July 2025 Class Newsletter
A Short true story...
At my canyon country training class there was a break between the arrival of the next wave of students so I let the sheep out to graze. They decided to go up the driveway , go around the house and up on the side of the hill behind the house.
When I decided they had wonder far enough up on the side of the hill and were not grazing any longer this story begins.
The sage brush and other vegetation
was quite high where Easy (my Shetland sheepdog), Tess (my adopted border
collie) and I were watching the sheep from the driveway. I decided to send
Tess up to bring them back to the training area. She ran up and down the
driveway looking for an opening thru the brush but alas it was to high and
thick for her to feel like she could get up the hill. To her it did not seem
possible.
OK then , no matter I will try to send Easy. He had already sized up the
problem. He promptly took a run and jumped on top of the bushes and swam his
way across one layer of bushes after another until he reached Rambo Jr. who
had lead his flock up there.
Well, Rambo Jr did not take well to having his
hill climb interrupted by a sheltie who was insisting he turn around and
lead his flock back down the hill. The fight was on Rambo Jr with his head
down trying to clear a path thru this dog blocking his way and Easy nipping
his nose and barking to force him to turn around.
That is all it took to get Tess motivated and she leaped off over the
brushes one row at a time like a steaple chase horse.
Quite a feat going up hill. When she got to the argument between Easy and
Rambo Jr she launch out of the brush and joined their fight, knocking Rambo
Jr off balance and he rolled down the hill thru the brush.
Easy seeing that Tess had this argument covered broke away and picked up
Rambo Jr's Ewe's brought them down an animal path Rambo Jr had used to get
up there to begin with. Easy and the ewes appeared from around the house in
time to meet up Tess and Rambo Jr. Both dogs were beaming with pride
from the team work they had accomplished as they put the flock together
again and penned them.
For me just another day at the office as the next wave of students arrived.
The
Weather...
has begun, officially. It is very important to cool down
your dog after its run!
Please remember to not close up your vehicle tight with a
dog in it. Just because you parked in the shade the dog is ok, right? Wrong!
This current heat wave serves as a reminder to us all. Remember; Shade moves with the sun.
Does my dog have to get into the water?
Heat prostration is very serious and life threatening for your dog and can be easily avoided. One can compare this with over- heating your automobile. Once this has happened you will forever be on alert to it happening again. It will also have a greater chance of recurring. Extensive damage both hidden and obvious signs can occur. This is a safety issue. Note that the dogs quickly dry off in warm and hot weather.
The answer is yes, why not? We are talking about preventing a death here!
Rattle Snakes...
If only to remind us that it was rattle snake season. Young rattlesnakes do not have much of a rattle pretty much making them quiet. They are both silent and deadly. Watch out for them when you and your dog are out hiking or just in a wilderness area.!
page 3 of 4 or go to 2 or 1