The dogs are all afraid of loud noises, including gunshots and thunder. We have had some thunderstorms lately with a lot of rainfall. The big white dogs, Mike and Joe, are brothers and both run from thunder. They have dog shelters made from the plastic inserts in 1000 litre totes, but they do not use them. There are also summer dog houses and their winter ones if they want to use them, but they don't. Instead they like to crawl in small spaces.
Recently I sold my trucks. I had three of them for some reason and decided that I no longer need to keep two vehicles since I bought the Volkswagen Touareg SUV. I am getting a trailer hitch put on it real soon and plan to get a small flat deck trailer and a small livestock trailer, or possibly rent the latter since I only need it once a year or so to take lambs in for butchering. There was a canopy on the Sierra truck, which I had taken off prior to selling it. I thought that if I could not sell it separately, I would use it around the farm, maybe for a chicken shelter or something.
So the thunder was rumbling in the distance and the dogs were in their usual panic. I did not see Joe, which is not unusual, since he would normally have crawled under the truck by then. But wait! What is that in the canopy?
Well, sure enough, it was Joe. He had a fondness for that old truck and slept under it a lot. I left the window open thinking he just might like to use it as his dog house. It was a bit low, but if he could get under the truck, he certainly could squeeze into the canopy. And he did!
So, I think I will move the canopy to a safe location near the sheep and it can be his shelter during the rain storms. Mike and Joe never share the same shelter, at least not so far, but that one is certainly large enough for the two of them and even two more. Harley does go into his summer house and so do the other dogs, but Robbie comes in the house with me. Charka has been scratching up the screen door to get in during storms, and I did allow him to come in yesterday to save my door. I am pretty sure he would not go in the canopy if Mike and Joe or one was in there. He does not like to bend down and crawl like they do.
The old truck canopy will be perfect for summer. I am positive it is not warm enough for winter, but I will fill it with straw just in case. Ta da! Reinventing the dog house at the Fat Ewe Farm!
Recently I sold my trucks. I had three of them for some reason and decided that I no longer need to keep two vehicles since I bought the Volkswagen Touareg SUV. I am getting a trailer hitch put on it real soon and plan to get a small flat deck trailer and a small livestock trailer, or possibly rent the latter since I only need it once a year or so to take lambs in for butchering. There was a canopy on the Sierra truck, which I had taken off prior to selling it. I thought that if I could not sell it separately, I would use it around the farm, maybe for a chicken shelter or something.
So the thunder was rumbling in the distance and the dogs were in their usual panic. I did not see Joe, which is not unusual, since he would normally have crawled under the truck by then. But wait! What is that in the canopy?
Well, sure enough, it was Joe. He had a fondness for that old truck and slept under it a lot. I left the window open thinking he just might like to use it as his dog house. It was a bit low, but if he could get under the truck, he certainly could squeeze into the canopy. And he did!
So, I think I will move the canopy to a safe location near the sheep and it can be his shelter during the rain storms. Mike and Joe never share the same shelter, at least not so far, but that one is certainly large enough for the two of them and even two more. Harley does go into his summer house and so do the other dogs, but Robbie comes in the house with me. Charka has been scratching up the screen door to get in during storms, and I did allow him to come in yesterday to save my door. I am pretty sure he would not go in the canopy if Mike and Joe or one was in there. He does not like to bend down and crawl like they do.
The old truck canopy will be perfect for summer. I am positive it is not warm enough for winter, but I will fill it with straw just in case. Ta da! Reinventing the dog house at the Fat Ewe Farm!
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