Cowboy - It Doesn't Get Better Than This!

[Baymule]

My bet is on the scorching heat that scared the heebeejeebees outa that corny-crappy-dog-flung-poo-doo.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I know you're right about that. It was so hot here today.... And, we didn't butcher them dang chickens yet either.

But, Cowboy learned a new trick - he can jump fences... The BIG fences, not just the itty bitty hog panels. Yay!

I may see electric fence in my future...

 

[Baymule]

Trip is a "yard dog" now because he decided to be King of the Universe, he can only do it from the center of the driveway. He can't get over tight, stretched wire, but I have a section of temporary wire that he belly flops on and scrambles over. I have a surprise coming up for him......

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thankfully, he doesn't randomly jump and run...he jumped when I called him because he was too lazy to run around the long way, lol. Doofus!

 

[Southern by choice]

Thankfully, he doesn't randomly jump and run...he jumped when I called him because he was too lazy to run around the long way, lol. Doofus!

Did you see our video of Pete?
Pete will not go over any fence but when we call him from another field he will come through and over the barn gate.
He is a smart dog.

I think Cowboy is going to be a smart dog too!

 

[Latestarter]

Agreed, was going to say... sounds pretty smart to me. Why take the long way around? Momma called, and I wanna get there the fastest way I can!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Cowboy, Cowboy, Cowboy... don't know what to think about him sometimes, lol. He's really feeling his oats these days. Mostly because the temp has dropped about 20 degrees and he's loving it. Well, we're ALL loving it!

Remember a post or so ago when I explained that he's jumping one fence and then jumping another fence to reach his feeding spot faster. Well, what I didn't explain is that when he jumps the first fence he's totally free...out of any of the perimeter property fences and free to the world at that point. When he jumps back in he's fine. At first, that's all he did. The next time he did it he didn't jump back in. I had to send Gracie to get him. He loves her and will follow her anywhere and she has perfect recall.

But, I can't have him jumping the fence. Don't mind him jumping interior fences, but can't go over a perimeter fence... nope...just not cool. He did it again when DH was feeding for me (injured my foot). Cowboy doesn't listen to DH because he just doesn't spend that much time with him. So, Cowboy is wearing a shock collar now. He has only felt it twice. The first time when I "set him up" by taking Gracie in the pasture with me....and then bringing her out. Cowboy will follow her anywhere and he tried to follow her out of that pen by jumping the fence. The first instant he reared up on his back legs and touched that fence - he got zapped. I hated it - but - he hasn't done it since.

Just by chance I was outside the next morning and he trapped a chicken against the barn wall and put his paw on him...didn't bite the chicken but wouldn't let him go... he got zapped.

Now I have a dilemma that I hope SBC will chime in on. I saw him chase a goat for the very first time today. I didn't zap him. I would rather err on the side of caution than zap him when he doesn't deserve it. He has a favorite goat - an older doe. He loves her! Today that old doe was walking across the barnyard, heading for the barn when another goat took a pot shot at his old doe and rammed her. Cowboy stopped what he was doing and just watched until the doe rammed his favorite again... He could NOT stand it and he chased the 'rammer' away from "his" doe. I didn't zap him, but I'm not sure if I should've.... He was being protective - but he was chasing a goat... ARGH!

Edited to add: it was obvious after the initial lunge and the first few strides of chasing the "bad" goat the Cowboy was having too much fun with the chase.

 

[Southern by choice]

Now I have a dilemma that I hope SBC will chime in on. I saw him chase a goat for the very first time today. I didn't zap him. I would rather err on the side of caution than zap him when he doesn't deserve it. He has a favorite goat - an older doe. He loves her! Today that old doe was walking across the barnyard, heading for the barn when another goat took a pot shot at his old doe and rammed her. Cowboy stopped what he was doing and just watched until the doe rammed his favorite again... He could NOT stand it and he chased the 'rammer' away from "his" doe. I didn't zap him, but I'm not sure if I should've.... He was being protective - but he was chasing a goat... ARGH!

Edited to add: it was obvious after the initial lunge and the first few strides of chasing the "bad" goat the Cowboy was having too much fun with the chase.

Very glad you did not zap him. Many LGD's will keep the peace and this is often a very good trait. It can save the life of your goat(s).
The second part - where afterwards he was having too much fun.... that is where I think a verbal command of "THAT's ENOUGH" would have sufficed. If after the verbal it continued then zap if you must.

Of course you know I am not a fan of shock collars.
I do however believe some people are responsible (VERY FEW HOWEVER) and I think you would fall into the category of enough experience and ability to know when and how to use a collar in a responsible way.

Not sure if you ever saw my post about Callie saving "Moses" life.
Moses is our Kiko herdsire. He would not be here today if Callie had not intervened.

Cowboy seems to show some really great traits. Sometimes these pups just need to know where that line is.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Whew.... thanks, SBC.

I truly am NOT a fan of a shock collar either. Only because of the fence jumping, which as I said, leaves him free to roam the world, did I decide to use it. Cowboy is not a great 'listener'. Or maybe I should say he's not a "fast" responder to a verbal command. But, when he was chasing the doe I did yell at him, and after a couple seconds he did stop....gave me that "what?" look and started being wonderful again.

He's almost 6 months old and is really coming out of puppyhood and getting into the teenage type of behavior. For the most part, he's still wonderful and has done very little that actually worries me. He even took on the pigs the other day when he thought they were pestering me too much. My pigs are very friendly and somewhat catlike - they MUST rub themselves on me and it gets very annoying when they are covered with mud. They got a little too close yesterday and I fussed at them. Cowboy heard me fussing (ok, yelling) at them and decided they were too close and he charged up between them and me. They moved, lol. He has discovered his voice and can sound quite ferocious!

He's still a young'un and he's got a lot of growing up to do, but he's a dear and I'm totally smitten with him!

 

[Southern by choice]

LOVE a TOLI!
I really need to do a post about..

"The Helpful Anatolian"

Truly they are super smart and so observant they want to "help".
Our Toli/pyr pups ( most of them) are more "Toli" than Pyr.