Family

Our family will be complete again for just 2 short days,
 when Jess returns from college for a quick Thanksgiving visit.

I am so excited and happy and proud.

I know that family is an important  for many mammal species;
not just for us humans.

The human family is not unique in the way it  provides;
care, support, safety, guidance and education  to its kids.

Killer whales and their family pods do,
the herd helps to raise an elephant baby,

wolf packs are made up of pop, mom and the kids,

coyotes are monogamous and raise their kids in a family unit,

and of course our dogs do to.

A dog pack can be made up of various non related members,
however,
I do believe that the family unit has stronger ties and bonds.

When I look at this picture,
I can see the pride,
and the joy
and,
 (almost) a smile on Vuk's face,
when he interacts with one of his kids.
The pup is respectful, playful and has a greater teacher to learn from.

I think, I feel the same way about our kids!!

Watching the dogs work

Sometimes, people will phone us to ask us if they can come and see the dogs working.

"Sure"...

Most are somewhat disappointed as,
 what they usually see are the Sarplaninac's

laying at a feeder,

or, strolling around the pasture,

or sleeping under a tree,

if we are lucky they may even come and greet us
.
What most people want to see however is "action",
preferably one that involves the dogs "engaging" with a predator.
Some people even question if the dogs are really working,
since what they mostly see is a big dog sleeping under a tree.

However, most of the work that livestock guardians do is "underground"

they have more of a subtle and persuasive approach
to warn predators off.

I think that 80% of the work they do is non confrontational
(depending of course on region and predator load)

They lay down scent trails,

they patrol,

they bark,

they stake claim to their territory,

they are a pack,

a pack that includes livestock!

All of the above actions are a big part of their job,

and that is the power of what LGD do,

 as they can do this 24/7/365.

The dog's  presence, is already somewhat of deterrence to predators.

I see this daily, when the ewes and dogs enter the grazing area,

I see a coyote slip off a hay bale and move out of this area.
Sheep and dogs move in, and the predator moves out.

That is what keeps predators alive and respectful,

and the sheep safe.

So, watching the dog's work is not something action packed,

 as the encounters are often not seen.

It is a process,
it is a sum of many actions combined together,

the pack mentality,
the peeing,

the barking,

the proximity to the stock,

the willingness to confront,

the hazing,

the patrols

and, of course their dedication to their job.

This is why LGD are so successful in what they do.
They are a 24/7/365 security system.
Predators habituate to sounds and lights,
shepherds need to sleep and have days off,

and fences are not infallible.
The dogs, 

 are always on duty, even when they sleep.
They work for food, a kind word and a pat on their head.

Here are some photo's of the dogs working.

Do you see the dog patrolling?

Here it is again:

I zoomed in so that she is better visible.

Working together

Off to investigate new smells.

Heading out to check coyote trails

exploring, scent marking on the way

All is well,
until  a coyote howls,
then things change in a hurry..

and, the cows came home..

Due to a very hot and dry summer,
the pastures for the cows were running low,

the weather turned quickly 

and the beautiful fall days are making way for some colder ones.

Last weekend we decided it was time to bring the cows home.

As  we have good cows,
I did not expect it to be a big chore  to get them penned up and hauled away.

Roy and I saddled up, while Eric was the ground troop.

All went well,

and, as  expected it was fairly easy to get them penned up.

Except for one heifer...

This one heifer had the potential to ruin the day.

Every time we headed her towards the gate she would change her mind and dart off in another direction.
Roy blocked her, Eric blocked her and I blocked her.

Eventually, we got a little weary of her fun and games,
so I pushed a little harder than what  my "stress free cattle handling clinician" would have approved of,
 Blackie, got the message real quick and made the right choice.

She joined the herd in the pen.

So, we loosened the cinches, tied the horses and got into loading mode.

Five trips and a day later,
they cows were home.

As soon as we released them they recognized their home range,
off they went exploring their old stomping grounds.

At the end of the grazing season, the sheep ( in the distant background)
and the cows graze all the regrowth. 

The dogs came to see what was new,
and they too remembered the cows.

The whole summer the cows are pastured away from the ranch,
 the dogs do not see them all this time
and yet, when they return, the dogs have a quick look over,
and things settle back into the old routine.

This coming weekend, it is time to move the heifers home.

The cows coming home,
the geese flying south,

the gathering of the Sandhill cranes,

the leaves blowing off the trees and the first little bit of snow

is a reminder that winter is headed this way.

Gathering the sheep this evening with the first hint of blowing snow for this season.

It is a time where I feel a certain restlessness,

 a  touch apprehensive of what is to come,

and melancholic of what has been.