Archives for 2017

When Willie starting working sheep as a youngster, he didn't want to quit. This is a high quality problem with a young sheepdog, but it's still a problem. At some point you just have to end the session. It's a common problem too--I've seen scores of adolescent Border Collies zoom around and around the flock while the owner attempts to call them back and snap on a leash before the dog over heats. Or the sun sets. This isn't a challenge restricted to sheepdog owners. Who doesn't need a dog to stop what it's doing and come when called? When I asked blog readers what they'd like to talk about, this was one of the topics that came up regularly. I think that's great, given my belief that all dogs need some freedom in their lives in order to be healthy and happy. Granted, that freedom might be Read More

We're just back from a great, small trial in Minnesota at the home of Janis and Dan Reuter. A heartfelt thanks to them for all the work it takes to put on a trial, especially at a farm only five months old. Not to mention the stamina of Robin Reasoner for setting out all day long, and for judge Lori Perry for her supportive and wise presence. I wasn't very optimistic about how Maggie would do, because she had a meltdown while working sheep at a friend's farm just 2 days before. She didn't respond to my words or whistles, or if she did she went the wrong way. She abdicated whenever the sheep put pressure on her and let them run the show. I ended up putting her back in her crate in the car, because it was clear that more work would just make things worse. Later, after a break, I worked Read More

"Oh No. What HAVE I done?" Ever had that thought after bringing a new dog into your home? Usually around day three? Here's the good news: It's almost universal, and it almost always goes away. Here's the usual course of events after bringing home a new puppy or dog: Like any responsible pet owner, you had done due diligence. You talked it over with the family. You thoughtfully chose where to find your new dog. You carefully selected the best possible choice. Or, because life doesn't always go according to plan, a dog showed up on your doorstep and waltzed into your heart as if on Dancing with the Stars. No matter how it started, you spent the first two days in rapture, basking in an oxytocin-fueled haze of love, and grateful beyond words that this perfect little bundle of love is Read More

I love it when my dogs bark as someone drives up to the farm, and I'm not alone in appreciating being alerted by a dog. Masai villagers keep dogs, they told me, because they bark when lions try to break through the thorn bush barrier to kill their cattle. Tulip, our Great Pyrenees in years past, began low, deep barking whenever she heard coyotes. In addition, her barks saved her own life one cold and snowy night--she would have died if she hadn't barked at just the right time to help us locate her, trapped under a log in the woods. In other words, barking is good. It's a wonderful way of communicating, from alerting us to visitors, to signaling "help!", to intimating individuals with dangerous intents. So yup, barking is great. Until it's not. Few people have a problem with a dog Read More

It rained two and a half inches yesterday, most of it in a brief rain-slashing, wind-moaning storm that was so intense that the dogs and I sat on the couch looking out the window in a state of disbelief. I believe at one point I said "Holy S*^#!" It reminded me of the night I drove home in a lightning storm. (Check out the video of a lightning storm in Texas, taken from above by an astronaut.) Lightning bolts struck repeatedly to the right and left of my car as rain drops pelted down like squishy bullets hitting my windshield. Finally one bolt landed so close to the car that the entire world went blank and weird. When I shook my head and came to my senses, the car was stopped as if I'd parked it in a parking lot. But the engine kicked in when I turned the key, and I was able to drive Read More