Feelin' a bit sheepish...

[Kusanar]

This is a new one on me. First thing that went through my mind, are the ewe in heat? Estrus is estrus and the smell may be making him misbehave.

A guy that we used to get hay from had cattle. he got a jack donkey to protect the calves. Wrong. When the cows came in heat, the jack attacked the bull for trying to breed them. He chased the cows, biting and kicking them. Needless to say, that jack got hauled to auction.

I'm not really sure that's true. I have a stallion that acts no differently around me no matter the time of the month. and I have read but not actually researched that the pheromones are different between species at least so far as females go. Males apparently do produce the same general pheromones between species when they are being aggressive and I assume in breeding mode.

It would not surprise me that a jack that was put in to guard cows would react badly to a hormonal male coming bellowing into the field and "attacking" the cows. My dad used to drive dump trucks and had a bull attack his truck because they spooked the cows, farmer had to come out and rescue the truck.

 

[Baymule]

Estrus can get males excited, even cross species. Most males are ok, but some get crazy. I've had 2 female friends get almost attacked by stallions while in their time of the month. They both were careful around the stallions and got out of the pastures. One was their own stallion, one belonged to a friend that they let use the pasture. The stallions could smell it and it got them acting crazy. This is the only two instances where women got stallions all riled up that I know of. One was a young stud, all full of himself, the other was an older stud, both went stupid.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm not really sure that's true. I have a stallion that acts no differently around me no matter the time of the month. and I have read but not actually researched that the pheromones are different between species at least so far as females go. Males apparently do produce the same general pheromones between species when they are being aggressive and I assume in breeding mode.

It would not surprise me that a jack that was put in to guard cows would react badly to a hormonal male coming bellowing into the field and "attacking" the cows. My dad used to drive dump trucks and had a bull attack his truck because they spooked the cows, farmer had to come out and rescue the truck.

I think female hormones of any species can set off intact males of some others....when the sheep were in heat, I saw Blue trying to hump one of the ewes as the ram was also trying to get a chance. Others have reported their LGDs doing the same thing. No actual breeding going on, but Blue was definitely excited with all the hormones flying around the field.

I was once trying to help my sister locate her pony's halter out in the field and a visiting bull kept following me, curling his lip and breathing heavy....followed me all over that field and I had to carry a big stick to keep him from coming closer. When I exited the field, he paced the fence and bawled continually as long as I was standing outside the fence. I knew then that I needed to lose some wt...when the local bulls think yer sexy, it's time to take a look in the mirror!

 

[Sheepshape]

when the local bulls think yer sexy, it's time to take a look in the mirror!

Then you REALLY need to be worried

 

[Kusanar]

when the local bulls think yer sexy, it's time to take a look in the mirror!

Lol! I remember when I was a kid, we were visiting some friends of the family that had goats... well, apparently my mom is a very sexy goat... that buck peed all over her...

 

[Beekissed]

Well, true to the nature of my sheep, they are once again eating old, last year's weather exposed, rotten round bales rather than the new round bales I just hauled in for them. Haven't touched the new bales, even though they the same hay from the same source down to a nub just a week or so ago.

They are tearing into those old bales like there is treasure stored inside...I think the interior of those bales may be fermented just to their liking because they are eating the centers right out of them. So much for having some mulch bales to roll out on the land as compost, huh?

Pinkie Pie is growing like a weed and is sturdy as all get out now. She's twice again the size she was when she arrived here. That new food is some kind of wonderful! From now on, any pups I get are going to have a bag of that to start out their lives.

She's finally learning the feeding ritual, though it took her a really long time due to pure stubbornness. The very first time she did it like she always knew how. Every other time after that since then she's done everything BUT lie still and wait for her food, no matter how many corrections she got. So, I stopped correcting her and just waited her out. Fed Blue in front of her because he was having to wait too long for her to lie still....and that seemed to get through her fuzzy head what happens for dogs who lie still and wait properly. Now she's doing it sooooo much better and for the first time this morning, she was lying down and waiting before Blue did. Success!!!

NOTE: Yes, I know Blues nails are too long, but I usually sit down on a dry spot in the paddock and trim them and we haven't had a dry spot for a very long time. I'll get it done, no worries.

 

[Baymule]

Haha! Sentry runs ahead and sits, giving me an adoring look. Sheba refuses to sit, won’t make eye contact and I have to push hard on her butt to get her to sit. Yesterday was a breakthrough, I didn’t have to push hard. LOL I get it. Anatolians are stubborn, but brilliant smart.

 

[Beekissed]

Haha! Sentry runs ahead and sits, giving me an adoring look. Sheba refuses to sit, won’t make eye contact and I have to push hard on her butt to get her to sit. Yesterday was a breakthrough, I didn’t have to push hard. LOL I get it. Anatolians are stubborn, but brilliant smart.

Yes! I'm fully convinced they are uncannily like humans in their intelligence and the way they process information. Not like any dog or dog breed I've had before, though Labs came awfully close. They too are super intelligent but their intelligence seems centered around just how much they can love and serve you, whereas Anatolian's smarts are centered around how to get around what you want so they can have their life the way they want it...but still love you dearly in the process. On their terms.

 

[Baymule]

That's a pretty good description.

 

[Beekissed]

Another funny Blue story...this dog is pretty smart. He's been chasing the neighbor's truck down the fence line ever since the neighbor got a new truck. I don't like it but haven't had a chance to correct him on it. Then that gradually morphed into him chasing alongside our vehicles when we come and go...I can tell he's bored and this is a good game, as he loves to run and rarely gets the chance to do so. Well, yesterday he slipped under the bottom wire and ran along with the neighbor's truck almost out to the hard road. He waited out there and came back along with the truck, but still an undesirable habit going on there.

Pinky, all the while, runs along with him for a little ways but never gets out of sight of her sheep and she did not leave the fencing, but stayed with her sheep. Good dog.

This morning I found Blue outside the fencing again, which means he had repeated that behavior...but this time I was ready for him. I scolded him for being out of the fence and told him he was a bad dog....he ducks his head when I say bad dog, so he knows perfectly well he's been scolded. Had the shock collar all charged up and put it on him. Blue is very collar wise to that thing, having been vibrated with it a couple of times...he HATES that vibration.

So, the neighbor goes out again this morning and Blue doesn't leave the fence but he lopes a little along the fence and then looks back at the house. By the time I got the transmitter in my hand and gave him a little blip on the collar, the truck was long gone but he immediately returned to his former place in the paddock, head down and slinking. Mom goes out later to the mailbox and Blue doesn't move a bit. Pinky runs to the fence and starts to lope in the fence alongside the truck, but realizes Blue is not coming, so she stops and goes back to Blue's resting spot. Good outcome.

More trucks coming and going today, no Blue chasing alongside in the fence or out of the fence. Smart dog. He knows what he got in trouble for, knows why he's wearing the collar and will not repeat that behavior as long as he's wearing the collar. I think he'll be wearing it for a while, be it charged up or not. I want him to get out of the habit of running after vehicles and slipping out of the fencing...he hadn't done that for a long while, so not sure why he's doing it now. Restless, I guess.

Pinky, at 4 mo. of age, is fully bonded with her sheep...I don't see her trying to use them for playing or anything, though her playing with Blue has increased greatly since getting her legs strong once again.