The Education of Ben

[Southern by choice]

Agree with food correction but you may want to rethink the chickens taking his food thing. I let all my dogs protect their food from chickens the reason is the chickens are jerks. I feed the chickens in a huge rail... they also are free range but nooooo as soon as I put the food down for the dogs they swarm and eat the dog food.
"D" and Badger and Eliza and Chunk will allow themselves to be pushed right out by the chickens and they will just walk away.
I don't have time to put them up to protect them from the poultry and I don't want my poultry eating $50 /30lb bag dog food.

Just a thought as it does get ridiculous and I believe these dogs work hard enough protecting the livestock as well as the poultry without having to deal with them taking their food.

Humans... now that is a different story. I should be able to put my face in their bowl and them not even think anything of it.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree...chickens can be jerks! Jake is allowed to lunge at the chickens to keep them from his food and the pup is allowed to do so also but doesn't do it just yet, so I stand over him while he's eating and do it for him.

Just not allowed to bite them, is all. Until he's old enough to get that concept I throw the chickens some feed to distract them while the dogs are eating, then stand off the chickens that still want to come and steal their food.

Right now that little squirt is turning the tables and heading to the coop after I feed them, goes in and barks at them to drive them back while he eats THEIR food. Then I have to correct him on that.

Usually I have time to train the chickens on standing back away from the dogs while they are eating and even wait and stand back while I'm getting their own food dished out, but I haven't had time to do that with my juvy birds yet...been too busy. Yes..I even train the birds to be polite.

 

[Beekissed]

Fixed on Ben's electric collar today to see if it will be more comfortable to wear over his neck folds. I cut the sherpa bunny ears off my grandbaby's toboggan and fit them over the strap of the collar so that it doesn't move around as much when he wears it loose enough to skim his neck hide. Now he has a hot pink sherpa liner to his collar...will have to see how that all works.

I also made him a dog bed out of a large burlap sack and some cedar chips today...total cost around $5. I learned long ago not to buy nice dog beds for puppies. He was already chewing and tugging on it as I was sewing it up. We'll see how long it lasts.

He had a good day and listened to my corrections or call backs readily, came when called and stayed when I told him to, just a sweet, happy pup. He's turning into a fine dog and I had expected he would, so I'm thanking God for this continued good outcome. I'm impressed with how much he has learned and in such a short time. Imagine what he'll know by the time he's big.

 

[Beekissed]

He slept on his bed just fine, didn't chew it once! Good dog! Hope that lasts.

He got four chicken heads, 7 chicken legs(Jake got one), and all the blood he could lick this morning. Funny little thing has blood all over his face and head! I'll have to post that pic when I get it on the computer. That's what I call "feeding raw".

He LOVES butchering day! Laying out there with a bulging belly, basking in the sun. Great life for a dog.

 

[bonbean01]

This is off topic...but what an adorable little sweetie in your new profile pic

 

[Beekissed]

Awwww, thank you! That's my first and only grandbaby, though I have another on the way. She truly is the best little girl and so funny to be around that she's got us laughing all the time. I never thought I could ever love another kid as much as I loved my own until I met this one...she truly is a gift straight from Heaven.

It's funny, because I never pictured myself as a gushing grandma...I'm just not the type and I resisted it for a long while but she's so incredible that our whole family can't help thinking she is like the sun coming up each morning. Everywhere we go we get the same reaction from complete strangers..there's just something about that kid that makes her stand out, beyond being pretty. She just shines like a new penny.

Okay...I'm going to stop. It's just...sometimes I just can't help spewing on about her.

 

[Baymule]

Bee, I get the whole gushing grandma thing.........

 

[bonbean01]

Me too!

 

[Beekissed]

I'm glad, because I know I sound like a cliche. At least I don't carry around pictures of her yet and insist on showing them to complete strangers in grocery stores. Not yet, anyway.... Right now I just use them as avatars. Just started that...is it a trend, you think? Am I sliding down that slippery slope of boring grandmotherly lovemush?

Ben raided the nests today, ate all my eggs. That's after consuming his own food, all spare chicken parts from my butchering session, random deer parts still lingering in the yard, more chicken bones from when I canned up the chicken and probably the left over chicken's feed in the trough.

Think he's getting enough to eat? I don't know.....

 

[Southern by choice]

Where are the nest boxes?
Yep... every LGD owner goes through this. We all go .

What deworming schedule do you have him on?

Are you feeding chicken necks?