Mike and Joe at 5 weeks when they first came to the farm in the summer. Their mother was killed by a car the night before. Mike is a shy dog, the underdog in the pack, at least for now. I somehow do not think this will last. He is smart and a smart dog will see opportunity and seize it at the appropriate time. For now, he hangs back and lets Jade boss him around. At times, I am sure he goes hungry, because she will not let him near any food. I have taken his meat to him in the sheep pen, where he still goes to his dog house for sanctuary, but Jade has now started to go in the pen and take it away from him there. She has been harshly reprimanded for this and I hope she will stop. In the meantime, I sneak food to him late at night when she is on watch. He comes to the door and waits and I have saved some good meat for him, which he quietly accepts and wolfs down until until he is satisfied. Then he lopes away. He walks beside me, something Ofcharka does too.
Joe is the opposite of Mike, a big goof of a dog. He would rather stay and get a whoopin' from Jade than run away, so he does. She bites him, but he is big and most of the time she does not hurt him at all. He cries out and lays on his back to feign injury and she stops. When the other dogs have finished eating, he is there to pick up the remainder.
Both pups were raised with the sheep and they stayed in until they were about 3 months old. Then the lure of the pack and the farm was too strong and they dug, climbed and chewed their way out so many times that I gave up. Now they are large enough to just jump over and that is what they do. They are comfortable with the sheep, but Joe has chased them with Robbie, the border collie, while Mike does not do that. Mike is by far the best potential of a sheep guardian, then Ofcharka, because he will go in with any of the animals. He just does not stay.
The pups have taken to me, too and they look for affection and love, which they get plenty of. They are huge, beautiful dogs, still growing and eating lots and lots of food. It is too bad they did not bond to the sheep. They should have, but they didn't. Managing a pack of 7 big dogs will not be easy when the animals are at large on pasture this summer. I am quite sure I will have to invest in a shock collar for training purposes and also I may have to tie the dogs to something that will stop them from chasing. Ofcharka is large and strong, and a tire was not enough, so he got tied to a pallet, which he was able to drag easily, but not chase with. That worked. The girls did not need anything last year, but Jade chases everything away from her yard, so we will see when the cows arrive.
Joe and Mike are going to be great dogs. Now to teach them to stay with the sheep. Oh..wait. I have been trying that for ever with no success. I guess they will have to be general farm dogs then. Sigh.
Joe is the opposite of Mike, a big goof of a dog. He would rather stay and get a whoopin' from Jade than run away, so he does. She bites him, but he is big and most of the time she does not hurt him at all. He cries out and lays on his back to feign injury and she stops. When the other dogs have finished eating, he is there to pick up the remainder.
Both pups were raised with the sheep and they stayed in until they were about 3 months old. Then the lure of the pack and the farm was too strong and they dug, climbed and chewed their way out so many times that I gave up. Now they are large enough to just jump over and that is what they do. They are comfortable with the sheep, but Joe has chased them with Robbie, the border collie, while Mike does not do that. Mike is by far the best potential of a sheep guardian, then Ofcharka, because he will go in with any of the animals. He just does not stay.
The pups have taken to me, too and they look for affection and love, which they get plenty of. They are huge, beautiful dogs, still growing and eating lots and lots of food. It is too bad they did not bond to the sheep. They should have, but they didn't. Managing a pack of 7 big dogs will not be easy when the animals are at large on pasture this summer. I am quite sure I will have to invest in a shock collar for training purposes and also I may have to tie the dogs to something that will stop them from chasing. Ofcharka is large and strong, and a tire was not enough, so he got tied to a pallet, which he was able to drag easily, but not chase with. That worked. The girls did not need anything last year, but Jade chases everything away from her yard, so we will see when the cows arrive.
Joe and Mike are going to be great dogs. Now to teach them to stay with the sheep. Oh..wait. I have been trying that for ever with no success. I guess they will have to be general farm dogs then. Sigh.
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