Sheep Whore

All the way up to Suzy's (Plymouth, CA) I was thinking about Champ.  I told myself to be nonchalant when she let him out to see me.   I didn't want him to go too berserk.  The joke was on me.  He flipped me off and his family members, Jet and Yoko.  He was all about Suzy and sheep.  He acted like he didn't even recognize me.  What a strange feeling.  And, what a blow to my ego.  Hey, you little piss ant, I'm the one who put those months and months of ground training on you!  How dare thee?  He had turned into a "sheep whore."

He's not watching me.  He is watching Suzy.

 

This is most likely a good thing.  And, yes, he did acknowledge me the next morning.  He appeared way more relaxed on his sheep.  I have a tendency to make all of my dogs a bit nervous.  Suzy says he is soooo EASY (another blow to my ego) since I brought her Champ since he was steam rolling sheep over the top of me. It is ALL good.  He enjoys working with her and she is the BEST.

 

Lambing is through for the year.  Pretty pastoral scene, eh?

 

Champ has his own kennel run up at the barn

It's not too tough on him, other than having a bit of a "kennel dog mentality."  By that, I mean, he has picked up a few bad habits like hitting the chin link fence when another male dog walks by, howling with the others about the females in season, etc.  We will nip all of that in the bud when he returns home :0)  For now, he needs to be all about sheep.

 

This is where I camped for the night

Tough, eh?  LOL  I let Champ sleep in the kennel in the barn that night.  But, I did go and get him in the morning for a bit of a walk with me, Jet and Yoko.  He finally got his head straight and acknowledged all of us.   It was like a kid with A.D.D. He couldn't stop all of the things whirling around in his head.  I didn't want to make it tougher on him.

 

Yoko was happier than a pig in shit.

The pond below our camper was filled with water.  And, you know who jumped right in.  Yoko told me that she wants her own pond just like at Suzys.

 

Champ working with Suzy.

The first day when I arrived in the late afternoon, Suzy took Champ out to work.  I stayed over by my camper across the pond so not to interfere.  Most likely, it would not have interfered if I had been in the field with her :0)  He looked good.  He is just starting some small drives.  Work wise, he looks more like Buzz to me than slinky Kilt, but it remains to be seen. :0)

 

Champ and Jock (Bev Lambert's Joe and Applegate's Dot) puppy

Champ followed Suzy around doing chores having nothing to do with us on the first eve.  He did stop to play with Jock.  It's not all work around here.  Champ sure looks like Kilt in this photo.

 

As the evening closed.  Can you imagine?

Suzy works too hard.  Every night like tonight I would be sitting on my back porch with a glass of wine taking all of this in :0)

 

Another sunset just a bit earlier than the one above.

 

Jet and Yoko catching the morning sun.

 

Buzz in his kennel run catching the morning sun.

 

A rather LARGE lamb on our morning walk.

 

Champ stopped long enough to have his photo taken with his family members...the mere peons, Jet and Yoko. 

 

Buzz, Will, and the kitty stop ONLY for a quick moment.  They barely gave me time to focus the camera :0)   Champ has his mother's body and Buzz's rippling muscles. 

 

Buzz is gathering sheep to sort for Champ.  We are still on our morning walk.

 

At the front gate and here come the guardian dogs!

 

Buzzy

The Champster

He didn't work quite as nicely this morning because I had entered the picture.  It was messing with his mind.  Twice while he was working he gave me a peripheral glance that seemed to say, "Do ya see me Mom?  Do you see me?"  I smiled back with pride.

 

Beautiful Jet (showing his "Sweep" spot) looking like a postcard.

Jet came just because he could.  He enjoyed the pastoral setting while walking around peeing on things.  He caught a whiff of a bitch in season and I'm sure it brought back memories for him.  haha

 

In between works for Yoko, a resident Red tail swooped down over my head and the pond landing on this post.  He is giving me the "hawk eye" for sneaking up on him.

 

Yoko (semi snoozing) in the sun in between working sheep.

 

I didn't say good-bye to Champ.   I couldn't.  I just got in my van and left. I will pick him up at the Zamora trial the first week in March.

 

Next blog I will tell how you much I learned in my lesson with Yoko. 

Basically, I learned I "suck."