A Tale of Herding at 3:00 AM…

I have a duck pen and the grass had grown lush and green, so I put my little flock of Katahdins in it Friday evening and they were happy all night and day. I told Les I bet they would not last much longer because Katahdins are hair sheep and they shed in the spring like horses and dogs etc. So they get real itchy and rub up against anything that will scratch their itch. (I knew my duck pen fence would not take that pressure) Also I know my little flock of wanderers !

This morning I was asleep and dreaming about bells…(You got to wonder how long I had heard bells to be dreaming of them!) Anyway… you know that state of sleep where you are still asleep but you realize what you are dreaming is actually Happening!?!? OH YEAH! I sat straight up in the bed looked at the clock it was 2:58 AM!!!! I realized my flock was in my yard about 30 feet from my bed! (there are two open windows)…Quickly I slipped my robe on put my sandals on , turned  the outside lights on the front of the house and the end . Slipped out the side door, grabbed my herding stick and let Drover out of his crate. Locked Montanna on the porch… and into the side yard we went, directly opposite of where the sheep were.. and turned on more lights around the barn.

I put Drover in a Down stay where I knew the draw to the field would be when they came round he house, and I walked to the back of the barn and their stall. I called Sheep Sheep Sheep!  They looked up and came running! Quickly… I went to the stall door opened it. I told Drover “Walk up!” (Now I could not see him but knew from where the sheep were it was time to tell him what I needed him to do! And yes I knew I could count on him to stay till I told him differently! It is a very handy thing to have in your dog when it is just you and your flock and no one else to help! Maybe it is a big reason Farmers and Shepherds have relied on their good English Shepherds for so long!:-) (it was dark behind the barn no light) and sheep do not do well in the dark (unless it is their ideal)…Like us they do not see well in the dark.

Drover came round the barn and the sheep walked into the stall and I shut the door! All was fine! I turned on the light counted 21 sheep! all were fine! Threw them a bit of feed. Drover and I turned off the lights as we made our way back to the house and our beds.(what a good dog!)

Then I got back in bed and it was 3:03 AM!!!!   UH !  FIVE MINUTES!!!!

I could not have accomplished this without my good trained dog! The time and effort I spend with him pays off in situations like this! Yes he has instinct… but instinct alone with out training is not very useful.

Here is a photo from Drover’s sheep work today…(we wormed and gave shots) Again a very difficult job with out a good trained helper! He is worth 5 Men in the sheep pens!

Drover is real good at going in tight places and staying on the fence getting round the sheep and bringing them to me!