One Fine Day

What do I like to do better than trialing?  This.

 I like to take my dogs out on a beautiful day and "tend" the flock.

Jet is bringing up the rear and Yoko is way at the top.  She likes to keep watch on the goats.

I like the trials for the competitive and social aspect and I like this for the meditative aspect.  The best of both worlds.

Jet likes to come and sun his old bones.  The ewes and the lambs pay him no attention other than the lambs like to bother him a bit.  He is no threat.

Jet is bringing a straggler out to graze that got left back in the pen.  Jet is the gentlest dog ever.  He would not move an obstinate ewe or nanny.  But, he is great with the babies.

Now this is a GOOD day.

Yoko is brilliant at tending the herd.  I rarely have to say anything to her, but motion with my hand.  She instinctively knows to keep all of the babies out of the wash.  The coyotes like to run the wash and they could snag a baby in a heartbeat.  She is very serious about her job and you can see that she loves tending a large flock more than anything.  I love watching her.  It amazes me how she knows what to do.  She is the best tender I have ever had.

"Nope, No one is going into the wash."

 

Jet  "Darn it all you fool youngin's....just leave me alone!"

Yoko moving the older lambs into a tighter group with the rest of the flock.

The nanny's are FIERCE.  If you think a ewe with a lamb is bad, try moving nanny's with their kids.   Yoko is very patient with them until they try to attack her.

Here Yoko is giving a mother a bit of sass back for chasing her. I let Yoko figure it out.  She carries on a bit like an ACD with the nanny's and that's okay.  A gal has to protect herself and do what she has to do.  I try not to interfere, but to give her a few occasional words of support.  The other nanny's have BIG horns and they use them to their advantage.

This nanny is fiercely protective of her kids.

Yoko says, "I hope you had a nice day getting to graze in the green grass."