gail

Claudia Frank in Ohio has run a sheltie in USBCHA trials. She also has border collies. gail

Another possibility is that your dog does not have the confidence to work the goats alone and the other dog provides extra support and confidence. It is certainly ok to use the other dog to provide confidence or provide some stimulation (in terms of moving the goats). Just as with any tool, you need to have a plan to avoid dependence on the other dog. This can start just be quietly having the other dog lie down and stay out of the picture and allow the non-confident dog to continue working. Then continue to have the first dog there as necessary - to back her up and make her think she is moving and controlling the sheep alone when the other dog is actually doing it. If it is a lack of confidence, the things you do can also help or hinder your dog. Learn how you can help your dog to gain confidence. Good luck with her! gail

Hi Sue, Congrats to both you & Celt on a job well-done. Celt is still a young dog & these dogs are very adaptive and resilient. Have faith & confidence in him - he has years more of working with you ahead of him! Good luck, gail

Talk to Janet McNally (http://www.tamaracksheep.com/) about a IDF ram. She is in MN so you won't be able to see, but she has EPDs - they will tell you a hell of alot more than seeing the ram and are alot more valuable than what you can see. Maybe it was mentioned in previous posts, but a decision on a maternal or terminal sire will depend alot on your ewe breed and what your goals are, what your ewe's strengths & weaknesses are, where you want to improve, etc. gail

Hi Debbie, Glad to hear your wether is doing better also. I would typically give a 200# sheep Vit B complex 5-7cc/twice a day. As long as he is eating & drinking, I think you can be pretty confident that he will recover. As to LGDs & guard donkeys, I have 3 LGDs & a donkey. A couple of my LGDs would probaby be less of a liability than my donkey. You could not guarantee no liability with any guard animal, but I think if you selected the right breed and the right animal of that breed, you could make it work. gail

While it probably won't be a popular solution here, I used Science Diets k/d for a dog I had with early stages of renal disease with great success. I would have never considered using Science Diet, but my vet talked me into trying it. Within a few months, his bloodwork was normal & continued to be within normal limits until his unrelated death 4 years later at age 16. While keeping weight on him was an issue, I believe it was due to many factors, not just the lower protein in the k/d. Good luck, gail

Not much new to add except that I try to buy american-made products & it can be pretty difficult when it comes to clothing. I wear Carhartts bibs or coveralls. While some carhartt gear is made in the us, alot is made in Mexico with us materials. I do note though that carhartt's new line of nylon jackets is made in China. Someone noted their water repellancy properties. They are water repellant initially, but after several washings, most of this is lost. I suppose you could treat the fabric though to maintain this. I practically live in some sort of carhartt gear from Oct through April/May & have good luck with it. I usually go through one pair of bibs & a pair of coveralls a year though. While I am still wearing last years bibs now, they will have to go when it gets really cold as much of the insulation has been lost through the holes. For long underwear, wickers is made in the us. It is very difficult to find a good pair of winter boots made in the us. Most are made in China only. I do like the Muck Artic boots because I hate having to tie/untie boots. I have also used the kinco insulated gloves that Bill mentioned & they are very warm. For most of my work outside though, I find that I need my fingers & wear the glovemitts. Duluth Trading sells a nice pair. Imported though.

I wouldn't beat myself up over this. There are numerous people that start dogs gathering & driving at the same time. While most traditional approaches have you gathering first, there is nothing that says your dog would not have done the same thing & gone right up the middle if you had started her gathering. So, I would train her to do an outrun/gather just like I was teaching any dog. You don't say how you are setting up the situation when you try to get her to gather - you need to set it up to encourage her to go around & prevent her from running up the middle. Describe the circumstances & positioning better & you will get more specific help here. Or, you can go to an experienced handler for some help. Good Luck, Gail

Julie said: We started her on heart meds as my vet said starting early could increase her life expectancy significantly. FYI - I had seen a cardiologist with my dog & she told me that while popular opinion was starting heart meds early was beneficial, there was no evidence to back this up. I'm not really sure if there are negatives to starting early though. I never did start heart meds for my dog though. gail

It is an important distinction whether the tooth was broken or knocked out. I think either is prone to infection, but broken teeth can be treated and saved with a root canal, if appropriate. Most vets do not do this surgery and you would have to see a dentist. The lower canines are also integral to the dog's jaw so problems with lower canines can make the dog more susceptible to a broken jaw. This is one reason that it is rarely recommended to pull a lower canine. I have had a root canal done on a young dog with a damaged canine & I currently have a dog with a missing lower canine. I have not really done anything with the current dog other than monitor for infection. Things to watch for include discoloration (if the tooth is broken & still visible), swelling, pain, reluctance to eat - typical signs of infection. Good luck, Gail

Clicks are typically an indication of ligament or tendon problems/issues. They are not normal, but not necessarily indicative of a problem that needs treatment either. I have a 12 year old dog that started "clicking" when she was about 3 years old. She also has bad hips. I put her on Glucosamine/MSM/Ester C when she was 3 - the clicking disappeared & her limping stopped. When she was 8 or 9, I stopped giving her the supplements for a time & the clicking/limping came back. When I started the supplements again, the clicking/limping again went away & I continue to maintain her on this regimen. While she is semi-retired now, this is a working dog who had always been extremely active & is very thin and muscular. If you are concerned, you could see an orthopedist or try some supplements to see if the click goes away. Gail

Hi Kathy - Is that Fred DePaul shearing - hard to get a look at his face from your pics? Fred was at my place last Sat. He does a great job with the sheep & is one of the most pleasant and patient people you will ever meet. gail

I'm sure your vet is very good, but I would go to a cardiologist if possible. They see, examine, and treat heart problems daily & have so much more experience and knowledge. They have seen the affects of many of the drugs available & know all of the latest research. I too had a BC with a heart murmur. She never went on meds, but did see the cardiologist upon initial diagnosis by my vet and was re-checked periodically. She had mitral valve disease and while the cardiologists initially felt she would need medication quickly, she never showed any symptoms. She continued working (I was cautious about how long she worked and the temp) & it never really affected her. The initial exam with a cardiologist would probably include bloodwork, EKG & ultrasound. For long-term care, these baselines are important to get for comparison in the future. Heart problems are frequently very treatable with medication. If your dog is in good condition otherwise, this may not be a bid deal for her. gail

Hi Tom, If I am reading your original post correctly, it sounds like Emma was doing well prior to when you got Kip and then started running straight up the field, crossing over and generally acting a bit over-excited. Also in your original post, you describe her as "zooming", which would make me think that in general, she is a fairly excitable dog. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something that you may need to manage. It sounds like you are tying her up to do out-runs with Kip & she knows it & can see you & Kip & the sheep, then taking her out to do out-runs, it would not surprise me if a young, excitable dog would run straight up the field. Maybe changing your management of her so she is calmer would help & allow her to think. Just a thought...........gail

Hi Anna, I had a dog who also had mitral valve disease and a resulting heart murmur. Originally diagnosed by my vet, I took her to a cardiologist at Cornell. He also was not and never did show any symptoms. Her murmur was originally found at 8 years old. She lived another 2.5 years, but the cardiac problem never did hamper her activity or cause any problems. At her initial evaluation by the cardiologist, they did not put her on any meds, but felt that she would need them within 6 months and recommended a re-check then. They were very surprised when her disease did not progress and she was still asymptomatic. The cardiologist suggested that I still let her work and just keep a close eye on her, make sure she had access to water and not work her in extremely hot and humid weather. Other than that, she felt that a happy dog deals best with disease. I continued to work her and treat her like she was a normal dog - just kept a closer eye on her. I also used a cardiac supplement: http://www.vetriscience.com/cardio-strength.php The cardiologist was familiar with the ingredients and their link to cardiac support, but was not a big believer that it would help. I used it anyway. Can't say whether it did make a difference, but this was a dog that they were continually surprised at the lack of progress of her disease. Good luck, Gail