Today Edge wins the prize for Best Dog

I went out this morning with a dog because the baby kids were in the barn and I am trying to keep them separate from the older goats because they are too attached and dont' work well.So thinking it should be a quick job I ran out there in shorts and a  tshirt. 
First I took Dually out and ran the adults out into the arena and locked them out there.  I then came back and let the babies out of the barn. We took the babies into the control pen and out the other side to take them to the pasture on the side of the house.   Mosquitos are starting to find me.  Dually gets them to the gate and then one goes in and he goes in after it and the others run back to the control pen. This happens a number of times. IN the meantime I am swatting and dancing and waving my arms around and still trying to get him to do what he is supposed to do. They go around and around the pile of wood and finally I give up.

I put Dually back and get Edge out.  He goes in and takes them out of the control pen where they had all gone back to and brings them up to the gate where again they do not want to go in. He holds them and 4 go in and one stands in the doorway.  I tell him to get him and he reaches up and nips the little bugger who promptly turns and jumps into the pasture. The difference is that Edge bites and stands there while Dually bites makes them move and goes around and brings them right back to where I don't want them.   Finally I can close the gate and we can go back in the house away from the mosquitos.  Thank you Edgie. 

Edge

I put the 3 new panels in the control pen and 3 goats tonight.  I worked Edge first.  He did some really nice stuff.  He took flanks without body language and his stops were iffy. But his big problem was his walk up.  He does not want to walk straight in and sometimes he does not want to walk at all, but overall I was pleased with what he did.  I never did read Bob's book last week about the walk up.  Maybe tonight.

I went back to the PD to get my stuff input into the computer for my LTC and the computer was not working again.  I will have to try again on Monday which is not a good day for me. The officer today and I talked extensively about bears and he told me to shoot the bugger. Not sure that will happen but hopefully he won't hurt anything else.

There is a new ice cream place in STurbridge and they have sandwiches and soup. I had some homemade chicken soup  tonight and it was really good.  Much better than mine. 

Bear visit

The bear returned for sure night before last.  I was up and down all night which may have stopped him from doing some harm.  I smelled something odd in the middle of the night but then I decided I was imagining it and went back to sleep.  Turns out the bear was right outside my window between the barn and the house and he left or came in over the 4 ft gate attached to the house. The gate was open when I got up which is not all that odd since it latches so poorly but the top of the gate which is just wire was all bent over.   I called fish and wildlife but still not sure they are going to do anything.   There is not electric around that part of the yard.  Last night I put more aluminum foil and peanut butter on it on the wire around the sheep.  It was not even licked last night.  NOthing touched it which at least tells me the fence is doing its job.

Trees

Everybody remembers the "dead tree" .  Well it's doing pretty darn good this year.

I also took pictures

of the 3 trees I planted last year. They are hybrid poplars and supposed to grow up to 8-10 ft yr.  We'll see.   2 of these were eaten down by sheep l

ast year when I planted them and that is why they are smaller than the one that really doing well.

I also took some pictures of Kip and Edge. 

Lesson day

2 new students today, but only one signed up for lesson 2.  . If I get 1 true student out of 15 that try it then I am doing good.  

Cold day today.  I had long underwear, down coat, earmuffs and I had to go and find my gloves. It got a little warmer but darn.....

I worked Kip this afternoon.  He is starting to understand going into the corner around the sheep.  Each time I try it he gets better.  I also did some walk abouts with him and he was very good.  Probably the best walk abouts I have ever had with any of my dogs. He's cute and I think I will keep him whatever his name is.

I worked Dually yesterday out in the arena and he was awesome. He took my flanks mostly when I asked and most were pretty square.  He was just awesome and I owe it all to the close work and the pressure work I have been doing with him.   Yay

Jem/Kip

  I could not remember the name Jem when I went to call the poor dog and the name Kip kept coming to me so I renamed him again.  Poor dog.  He never really knew the name Jem so it was not a big deal.  Now that he knows me better , I could call him anything and he would come .   He's  a good boy.  I am teaching him clicker stuff.  First I started with the down because his down was so weird. He flop over on his side and duck his head.  I didn't want him on his side so I taught him a prone down and he's got it by golly. Now I am working on sit,stand, stand on a box, turn around the box so he gets some rear foot awareness.  Today I started working on the dumbell and he will get that really quick I think. He's enjoying working with me and wags his stubb contantly.

After lessons today, I worked on the lawnmower again. I found the correct socket to get the screw off and the engine cover open.  I have been spraying it all day with engine cleaner.  My goodness it was full of mouse excrement. I tried to start it and the brand new battery was dead. I think I left the key in the on position. I hope that is what is wrong now.

I sent Edgie out for the livestock and he stopped and looked at me but this time he decided to keep going on his own.  MAJOR BREAKTHRU!!!   Then I worked him in the control pen from outside of it. I wanted to see if he really knew his flanks.  Sometimes he does.  His away inside flank is much better than his go flank.  Not sure why. I realized as I was working him that he is really really weak on his walk up.  So I went in and put him on line and walked him up.  I am going to go read Bob's book tonight because I remember it says a bit about teaching the walk up and obviously I missed something in Edgies training.

Sunday

 I spent the morning going thru my dressers and taking out stuff that I will never wear again and stuff I didn't know I had.  I found a number of things with tags still on them.  Whoo whoo .. I pulled out a huge trashbag full of stuff I dont' want.   I think I actually have empty drawers.  I have to do the downstairs closet and the upstairs closet next.  Joy

I have been working with Kip on sit stand and down and then I brought the box out and taught him to stand on that and now I am going to start working on his moving his back end on the box. He's very eager but a little slow coming to the party. At least Dually is putting up with him pretty good and his nose is not as bent out of shape as it was when he first got here. Edge thinks he's pretty cool I think. Yesterday he snuck thru the gate when I was going in and had the sheep all gathered up and back to the barn darn quick.  I closed the gate and caught him on the other side.  No harm no foul.

I tried to pull the lawn mower apart again. Billy came  and started it for me on Fri. It was full of a mouses nest  and the whole inside if dirty dirty dirty.  I need to spray engine cleaner in it but I can't get one screw out.  I have the correct size socket but I need an adapter and I can't find the one that came with the set so I will have to go out and buy one. I also started thinking about it after Billy and Eric left and I decided Eric(who was a little tipsy) had put the filter back in wrong so I had to take it apart to redo that as well. But I was able to mow when they got it started, but it probably wont' start again until I clean it out.  The actuator is stuck and it needs cleaning.

 I took Edge out back to work the livestock in the arena tonight.  He was a little off his game.  Might have to spend more time on him.  I got annoyed when I sent him to get around and as usual he stopped after 30ft and turned back and asked if I was sure then another 10 ft and again. I got after him for stopping because after 3 yrs it's time to step up and take responsibility for the livestock. silly boy

Bear was back I think

 I didn't see him but I sure smelled him.  I let the dogs out at 6:20 and I went outside about 6:40 to let the livestock out of their pen.  I smelled it as I was going towards the pen and then I went towards the porta potti and it was extremely strong right where he had bent the fence down when he came the first time.  I didn't see him or hear him so it's only my sense of smell that I am relying on.  They smell musky sorta like a skunk but nowhere near as strong and only a very small area where he had been.  I skunk covers a much larger area.

Anyway, today was my gun safety training course.  I was tired because I did not sleep well last night because I am still trying to find my cordless drill and now I am beginning to think it walked off somehow.  I am so bummed, I used that all the time. I have looked everywhere and in some very obscure places like the freezer and the frig and the laundry.  I  have looked in the usual places maybe 20 times thinking it's there but I am not seeing it.  It's not there. 

So back to gun training, I had a hard time staying awake.  It was a lot of information for someone like me who knows nothing about guns.  I know a lot more now.  We got to shoot 22 and 38 pistols.  semi-automatic and revolvers. I liked the 22's especially with the laser sights.  nice

Tried to work Dually tonight and tied Kip up the fence but he cried and yelped and that upset Dually and he could not work . He knows I hate that noise. Somebody is going to get in trouble and he just hopes it's not him.  I finally had to  put Kip in the house to work Dually and things went better. Still having trouble getting him to go around the stock in the corner and hold them there. Although his away inside flank was much better than his go bye tonight. go figure.

Inside flanks and pressure

so back into the corner again today.  I tried the goats and they stayed no better than the  sheep so I put up panels to keep them in the corner and left the panels open on one side only.  He still lost them most of the time. I think he is telling them he is coming for them instead of telling them he is going around them. Bad doggie.

I worked Edge on it too and he had trouble too, but I am beginning to think he is getting trained. He actually took a flank from my side and it was correct.  I need to expect more from him.

Jem did not get worked today at least not on the sheep. I will try and work his recall a little later. I have to wait for Cindy and Billy to get here. Billy is going to work on my lawnmower and Cindy is going to Tufts with me to get Edge's cerf. 

Worked Jem

Jem does not have a recall and barely knows his name so I have been working on that in the house and today I took it outside.  He's pretty sensitive so I think it will be easy to train.  He had a long line on and at first all I did was walk into the control pen where the sheep were and call him to me and then we walked up towards them and did some recalls and outs.  I finally let him go and he circled the stock as I walked to the corner and then I waited for him to stop. busy feet. When he gave me a pause, is sent him on an away because that is already his bad side.  By the end of the training he actually walked up to the sheeps rear and sniffed her.  Before this he would not come that close or would bite first and ask questions later. Don't get me wrong, he is not a tough dog like Dare, just not a comfortable dog with stock. Not secure or confident.  His go bye is much more relaxed and it's really obvious.  No problem, I can fix it.



Dually got to work inside flanks again. He was not as good as last time. I think I will change the sheep out for goats next time because the sheep get the game and keep coming out of the corner which is not what I want to happen. He got stuck a number of times today.  I sent him in to get all the ducks out of their pen to put away  for the night and he went in and held them in the back corner.  I knew he would not take a flank there so I downed him and he let the livestock get by him so they could get to the barn.  I think that is a step up.  Normally he would just hold till I went to get him.

Inside flanks

I had lessons all day and then I made myself a grilled hamburger and zucchini and fresh from the garden asparagas.  MMmmmmm

I kept Jem in the house all day and he is doing better. Less sore.  I also gave him traumeel and something else I can't remember the name of.  He played in his crate with the kong that Cash left behind and I stuffed it with PB and dog cookies.  He didn't do as thorough a job on it as Cash did.

Planted a few flowers under the flowering Peach tree which is just lovely right now. Lots of blossoms means lots of peaches.  I can't wait. There is nnothing like a fresh juicy peach right off the tree and mine are gooooood.

I worked Dually tonight on the corner exericise with 3 sheep. He has to push them into the corner and then he must take a (good)inside flank and take them out without breaking out of the pressure which he likes to do.  He did it well a few times and I was quite happy with that.  I am going to start moving farther away and see if he can stay in that pressure.

Jem

  Dually and Jem had a fight yesterday.  Dually had a blood nose and Jem had a cut in his ear.   Jem is lamer today than he has been.  Might be a trip to the Vets in his future soon. He will not be allowed outside to run the fence for a while.  He might have a sprained leg or toe .

I had my first pedicure yesterday. I was not impressed.  I will not probably do it again. I can do just as good a job.

I bought a new phone yesterday a Samsung Galaxy S5.  I haven't been really happy with the iphone since I got it and lately it has not been working all that well.  But I lost my games and on one I was on level 140.  Grrrrr. Going to go back and see if they can transfer the game and not just download another one.

Lessons all day till 3 today.

Tomorrow is a day off and Monday lessons all am and then off the the repro vet at 3 for Edge and so I can spend some more money. I need to schedule a fun day to make some cash.

Bear update

Yesterday was busy as hell. Lessons all day and then everybody under the sun calling me. I did see the EPA officer and he tracked the bear and goat carcass to out back of the arena. It apparently got caught under a tree and the bear left it. Everybody agreed the bear would be back for it.  It was not  eaten at all. 
  Nat and Joe came and helped me put  some electric around the barn area and then I locked all sheep goats and ducks in the barn only to find them out this moring in the yard between the barn and house. They chewed on my brand new parsley plant amongst other plants they shouldn't be touching.

Mike from Dept of fisheries and wildlife  came today and he helped me put the goat in the tractor and I buried her.  It took me 2 hrs on the damn tractor and If I had been thinking quick or at all I could have had the well guys who came with  a backhoe do the work much more quickly.   He suggested I put some more electric wires up. I will but I am kinda tired today. 

Jem is in the house loose and being a good boy.  He has been lame in the front for a few days and it might be his fence running but it might be something else.  He won't be loose at night though.

BEAR ATTACK

 Today I was woken by a screaming goat at 3am. I did not get up right away because I thought she had her head stuck in a fence but it kept on.  So I got up in my robe and slippers and went out side  to find a goat down and unable to stand. She had bite marks on her neck so something had probably gotten here spinal cord. Everybody else was in a bunch at the top of the corral. I went back and got Edge to go and get them and put them in the barn. They did not seem too upset about the dog being out there which was confusing  because if it was coyote they would have been frantic.  So the flock is locked away and the down goat is not getting up. I dragged a piece of cattle panel over to surround her and protect her till morning. Ha I did not know what i was dealing with. 15 min later and I am back in bed and she starts screaming again.  I go out again in robe and slippers and open the gate by the porta potti and immediately back up and go back into the yard as if that would have helped me if the bear that I just saw wanted to get me too.  Anyway he is trying to pull the goat over my brand new fence and messing up my fence big time so I go out and start throwing stones at him.  duhh am I stupid or what?   Anyway, that does chase him off for  few minutes. I go and get the car and drive down there and drag the goat outside the fence because obviously this thing is not going to leave without his prey.  I also call the police and go back to the house and wait. Goat starts sceaming again and I go out in time to see the bear drag the goat down into the woods in spite of my screaming at him.   I decided rocks were doing nothing and didn't try that route again. Just after he drags her into the woods, a cop shows up but says he's not going after a bear and his pistol would just piss him off anyway.  Great thanks for the help. He said he would report it to the environmental police which is can of worms I did not want opened and he leaves.  So it's 2 hrs later and I can still hear the poor goat screaming in the woods.  I hope it stops soon.