Amazing Beautiful Day! Drover’s Stock Dog Journal…

WALK ABOUT…

Well, Kay has been working my daughter out of Abilene …Ms KAT Ballou…I hear a lot of fussing down in the field. I am sure happy to have survived all that 🙂 years ago! Kay tends to get loud and excited good or bad!  I know her and pay her little attention. I will say Kay has improved on the verbal since she started me.  None of the rest of the dogs worry about her being loud either! We know she loves us, and is working with us to make us better at our jobs. (It sounds worse than it is!) 

Kay is all ways saying ” Where is my dog? Send my dog! that is WHY I have a dog!” (I doubt this is true) Maybe for stock work…But Kay really loves English Shepherds!

We had a big hole in the fence between us and Elsie’s and sheep being sheep…found it. Two days ago Kay, Kat and Elvis worked to bring the sheep back home. (it took much walking!) Lots of young dog mistakes…I slept thru it…Though I would have been happy to make short work of it for Kay. But she knew (remembered) THAT is how I learned it! So KAT and Elvis got the work out as did Kay.

TWICE! the sheep escaped! KAT took care of the second escape by herself…I am told it included a trip down the middle of the highway for 1 mile!  (I never did that) KAT and Kay worked till the sheep were brought back home safe and sound.

At one point Kay told the neighbor this would  make a preacher cuss and she was NO preacher! The neighbor took off for church. (I hope he said some prayers for KAT and Kay!)

The thing is you get into the moment and trying to herd the sheep where you want them to go…the sheep KNOW they are loose and that the dog does not have the experience to “make them” go where needed. It can be very difficult, and aggravating to Kay knowing all she has to do is get me and it will be fixed pronto!

Which leads me to this morning.

Fence is repaired! Kay and KAT take the sheep to the field. (KAT did an awesome job I am told) ..”my girl” !  As Kay stands there to see if the fence will hold…The sheep JUMP the 3 foot fence and off into the woods they go! 

Kay sends KAT to the house and has Les bring me on the gator and we go to a far corner near where the sheep escaped. It is all wooded, and rocky, steep and just plain rough.

Kay sighs and resigns herself to another long walkabout with no sheep in sight nor can we hear the bells! Kay walked about 100 feet and sent me to “go find her sheep”  I heard ” I don”t care how you bring them back”. But I am a good sheep dog and take good care of the sheep. Kay knows this…I was gone about 5 minutes and I came back quietly with all the sheep! There were 21 including the lambs! I put them right back thru the hole they came out too!

Then we let them graze a bit and took them to the other field…No more trouble today! 🙂

***Kay***

I was so amazed by Drover and his awesome work! I shed tears of joy and accomplishment! For this wonderful dog and his ability. How wonderful it is to have him to help me …We have worked to learn so many things…Drover is my right hand my “Little Buddy”…I thought about my dream in the beginning was to have a dog that could fetch sheep across the field with no fences. I have that and so much more! I am blessed! 

If I had not trained Drover I would not have this kind of helper! . I hear folk say “oh a English Shepherd does not have to be trained they just know” …They do have instincts…but it is how you train that instinct and the team you become…That is the difference. I can promise you Drover was the only dog I could send to find and bring my sheep to me! KAT will be able she just needs more walk about and training in general.

Today everything Drover and I have worked for came together and Drover Shown Brightly! He was” high in trial” in the real world of work! What a fine dog! and a fine “Little Buddy”