The Education of Ben

[goatgurl]

i just have the two does and one buck and they each get 1/2 to 3/4 cup of pellets daily plus all they hay they want. takes me forever to go thru a bag of feed and i feed about 2 flakes of hay a week. i give them the same hay that i feed my goats. they are all in separate cages and i put the hay between the cages so everyone can reach it, that way i don't have to put individual feeders in each cage. the doe cages are 24x42 and the buck cage is 24x18. i would have liked for the cages to be a little longer because i kind of hate to have them in a cage all the time but that is what was available and i got them at a really great price. i only have one big grow out cage so i try to time it so the girls kindle at the same time and then move the babies to the grow out cage all at the same time. i have thought about colonies but have been told that you have more parasites etc if they live on the ground so i keep mine up. i keep large plastic totes under the cages to catch the poo, pee and wasted hay then use that for the garden. works out pretty good for me. i butcher at about 8-12 weeks. mostly depends on when sil and dd can get here to help

 

[Beekissed]

I was just sitting here watching the dogs play and it's always a delight. A person can learn a lot about how dogs communicate and show affection by watching their play time.

My older dog is the eternal puppy when it comes to play...he initiates it, he's the most active and he's the one that decides when it stops. He also will play the submissive play partner time and again for the more dominant type dog, willingly showing submission. I don't see that as him being the weaker dog, because when it really counts he is in control. I've never seen a single dog~no matter how big or supposedly aggressive towards other dogs~succeed in dominating Jake, not even for a brief second, during those initial introduction phases. He's a force to be reckoned with and has confidence in that regard. He can't be forced into submission....but I've seen him give it willingly when inviting play.

I love Jake for that meekness in him....meek is the attribute of being strong but humble.

He's also got speed few dogs his age could muster..he was always lightning fast and I think that is the Border Collie blood in him. This pup can't even hope to keep up with him, though he tries his best. The pup will tire of playing long before Jake does and it's all due to that lightning speed of Jake's chase and retreat. Jake finally will approach and seems to submit to restore the pup's confidence and willingness to play. Sort of like letting the slow kid in a game of tag finally catch you so they won't get mad and go home.

I love, love, love that Jake now has a companion with which to play and socialize. There's few things more fine than having one of your own kind with whom to communicate and share companionship.

I love it when I see the muscles in their thighs rippling...both dogs are getting good exercise and healthy, specie appropriate play. Jake is definitely less needy for human approval and affection when he has another dog, though he's needy still by anyone's standards. He lives for approval and affection, a very Lab like trait I love in the breed.

I'm ever tickled over Ben's long, long tail. He's a tall dog and it still hangs to the ground, having to curl upward to keep from dragging. I love the wiggling way he walks, much like a lion, with the whole pelvis swiveling with each step...the dew claws and long tail add to that rear view and he very much looks like a great cat strolling along.

The hot wire on the coop has been effective and he is also training well to the wireless fence boundary...when he accidentally crosses it and gets shocked he knows enough to retreat back to the safety of the circle instead of proceeding further outside the boundary. That's one reason I love the wireless fence vs. the in ground, it will continue to shock the dog well past the boundary fence, so they can't run quickly over the boundary, take the hit and go about their merry way....they keep getting shocked for many yards past the boundary and they learn to retreat to get it to stop. When I had the in ground system my dog would take a running go at the boundary, yip as he was passing the wire and keep going, free of the signal a few yards past the wire. Then he couldn't get back in the boundary without getting shocked, so he'd sit out there and bark to be let back in to the yard.

No so with the wireless fence...they don't get shocked upon reentry to the system, so it's geared towards negative reinforcement when they leave but positive reinforcement when they stop trying to leave.

I love that security and knowing the dogs can run, play, explore, even hunt inside their boundary but they aren't roaming the neighboring woods, getting shot by the neighbors.

 

[Baymule]

Isn't it fun watching the dogs play? Ben has brought new life to Jake, he has a playmate now. Animals get lonely by themselves.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. Jake has been alone too long and it's so fine to see him have someone other than me to be with...I'm a poor substitute for a dog.

Found this helpful training tip....

 

[Baymule]

Do THAT'S why my dog wags his tail and laughs at me when I am griping at him!!

 

[goatgurl]

i love to watch my emma play with JJ the new English shepherd pup. em is small and fast, she can cut a corner, duck under a car and turn on a dime. just when JJ thinks she has caught up with emma she ducks out and heads the other way. emma is over 12 years and JJ is just 6 months. they make me laugh. and yes beekissed I'm sure that JJ just hears bla, bla, bla when i'm fussing at her for stealing my socks.

 

[Beekissed]

Can't wait until we actually get some snow this year...that really makes Jake a happy pup and this new pup hasn't seen snow yet, so it should be a joy to watch them play in the new fallen snow...if we ever get any.

For some reason it's the frosty mornings, new snow or just nasty subzero temps that the dogs love the most...guess they don't get too overheated when they play during those times. Jake will roll in new snow and rub his body all over it, so there's something going on there...maybe the snow cleanses him or kills fleas or just provides a really good scratch, who knows? I've seen horses do the same thing. Both types of animals will get up from a good snow roll and scratch, shake their hides to remove the excess and stroll away looking content.

 

[Beekissed]

Eli saw Ben doing something today that gave me hope that he will actually fulfill his breed traits one day. Said he heard a chicken squawking and turned to see the rooster breeding a hen, saw Ben run over there and nudge the rooster off the hen's back with his nose and then stand there and watch them walk away. :faint

Kinda cute if you think about it and I'm glad he's responding to a hen in distress call, but just never seen a dog do that before. I'm hoping that will translate into him guarding his chickens from other dogs and preventing a dog from attacking a chicken, much like he must have thought the rooster was doing.

 

[Southern by choice]

That is good and YES that is what you want to see. Good boy Ben!
Thanks to the dogs we have no more hawks at our place! We use to lose at least one bird a week to hawks! The hawks stay on my neighbors land now!

"Blue" hates crows and goes nuts. Buzzards too.

Nothing like a great dog!

 

[goatgurl]

Good boy Ben!! He's gonna make a dog yet. Big and Rose use to circle the tree that had a hawk, owl or buzzard in it daring them to come down to goat or chicken level. Katie sits and watches when she sees big birds in the sky.