The Other End of the Leash

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals.

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Blog Home >> Animals and the People Who Love Them >> Fall Colors and Sheep, Maggie, Sheep

Fall Colors and Sheep, Maggie, Sheep

October 27, 2019 >> 21 Comments

A quick post today, tomorrow is my second cataract surgery so I’ll be a tad less productive for a few days. It’s been glorious the last few days; here are a few photos to share:

Here’s Maggie from last weekend after one of her sessions. The fall colors came out so fast we could almost see them change.

Some lovely color on the way home:

Here’s one on me: I was working Maggie at home just a few hours ago, and took this photo of her unable to see the sheep (see the white butts to the right of the tree?).

And then we I walked up a few more feet toward the gate on the left, exactly where she’d been looking:

Yup, trust your dog.

I like this photo of Maggie bringing the sheep to me at the gate; a rather nice shot of speckle-faced Beyonce, on the right:

After that, Maggie brought the sheep down to the barn so that I could grain the lambs. I liked the light on the flock in front of the red barn.

Two more photos of lovely textures–corn, old hay and grass in the first, Japanese Anemone seeds second.

Here’s hoping your week has a generous share of loveliness in it.

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Comments

  1. Mary Kaplan says

    October 28, 2019 at 5:07 am

    Lovely photos ,thank you. Speedy recovery from your surgery. I found the first week so frustrating. Now I can actually see and greatly appreciate all the splendor of the fall colors. Well worth a few days of fuzzy vision.

  2. Debi says

    October 28, 2019 at 5:18 am

    Lovely photos and descriptions Patricia. A beautiful fall day. Thank you for sharing. Good luck with your surgery!

  3. Lynda says

    October 28, 2019 at 5:55 am

    Trisha you’re amazing on do many levels. Thank you for sharing ups and downs of training.
    And the joys along with the heartbreak of sharing our lives with our 4-legged companions.

  4. Trisha says

    October 28, 2019 at 6:30 am

    Thanks! Worst for me is “don’t bend over for X weeks”. For an avid gardener and owner of a geriatric, tiny dog, that’s not an inconvenience, it’s a mini crisis. A crisette if you will. But everything is temporary, and it’ll be over soon. At least this afternoon (about to leave for surgery) I get to drink liquids again. So thirsty!

  5. Diana LMB says

    October 28, 2019 at 6:54 am

    👁❤️me too! 2nd surgery tomorrow! I pray the 2nd eye experiences the same “miracle” that my first eye did! And yes -as someone commented-no bending over? With horse and dogs that’s a challenge! But oh, the leaves and the colors and the crispness of my vision in one eye! Can’t wait for both. Good luck – keep us posted!

  6. KC Wilson says

    October 28, 2019 at 7:59 am

    After cataract surgery, my sister said it was like “Eye Disneyland”. Colors once again vibrant, dust in your home visible, dog hair on furniture visible…you get the idea. Here’s to a successful recovery.

  7. Kay M. East says

    October 28, 2019 at 8:30 am

    Love, love, love your posts!

  8. Joy says

    October 28, 2019 at 8:40 am

    Best wishes for your 2nd surgery! I had the Best time in between surgeries comparing colors by playing “old eye, new eye” 😄

  9. Mary Sue says

    October 28, 2019 at 8:59 am

    By now you will be feeling better…but know I was thinking of you during the procedure. Good luck with the crisette! Your sense of humour will do the trick!

  10. Margaret says

    October 28, 2019 at 12:17 pm

    @ Joy–I did that too! I am so happy with the results of that surgery.
    All the best, Tricia. October will be twice as beautiful.

  11. Diane says

    October 28, 2019 at 8:30 pm

    Couldn’t see the sheep right way…couldn’t see the skunk my dog spotted tonight (luckily it was across the road when I did discover it’s presence). Maybe I should join you and the others regarding surgery!!!!! My best wishes for speedy recovery….. and vivid colors! You so appreciate the beauty of nature and you should so enjoy seeing it in all its splendor!

  12. Chris from Boise says

    October 28, 2019 at 9:06 pm

    Mike is having his first cataract removed next week, and can’t wait. Loving all these stories of successful surgeries – and hoping yours have gone equally as well. May your crisettes be few!

    The photos of where Maggie is focused – a good lesson. Good girl!

    Those Japanese anemone seeds – wow! What one sees when one pays attention.

  13. chloe says

    October 29, 2019 at 8:07 am

    Beautiful pictures!
    Wishing you quick and pain free recovery!

  14. Dawn Lea says

    October 29, 2019 at 9:14 am

    Wishing you quick healing and lots of dog & cat nurturing while you wait to get back into the field ❤️

  15. Melissa Farwell says

    October 29, 2019 at 12:35 pm

    I compete in Nose Work and that is one of our favorite sayings; Trust Your Dog! Sometimes it’s hard to hand over the control, us humans think we’re so smart! 😉
    Hope your procedure went well. Here’s to a quick recovery!

  16. Kat says

    October 30, 2019 at 12:54 am

    Wishing you well. I got to spend some time this afternoon with a Great Pyrenees, that’s looking for a new home, admiring the white against all the colorful leaves on the ground. Wishing now I’d thought to take a photo but I was having too much fun playing with him and getting to know him.

  17. Marianne Cyr says

    October 30, 2019 at 8:21 am

    Good luck with the surgeries! My mom came home from her surgery and looked around her kitchen and said, “Who’s pink spatula is this?” It’s yours, Mom. “I don’t have a pink spatula!”
    Can I sneak in a question here? I’m a volunteer at a dog rescue. One of our long-time residents, a 3-1/2 yo Pit Bull, ended up in quarantine for 10 days. She was off in a separate building by herself. No one was allowed to walk her or go into her kennel or touch her. She was removed to a safe area while the kennel was cleaned every day, and her food was delivered thru a slot. My question is, is it worse for her to be basically ignored for 10 days, or for someone to come and talk to her from outside the kennel for a few minutes several times a day? I noticed her food aggression got worse over the 10 days. Mgmt insists that no one should interact with her in any way. I thought it was cruel. She was food aggressive but is not normally people aggressive otherwise. How do you feel about the lack of human contact for 10 days? Thanks for your help.

  18. David Proe says

    October 30, 2019 at 12:07 pm

    We have not tried herding with my Aussies yet being addicted to agility but it must be great seeing your dogs do what they are born to do. My issue with my new young rescue I thought was just fear reactivity, but now after about a year of desensitizing I think there is another issue:
    He is also nipping – not as a reaction but as a control mechanism, possibly doing what he was breed to do – only herding humans in an unacceptable manner. Where does one find the techniques to remove nipping from the herding profile?

  19. LisaW says

    October 30, 2019 at 6:41 pm

    Marianne: That is not humane or “animalane” in any way, shape, or form. So many studies have been done on the severe effects of solitary confinement. It is no different on dogs or any social species. For example: “Those in solitary confinement are at increased risk of self-harm and suicide. Over the past three years, nearly half of suicides (14/30) in federal prisons occurred in segregation cells . . . ” from this study: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/186/18/1345.short. I don’t know why or how or what if, but this is just damaging. Here’s more: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/05/solitary

    Is this a precursor to putting her down?

  20. Trisha says

    October 31, 2019 at 3:13 pm

    Marianne, I wanted to add my two cents here. (Thank you LisaW for your comment!) I too am concerned about why this dog is being isolated in such a way. Have you asked administration the reason behind the policy? If it’s related to a communicable disease, there are many ways to deal with it without completely isolating the dog. Lots of shelters deal with it on a daily basis (foot baths, gloves, coveralls, hair nets, etc.) I would first gather information as objectively as you can, and then go about trying to find ways to get this dog more human contact. I’m honestly not sure which is better/worse–total isolation or the sound of a voice through a barrier. Probably depends on the dog; but either version is just awful. Please keep us posted…

  21. Nannette Morgan says

    November 4, 2019 at 8:02 pm

    Dear Trisha,

    This article just came out today in our IAABC Journal. I thought you would really appreciate it regarding sheep behavior. Enjoy!

    https://fall2019.iaabcjournal.org/what-dog-behavior-doesnt-teach/

    Warm woofs,
    Nannette

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About the Author

Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus is an applied animal behaviorist who has been working with, studying, and writing about dogs for over twenty-five years. She encourages your participation, believing that your voice adds greatly to its value. She enjoys reading every comment, and adds her own responses when she can.

LEARN MORE FROM PATRICIA’S BOOKS & DVDs!

Patricia is known the world over for her clear and engaging books and DVDs on dog training and canine behavior problems. You can also “meet” Patricia in person on her seminar DVDs, from The Art & Science of Canine Behavior to Treating Dog-Dog Reactivity.

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