Never before have I been so pleased with any animal than I have been with Bonnie and Bell, our two Pyrenees livestock guard dogs.
Almost fully grown, they are now eight months old. If you recall, they arrived at WestWind Farms as a gift from Santa Claus just a few days prior to Christmas.
What a charming pair they have turned out to be. Right from the start they were attentive, friendly, showed no fear of any of the other animals, and were quite tolerant to the occasional snap from foxy, our large house dog who showed jealousy of the attentions given the puppies by both strangers and friends.
Though enclosed in a sleeping area during the hours of night, they were allowed to roam freely about the entire barn all during the winter months. Each and every animal became compatible friends.
During this time, they were taught the main basics of collar and leash, come, sit, stay and not to jump up. During this, in turn, they were encouraged to be gentle while playing with Mollie and Mike, our two barn cats and much so with Chickaroo, a resident three-year-old laying hen which was diverted from the butchers block to specifically teach them, from day one, not to chase chickens. Free range chickens, as ours are, could easily stray into the goats pasture where the dogs roam freely and it is our hope that they will be content with just directing the chickens back home.
We are completely innocent of these dogs’ inbred ability as herders. Goats are browsers, not grazers as cattle, sheep and horses. It is not unusual for them to crisscross a given area quite rapidly, happily nipping selected seed heads of the fast developing mixed grasses. On occasion the flock will split, wandering in different directions. It is then easily noted the dogs ingrained herding instincts. Watching from further up the hillside, whether resting or in rough and tumble play, one or the other and sometimes both will circle the divided flock and bring them back together again.
As we have no desire to enter them in the show ring, little time is spent brushing and combing. Weekly the fit of their collars are checked and monthly their nails are clipped with special attention given their prominent dew claws. Right from the start they seemed quite capable of looking after themselves.
Recently there was a two-day rainy period and mud puddles, typical of farms, that showed up almost everywhere. That did not stop their rough and tumble. They had little intention of coming in out of the rain, became soaked to the skin and completely covered in mud. The following morning the sun came out bright and clear and warm. In addition to their continued rough and tumble play, they were seen rolling over and over pushing themselves along on their sides. By noon hour they were back to their normal white fluffy coats.
Nothing is more pleasant than to watch them living their life running, playing and resting as they do often among the contented herd of goats.
As a point of fact, my computer has been suffering a technical hiccup and if you have emailed me during the last two weeks and received no reply, the chances are that I did not get it. Please email me again.
Take care, ‘cause we care.
barrie@barriehopkins.ca
519-986-4105