MY BAD

My bad. I haven't written on this blog in quite some time.

Summer seems to be a crazy season. So many things to do. Lots of work at the ranch, which bores me spit less but must be done. Lot's of company coming to enjoy marvelous Montana. I love company and meeting new people.

We have been back to the Salish Mountains. We found a trail that Kinsey wants to explore further but we weren't prepared to go so far. If we are going more than an hour out she likes to take a larger pack that has enough on board to spend the night in case of an accident. I'm looking forward to checking this trail out. What we've seen so far has been beautiful.

My training is coming along nicely. I'll probably have my last private lesson next week. The problem I'm having is; when I'm in a classroom I'm good as gold and the instructor is quite impressed with me. But, the second I get out in the forest I go kookoo. So many wonderful scents. I'm like a kid on crack. :)

In sad news; a young (25 years old) photographer Kinsey thought very highly of both as a photographer and general all around good guy passed away. His name was Patrick Orton. He had an incredibly promising career ahead of him. Patrick loved extreme sport photography and had taken some awesome images of people doing crazy things. He liked to do crazy wild things himself. He liked to jump off things and a couple of weeks ago he jumped off a bridge in Sand Point and that was the last thing he did. What a tragedy. Here is some of Patrick's work. PATRICK ORTON

Below are a few recent photos.

This was the view from the trail we found in the Salish Mountains. You can just make out the peaks rising up in Glacier National Park in the far distance.

I am so darned cute!

This is Red Bird one of my favorite toys.

This is Miss Piggy. She is my most favorite toy. It's Kinsey's favorite toy too because instead of that annoying squeak, that I love , it makes a lowing pig sound. Very funny.

©Kinsey Barnard

I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF!

I am so proud of myself. For several weeks now Kinsey and I have been working on the long line. Practicing "Wait" Stop" and a whistle recall. The line is thirty feet long. When I'm about two thirds of the way out Kinsey calls "Stop". I'm supposed to stop no matter what and return to her. I'm real good at it when there isn't anything else competing for my attention. The big thing for Kinsey is that I not chase the deer which roam all over our ranch. And believe you me that's a distraction.

When I was really little I just sat and watched the deer. You can see photos of my cute little self in this post Watching Over My Deer Flock back in April. As I grew older, I am now 8 months as of yesterday, I started thinking chasing them would be a lot more fun. Before long I was obsessed with chasing them. I would go absolutely whiz bang nutty. This led to my getting my wings clip as in I lost my unsupervised free roaming privileges.

This morning I had a major breakthrough. We had been out practicing on the long line. When we got back there was a deer on the knoll across from the house. I saw her but tried to ignore that I knew she was there. Kinsey made me acknowledge its presence. She took me over to look right at it. I shuddered with excitement. I couldn't resist. I took off to go get it. At the very same moment Kinsey hollered "STOP!" And I did. I DID!

I was still on the long line but I stopped all by myself before I got to the end. I've never seen Kinsey so excited. You would have thought I'd won Westminster. I know I still have a lot of work to do but this was a real breakthrough moment for both of us. I know I'm going to get then hang of it.

I think my photographer needs a photographer. It's pretty hard to train and take photos too.  Below are a couple of photos Kinsey took of me this week in the flea bane. I like wildflowers.

 ©Kinsey Barnard

CAESAR MILAN - I'M NOT IMPRESSED

I'm doing a lot of research on dog training now that I am raising Molly Montana . I remember when I was raising Lakota Sunrise it was not so easy, the research.  Encarta  was still a phenom, especially for those of us raised on the Encyclopedia Britannica. I think my internet browser was Netscape. It took a week and a half to load pages. A lot has changed. Information is at your finger tips at the speed of light.

What I'm about to write will be considered heresy by some I am sure. I have always been very skeptical of so-called "experts". It so often turns out that the only thing they are expert at is parting me  from my money. It can be true in any field where people are holding themselves out as "experts" for hire. Seems like so many are out for the buck.

With National Geographic validating him, Caesar Milan has become a media darling who no doubt has profited greatly. But, watch these videos and decide for yourself if his brand of training is really cutting edge or more of the old archaic way of dominating animals into submission. He plays on the "Horse Whisperer" but I think that's hype. Watch Robert Redford's movie "The Horse Whisperer" to see the difference. Or watch the movie "Buck" the real life whisperer.

Read this article and watch the videos regarding dominance or simply unruly behavior.  If you're like me you will come away thinking that Caesar Milan is out of date and out of touch. I believe in respect not dominance. As a kid I was stubborn and hard headed. I haven't really changed. Those who tried to bend me to their will through fear and domination were able to get me to do things but I had neither love nor respect for them and it made me even more stubborn. We humans are not so different from our pets on an emotional level.

One of the videos shows a scientist who admits to preaching the Alpha dog doctrine but now believes that doctrine is no longer valid. Thank goodness for people who are willing to admit their theories, although seemingly correct at the time, are no longer valid based on new scientific evidence.

I am disappointed in National Geographic for promoting Milan. But so many of my childhood icons have proven to be empty suits manipulating former integrity for monetary gain. Everyone and everything needs to be questioned these days. We aren't in Kansas anymore Dorothy.

©Kinsey Barnard