Sentry, Baymule’s Livestock Guard Dog RIP 11-11-24

[Baymule]

Ohhhh, guess I missed the anal gland issue. (kinda glad about that, lol) Poor guy! But, he takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!

Maybe I should have named him Timex.

 

[Baymule]

We had our grand daughters for the past week. One morning it was raining, i realized that my corn, drying on the stalk for cornmeal, was getting wet, so i ran out and picked all of it. I sat on the porch, stripping the husks back and tying them in bunches. The 3 year old came out on the porch to play. Sentry was hanging out on the porch, enjoying chewing on a bone.

Here came the 3 year old and she grabbed Sentry's bone. He didn't want to give it up and bit down on it. Now this is a food aggressive dog with the other dogs and he will run Carson off his food. We have to monitor them at meal times. So I was watching, coiled like a watch spring, ready to come down on him with all the fury of a protective Mamaw. She continued to pull and tug on the bone, finally wrenching it out of his mouth. He wrinkled up his face, ears up, like he was saying, "That's MY bone!" Not a growl, not a snap of teeth, no aggression whatsoever. Then she started running back and forth the length of the porch with his bone. He followed, with that wrinkled face that is so darn cute, making no effort to reclaim his bone. She finally offered his bone back and he gently took it from her fingers. I was proud of him.

 

[Baymule]

Today @Devonviolet and her husband came by and visited for a couple of hours. Her husband gave me a big hug when he got out of the truck and Sentry growled in a threatening way. I called him down, but all Sentry knew was a stranger grabbed me and he did NOT like DV's husband. Later, my husband let the dogs in to feed them and Sentry would go up to DV, lick her hand and wag his tail. but if her husband moved, Sentry came to me, placing himself between me and "danger". We laughed about it, but I can clearly see that I have to introduce Sentry to people, especially men, before anybody touches me. He adores children, likes women, is suspicious of men. I have work to do.

 

[Devonviolet]

Yes, DH and I really enjoyed our visit yesterday. However, it was a different visit, of sorts, due to a new dog in the mix. Trip, Carson and I got on well (as usual), but it took some encouragement to get Sentry to come and lick my hand. I had to move slow and gentle though.

 

[farmerjan]

@Devonviolet Glad that you are still doing okay and things are hopefully "uneventful" with all the virus stuff. Hope that your garden is doing good. Did you ever get the hydroponic garden up and going?

 

[Devonviolet]

Hi Jan,

We are working hard to get seeds and started seedlings in the ground before my hand surgery on the 30th of this month. I have lots of Herb, flower and vegetable seedling that I started between March and now. Today we will be putting up a cool trellis system (that I found directions for online) today, so I can get pole beans and cucumbers to climb up. Then we will be putting up cattle panels in for the tomatoes, which are all 12-18” high, and lots of crook neck squash and zucchini on. So, we have our work cut out for us.

No, we never did do the hydroponics. It turns out with our 100+ degree summer weather, the water in the hydroponics system is too hot to support any fish. I am allergic to Tilapia, and any fish that I can eat won’t tolerate the high temps. So, it wouldn’t really work for us here in North Texas.

Okay. . . Gotta get outside and get to work!

 

[farmerjan]

Sorry about the hydroponics not being workable.... yeah, you get pretty hot down there for EXTENDED periods of time. We have had 15 days of over 90 in this area, and that is hot for us for such an extended period.... can't imagine it for months...
Sounds like you will be busy in the next 2 weeks.
My ankle replacement went really good, was in the boot an extended month due to the virus bs.... but rehab is going pretty good. PT guys are very pleased with progress and the dr said I don't need to come back for 3 months now. BUT the knees are really bad and I gave in to try the cortisone shots since they are going to have to be replaced anyway. Sadly, it seems I am one of a minute populance that actually has a negative response... no relief and now have night time aching that is bad enough to wake me up Can't get a break. I was hoping for some easing of the pain so I could function better for the rest of this year and do them in January. Or even another year.... NOPE.... have an appt with a dr closer, as Drs at Duke will not do both at one time and it is going to be a one shot deal for me. The guys at PT also said I would do better to get them both done as the rehab would be "even" instead of the problems I am having now with the ankle doing well but the pain of walking and exercises on the knees is not helping...
Also just found out about a dr in MD that does both at the same time, and there is a new robotic procedure that cuts the time you are under anesthetic which is the biggest concern for most doing both..... in fact one of the PT guys' mother is having BOTH hers done in Sept..... so I am avidly awaiting the results. I will go most anywhere if it seems like the best place for me. Sure wish my ankle dr would do knees.....
The best of luck getting everything done before the surgery and prayers for a successful outcome.

 

[Devonviolet]

Sorry about the hydroponics not being workable.... yeah, you get pretty hot down there for EXTENDED periods of time. We have had 15 days of over 90 in this area, and that is hot for us for such an extended period.... can't imagine it for months...
Sounds like you will be busy in the next 2 weeks.
My ankle replacement went really good, was in the boot an extended month due to the virus bs.... but rehab is going pretty good. PT guys are very pleased with progress and the dr said I don't need to come back for 3 months now. BUT the knees are really bad and I gave in to try the cortisone shots since they are going to have to be replaced anyway. Sadly, it seems I am one of a minute populance that actually has a negative response... no relief and now have night time aching that is bad enough to wake me up Can't get a break. I was hoping for some easing of the pain so I could function better for the rest of this year and do them in January. Or even another year.... NOPE.... have an appt with a dr closer, as Drs at Duke will not do both at one time and it is going to be a one shot deal for me. The guys at PT also said I would do better to get them both done as the rehab would be "even" instead of the problems I am having now with the ankle doing well but the pain of walking and exercises on the knees is not helping...
Also just found out about a dr in MD that does both at the same time, and there is a new robotic procedure that cuts the time you are under anesthetic which is the biggest concern for most doing both..... in fact one of the PT guys' mother is having BOTH hers done in Sept..... so I am avidly awaiting the results. I will go most anywhere if it seems like the best place for me. Sure wish my ankle dr would do knees.....
The best of luck getting everything done before the surgery and prayers for a successful outcome.

WOW! I’m so sorry to hear about your knees!!! I had my left knee done in 2005, after 35 years of aggravation from an injury climbing on rocks at Laguna Beach. It has served me well, until now. A couple weeks ago we got two round bales that weren’t really round - more like cone shape (bigger on one side than the other). They were last year’s bales and resting on the flat side. When we tried to roll them off the trailer, they didn’t want to roll. We had a heck of a time moving them, but with DH getting behind, using a long board (As a lever) and wedging a log under it (to keep the bales from rolling backwards), I was finally able to pull the bale 6 or 8’’ at a time. The problem is, I think I did something to my knee, because I’m having a lot of pain when I walk, since we did that. I guess, if it still hurts, once my hand is healed up, I will have to go in and have my knee evaluated.

 

[Bruce]

Glad to hear from you Devon! Sorry about the knee. I suppose even mechanical knees wear out? Maybe it is just a tweak and will get better.

We laughed about it, but I can clearly see that I have to introduce Sentry to people, especially men, before anybody touches me.

Um, isn't that what should be done with any dog but ESPECIALLY a working LGD??

 

[Baymule]

Glad to hear from you Devon! Sorry about the knee. I suppose even mechanical knees wear out? Maybe it is just a tweak and will get better.


Um, isn't that what should be done with any dog but ESPECIALLY a working LGD??

My other dogs are laid back, if I am friendly to someone, that's good enough for them. The dogs greet people, then go pee on their tires. Sentry has been standoffish and suspicious, but not growling. He did not like our son when he got out of his truck wearing a black cowboy hat. The hat threw him off.