Peteyfoozer’s Journey (because journaling’s not enough)

[peteyfoozer]

The good news is, I got all the rabbits into the big growout cage and they love it.
The bad news is, doe #2 has nuts.
I guess Fen will be having his first rabbit dinner sooner than we planned and I need to find a breeding age doe somewhere.

The chicks are really loving all the room in the coop to play and bug hunt. They jumped on a locust today and he was a goner in no time at all with 3 meaties fighting over him. I wish I could turn them out in the yard! Once they start coming when I call them, I will. I still need to paint , get latches on the rabbit pen and get a door for the big opening where he screwed a sheet of plywood on. It’s gonna be awesome. Next year I will plant stuff around the outside.

This is my wild 10 mo old puppy with his charges. He loves having a job.
Gud boi Fen!

 

[Baymule]

Good boy Fen!!

 

[peteyfoozer]

It blows my mind that he’s being so gentle. He’s destroyed every toy he could find, he used to draw blood when I handed him treats or played tug, and cut TheMan’s hand a couple times as he gets excited doing chores and runs nextcto him, barking and grabbing his hand. But he’s suddenly gentle and savvy.
He even woke me with gentle kisses this morning.
His older sister, Tali, killed a big rat then went Best in Trial a few minutes later. That was a couple weeks ago. Yesterday a trainer told the breeder she’s the perfect agility dog.
This gal has done a lot for the breed. Fennies relatives have pictures of them working in herding training books.
There is so much to be said for good breeding. Heathen was Fen’s cousin. His litter was the most diverse I’ve ever seen. He was an incredible Service Dog, one littermate is a SAR in Alaska, another is a professional herding dog, more than one are nailing agility and most of them do nosework trials. The remaining two are farm dogs.
I was really fortunate with the timing, to acquire Fen. The breeder had just drove 2 days to pick him up from the puppy buyer. He was a rack of bones ( hence his mouthing problems and eating issues) and only knew how to counter surf and demand bark.
It was so thoughtful of her (Mary Peaslee) and Heath’s breeder ({Jennifer Keuhn} Heathen’s dam was one of Mary’s pups) to consider me for having Fen as a Service Dog. They both said he’s probably the smartest pup she’s ever seen, and I am just now beginning to see what she was seeing.
Having a dog give me my shoes to make me go outside is just an example. I’m sure I will have a lifetime of surprises with this goofy pup. He’s a better dog than I should have probably, but I will love him and do all I can to make his life happy and let him be the dog he wants to be, even while I am still broken over losing Heath.
I am blessed to have this squirrel in my life.
Love you, Fen!

 

[canesisters]

AWWwwww what a sweet tribute to the beautiful relationship yall have.
Fen is going to do amazing things

 

[SageHill]

Ummm you said Nosework trials?? Not many English Shepherds around - and I'm guessing I may even have met at least one of his relatives years ago. Does agility too. Dang - can't remember the dog's name - but lived around here in San Diego county and then moved to I think OR somewhere. I do remember that the breeder was well known in the English Shepherd world.

 

[murphysranch]

I've had cattle dogs for a while. Maverick is ACD #6. But I also adopted a McNab BC (rough coat like Fen) from Covelo CA off an Indian Reservation. Man oh Man was that dog smart! I would say smarter than the ACD's!! He could read my mind, I swear!

Too bad he had an eating problem. Socks, two boxes of cereal with the packaging, toys, underwear, live gopher, an entire Costco pumpkin pie, a box of See's candy (minus one piece) and finally snail bait. Had to have a neighbor put him down that morning.

Such a smart dog otherwise!!

Good Boy Fennie!

 

[Baymule]

Fen surprised you over the chicks, didn’t he? He showed you a side of himself that you would have never guessed was in him. You are right, he’s so smart. He needed you and you needed him. Y’all just had to figure things out. Every day is a Fenday.

 

[peteyfoozer]

Ummm you said Nosework trials?? Not many English Shepherds around - and I'm guessing I may even have met at least one of his relatives years ago. Does agility too. Dang - can't remember the dog's name - but lived around here in San Diego county and then moved to I think OR somewhere. I do remember that the breeder was well known in the English Shepherd world.

Idk, I’m curious now though, because you are right, it’s still a rare breed
I don’t think it’s Mary Peaslee, who is a pillar of the breed. She is a geneticist and does all kinds of research and health stuff on them. Her dogs’ pictures are in many herding training books. all of Fen’s relatives that she keeps are herding Champions so I don’t know if she’s spent much time on agility or if she ever lived anywhere but Oregon

 

[SageHill]

Idk, I’m curious now though, because you are right, it’s still a rare breed
I don’t think it’s Mary Peaslee who is a pillar of the breed. She is a geneticist and does all kinds of research and health stuff on them. Her dogs’ pictures are in many herding training books. all of Fen’s relatives that she keeps are herding Champions so I don’t know if she’s spent much time on agility or if she ever lived anywhere but Oregon

I'm betting the person I know probably got her dog from your breeder. It's a small world. I'll ask her who her breeder is.

 

[peteyfoozer]

That would be cool. Her dogs are everywhere. She has sold pups to Alaskans and ppl in Mass. she’s very discriminating about who gets one of her puppies. I am so fortunate she considered me worthy of one of her dogs