The Dog's Blog

Action Dog

Its that time of year again when I get to use my highly tuned skills as a cow herding dog. Every now and then I get the opportunity to show off my skills, helping master bring in the cows for milking at the farm opposite our Holiday cottages (click here). Idiot brother of course is of no use whatsoever as he is scared of cows. Well he is when he is in the same field as a cow. He is of course very brave if the is a fence between him and the cow. ?Me – I know cows well and know they are only going to do what I tell them. So I have no problem with them.

As usual at the beginning of a season a few of the younger ones try it on with me. They think they can outsmart me or stand their ground. Well there is no way they can outsmart me. I am Smudge wonder cow dog, so they soon realise they just aren’t smart enough. Then there are the few who stand their ground. Well of course, as any cow trained dog will tell you, you have to stamp out that kind of behaviour immediately.

Its all in the speed of the turn

If the rest of the herd thought you couldn’t control just one of them, then you would be in serious trouble. So the thing is to stand your ground and stare them out. If that doesn’t do it, a quick snap near their nose and they are off and as compliant as the rest of them. ?As it was the first time my skills had been required this year it did take a bit longer than normal to get them to understand who was boss and to do as they were told.

Bringing in the last straggler

All was OK in the end and in they went in for milking. Master seemed pleased with the result even if he did wash me down a bit roughly when we got back. I did try and slink into the house without the usual hosepipe wash down but he spotted me and called me back. However, I did get a BIG treat from mistress for doing such a good job (she had been watching from our front garden).

A ‘selfie’

Well he didn’t actually get lost. I knew where he was but no one else did and I wasn’t going to tell. Mistress went off to Bakewell shopping and left master in charge of taking us out for our morning constitution. Well as usual master just doesn’t pay attention and although we had a walk around our grounds (to see our grounds) he also decided to check on things like the boiler, the sheds etc. When we got back of course I was still with him but he didn’t notice that idiot brother wasn’t around. To be honest its not unusual but at least mistress notices.

Wherever I lay my paws (that’s my home)

Master went off to do something else then about an hour later he realised that idiot brother wasn’t around. I kept quiet. He whistled for him (which usually brings him if he can hear it) but no response. The handyman came up to do some quick work but even that didn’t bring him back. By this time master was getting worried that the idiot had wandered off again. ‘Oh good he is going to get into real trouble’. After ringing mistress to inform her that he had lost idiot brother he was just about to get in the car to go looking for him when he decided he would retrace his steps from earlier in the morning. Up the back field, round to the boiler house, up to the sheds. Well blow me there he was sitting quietly in the top shed. Well of course I had known all along, as I saw the idiot going in when master went in. Well I thought, now he will be for it. Deserves him right. But no. I think master was just so relieved he had found him before mistress got back that he didn’t yell at him or anything. Idiot brother did seem a bit quiet for a while. I don’t think he liked being shut in the shed not knowing what was going on.

‘me’