SageHill Ranch Journal

[SageHill]

Ohhhhj……Murphy is a TREE and IRRIGATION Guard Dog! That’s sure a speciality niche for a dog. LOL
I had no idea coyotes would tear up irrigation lines. I can see them eating the fruit and keeping the pesky rascals away. But Murphy needs a working partner, one lonely dog is no match for a coyote pack.

So true. Though I've only seen him out when one of his owners is out working. I'll ask next time I see them if he's going to have a buddy any time soon. Could be they only wanted one puppy at a time.

 

[SageHill]

Another day another graze. This youngster Zo is showing me so many good things that I find myself thinking and saying to myself things like wow, holy cow, damn that was nice. When I had him out on Sunday he was good. His road work was rough, but we got the job done nicely even though it was stop walk up stop repeat. Today the boy actually worked the sides. Brushing past them going back to front and front to back without disturbing the sheep keeping everything going smoothly. Wow. He has limited experience and little training, damn that’s nice.
I do have to say in the very beginning today in the corral - at the start of taking them out Zo charged through the middle and took a cheap shot. God bless the sheep - they looked at me as if to say WTH, while I gave Zo a “STOP” command which he took with a holy s#*% I’m in trouble look and I gave him a growly talking to. Left that correction where I made it (didn’t carry a grudge) and we started on our way. Zo figured that sheep are not a yahoo moment thing and was darned good after that.
Worked down the ranch road partway to the meadow and grazed some. Zo picked up where he wanted to be a “fence” and worked tirelessly- and very wide/far off.
In the bc and trial world turning away/ out from the sheep is a big no-no. Major point deductions. Over the years of doing this I’ve come to the conclusion that turning away or out from the sheep when the dog changes directions is a way the dog can take pressure off of the stock. Turn in/towards them adds pressure, and out/away releases pressure. Perfectly logical. The things one learns when standing and watching and thinking “why” or “what did that do”. The point of this is I watched Zo both turn in and turn out. Hmmm. Was there a pattern always in the same spot or turning going on way or not the other? No. But watching the sheep there is a hint of this pressure thing. Very subtle but it was there. Damn - not something you can train a dog to do - they either have it or not. Damn that was nice.
Murphy was watching again, though from his house yard and of course gave his opinion. He gave his two-cents worth and then was quiet. Zo and the sheep both looked over and then went back to their jobs. Eat and be a fence.
Moved down into the meadow and grazed there. A different place for Zo to find where to “be a fence”. He did it. We came back up the ranch road the way the sheep know we’re going home. They can be a bit speedy the closer we get. And yet another oh wow for the boy - worked the side and far off - had he been close they would have sped up. WTG Zo.
He's not Obi, he's Zo
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Got them into graze #1

Zo being a fence hard to see - he's just under the oak on the top left

Zo on the other side of the graze...giving the sheep lots of room....

Zo guarding the pasture gate so I can open it w/o a sheep stampede.........

 

[Baymule]

Wow! He’s making a fabulous dog! The turn away, turn in, why points taken away for turn away, if that’s what works and keeps the sheep calm? Oh wait, that all for SHOW! Some show rules are so stupid and just don’t make sense in the real world.

It sounds like you and Zo had a beautiful, fantastic day. A good relationship between Zo, sheep and you. And even Murphy!

 

[Mini Horses]

So happy to see that equal time with ZO is going well -- and he's just getting started! You have intelligent dogs you'll have 2 sets of "fencing" now . Obi still gets a turn, both can have a day off.

 

[Ridgetop]

Sunds like Zo is going to turn out to be as good as Obi.

Oh no! Did I say that in print? Thank goodness Obi can't read - yet. LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

Ya know, I'm jealous. I have to move my temp fencing myself -- you don't! How wonderful. How portable.

 

[SageHill]

Ya know, I'm jealous. I have to move my temp fencing myself -- you don't! How wonderful. How portable.

HA - and I see your fencing and think hmmmmm.

 

[Bruce]

Love reading about your dogs working.

Ummm - all of mine are house dogs .

Because they aren't guard dogs

 

[SageHill]

It looks like summer is not going to give up too easily, temps back into the 90s. So sad to see all the greenery wilt. It's gone from tasty candy to wilted lettuce. Had the sheep out to graze yesterday with Zo - he did great and even had to deal with Murphy - no big deal - both dogs doing their jobs and an audience of my neighbor who watched for awhile too. So proud of the youngster. The sheep meandered, took a few bites, moved a little, a few more bites - let's just say they were not excited about eating. No huge mouthfuls of yummy mustard leaves that stuck out of their mouths in every direction. The leaves looked wilted. Yeah - last week's warm up, a tiny bit of rain to keep it green, and then back to warming up and it's practically like cooked spinach. We were blest with weeks of sweet new greens thanks to the tropical storm (can we please have another??). When it's cool enough in the mornings we'll be back at it - if it's warm the slithery creatures could be an issue - not happening on my watch if I can help it. Being smart about things - bales of alfalfa are cheaper than anti-venom or worse.
Until then we will be working the sheep through chutes. Seems we haven't done that in awhile and I could only get weights on the lambs (60#ish) and one of the ewes (145?? all weights are written on the chart in the barn).
I've been browsing around online at headgates and oooohhh the one with the spin trim chute looks sooo nice (ouch$$).
Well, I got to thinking that while I say my dogs are a fence that I should put up some videos -- I am not a good video taker. When I do take pics and videos the dynamic out there with the sheep and dog changes somehow, and what I get is not as good as when I'm not taking pics or vids. So there's that.
Here's a video of Obi moving the sheep down the ranch road to a graze, and putting them in the graze and starting the graze:

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Here's Obi on a graze:

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and here's Zo on a graze (I should have zoomed out so you could see more of the sheep)

 

[Bruce]

Seems like Zo could rest a bit, the sheep don't seem to be going anywhere