Skye is the only dog we have raised from a pup, and it was an accident. Those things do happen. Her dad Ben and her mom Rhos both lived with us and well one day they got together. We don’t usually have unneutered dogs but Ben’s operation was postponed by the vet’s office and nature took over. We are very happy the “accident” happened as Skye is a lovely Border Collie as are all her littermates who we found great homes for. Skye will be nine in the Fall, how time flys.
I, of course, got to pick Skye out of the litter, Rhos was a very attentive mother. Skye is a lot like her mother was, always ready to do what is needed to be done. And Skye is like her father Ben was, a spitfire. Still, at her more advanced years, Skye can react quickly and be a bit compulsive, but nobody is perfect. She tries harder than any other dog we have or have had and with time has become a great herding dog. Well, not all the time, she is a spitfire. But usually, she moves our poultry at home very calmy and effectively in and out of their pasture. In fact, I have never seen chickens, who can be difficult, moved so gently and with such finesse from place to place. She can be a little awkward herding sheep but she usually gets the job done well enough. It’s funny how dogs like people have their strengths. But if I want a group of sheep to stay where they are and not run away she is the dog for that because she really cares.
As a goose control dog, Skye goes on hundreds of trips to clients each year. Our dogs really love goose control work. Border Collies were bred for herding sheep, taking care of sheep, mostly. But we use a modified herding method for goose control and the dogs “get” it and find deep satisfaction with their work. Skye does a very good job modify herding geese to fly away from a field but she is not in love with swimming in ponds to convince geese they should leave a property. Our four-year-old Blade and pup Moses are good at that as is our older dog, Jim. They only swim a little bit, then we use a kayak as a Border Collie modify herds from shore. Skye is a great dog to ride in the kayak. She sits still and “tells” the geese to fly away with her ” Border Collie eye”. Like we move sheep and chickens and ducks from field to field to graze, we move geese into the sky and away from our clients’ properties.
At home on our small farm, homestead, Skye now is the supervisor. When all the other dogs and she are outside together enjoying some free time, playing, or just lying around in the sun, she is the mom of the pack. She sees it as her job, her duty to make sure no one gets into trouble, no misbehaving pups for instance. Skye’s mom taught her well how to be a good mom dog, even if she never has had pups of her own. Or you can find her making sure the sheep and poultry are not outside where they are supposed to be. And if a coyote or two howls in the night she barks right back, to say, “leave my sheep and poultry alone don’t even think of hunting here.” At night you can find her snug asleep on the “dog couch” or under the kitchen table. She has earned every minute of the sleep and naps she wants. But she is a Border Collie so I will let her decide how long she wants to rest.