Month: December 2019

Life just doesn’t stop during the Holidays for a break. We can make some “space”. But of course, our Border Collies need to be cared for as does our poultry and our sheep. It is a great time if the weather allows for herding training which helps the goose control skill as well as farm work skill and sheepdog trailing. You can’t just take the Border Collies to a kennel and it is hard to find someone to do farm chores for you during the holidays while you’re off to visit Grandma on the Day. Actually we do that but are very fortunate to have two women who do back up chore work for us, lively Border Collies, sheep, chickens, ducks, all that.

Of course, all dogs may be an issue when it comes to winter in northern climes and the Holidays in particular. The day before writing this, I was at the vet’s for boosters with two of our dogs and was told, out of my curiosity, that yes their kennel was full during this Christmas week. In fact, as I was checking out my dogs after their shots a mother and daughter brought in their sweet Bichon to stay a few nights. The nice kennel worker took the squirming little dear back to the boarding area as the mom and teenage daughter left the building in tears. I left the building with Blade and Nash with a lump in my heart. Dogs do tie you down. They also bring so much to our lives. But, the choices can be so hard and our society does not make it easy. Check out how people live differently with dogs, around the world.

You may be well thinking about the horror of giving a pup as a Christmas present. So many have gone badly. Of course, that is not always the case. I guess it depends on one’s own approach to The Holidays and understanding of “dog ownership”. The bonds we have with dogs and the love and care, as well as the know-how and the ability to make good choices, are the key, I think. Recently a relative and his wife bought a cute King Charles Cavalier pup. They live in a condo. One works full time, the other part-time. But they did their homework, not only read online but actually talked to people and decided on this breed. It just happens to be Holiday time. They know life is 365 days a year. Most importantly for them is that they found a reputable breeder who has a line of King Charles Cavaliers that are healthy, mind and body. They know that they want a companion that does not have any background issues that will sink all into deep rabbit holes.

So, you may think that only adoptive dogs should be had, not dogs from a breeder. Breeders have gotten a bad rep in the US. But, without people understanding dog health and care and  of companion and the functions of work dogs, we are lost. Most experts agree that the reason why the US dog population is “in a crisis” is that so little care is given to dog health and forethought and the actuation of actual knowledge. We can’t just neuter our way out of this.

When I got home from the vets, Blade the pure breed, but quirky working Border Collie jumped out of the vehicle. Nash, our mix-breed and one of our two rehomed dogs jumped out as well. Both happy to be home, Blade made sure the sheep were good and then helped me herd a hen which had gotten out of the winter chicken run. Nash focused on any movement in the nearby woods to see if any coyotes or hawks may have been around, that may be a danger for the sheep and poultry. I love Blade’s breeder. She has a line of working Border Collies that are healthy and so fun to live and work with. Nash, came to us from his first home, which ended up being in New York City. He came as a one-year-old, now six. Nash was rescued as a pup. he is very emotional and was having a hard time with the loving couple who just found him too much with their City lives. He has found a good place here, has things to do that seem to fit his instincts and personality and fills in with goose control. Blade and Nash are great pals, as usually is the case with all our dogs, and despite very different backgrounds are a good team with goose control.

“What do you do in the offseason?” I am asked that question often.We start our goose control season in March or April and end in October with some late visits into November. So what do I do to occupy myself and keep those active Border Collies happy? To tell the truth, there is a lot to do in the office and we have a “homestead”/think “small farm,” which we do not “get to” enough during the warmer months. So, there is plenty to do. Add that I substitute teach in the local Elementary School in the “offseason”. I enjoy the change of pace. I don’t know if I would want to do goose control year round, in the warmer parts of the US, out side New York Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.

But what about the Border Collies? And don’t forget we have the one mix-breed dog named Nash. The dogs may not agree with me, but they could use a rest as well. We have six dogs, as not to overwork any of them during the goose control season, but a few months of slower activity is great for them. This is especially true for the older dogs. But this breed lives for work, so having some activity for them, think work, is preferred. Border Collies were developed as a breed and then breed by farmers over time from collie dogs, which had been helping with sheep and other farm animals and farm fowl since Roman Times. Not only do herding breeds seem smart, but they have this high energy for long hours of work on the farm.

Oh, you don’t have have a farm or work long hours on a farm? Yes, Border Collies and other herding breeds like the Kelpie can enjoy and find satisfaction in exercise and sports like agility, but to them, it’s the job well done, herding, that satisfies. There is actually a scientific explanation to go with that, but I will not go into it here. Most working Border Collie folk will say that their dogs will not make good pets. But I will add they are wonderful companions and great workmates. So, we work hard at our dogs quality of life so they can do their goose control work at the best most possible level. And that means, to me, they enjoy every day doing some work on the Homestead and enjoy the outdoors when not employed. We do chore work at home, train and compeat in sheep dog trails and demonstrate herding at festivals.

Did I mention that there was skill involved? Well, there is, and after over 25 years at this, I’m still taking lessons from time to time to stay sharp.  So, the colder months, the downtime, is a great time to get extra training in, if the weather cooperates. The training starts, or your life with these dogs, starts and ends with your relationship. Without a good relationship, good work, the quiet, precise work of herding and the nonlethal job of herd-chasing/hazing wild geese can not be done well at all. So, “work on your relationship” with your dog.” Learn the skills and apply them. Go forward with love, but also with a healthy dose of reality and a tad at least of wisdom. The sheep, poultry, the wild geese, as well as the clients as well as everyone involved, will be the happier for it. And the dogs, Border Collies, need people who are at least as smart as they are.