 days.  We couldn’t have done it without sheep of course. Sending well wishes to Claudia.

We hope to see you all soon at a clinic, day of lessons or at a trial!
Kerry

Photos by Sharon Allswede. Check out the gallery here.