by Jim Vincent | 24 Sep 2018 | travel
Our First Year After a year of housesitting in Australia, we tomorrow start our travels until May 2019. During this year we have: LIved on a 700-acre sheep farm, caring for 60 partridges, three sheep, two horses, and a dog. Seen mobs of kangaroos, a single wallaby,...
by Jim Vincent | 10 Jan 2018 | cosi
Position Cosi should be on your left side, walking at your speed, not pulling on the lead. Think of a rectangular box that would contain Cosi. This box should be big enough in all dimensions for her to fit, and the box should be at a position, just a bit in front of...
by Jim Vincent | 10 Jan 2018 | cosi
Equipment Instead of connecting the lead directly to Cosi’s collar, connect it to the “choke chain” we have left for you. While called a choke chain, it really does not choke her when worn correctly (below). Dogs learn better and faster with a...
by Jim Vincent | 10 Jan 2018 | cosi
Examples Below are video examples of the four areas we have trained Cosi: Waiting for food Coming in on invitation Going out on invitation Staying out of the kitchen The training is best if it is consistent. Like gravity. She never eats, goes in or out, or goes into...
by Jim Vincent | 7 Jan 2018 | cosi
To become the leader of the pack, you only have to do four things: Eat first and say when Cosi can eat Go first (like into the house) and tell Cosi where she can go and when Sit higher and only allow Cosi “on high” with an invitation Make her feel safe and...
by Jim Vincent | 7 Jan 2018 | cosi
The most important thing to remember when training a dog is they are a pack animal. They need to be in a pack: for survival, for food, for companionship, for a mate; for everything. From Cosi’s point of view, you are part of her pack. A pack has a leader, and if...
by Jim Vincent | 1 Nov 2017 | Uncategorized
Wednesday A day of slashing. Two paddocks done. It generated a lot of clippings on the tractor itself, and I had to clear the road where it dropped. Four tractor bucketsfull carried to the bonfire. All in all, a very satisfying day. The sick bird died. Pretty sad day....
by Jim Vincent | 31 Oct 2017 | Cobaw
Tuesday Day started with heavy work – taking the wattle I knocked over to the bonfire. With some coaching from Jon, I attached a chain to the base of the downed tree and ran it to the other chains at the top of the slasher. The tree came along easily and no adventure....
by Jim Vincent | 30 Oct 2017 | Cobaw
Monday Cold! When we woke up, it was 4 degrees (39 degrees F). And misty. It would rain off and on all day. And it wouldn’t get sunny until about 5.00 pm. It was cold and miserable, but the sheep had to be put out for food, water and other needs, so we put them...
by Jim Vincent | 29 Oct 2017 | Cobaw
Sunday A day of rest. Almost … After a quiet breakfast, we went to Melbourne to run a few errands. Shelly drove the whole way. Did a great job. She did say she was exhausted at the end. Driving comes easily to her, but having cars pass on the right, entering...
