Meg's mum Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 I made a decision based on some wonderful advice I received here to NOT expose Meg to sheep unless I could get her work on a consistent more than perhaps once a weekend basis as sheep are not practical on our sensitive wetland property. So what did I do this weekend? Hubby and I own an airplane. We went woolie spotting over the neighborhood. My downhill cross stream neighbor has pastures and a barn and no visible livestock. There are hobby farms all around us near the flanks of all the Issaquah Alps, but 6.5 miles away there are 80 Romneys and a bunch of angora goats, and 14.5 niles away are the Bullock Romneys - 800 head. I sent a note of introduction to the first farm to explain what kind of a nut case neighbor they had checking out potential future job sites for her possibly talented 5 month old puppy. I'm going to wait a bit and see if they even answer me before I try it again with the larger farm. If one or more local farm would be willing to have a guest worker several days a week, then I will see if Meg shows promise, and have her trained. Then hubby or I can drop her off before work and pick her up when I'm off. That would still be out there in the future, but at least I don't have to stop counting sheep in my dreams yet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Mickey Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 Careful... careful... that's how many of us started! First getting a border collie, then finding a herding mentor, then looking for fields to rent where we can keep sheep, then buying sheep... It can consume a person! Good luck !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordi44 Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 Heidi, I'm not familiar with your area, but are you afraid of the sheep hurting the wetlands or the wetlands hurting the sheep? Although they aren't always your "ideal" breed, I think there is a breed of sheep that will work on just about any type of situation - if you want to make it work bad enough. Just a thought. If your reason for having sheep is to have some to work your dogs, they I wouldn't think you would need very many - maybe a dozen at most? The herding people could tell you more. I'm a nut case too, and I believe that everyone that wants to have sheep - for whatever reason - should have at least one or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 So you would drop her off and someone else would work her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 Wow, those are some close sheep. We don't see any sheep around here - the first sheep are around and 1 hour drive away! Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 Hmmm - I was reading that the same way, Maralynn. Just got to say that in my book, the joy of having even a Barbie collie like mine that has a little talent, is actually learning to work stock with her . Nothing quite like it for building the relationship with your dog. That said - wow, Heidi. What a wonderful way to spend a day. Does Meg go in the plane with you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg's mum Posted March 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 Meg slept for two hours in the back seat of our Cherokee Warrior as comfortably as she would in my bed. We were crossing our fingers that she would like flying so that we could have her with us and lo and behold even the turbulence was a non event. I did mean that I would drop her off during the week if I could and then on weekends I could work with her, all of that after she and I went through training. She isn't a Barbie, and I don't want to "turn her on" if she can't do her job on a consistent schedule. I think every other day and one day on the weekend however would be fair. But all this presupposes that there is a woolie farm that is willing to have a part time guest worker and it will still be months and months in the future. I'm still worried about the surrounding neighbor's plan to restock his cattle. Our 'yard' cascades down a treed slope in patches and his cattle run right across it in an easment to their lower pasture. We are bound to run in to them from time to time on our jaunts together and I don't want to keep her on leash 100% of the time. Got to work on the recall. My recall was completely broken this morning. She stayed five feet away from husband and I when we were trying to get her into the car to go to daycare (which she loves). I had to run in to the house to get her to run after me, put a leash on her and get her in to the car. ARRRRGGH. Two steps forward, one step back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg's mum Posted March 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 To answer the question about practicality of running sheep here. The richest salmon habitat in the region runs across the southern boundary of our five acres. According to the Critical Areas Ordinance we're supposed to keep all animals 100' from the creek and that brings you just about to the edge of my deck on the creek side and includes 1/3 of the area I would have available for pasture which is only 1/2 of the 5 acres to begin with. Moreover I have the issue of my husband vowing never to have another animal that he needed a tractor to bury. He lost his goat a few years ago. I wouldn't mind another goat actually. I still miss my old nubian after 30 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 And you don't want to know that you'll probably still be saying that in a few years' time . My girl will still do that to me occasionally - usually when we've been at my friend's place training agility, and she doesn't want to stop and go home. She'll sit up the far end of the field with a really stubborn look on her face.... and this is a dog who's normally my shadow. Lucky Meg - that's amazing that she can go flying with you. And I thought my dogs were spoilt. Just a couple of things to think about in your planning ... ISTM while dogs can adjust from one person handling to another, as in when they're sold, it can be a little tough for a while, and perhaps particularly so for a dog that is otherwise a pet. And if one of the farmers was knowledgeable enough to be able to work a dog well, I would have thought they'd have at least one dog of their own that they would be working with, and so wouldn't have time/work for another. One of the key things about learning to work stock with a dog is learning about stock. I just love what I've been able to learn about handling sheep, and while I'm still an inept handler, at least I'm less of a hindrance to Kirra than I used to be! Also, the working farm dogs that I know don't get to work every day, or even every second day. Even for a keen dog, it really doesn't bother them all that much, as long as they get other stuff to do. Sorry if I'm sounding a bit of a wet blanket - just didn't want you to get your hopes up unnecessarily high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 I'm kinda thinking the same thing Barb said. I know I personally would not take on someone else's dog in a situation like you described. Mostly because I would feel awful if a dog not belonging to me was hurt while working my sheep. My dog currently works sheep only one or two days a week - and my family has sheep. The rest of the time she is with me at the home where I work as a nanny. If I were you, I would be looking for an arrangment where I could help with farm chores once a week in exchange for sheep time (after she has some training). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronHorse Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 What year is your piper? do you and your husband both fly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted March 28, 2006 Report Share Posted March 28, 2006 Heidi, Here are a couple more herding trainers in your general area that probably do not meet your "must not be associated with AKC" standards, but I thought I'd pass them along anyway: Packleader Training in Gig Harbor Jan Wesen in Bow The main reason I posted this is that Jan is hosting a Bob Vest clinic in May that you might want to observe. I don't know for sure, but I think Bob Vest might qualify as a "real" herding instructor. I can attest to him being a very nice person, and a day spent watching him work will expose you to one heck of a lot of variety in training, dogs, handlers, and stock (they work not only sheep but also ducks and cows in these clinics, according to the experience level of the dog). Jan's website isn't the easist to find things on. Go to "Dog Events Calendar", look for May 5-7, and click on "Bob Vest herding seminar." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg's mum Posted March 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2006 Iron Horse, The Piper is a 1978 and kept in perfect condition (we have a co-owner and that helps.) My husband and I are both licensed pilots but I haven't flown for 30 years. At 17 I worked to fly and skydive, by 19 I had to work to live. Barb and Maralynn what you're saying is not lost on me. I expect the 'best I can do' scenario to get whittled away to a pile of sawdust. But going through the process will help me learn and get it out of my system. Alaska - I appreciate the training links. I DO have a predjudice against the AKC but that doesn't mean I reject everyone associated with them out of hand. There's always something to be learned from everyone. Frankly, I'm a tiny bit concerned about selective breeding even for working qualities - being a big fan of 'wild type' vigor and genetic diversity. But that's a moot argument when you have to move sheep. Speaking of herding: The folks at our doggie daycare yesterday said that they had put Meg in the big dog area for the first time, and besides being a little socialite she spent the entire day pulling the dogs into a neat circle in the middle of the room. We're talking Great Danes, Golden Retreivers and Chocolate Labs among others. Doesn't mean she has any talent as a sheep herder but she certainly knows how to work an audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajarrel Posted March 28, 2006 Report Share Posted March 28, 2006 I don't think I'd mention the "dropping her off" part, at least not initially- unless you're willing to amply *compensate* the farm/shepherd for babysitting and training your dog. An untrained dog around here would just be extra work for me and, injury concerns aside (to my sheep/the dog), wouldn't be worth the effort UNLESS it was an exceptionally well trained dog that could do things that my dogs don't already do . . . Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronHorse Posted March 28, 2006 Report Share Posted March 28, 2006 Iron Horse, The Piper is a 1978 and kept in perfect condition (we have a co-owner and that helps.) My husband and I are both licensed pilots but I haven't flown for 30 years. At 17 I worked to fly and skydive, by 19 I had to work to live.Nice aircraft,,reason I asked is I have some stick time in a 76 Warrior that belonged to one of my uncles,,he upgraded to a Warrior11, which he still flies off his own strip in the Ozarks.I took Thunderbolt up once but he didn't enjoy the experince(no window to stick his nose into the wind). Alot of fliers in the family,everything from Pitts to F-16s and a couple rotor spinners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg's mum Posted March 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2006 A Pitts? Be still my trembling heart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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