ThunderHill Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 I've been just reading and educating myself here for a while. With most message systems, it's polite (sometimes required) to introduce yourself if you plan on sticking around and participating, so here goes. I'm a middled-aged woman originally from the suburbs, who did various other dog sports (never any involvement with the beauty pagent stuff) before the herding bug struck. Once I was hooked on herding, I was forced to sell my little house outside Washington, DC and move to 10 unsuitable (thin poor soil where it isn't boulders, swamps, thick brush and ugly regrowth trees; only partly fenceable; but it's mine) acres on the backside of a small mountain in south central Pennsylvania. I actually began going to herding clinics before I had a dog that was interested in sheep, maybe 15 years ago. Then I got Australian Cattle Dogs who were interested in herding, and who became fairly accomplished at arena courses and chores work. We got to the stage where a 2-hour commute each way for stock work just wasn't enough to go any farther. That precipitated my relocation (about 5 years ago) to more rural surroundings, and the additional perpetual learning experience which is keeping your own sheep, while working a full time day job. I still love my ACDs but they just kept breaking my heart and my pocketbook with crippling health problems of various kinds. I have *always* yearned for a Border Collie, from long before I had any ambition to work livestock, but I figured I wasn't grown up enough to own one responsibly. (Even when I was a kid, their scope impressed me in a very serious way.) But time's a-wasting and I'm not getting any younger, and I needed help with my small flock of sheep that I'd originally gotten for the Cattle Dogs. So about 2-1/2 years ago I dared acquire my first BC. I don't seem to have managed to break him yet, bless his noble and forgiving heart. He's been a grand dog to get started with. Now that I'm firmly addicted, I just added another pup, a feisty wee girl, to my household. I still have two little, mostly blind, arthritic, busted-toothed Cattle Dogs, but I suspect it will be nothing but BCs from now on, till I'm too old for anything but a foo-foo dog and a rocking chair. I currently have about 23 mixed breed hair sheep, though in 10 days or so I'll probably be up to my neck in lambs -- they'll probably all twin, this being an awkward time for me to have too many sheep, for various reasons. Now that I have at least one dog who is doing reasonably well in Novice/Novice, I've found that I'll have to move to a more suitable piece of property, to accommodate his growing skills. So I'm currently in the middle of organizing to move the whole outfit to a different chunk of land, about 8 miles farther west. I bought the land, but make it habitable has been a battle so far. (Bad builders, legal issues, delays, expenses, feh.) But hopefully I'll finally relocated to the modest-sized but clear hayfield of my dreams by early fall. And then my sheep will have better and more reliable food, and my dog(s) will have more elbow room for outruns. The older dog (about 2-1/2) is a ginormous slick coated, prick-eared black tricolor with a lot of white. The pup (about 5 months) is a petite, moderate coated, probably-prick-eared black tricolor with very little white. The little one is dangerously cute and charming. And she knows it. And that's about it for us. Thanks for letting us lurk and learn. It's been very educational. I look forward to lurking and learning some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Welcome! What's your name? Where did your dogs come from? We're always looking for dog relatives to identify with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BustopherJones Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Merry Meet, ThunderHill! When you are comfortable, we would love to see photos of the dogs (ALL of them). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Welcome, I understand about the moving and expanding for stock and dogs. They do get under your skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderHill Posted April 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Sorry! I'm Liz Sharpe. My dog is named "Gift." I got him from Susan Rhoades (Keepstone Farm) in Northern Virginia. He's not from any specific "line" of dogs that I know of, but goes back to some of the very popular/successful sires at the great-grandfather level (##Wisp and ##Spot). Which is far enough back up the family tree (with dogs) to pretty much be Adam & Eve, I know. :-) His sire is named Stoner, his dam (Kip) was bred by Nancy Duley, and had a previous litter by Val (Mary Brighoff?) before Kip went to Susan. I worked Gift at the Jack Knox clinic at Rebecca's in January 2007, in case anybody there remembers the gangling young dog with a strong resemblance to Marmaduke, who went first in the big field on Saturday.  My bitch pup is named "Joss." She's from Rose Anderson, of Upper Peninsula Michigan. I believe her mother (Shen) has just managed to get ROM with the ABCA. (But I don't want to jinx anything if it isn't 100% official yet. If I'm wrong, Joss is just a promising, unregistered pup. And I'll still love her fiercely.) Joss's sire is Lyle Boyer's Shep. At 5 months, I've had her in the pen once for a few minutes (she seems dead serious) but it's too early to form any permanent opinions.  I'm not the greatest with pedigrees, but I'm doing my best to learn. I hope this is somewhat meaningful, and that I have not accidentally crossed any lines by naming names. If so, I humbly apologize and won't do it any more. :-)  Liz   Welcome! What's your name? Where did your dogs come from? We're always looking for dog relatives to identify with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Nope, no lines crossed, ya dun good. I know most of the dogs you've mentioned and have Rose's ROM application at home - i'm on the ABCA BOD. I saw Shen at a trial in FL, boy she's got some go to her! Mark Billadeau here on the boards has a half sister to your Gift by way of Kip. See, family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Hi Liz, and welcome!! I was at that clinic too - and I remember your dog's name & your name (although I cannot picture either of you in my head... please forgive - some of that weekend is foggy). Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Welcome! You caught my full attention when you mentioned south-central PA - I am in north-central WV, just a bit east of Morgantown, just a bit west of MD, and just a bit south of PA. Sounds like maybe you will be moving a little bit more in my direction. I have no sheep (alas) but I do have cattle. Â I was at that clinic, too, but (as Laura said) am a bit foggy about it. I only remember a few folks whom I already knew. Â Feas (Walt) on these boards has a littermate to your Stoner/Kip dog (his is called Jake) if I remember correctly. Mark and Renee have some Val-sired dogs, so that relationship is more like step-family. More family either way! Â Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Wait a mineut! I was at that clinic too, but am with Laura on the memory thing. Pics would definitly be helpful. I had a little split faced girl there named Chris, she went into the round pen first, then out to the big feild, then, (looking shameful now) back to the round pen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Opps, no, correction. I went January of 08. Not O7. Sorry, my bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Welcome, Liz! I'm a city dweller who is envious of your upcoming move, hassles and all. Please share pics, since my ears (eyes?) perked up at the mention of slick coats and pricked ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Feas (Walt) on these boards has a littermate to your Stoner/Kip dog (his is called Jake) if I remember correctly. Mark and Renee have some Val-sired dogs, so that relationship is more like step-family. More family either way! Â I could be wrong, but i think Mark's Jody is a Kip x Val. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 I definitely remember you Liz! Well, ok, I remember Gift - I'm good if I remember a face/name of a person after three or four meetings, but I do remember your name! Gift is also a littermate to Kim's (Devildogs) Tempe, right? Lots of relations here! My Ted is a Val son, so there's a sort of Adam-y/Eve-y relationship there too, through Wilson's Spot. Â I just saw Walt's Jake at the clinic in MD and he and Walt looked GREAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Devils Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Liz as soon as I started reading your post I was thinking I bet that is Liz  Get to posting Liz. I want to see pics of the new pup. Linda was telling me you had a new one...  EDITED To add: yes Jodi is a Kip baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Oh! Gift is the one who looks like Alex! I should've recognized the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderHill Posted April 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Thanks to all for the kind words and warm welcome. It's great to hear about so many relatives, I love that! I've been meaning to try to find out whether any of Gift's full littermates were working stock, so extra thanks for that information. (And waving Hi! to pretty little sister Tempe!) I know of one other half-littermate (Sue's Brook, from the Val/Kip litter) near Carlisle, where I go sometimes to work in a larger field. Â I will try to get pictures posted soon. I'm not the most tech-savvy humanoid around, and only have dial-up at home, please bear with me. Â Very nice to meet you all. Sending best regards all 'round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderHill Posted April 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Let's see if I can figure out how to post a photo. I don't have anything real current here (I'm at work) but it'll be a good test. This ought to be Joss at 12 weeks, tracking Gift (off-camera). And then a picture of Gift (obsessively working one of my cattle dogs who was at my feet at the time) with a flying puppy girl about to enter his universe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderHill Posted April 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 This is cheating a bit, but this webpage (link below) by a friend of mine generously includes pictures of two of my cattle dogs. You have to scroll pretty far down the page. Thorn is the red bitch working cattle and sheep. Baxter is the blue dog doing agility. Baxter also worked sheep (he had good blance, was kind to his stock, was driving some, and could do about a 75 yard outrun, but he was so little you'd grow old waiting for him to get to his sheep even at top speed). Thorn is now in a pet home (lovely girl with a remarkably nice temperament, but grade III elbow dysplasia, both sides). Baxter has a lifetime home with me (blind at 4-1/2 years from PRA/PRCD). Â http://jim.hutchins.name/roxylog_october05.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyoBC Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Welcome! I hope you stick around. I feel left out, no one lives near Wy. We're all alone out here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Gift and Joss are both great lookin' dogs! Can't wait to see more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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