Thursday, as I headed into town, about two miles from my farm I came upon 3 goats and their Great Pyrenees guardian dog in the middle of the highway! A neighbor’s teen age son was standing beside the road with his cell phone. I stopped and he said are these your goats and dog. Oh no but they belong to the Woods. I’ll go tell them. Leona is 91 and still drives. Her daughter Barbara was home with her and they were trying to find their lost animals. Barbara asked if I could put the goats on my truck and I said I will go get my horse trailer.
I went an hooked up my horse trailer and got Amarillo to go with me. I knew I could count on her to do what ever I needed in this situation
I drove in and tried to get the goats to follow me with feed. But if that “dog” wasn’t moving those goats were not either. The neighbors “cat people” offered cat food to tempt the GP . He wasn’t interested in cat food..(cats maybe) … No collar on the GP and he was having nothing to do with my makeshift lead rope a baling twine. I threw my arms around his huge neck. This got protests from the dog and the dog’s owner. OH NO He will BITE YOU!!! The dog was the problem… not lead able and on a walk about…. He did grab my arm and then my elbow and hand. (NO BITE just took hold of me) OKAY this is enough I shoved him to the ground and put my knee in his side and held him . He resisted some, but seemed rather surprised Paws that is his name had not been handled by humans at all it seems only fed . Plus he is old and rather decrepit I watched him closely and when I saw he was getting upset let him up.
He proceed up the highway and into another yard. Where he was caught again by me and pushed and guided to the back of the trailer where he laid down. This time Barbara held him like I showed her.. 2 of the goats came and jumped on the trailer the other one went under the trailer. The cat person went under after the goat. 2 hunters came up and tried to stop the goat from crawling out from under the trailer. I asked if they could help load the dog and they said no. Well Paws got loaded on the trailer and the goat under the trailer did too.
WHEW!!!
I took them home to their barn and put them up.
ALL this time Amarillo was inside my pickup waiting for me to tell her to help.Each time I got out I told Amarillo to sit still and be quiet. Which she did perfectly for the whole time. She never said a word.
When Barbara and Leona were at the barn after Paws and his 3 side kicks were safely put up I said “now look here who I brought along to help” They were amazed that she was in the truck they had no idea because she was so quiet and still.
Amarillo had been Ready Willing and Able to herd the goats BUT did the job I told her to do and asked no questions as to “WHY”. Amarillo is used on my farm with the stock and does some trialing in AHBA. She also goes with me on trail rides helps tend to the new puppies when they are old enough, super guard dog, and sweet sweet girl, and in general is an all round farm dog.
A NOTE:
It became very clear to me during this event that even though I live in the country and there are country folk around very few people know much about stock anymore.
