Farm Fresh Blog

  Sneaky Snake

It's time to start training my dragon. This is actually not true. The dragon training began immediately whether I was ready or not. A puppy is a sponge, soaking up everything around her. You can choose to wait to start training until she's bigger, but then bad habits are already in place. At Mesa's age, we can shape the behaviors we wish to keep, and ignore behaviors that are undesirable, hoping to extinguish them. The only physical correction she gets is when she is attacking my ankle. I reached down and scruff her a bit, then I redirect her. I do not roughhouse with her. She is all teeth and if you want to see a mutation quickly, roughhouse with her.

A couple of days ago we began shaping behaviors with cheese. Right now all I want is a sit, and a touch my palm. Since my background is from schutzhund, agility, and flyball, I don't have a lot of trickdog skills in my basket, so I want to expand that with Mesa. That means hitting the books myself. I dabbled a bit with Lily and she learned how to gather the sheep, then run close the gate behind herself. Lily runs and grabs things I can't reach. She also learned to open the refrigerator and pick up a Dr Pepper can. (and puncture the can with her teeth) But for the most part, I didn't do the trick training with Lily that I wanted. (It's never too late!)

I didn't do any trick training with Trace. He quickly became Other Half's dog and neither of them had much interest in tricks. But like Lily, Mesa spends a great deal of her time seeking eye contact and attempting to interact with us. She is clever and already tries to manipulate her environment to attain her needs. When she's hungry, she runs to the kitchen, twirls her little butt in the air, plops down and stares at the kitchen sink. If that doesn't bring forth food, she barks at the sink. This alerts someone that her tummy is currently empty and she wishes it to be filled. She began this on her own. Now I ask her if she's hungry and she directs her stare at me instead of the sink, but she still twirls in the air and lands with drama.  I note her 'airs above ground behavior' as she jumps in the air, swings her body, and lands like a clumsy cat.

Beause she's a baby now, I'm not reinforcing that behavior as I don't want her to hurt herself, but in the future it can be a fun trick. I'm also considering teaching her to ring a bell on the door when she has to pee. I want to teach her to turn the lights on and off, and a multitude of other things that I see on Youtube. She is clever, and my schedule allows more time now.

So my question to you guys is this:

What is your favorite resource for trick training?

I love watching vidoes from Page and Nana, but I'd like to start following a forum or blog that talks about trick training dogs. Any ideas?

Happy New Year!

In our house 2015 is officially the year of the Mogwai!

Mogwai? What's that you ask?

Remember the movie, Gremlins?  Let me jog your memory:

An inventor wanders into a Chinatown antique store in search of a gift for his son and sees a Mogwai (Cantonese for Monster) which the owner refuses to sell because owning one is too great a responsibility. The owner's grandson ends up selling the cute little critter with these instructions:

1) never expose it to bright light (it will die)

2) never let it touch water (it will multiply)

3) never feed it after midnight (it changes from cute Mogwai into destructive beast)

 From this creature

 to this creature!

Thank you Steven Spielberg and Warner Brothers, you have just described life with a Border Collie puppy.

"You know you love it."

 Yes, I do.

 Raising a Mogwai Mesa is a great responsibility but what a happy way to start 2015.

Mesa knows she is a Border Collie, so despite the fact that Dillon and Ranger are nice to her, rather than be happy sitting with the nerdy kids in the cafeteria, Mesa wants to hang out with 'cool kids' - the border collies who barely tolerate her presence.

 Cowboy and Trace

Trace is aware that she wants to play with him. If he's in a good mood he races circles around the yard, impressing her with his speed and athletic prowess. For the most part however, he politely avoids her, like a movie star hiding from overeager fans and the paparazzi.

 When she catches him, he signs her autograph book and then hastens off to avoid her, leaving her starstruck in his wake.

Cowboy, aka "Snidley Whiplash" left me in stitches last night. She saw him and started to bounce his direction. He fanned his ears at her in what we describe as "elephant ears." This is seen as a threat display by every other member of the pack. It is the canine equivalent of shooting her the bird.  Mesa, ever the innocent awestruck fan, wiggled through his threat display and kissed him on the nose. He stared at her in disbelief for a moment as she smiled adoringly at him. I was reminded of Gru in "Despicable Me."

  And like Gru, he grimaced back a smile and let her follow him around the yard as he peed on tires.

 Although she doesn't appreciate him, hands down, the best babysitter is still Ranger. He enjoys her company and is more gentle than Dillon who sees her as the best toy he's ever had. Because she and Dillon play too rough and get overstimulated, I'm limiting their time together a bit more. Ranger gives her the patience and discipline she needs for her age.

Sadly though, she'd leave her Nanny-Dog in an instant to follow the cool kids around the playground,

 because she knows she is a Border Collie,

 and Trace is just sooooo cool!

Any deer that doesn't make it back to the North Pole with Santa is in danger because it's still open season in Texas, and someone just got her hunting license. I've never been a big fan of hunters taking trophy pictures with dead animals, but this was her first hunt, so here goes . . .

 Jaws with Paws!

 "Run, Run, Rudolph!"

Photos courtesy of $1.47 sale bin at Petsmart. Please ignore any and all dog hair on carpet not attached to a snarly beast.

This post is for all the folks who've written asking for puppy pictures - disgustingly cute sugar in the morning - not Sweet & Low, not saccharin, but full-bodied, all the calories - SUGAR!

 This picture so clearly illustrates the relationship between Lily and Mesa.  "Can't I even take a piss in peace?!"

Mesa adores Lily and follows her everywhere. As of yesterday The Great One soften her No Annoying Sidekick Puppies Rule and began playing with Mesa - at Mesa's expense. She is not actually playing with Mesa, she is toying with Mesa.

 "Want it? Huh? Want it? HAH! You can't have it! YOU'RE TOO SHORT! Short people suck! LOSER!"

Fortunately for Mesa's ego, there are other members of the family who see her as a contributing member of the family and not the butt of jokes.  Dillon adores her and has adopted the role of full-time babysitter.

  He is quite patient with her and although she gets hurt when their play gets too rough, he apologizes for stepping on her, slinging toys into her, and accidentally dumping her off the couch. When either of them gets too excited, I have to call time out.

She's a tough little booger, and always comes back for more though.

 Ranger thinks she's cute but has taken a back seat to Dillon as Primary Babysitter. Raising this much energy is a full-time job and I appreciate their help.

 She is young, younger than I really like to bring a puppy home, but she's doing fine and the rest of the pack helps with her social skills. Mesa adapts easily to everything. She has 4wheel drive and motors over strange surfaces with ease - concrete, tile, gravel, rock, boards, tin, carpet, and stairs. She isn't gun shy, but the train whistle in the distance does bother her.  Barking dogs in kennels do frighten her but she's beginning to realize the barking isn't directed at her. The sights and sounds of the barnyard don't faze her a bit. Because this is so important to her career, we just carry her around, not taking the chance that she'll get hurt or scared by the livestock.

Lessons she has learned thus far:

1) Sheep know you're a Border Collie even if you're tiny and being held. If you stare hard enough at them, they will move away because they are weakminded and The Force is strong in you.

2) Don't walk underneath male dogs who are peeing on a tractor tire.

  "Eeeeeewwww!"

Trying to add a new puppy during the holidays is a lesson in chaos. Although we weren't ready for a puppy yet, Lily's breeder had pups that were of her line and since his place was just an hour from our ranch in north Texas, we made the decision to pick up a pup when we were up there last week. We picked up two female pups and took them back to the ranch for the week. The other female was destined for a longhorn breeder in south Texas and she was hitching a ride with us. Her name is Jingle.

 I completely fell in love with this pup! I told the lady if she ever decides she doesn't want a Border Collie anymore, this puppy always has a home with us. I've got a feeling she isn't letting go of this little treasure.

 They spent the week wrestling with each other. I am really thankful for stained concrete floors. Yes, they're sandy at the moment, but accident clean-up is a breeze!

Jingle went to her new home on Christmas Eve, and I missed her immediately. Mesa seems to be doing just fine without her sister. We have a pack of dogs, so she has plenty of canine family members. Dillon the Labrador is her self-appointed babysitter.

Mesa went outside to do chores yesterday. She was happy to watch the world from my arms. Nothing bothered her.  This kid was born on a working cattle ranch. It's a cow feed lot with horses, cattle, and 18 wheeler trucks coming and going, so the sounds and smells of the barnyard are familiar.

The adult Border Collies are fine with her, and Dillon simply adores her. I keep her away from the patrol dog and Briar because they are so big and she's still pretty small. Right now she thinks she's 'king of the world' and I don't want to change her opinion of herself.   She may think she's a big bad cowdog, but she's still living life in a bubble.

 Protecting a baby Border Collie from herself is a full-time job!

As those of you on the farm Facebook page already know, #1 Ranch Dog got nailed in the face by a cow this week. Ouch! 

The reason she got kicked was because she just had to have the last word. She was moving cattle into a catch pen and after getting all the heifers in the pen, one cranky broad decided she was coming back out. Lily immediately moved in, bit her in the nose to turn her around, bit her in the heel to head her back into the pen, and for good measure, bit her again in the heel. That's the bite that got her kicked in the eye. The cow went on into the pen, and Lily wiped her eye with her foot and then got back to work. I freaked. It was a simple accident, but then, most accidents happen just that fast, that's why we call them accidents.

And she was fine.

But it highlighted two issues.

1) Lily was doing the work because Trace couldn't do it. Troll is fine for gathering cattle at a distance, but for pen work, you might as well get Lily because he doesn't see a point in it. He also doesn't have the balls to go 'one on one' with a cow that challenges him. He bullies sheep and goats to the point where he has been banned from working small stock, but when it comes to big stock, if a cow calls his bluff, Troll Dog backs off.

But Lily doesn't back off, and it's not a bluff. Challenge her authority and she will eat you, and enjoy doing it. She may not have the fancy moves of a trial dog, but she reads livestock, and she has an unfailing work ethic. Those two traits can take you pretty far on a farm.

2) That brings us to the second point. In essence, we only have one good working cow dog. We have a house full of dogs, but only one 100% reliable cow dog. Cowboy is too old to work now, and Trace is only good for distance work. Lily is having to shoulder all the responsibility for cow work. It slowly dawned on me that although Lily is five years old, in her prime really, it's time to start a puppy to help shoulder the work responsibility later.

EeeeeeK!  We already have too damned many dogs! My mind simply reeled at the idea of adding another. I did a quick inventory:

Lily - #1 Ranch Dog
Briar - Livestock Guardian Dog -head of Ranch Security
Trace - Troll Dog/ Displastic, lame 50% of the time
Cowboy - Rescued Border Collie/bad back - no longer able to do much but ride in the truck
Dillon - hunting dog who doesn't hunt because husband has no time to hunt
Ranger - blue heeler/failed cowdog who doesn't work but is good for ranch security
Aja - police dog/doesn't work cattle

The inventory results revealed what I already knew. We have too many dogs, but not enough working cow dogs. So I begin to mull over the idea of another cowdog.

Finding Border Collies is easy. Rescues are full of homeless Border Collie. These are very nice dogs that need a family and will make the perfect pet. But I don't need another pet, I need a ranch dog - a very specific kind of ranch dog - the kind that can work cattle. That gene pool is much smaller - much, much smaller.

A good friend of mine just raised two litters of working dog pups. Nice pups. Really nice pups. I resisted. I wasn't ready for another dog. I wavered, but resisted.

And then one day, Thanksgiving Day to be exact, I saw Lily's breeder on Facebook. I scanned his page with feigned casual interest. After all, I wasn't looking for another dog this soon. I sent him current pictures of Lily so he could see how well she turned out.

This proved to be my un-doing, as he had another litter of puppies now. Oh crap! I wasn't ready for another puppy right now! But it was related to Lily, my #1 Ranch Dog. She's sound, she's sane, she works. He sent pictures.

I'm on my way up this weekend.

I have promised myself that the pups must test as well as Lily did at that age or I'll just wait. Another rancher that lives nearby has noticed how handy Lily is around the farm, and wants a puppy from that line too, so if all goes well I will be returning with two puppies. We shall see.

Perhaps Lily will soon have an apprentice.

 "Oh yee haa"

This series of photographs got me to thinking about dogs and kids.

Every day this child takes a stroll around the neighborhood with her grandfather, and every day our house is one of their stops because of this big white dog. Briar has watched this child grow up. I clearly recall the first time she smiled her toothless grin at that big white dog and Briar's heart melted. The dog had never seen a human that small before and I was a tad worried until I watched her expression change to the same look reserved for baby lambs. Briar got it, she just got it. And they've been friends every since.

And this works for the dog and for the child. This little girl will grow up loving animals and she won't be afraid of big dogs, and Briar, and dogs like her, will benefit from being seen as a person of value. This dog is teaching not only the child, but her parents and her grandparents, and everyone else who experiences the bond between a dog and child. Briar isn't just a dirty dog in the barnyard. She is Briar The Person, someone who has feelings, likes and dislikes, and rights. She is not a piece of property; she is not a tool. She is a 'someone' not a 'something.'

As a child, I was born with a passion for dogs. My mother likes to tell the story of how, as a toddler, I interrupted my grandfather's funeral by loudly announcing to everyone there was a dog in the cemetery. I was born with a passion for dogs, but I was educated by my parents how to properly behave with a dog, and that is the key to a happy life for both the child and the dog.

When I was a kid, we had a pit bull. Say what you will about these dogs, but I will still stand up and loudly defend them as the perfect kid's dog. There is a reason why they were called "nanny dogs."  Butch was a black brindle dog with a white t-shirt, and he was our constant companion. My mother used to say she knew it was time for the school bus because Butch would park himself by the road and wait for the bus carrying his kids. Butch was Our Gang's dog, Petey.

I don't remember all the spankings I got as a kid, but I do vividly remember the spanking I got when Butch was a puppy and my parents found me using him as a pillow while I watched television. I don't recall the dog minding it that much, but I do recall the lesson that A DOG IS A PERSON AND NOT A PILLOW. And I also recall the lesson that no matter how much we have to sacrifice, you don't leave family, and Butch is family. Butch got heartworms. We were poor, but I don't think my mother could bear the thought of three children losing their dog, so instead of putting him to sleep then or letting the disease take him, she opted to bite the bullet, tighten up the already tight belt just a little more, and try the dangerous procedure that could cure him. She taught us an important lesson. A dog is not a thing. A dog has value. A dog is a member of the family.

A dog is not born being a kid's dog. There is education on both sides. My brother had the quintessential kid's dog in a yellow Labrador Retriever named Beau. He got Beau when he was still single. Baby Beau was a little chick-magnet. After all, who doesn't love a Labrador puppy? But if you've ever seen "Marley and Me" you know how destructive Labrador puppies can be and Beau was a true soulmate of Marley. My brother used to travel a lot and so I babysat Beau quite often. There was no fence high enough to contain him, and once loose, Beau was a one-dog destruction team.

But my brother loved him, and the dog was family. Dumping the dog at a shelter was never an option. It's a wonder Beau survived to adulthood, but when he did, something wonderful happened. Beau grew up to become the perfect dog. Roy got married and had kids of his own, and the dog that in many homes in America would have ended up in the pound, became the perfect kid's dog. That yellow dog was worth his weight in gold. He raised my brother's three little girls as patiently as my brother raised him. Beau more than gave back everything he'd chewed up, dug up, and thrown up. My brother's patience with that destructive puppy was rewarded, and it was a sad day for everyone when the old dog died. My brother has since added a chocolate Labrador to the family because the loss of a good dog leaves a gaping hole and the creation of the perfect dog takes time.

I share this story not so you'll run out and buy a Christmas puppy for your children, but to shine a spotlight on the lessons you are teaching your children now. That wild dog that is currently digging up the back yard can become the perfect dog with some attention and some time. Don't discard that dog in favor of the cute little puppy in the window who will also be digging up the back yard in a year. Don't dump that old dog at the pound to make room for a new shiny puppy. Don't teach your children that dogs are things to be discarded when they misbehave or your life gets busy, or you just want something new. The way you handle that dog today teaches your child important things about life tomorrow.

These dogs are polar opposites.

Briar is a thoughtful mountain, slow to anger, but a force to be reckoned with when moved to action. She divides her world as thus:

Sheep & Goats = family
Humans = family
Cows = evil creatures that kick
Coyotes & Other Varmits = need killin'
Stray Dogs = need killin'

She further subdivides the dogs in our household:

Dillon the Labrador: family
Ranger the Blue Heeler: family
Cowboy the Border Collie: can be bullied/steal his lunch money
Trace the Border Collie: nuisance who can be bullied but bites
Aja the police dog: stupid wolf-creature who may need killin' later
Lily the Evil Border Collie: arch rival, snitch, may need killin' when humans aren't lookin'

Lily is the micro-managing control freak. She wants to take names when the teacher is out of the room. She wants to be the hall monitor, the crossing guard, and the teacher's pet. She is a creature of rules. Lily likes knowing what the rules are and she expects everyone to follow the law. Lily is that cop who arrests other cops, she is Internal Affairs. Rules are meant to be followed. There are no exceptions.

This is the way Lily sees her world:

Mommy & Daddy = Gods who make the rules
Grandma = gives treats and fun to visit
Uncle Bubba = provider of circus cookies and snuggles
All Other Humans = not important in my world
Sheep & Goats = are stupid and need to be dominated
Cows = are stupid and need to be dominated
Coyotes & Other Varmits = Briar's problem
Stray Dogs = Briar's problem
Dillon = good for a laugh/hogs the bed, otherwise he is stupid and needs to be dominated
Ranger =  can be tolerated but is a lower life form
Trace = evil bastard
Cowboy = sucks as a herding dog, "go sit in the truck, Sucker"
Aja = stupid wolf-creature who barks in my face
Briar = stupid, stupid, dirty dog who smells like cow poop

Lily and Briar share no mutual admiration. They barely tolerate each other. Lily has no respect for Briar's power and Briar accurately pegs Lily as a bitch. No time was this more evident than yesterday as I fed the dogs. It went like this:

Scoop up dog kibble from bin on porch. Feed Briar on porch. Feed Lily inside house behind screen door. Scoop more food and go to outside kennels. Feed dogs. On return trip hear insistent barking. Not alarm barking. Tattling.

"Quit that! Stop that! I'm telling! I'm tellin' Mom! Mom! MOM!"

Round the corner to see Briar glaring over her shoulder at the screen door. Hmmmmm . . .

Step onto porch and note that I left the lid off the dog food bin. Briar must have been stealing dog food.  Note Lily's satisfied, smug look. The teacher has finally returned and read the list of names. Briar has been bad and Lily is happy to report it.

Lily smiles at me. Briar narrows her eyes and stares at Lily.

 "Snitches get stitches. . ."

Please forgive me while I have a sexist meltdown.

There is a reason why Labradors end up in the pound. They are smart. Monkey smart.

I have one of these apes. Two actually, if you count the husband. At the moment they are both in the doghouse, but the dog is safer than the husband. It is said that women are better than men at multi-tasking. I'd like to offer up that women are also better at following a chain of future events like a line of falling dominoes. A woman's mind will have flashed forward with computer-like speed while the man is still wondering why we even care that the first domino fell.

Let me give you an example:

Last night I come home from work to find that husband has decided 11 pm is a good time to clean out his closet. He announces that he is "throwing stuff out!"  Since he is a borderline hoarder anyway, I'm always supportive of any attempt on his part to throw away blue jeans he's had since 1970, but it soon becomes apparent that he's not really throwing stuff out, he's merely reorganizing things in a search for a pistol he probably hasn't seen in four years and has just now remembered. His trash bag remains suspiciously empty on the floor. I note this, but being a veteran of that fight, I refrain from comment. After all, all I really want to do, is lay in bed, play on facebook, and then go to sleep.

After having worked night shift for 33 years, Other Half is wide awake. He is a squirrel on crack. And he has a partner, a monkey smart partner who is thrilled to death with every new discovery in the closet. Dillon is thrilled simply because Other Half is thrilled. They are hunting. The dog isn't sure what they are hunting, but the air of the hunt is afoot. Count him in.

And in short order the dog's anticipation is rewarded when Other Half pulls a dusty orange dog bumper off a shelf. He knocks some dust off it and Dillon glows with excitement. Gollum has just set eyes on his precious ring.

And this is the way everyone in the room processes the incident:

Other Half: "Oh look! I forgot we had this. Dillon would like it."
Dillon: "Ohhhhhhhhh! An orange thingee!"
Me: "Hmmm.... there is a reason why we put that bumper on a shelf. It was probably to hide it from the Labrador we haven't had since 2009. That's a lot of dust. Do we not ever dust there? Where does all that dust come from? He should play with Dillon and then put the toy up or the dog will kill the toy. The first thing to go will be that cord on the end of the bumper. Then he will rip the canvas. Then he'll choke on the cord or the canvas. Or get an impaction. That'll be at least another $1200. There will be orange canvas all over the bedroom when he shreds that toy. I wonder what's in the center of the toy. Other Half should supervise him when he plays with that toy. Where did all that dust come from?"
Lily: "If that stupid dog doesn't quit bouncing on the bed I will tear his ears off his head."

And true to form, Other Half gives Dillon the bumper and then goes back to searching for a pistol cleaning. I note the dog immediately begins to chew the cord. I point this out to Other Half. He scolds dog but does not take toy away.

What man says: "Dillon! Don't tear that toy up!"
What dog hears: "Dillon! Aeiamtyat yaeamtiye eitpewer!"

Man goes back to searching for gun while pretending he's cleaning. Dog goes back to disassembling the toy. I go back to playing on Facebook. Not my monkey, not my circus. I cannot help but note that dog is continuing to destroy toy. He has now punctured canvas and sand begins to spill onto bed. Who the %$#! puts sand in a dog toy?!

Dog is delighted. Woman is not. Sand is all over the sheets. Husband decides that NOW he should probably take toy from dog and clean sand off bed. Ya think?!

Flash forward to the next morning. Man leaves for work before the sun comes up. Large Brown Dog takes up his side of the bed. Woman notes dog is moving around and not sleeping. Woman's brain is too sleepy to process this infomation properly until she feels dog stand over her. A dumptruck load of sand drops into her face. Woman begins to screech much like a cat getting a bath. Border Collie attacks Bonehead Labrador and chases him to back of bed. Woman flips off covers. She spits sand out of her mouth and roars at man who is blissfully at work. Labrador blinks in confusion. He cannot quite understand why woman is not as thrilled as he is to greet the day. Border Collie brings the car keys and the phone number for Animal Control.

Woman screams at Labrador and snatches orange bumper from him. He is crushed. Woman then assures him that this is not his fault. Dog is blameless. Fault lies with Man-Child who did not properly secure toy in trash. Woman examines bed. Bed has enough sand in it to shoot a "Beach Day Barbie" ad. The only thing needed is a little plastic dune buggy. Woman now has sand in her eyes, her nose and her hair. Woman is reminded that she just had her hair colored and cannot wash all this sand out with water.

Woman does what women do - she phones Man in a rage.

Man finds this turn of events tremendously funny. He is, after all, many miles away from the blast zone. He is charmed that his dog located the toy, and stole it back. Woman wipes sand out of eyebrows and announces that since neither the dog, nor the toy, belong to her, she will just leave this mess for Man to clean up. Man happily agrees. He clearly has no understanding of just how much sand can be fit in a hunting dog's bumper toy, or perhaps he just has a better understanding of how angry a woman can become when she finds a load of sand dumped on her head just as the sun is rising. Woman properly disposes of toy and throws Dog outside.

Dog finds a rubber bucket and begins running laps around house with the bucket in his mouth.

Life is good for him. Note that a Labrador Retriever is the perfect Man-Child's dog, since they are both eternal children. As I watch Chocolate Thunder race around the yard shaking his prize at anyone who looks in his direction I am reminded that perhaps there is much we can learn from his happy innocence.

Live in the moment. Seize fun where you can find it. Make your own beach.