People often ask me what the sheep’s bells are for. It is so I can hear where they are and be able to tell what is going on with them.
A soft tinkle as a sheep contentedly eats grass or chews its cud. A fast ding, ding ding, lets me know the sheep are moving around. And then there is the clang, clang, clang and that can mean trouble. Maybe something has scared them or worse something is after them.
Today , as I hurried round to get ready to go to town to take care of some much needed grocery shopping…I heard the dreaded clang , clang, clang and it did not stop. While I could not see the sheep , I knew where they were.
In my neighbors pasture! So I put all the dogs up, and took Drover with me. I had my shepherds hat on and my pink herding stick. Down the driveway and to the neighbors house we headed. Quietly with Drover at my side.
Sure enough there the sheep were across the branch and behind my sheep pens eating grass! They saw me and high tailed it out of sight! Like I could not hear them! (no one has explained the bells to the sheep) Drover and I caught up slowly…no need to hurry and scatter the sheep. Besides I wanted to see where and how they had managed to cross the branch.
The grass was beat down good. This was not their first walk about across the branch! I had Drover do away and come bye and stay , lie, stand, steady…and soon enough he had driven the sheep back across the branch!
Now the amazing thing was a tree had fallen recently into the branch parallel to the banks . Making a foot log crossing convenient for the sheep. Once across they were free! and knew it too!
I was astounded these sheep had found this spot and had the nerve and brains to cross the branch on the tree!
Drover handled the sheep like a pro! He took them to the gate and then to the big arena!
What a smart dog! He just gets better every time we work!
Maybe a walk about is what we need to learn to drive the sheep!
He sure did the job today!
2 comments
Where do you get the straps for your bells and do you bell all your ewes or just one? How far away can you hear the bells? That is a really neat idea. Sounds like Drover is a great dog. I really am looking forward to getting an ES. I wish I didn’t have to wait to lose a dog to old age to do it! 😛
Author
I use dog collars. The kind with the quick release snaps. I hang the bell from the loop on the collar for the leash.