4 replies to this topic

[ejano]

Took a big step today. Muttering the incantation, "Trust your dog," I swung open the paddock gate, let two sheep out and put Brodie behind them and set off heart beating in chest, for the slope above the orchard. Daffodil, my puppy sheep meandered along to the pace set by the beat of Snowdrop's bell tinkling in the wind. I thought briefly of Heidi leading her goats across the Alps as my poor girls looked pretty goat-like after shearing. And of me as a toddler, walking beside my mother as Ring pushed the dairy cows to this same destination. Time shimmered.

It worked. It really worked. All that practice wearing along the fence line inside the paddock fell into place as we strolled along the fence line outside the paddock. Brodie pushed the girls gently when they tried to stray into the all ready lush and tempting hayfield then dropped them nicely and let them wander about picking at the tasty orchard grass on the slope where I wanted them to stay. He relaxed, something I hadn't expected, as long as the sheep's noses weren't pointing back at the barn - but that was a good thing as I didn't particularly care to see them kiting back to the barn with us in hotfooted pursuit, me with sore knee and still lacking dr's permission to "play" with my sheep, but it is such a grand day - it's good for the soul to be outside doing something on a day like this.

We stayed maybe a half hour -- the afternoon sun was just beautiful, shining on the tint of spring in the woods. The Shadbush trees are blooming. Now for the other half of the problem...the landing!

Brodie had a really bad habit of heading the sheep. I broke him of this for the most part last summer, but he retained one aspect I've been hoping to put to good use until DH gets the lower paddock gate working. And Brodie didn't fail me. On the way back to the barn, he immediately assumed the lead, trotting ahead, occasionally looking over his shoulder or lying down in wait, holding the sheep back from a mad gallop to the barn, and when asked, circling back to push them on when they thought to wander -- the last wasn't exactly perfect. Nothing ever is. He still can't resist bowling through them so he can work a little harder to gather them up again - just because he can and it's such GOOD fun. And I am not yet fast enough to stop him from this nasty little habit and how can I yell at the scamp when he ends by widening out, collecting them, dropping them at my feet and lying down, so smirkily pleased with himself? The wiley little stinker. Patient Daffodil just sighed. "It's a game, dear. Just a game."

Brodie is a good dog. He has a gentle and loving heart, amazing speed, and a strong will to please. He's sweet-natured and skinny enough to hide behind a fence post. He loves my husband dearly and has made a place for himself sharing the recliner watching Legends of the Old West after dinner each night. But tonight he is my dog, puddled at my feet, snoozing contentedly. Good job, Bro. We'll do that again. Many times.

[Gloria Atwater]

Beautiful and perfect. Thanks for sharing this beautiful word-image of a girl and her dog and a lovely spring day.

~ Gloria

[TEC]

Took a big step today. Muttering the incantation, "Trust your dog," I swung open the paddock gate, let two sheep out and put Brodie behind them and set off heart beating in chest, for the slope above the orchard...

...It worked. It really worked. All that practice wearing along the fence line inside the paddock fell into place as we strolled along the fence line outside the paddock....

IMO, very well done. You laid a foundation with training in the paddock, and later, with a manageable number of sheep, practiced a trip to slope above the orchard. Ideal. Now, you've got to explain how you got Brodie to lead sheep Heck, who needs to train a dog to drive. I'm just kidding. Keep up the great work.

Like Gloria, enjoyed the vivid narrative. -- Best wishes, TEC

[Sue R]

Wonderful narrative, should have been in the "training section" or "under the handers tent"!

The hardest part I face is just what you said at the start,

[q]Took a big step today. Muttering the incantation, "Trust your dog," I swung open the paddock gate, let two sheep out and put Brodie behind them and set off heart beating in chest, for the slope above the orchard.[/q]

So, I followed your example yesterday evening. I took Dan out to feed the bottle calf, who is terrified of him for good reason. Dan tried his hardest but the calf fled for the security of the group of seven heifers and two cows and their babies. That's when I hitched up my big girl pants, and took Dan down to bring them all up to the pens.

Since the heifers hate Dan (tried using him on them before the CA trip this winter and...), I've not taken him out since they started calving. And (and this is the big one) one of the two cows is pretty aggressive towards dogs this year, being the one that calved down in the woods by the sawmill field, and who was quite upset by all it took for us to get her and her calf back inside fencing that day.

But, Dan's been good about taking his downs and listening to me, even though his flanks and so-called-outruns are still way too flat and tight. I walked him around where I could send him just a short way and he did pretty well. He only blew me off once when he was in a tight spot - once the animals were moving out of the corner, he stopped for me.

Now, too bad they all took off for the pens at a gallop - I would not send Dan or any other dog to head off that bawling, racing, bouncing crowd. Instead, Dan helped me put the calf through the gate and into the barn to be fed (Cocoa, as Ed calls him) was waiting near "his" gate. Then Dan went out and had to lie down behind the fence while I supplemented the heifers - but one and her calf did not go in the pen.

So I positioned Dan once or twice to let her go but she was not trusting him and doing it, so I took him around her and just let him cast himself - viola! Mission accomplished pretty nicely.

Like you said, nothing pretty about most of my work but it got done and the dog tried his best and listened. Getting those big girl pants on is the hardest part of it for this cowgirl...and now I can begin to use Dan on a group and for a job that I have been too chicken to do up until now.

Sorry for the hijack, but I think we are trying to move along some parallel paths...

[ejano]

Sue I think you're way ahead of me on this path -- I enjoy reading about your adventures with Dan. If the weather cooperates (who turned down the thermostat?!) Robin and I are going to give it a go this afternoon. We may end up in your neck of the woods if he starts down the creek valley .

TEC - driving is a mystery to my boys and me but Brodie sure is funny when he does this -- "Come on gang," he says, "It's THIS way. .