Rosie
The day we went to buy the piglets, we continued driving for another half an hour to look at a litter of great Pyrenees/Anatolian puppies. Cracker is a wonderful "critter dog", keeping coyotes and other predators away, but he is just one dog protecting a lot of ground. Rather than staying with our animals, he protects them by patrolling our land. We knew we needed a second LGD (livestock guardian dog).
 |
| Cracker and Rosie |
The sellers were a colorful elderly couple who raise ducks, geese and chickens, as well as a donkey and a mini horse.
We met the father of the pups, who sniffed us at length before deciding we were "okay", eventually nudging our hands so we'd pet him. The mother stayed at the back of the property; she had recently weaned the puppies and evidently was enjoying her "me time". The parents had guarded goats as well, but the couple had recently sold the herd.
Most of the pups were white or white and grey. There were two reddish pups, a male and a female. We chose the red and cream-colored female pup, and started on our journey home with the puppy on my lap.
The puppy was carsick - a lot. When she wasn't being sick, she was drooling all over my leg. Finally she fell asleep for awhile, then woke up and was sick again. Fortunately I'd thrown a towel in the truck before we left. It's a good thing we have strong stomachs.
Rosie is still settling in. The vet has pronounced her healthy, and she weighs 19.5 pounds at nine weeks old. And yes, she was carsick on the way to the vet's office. I was smart enough to put her in one of the wire dog crates in the back of the truck.
For now she stays in a pen inside the goat pen if I can't keep an eye on her. She can wriggle right through the holes in the cattle panel fencing, and we don't want her to follow Cracker off into the wilderness, so the chain-link enclosure is best for now. She's let out with the goats under supervision, as well as out to play with the other dogs and run off some energy. After she runs around for awhile, knocking over cats and investigating the chickens, she lays on the ground and watches the goats, just like an LGD should.~~~~~
My hope is to inspire you, and to encourage your homesteading plans and your dreams of a
Yes, there is another who has been waiting for parts 2 and 3. Glad to see your "farm family" increasing. God is good!
ReplyDeleteAwww, Cindy, thank you! I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful dogs!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kelly. Have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous gift! Enjoy!
ReplyDeletehey saw your post on the homestead blog hop!
ReplyDeleteThe new pup looks like a great addition.
When we got our cattle dog he was also car sick a lot and the vet told us to take him on a lot of short car rides throughout the week and he will get used to it. Also try and make it a fun experience so they dont learn to hate the car. Lots of treats for getting in and toys and stuff.
Good luck!
Thank you, Joby, those sound like excellent suggestions. Even though Rosie will be an outside-only goat-protecting dog, she'll need to go to the vet to be spayed and for annual shots, so it's a good idea for her to enjoy her trips there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute puppy. She is gonna be a big girl! Hope she learns her job well, have fun with her.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, Terry. She might even end up being bigger than Cracker, who is great Pyrenees/mastiff.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great looking puppy, here where we live they use Mareemas do guard the stock. We have had dogs sick in the car before, and you must really have strong stomachs. Thanks for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings
ReplyDeleteHi Terri. Maremmas are awesome dogs too. There are a few around here. LGDs have to be tough dogs to deal with coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and other threats.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, what a journey you all had! Your dog is just adorable!!! Thank you for sharing this sweet story on the Art of Home-Making Mondays :)
ReplyDeleteIt was "interesting", Jes. :-) Thank you for visiting!
ReplyDelete