Cowboy - It Doesn't Get Better Than This!

[sonorabitandspur]

Thank-you for the story! I would assume that when you work sheep or goats with a collie type herder you need to restrain your LGD's. I have a young dog who went to a goat farm, they use Anatolians. The lady says the young collie, "Moon" is doing really well with his herd work. After I spoke with her I began wondering how all that herding goes over with her Anatolians.

 

[Mike CHS]

That is a super story about a super dog.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I would assume that when you work sheep or goats with a collie type herder you need to restrain your LGD's.

Yes, I generally wouldn't have asked her to move the goats if I had remembered he was there. He's kinda like a ghost dog, lol. He can follow me through a gate, and I never even know he's behind me. For a big guy he's very stealthy!

That situation was a mistake on my part and I'm so glad it didn't end badly. However, Gracie had her little part in raising Cowboy too - and he loves her. When we first got him he was just a little guy and too young to be out in the pasture. So, for the first month or so he lived in the yard with Gracie and took supervised visits to the pasture. For awhile he was terrified of Maddie - so Gracie was his babysitter. While Maddie wouldn't have tolerated Gracie "gettin'" HER goats, Cowboy handled it in a very diplomatic way. The guy has good judgment!

We've got a couple of kiddings coming up real soon and I'm anxious to see how Cowboy handles it. He's so 'hands-on' with his goats that I know he's going to want to be right in the middle of things. I will be moving the does who are closest this weekend into a fully enclosed area that Cowboy CAN'T access on his own. However, I'm going to do my very best to be present so I can let Cowboy observe his first kidding(s).

Stay tuned!

 

[Baymule]

I'm a Cowboy fan!!

 

[Bruce]

He can follow me through a gate, and I never even know he's behind me. For a big guy he's very stealthy!

SO true! The day Merlin figured out how to get past the front gate between the barns, I put him back, he got out, I put him back, he got out but this time I saw how. I brought him into the workshop while I worked on something to keep him behind the gates. The door is a big sliding thing on a top rail. He checked out the workshop then laid down. I went about my work and when I was ready to leave, no Merlin. He had figured out he could push the door away from the wall and get out even though there is a 2' wide overlap when the door is closed.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Cowboy is almost a year old and he had his first kids today!

I've spoken before about the bond between Cowboy and Gracie (English Shepherd). I've often wondered what he would do if he had to make the choice between Gracie and his goats. I got a bit of an idea of where his loyalty lies when he stepped between Gracie and a buck last week. Today, again, he showed me how devoted he is to his goats.

We had kids today! Two .... bucklings . This was his first official kidding. I wanted him close - but not too close - until I could see his reaction. He and Gracie were in the yard, separated by a fence, from the pen where the doe kidded. They were both transfixed at the whole ordeal - probably for different reasons. Gracie had that 110% herding dog focus on the baby on the other side of the fence. She was excited to the point of trembling and whining.... Cowboy was intently focused on the baby also...but he was calm and laid back at least for a minute. I noticed him looking at Gracie and he started trying to wedge himself between her and the fence. She didn't move away - so he tried harder. She stood her ground. Then I heard it....low...deep...rumbling. He was growling at Gracie! In all the time he's been with us I've never heard him growl at Gracie. I watched them for a minute and he did it again. There was absolutely no nonsense in his demeanor. He was serious! This time Gracie went into the 'down' position which is what she does anytime she's in trouble, lol! It was funny for a second - but I decided it was time to end this situation before it got serious. I put Gracie in the house and went back to supervise the second half of the kidding. After it was all over I let Cowboy into the pen. Mama goat wasn't happy, but I held her back for a moment and let Cowboy check out the babies. He was so gentle with them and was trying to clean them. After I turned mama goat loose she challenged him. He turned away and literally slunk out of the pen, hugging the wall all the way. He was so totally submissive to her that if he could have crawled out of that pen - he would have.
I really consider this a huge test for him and he passed with flying colors. Another milestone crossed!

 

[NH homesteader]

Yay babies! Yay Cowboy!

 

[samssimonsays]

That is awesome!

 

[OneFineAcre]

 

[Bruce]

What a great dog. No problem with him clearing fences anymore, he'll want to stay with his goats.