Trusting Bailey with the does tonight. Still haven't heard one bark, but she is out there watching. She's got the barn floods and wing lights on, and one of the house floods is on, and one of the little lights, and she's in the barn pen, watching and waiting outside.
Also put piles of her hair around the buck's pen. Now we look like a dog exploded outside (OH, THAT'S how people will know she's here! I get it now).
Today I let her out when I let the does out to go back to the barn and she decided she wanted to go where the kids are and made a beeline for the front porch, which of course let to pandemonium and confusion from the goats and she got slightly stubborn about not wanting to go to the barn, but I got her there (she tried to collar slip me, but I know that trick from my shelter days, so I use a mendota style lead on dogs I don't know well). Children are the most interesting animal for her too, I guess.
I also got her to eat two whole cups of food, cereal and milk style for dinner, so she's doing better than yesterday. She can't stop pacing to eat and only seems relaxed while guarding, so it took a long, long time to finish it all, but if she's willing to eat 2 cups food with milk on it, twice daily, I'm satisfied with that. Her last owner had her on the TSC retriever 27% blue bag stuff, so we got some and I'm feeding it now. She's not fat, but very well muscled and no big tummy under all that hair, so the food is working for her. No hot spots under those mats. Hope the 2 c's of milk don't make her fat.
I may switch to another brand because this food smells like dog poop before it goes in, but I figure I should hold off on changing as much as I can now. I'd really like her on something that doesn't smell like poop.
More brushing and taking out the shed going on. If I can find a groomer that will just brush her out for me and can see her soonish, I'll bring her in (they usually do that before bathing anyway if I remember right, because water tightens existing knots). It is going to take hours. No baths though. She needs those oils. Otherwise I'll just keep working it out and if I don't have it in a week I may shave her whole rear end and under her ears (poor dog). Then, either way, when she's no longer in as embarrassing a shape I'd like to get her to the vet for a physical and her rabies shot is due in October, so I may see if I can get her boostered early so I can register her.
So yes, I think life is finally settling down. DH and I take a gun safety class tomorrow and the kids get sittered. One of my kids' guinea pigs died last week, probably from old age or heart issues, so we're on the hunt for another "my kid got bored with this" one from CraigsList or babies. Plenty of oops litters and actual breeders out there. No need for a $60 who knows where they came from or are they healthy pet store guinea pig. Our original pair was $1, and I'm fairly certain they were older than the owners were saying based on their leg and back arthritis and how much their toes were curled and hip prominence (despite being chunky)-all signs of great GP age. But that's what almost free gets you, and they were both sweet guinea pigs, and the remaining one will get friends back again soon and continue being pampered for the rest of her days.
Overall, I'm happy. I hope the doggo does well guarding tonight.
