Terrier thinks he's a border collie!

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I had the best experience last night! My mother-in-law has started raising turkeys, and since she and my hubby were out fishing, it was up to me to make sure all the critters were locked up for the night. When I walked out back, there were all her turkeys - roosting on the tractor! Our little terrier mix was with me. I got the turkeys off the tractor and started walking them back to their coop for the night, and if one of them started to veer off from the group, my terrier would trot over and nudge it very gently with his nose to get it going back the right way! I was completely shocked! After we closed them up for the night, my little mutt had the most satisfied look on his face! He was very pleased with himself! He is just 8 months old now, and is proving to be one of the best farm dogs we've ever had! We expected him to be an "alarm" to alert us to any intruders (which he does very well!), but we never expected him to be a turkey herder! :-)

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), August 12, 2001

Answers

Cheryl that is great! Dogs are so versitile! Thats why they are so valuable. Our Cattle Dog has turned himself into a "caregiver" dog for my husband who has lung disease. It is amazing what they will teach themselves. Isn't it terrific? :)

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), August 12, 2001.

That is terrific! Most herding dog's instincts are redirected hunting instincts (which is why untrained, or even trained but unrestrained, collies can be some of the worst stock killers). However, for most small holders (that UK term is very useful) a full-sized herd-dog is more dog than you need, and you can give them only just enough, or maybe even not enough (DANGER!), work to keep them satisfied. A small dog that herds things effectively and carefully would be a real treasure. The Sheltie / Shetland Sheep Dog is a step in the right direction, but you seem to have lucked into your own even better answer. I'd make sure to train that aspect of him - satisfying for him, and a good answer for you (I'd just L.U.R.V.E to see him competing in a sheepdog trial - nearly as good as "Babe"). Since he's a "terrier mix", is there any chhance he picked up some sheep-dog genes in the mix? That could account for it a bit.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 13, 2001.

Cheryl,that is a priceless dog!

My Mary, a Great Pyrennese, was a pampered show dog before I got her. She obviously loathed primping and perfuming. The minute I got her to the homestead, she found dirt pile and wallowed for an half hour.

My neighbor went to the hospital and asked me to feed his sow and two-day old pigs (12 of them). Mary went with me and we found the pigs under a tree and the sow followed me to a nearby trough. Missing Mary, I looked back to see her pushing the little pigs with her nose toward the sow. They didn't paarticularly want to go with her. I watch 19 minutes while she pushed the 12 pigs to the sow. Then she kept pushing them under the sow,wanting them to nurse. Long after my patience would have been exhasuted, she finally got one to nurse.

Well.. triump is sweet. She turned, placzed her huge bushy tail over back and raced to catch up with me. As you may know, GPs do not sslrun. They use the same gate shorse peaople call 'racjing.'

Another time, I got a week old kitten. He was soon old enough to go outside. I placed him in a flower bed,where he could hide. A brown dog came along and tried his best to kill him. Mary was about a hundred yards away, saw at the time I didss, what was taking place. Before I could get started, Mary was there,growling and threatening the brown dog and allowing me to rescue Sneaky, the cat. He is now on well on his way to becoming a 20 pound pussycat.

The World Wrestling Federation would be proud of Mary. She knows how to take advantage of her weight when fighting. A Boston Mastiff started coming around and did several times. He finally make the grossest of errors and began eaating Mary's food. Now that is something up with which she will not put.

She ran up to him,threw her big butt against him, knocked him down and stoodpoised at his throat. He was too smart to take the dare. He hasn't been back.

If it sounds like I am boasting, I am. But the admiration is for Mary (who isn't afraid of anything,except thunder). I am sure you think as much of your dog. Give him a hug for me!

-- Gordon Crump (hermit@duo=county.com), August 16, 2001.


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