We raise sheep and English Shepherd dogs at Maple Grove Farm…
You can not have sheep and no dog. Currently we are running around 100 head of mixed breed sheep. Mostly ewes.
Les and I have been working on the fences so that all of the property is fenced and safe for stock. We still have some fencing to do. But I can in the daylight safely turn my flock into the 14 acres across the pond. (though it is not totally fenced with the new fencing) The other borrowed flock are locked into the safe fields.
This time of year grass is short and yet there are many wonderful things the sheep love. Like dried standing grass. Blackberry briers and old hedge rose bushes (both are starting to put leaves out) Then honeysuckle that has not lost leaves there is a lot of that …We keep round baled hay out all the time…But anyone with stock knows that anything green trumps hay any day!
KAT and I went to bring the sheep up (50 head) there was one ewe at the far end of the field…that was not at all interested in coming! We worked and worked and finally I gave up by then that one simple country rule 1. SHUT THE GATE! that I had left undone was a real problem! Of course I know better, I thought this was going to be a simple gather and fetch back to the main secure field for the evening…so I left the gate open…it turned into a real problem. Simple and routine was not in the plan for this evening…at least I HAD not waited until dark to start my chore…after much trying and lots of fussing…that ewe would not budge!
I was aggravated with the stubborn ewe. I made a plan take the many to to the one…When we finally made it back to her with 6 of her flock friends she never lifted her head! They called and she was like in her own world. She is not sick in anyway best I can tell. Fat and for sure sassy! She just did not want to leave that field!
I must have walked a mile in this effort and to make it worse KAT was not listening to me. Her down was 3 or 5 steps latter and I had to fuss! Her away was whichever way she chose and come bye not good and slow at best. This dog knows these commands well and just yesterday had been a star in the work we were doing!
As we worked with this stubborn ewe…For some reason KAT started to listen better (not sure which threat got her attention) She sharpened up on her commands and downed as asked. then she thought about a drink of water and a dip into the pond but I caught her attention and she decided that for sure was not a good idea (I am laughing now) … the difference…I had made her listen!
We finally made it back to the pen with the ewe and her friends…
I decided to feed the borrowed flock in the round pen and turn my ewes out into the big field… Then KAT redeemed herself by gathering the 39 non dog broke flock out of 8 acres and bringing them into the 40 foot round pen ! She had to work and she took her “away and come bye” nicely and downed on command! “Steadied” and took her” there” commands… WOW!
RULES :
- SHUT THE GATE!
- Just because a dog works well in a familiar situation does not mean the dog “KNOWS” what to do in other situations!
- Down is very important LIKE RULE NUMBER 1 make it so!
- I have to go back to the basics and…” Make it so!”
KAT is a good dog… dependable, sweet, smart, loyal, good to me. A fine dog!
We need more real work that is not routine!
