Robbie is a 2 year old border collie who is bred for cows actually. He is smart, but cows are herded and pushed from the front and the dogs bite the cow's noses to get their attention. Getting Robbie not to bit the sheep's noses was the first task. Then teaching him to pay attention to ME, not the sheep, or rather, me and the sheep, was the second.

I do not know and use the proper commands for sheep dogs. If I want him to come to me, I say come. If I want him to go one way or the other, I say this way or that way and use my arm extended to show him. He know this now. Today he was a star, not at first, but we have herded every day this week, so he is better at listening. I wanted Robbie to put the sheep in the barn. They do not go in the barn, do not like the barn and were not very willing. Any other day, we were not nearly successful. Today, after about a half hour, Robbie put the sheep in the barn. He has a tendency to want to circle round and come at their faces to head them off, when he should push from behind and move side to side. He did that today and I only had to tell him once not to go round the shelter to head them off. He even went down and stayed. Stay is a problem for Robbie. We have worked on it for 2 years and he knows and understands the command. He just does not want to do it, but he did today.

I was so proud of him. Finally, after all the effort, he put the sheep in the barn when they did not want to go in the barn and he did not bite any faces. By the end of the winter, I expect he will be a pro and a video showing is prowess will be posted on the blog. For today, that'll do Robbie! Good boy!

In every pack there is an underdog. This dog is not the smallest, but could be. In the pack at The Fat Ewe Farm, the puppies are the underdogs. Joe is pushing his way to rise in status, but Mikey keeps his distance. Jade is the order keeper. When the pack is fed, she takes it upon herself to keep the puppies away until the pack is fed. Jenna, the smallest, used to be the underdog. She and her sister, Jade, were abused when they were puppies, and they are shy of people. Jenna was just plain shy, but sometimes in the late fall, Jade and Ofcharka were beating up on Jenna and she had enough. She surprised them by fighting back and she hurt them both, earning a new place in the pack order. She may now eat freely with the dogs. Harley has fallen back, though. He will not take food from my hands very often any more and remains in the wings while the pack eats, so I take him food and drop it in front of him. Once he has something, none of the others would ever challenge him though. They still remember those big teeth and show him the respect he deserves. Ofcharka is sort of neutral. He does not bully the others, waits his turn, takes what he wants and keeps it. The others do not challenge him either, just let him be, but he is respectful of the every other dog. Now, there is Robbie. Robbie is the pack leader and can go up to any of the dogs, even Ofcharka or Harley, who are twice his size, and take their food. He does not growl or fight. He gives them that collie eye and stares at them, then takes what he wants.
Mikey waits until the coast is clear and no dogs are around to see if there is any food left over for him. Jade will work at keeping him away, even when she has fed and the pack is just lazing around. He is the underdog, a sweet natured, big, beautiful Pyrenees cross pup. The pups are 8 months old and just getting their adult teeth up to size now.When they curl their lips in defiance, they still have little baby sized teeth, but they are growing. It won't be too long before Joe decides he will move up the ranks and Jade will fall behind him. Mikey may always remain the outcast though. For that, he is my boy and I save him the best morsels and when the others are not looking stuff them in his mouth and he runs to safety to eat them.

This morning, because the dogs are fed morning and night, they had a stewed pigs head with oatmeal, which they thoroughly enjoyed, but Joe got a torn ear in combat with Jade. She did not give him permission to chow down yet and put him in his place. He stopped eating this time, but did not leave. Soon things will change. In the meantime, because ears bleed tremendously, there is a big mess and I am not sure how to clean it up. The blood is frozen to the deck. Poor Joe. A bit later, Ofcharka licked his ear clean for him and then Joe went to roll in the snow to clean the rest. Ofcharka is really gentle that way and likes to take care of the sick and injured. I love those dogs. Every day they make my life better and I am grateful for each of them and the work they do. Bless them.