Drover’s Stock Dog Savvy Post…

Of all the great dogs…I have one of the best dogs I will ever have the pleasure of knowing and being a part of his life…My world is so much better because of Drover…Simpler, and easier too…but I am ahead of my story.

Early this morning after the sheep were let out to the grazing area behind the dam for the day…I heard a lamb that sounded like it was off in the distance and not in the right place. But then I would not hear it any more. This went on till we left the farm around 10:30AM. I was not concerned because lambs tend to stray from their Mother’s and all of our lambs are old enough to be off on their on.

We returned  around 5:30PM…after being in Greensboro helping our friend decide where she wants to put her furniture after having her new carpet installed.

I heard a distant lamb but thought it was just not right beside it’s Mother and then it would be quiet for a while.

Les and I went down with all the dogs to open Gerry’s Gate (That is another story) 🙂  to the field where the sheep had been all day and they came up for the evening.

But I could still hear that lamb. It sounded way off and then like it was running frantic. Only there was no lamb to be seen in the woods or field. So I had Les keep the dogs at the gate and Drover and I walked down to where I thought I heard the lamb. Several times I heard that lamb sound like it was way off and then close but no lamb.

I sent Drover to go look. He is the expert…All the years we have spent hunting lost sheep. Plus he has the most nurturing way about him… He went straight to a ditch and was after something. I told him to leave it! and that we were not on a skunk finding mission. He kept going back to the same place and when I got there…I saw the reason! That silly 60 pound lamb had some how fallen into an underground ditch that was large enough for the lamb to run round in! And in an area of about 2 acres!  How that lamb was not lost for ever, is beyond me! But tonight it is safe with it’s Mother! Thanks to Drover finding it and Les pulling it out of that hole.

It was the funniest looking thing! All muddy and the lamb’s wool was the color of the mud! (I would NEVER have seen it nor thought to look there)…I can tell you that lamb had sense enough to be scared, it was trembling in that hole. And was smart enough to be still for Les to get hold of it and pull it out!

The other thing …I have learned to listen to what Drover is telling me…Or I would have dismissed his signals about the lamb.

It was one happy lamb too! Jumping for joy! It had been found!  Two Shepherds to find it and a Third one to rescue it!

I have never in all my time had anything like this happen! An underground lamb tunnel and a dog named Drover smart enough to find it!