This is what they do..

I have some really bad phone pictures to share today.
This blog is not about the quality of the photo but more the story it is telling.

Most of the photos you see of my dogs are of the dogs laying in the hay, with the sheep, having a nap at the bale feeder, hanging out with the stock or portrait kind of photo's.

The times when they are on high alert I do not have a camera with me
or they are so far away it does not make sense to snap a picture.

So, we had (another) snow storm roll in,
that dumped even more snow on us.

Everyday I drive out with a grain hopper and feed some grain to the ewes.
I turn out the grain and then let the sheep out to eat while I go and feed the cows.

 The sheep are orderly about this process.

By the time the cows and calves are fed, the sheep are pretty much finished with the grain and so can be let back in the pasture.

Yesterday, as soon as the sheep filed back in, the dogs were on high alert.

They immediately rushed to the head of the flock,
staring out into the mist, snowy distance,
giving a few warning barks.

The sheep seem to understand the implications and remained behind the dogs until the dog decided that all was clear.

For those that do not see too well..

Now, I have been seeing a number of coyotes in the back field recently,
so this could have just been a coyote walking along.

It amazes me, how well the dogs can see, hear, smell and understand the level of threat at such large distances.
There are legends about the sarplaninacs ability to "feel" the predators walk
though the vibrations in the earth.
(I will share a story about our Chantal, our first sarplaninac, and this ability sometime..)

They know that coyote (or whatever it is) is out there,
they know he is no imminent threat,
they just warn.

This is what their job consists of for 90% of the time;
watch, look, warn, posture, confront.

The sheep understand and respect this.

The dogs are alert, aware and calm.