Well I am 100% hooked on working cattle. I enjoy it greatly, and so far the 3 dogs of mine that I have tried on them are stellar! I went to NC on Weds. on 2 hours of sleep and had a good afternoon. I worked Cruz, Gwen, and Deal on the steers and the puppies on sheep in a round pen. Cruz was his usual wonderful self. I worked at penning them for the first. After some work, we were getting the hang what we needed to do and we had all 3 heads going into the pen when the outside steer decided to slip around. I called it good, as we had already done quite a bit, and we were attempting to put them in a sheep-size penning pen. I doubt these 3 have been in that pen much, if any. Gwen was AWESOME! A few more times on them, and the cattle breeding in her will be at the forefront! At first I was letting her work too hard. I was told to steady her up a little more- or I'd run out of dog. My personal thought was to let her alone and she'd figure it out, but I listened, as my age and my friend's years of experience are about the same! She was fine being encouraged to steady up a bit. She hits either end. She was a little high on the heel, but I'm assuming with experience she'll lower it. The man I got her from said if I ever sell any of her puppies to cattle-men that I needed to make sure and tell them that both of Gwen's parents are incredibly low heelers.... Gwen's been on cows twice now and she was much more confident this time. So she'll be running Open and Nursery (it's the same run) at the USBCHA cattle trial at Breezy Hill. Deal was super! It didn't take her any time at all to find the right positions. She's very good at driving them, reading them correctly. She hit both ends and will turn a 'trot away' (the term 'runaway' would be the word, but he really wasn't running) by jumping up and taking hold if needed. She took one shot that wasn't correct. She got him in the side and I know she bit hard because he really bellered. But other than that one time, she was 100% appropriate and didn't bite if she didn't need to. I love cattle work, as the dog is doing so much of it on his own and the judging is more reasonable. It's really a more practical venue. There are no lines- just getting from point A to point B. Which is what any farmer/rancher is going to do. Just get them thru the gate and into the barn kind of thing. Don't get me wrong, the sheep venue is an elite group of handlers and dogs and the refinement is simply amazing. But at some point you have to give the dog that gets it done a lot of credit. The fact that a 40 pound dog can control where a group (or herd!) of 1,000 lb+ stubborn animals need to go is simply amazing. I don't think I'll ever stop being star-struck by these dogs!! I'm intensely pondering the idea of getting Cruz and Gwen to several USBCHA cattle trials this season, getting them qualified and going to Finals. Cruz is a few weeks from 7 yrs old, and although that's far from 'old', it is mature. And Gwen could run in Nursery. If I wanted to go, next year would probably be a good year to do it. I would have vacation time at my job by then. It's a long way off, but it's certainly a serious thought rolling around in my head. The trial next weekend will help me make some decisions. I've never even been to a cattle trial! I'm hoping Ben will go with me, be my driver so I can sleep. Even if he doesn't go, I'll probably take his car since I'll have just 2 dogs. I almost want to run Deal too, but it's 2 trials each day, so even going just one day that would put my entries at over $100. My friend told me to be prepared because people are going to want to buy Gwen from me! She's such a cool little dog!! Who knows maybe this coming year I will be able to go to both sheep and cattle trials and I'll just take different dogs. Gwen's not overly careful on the cows like she is the sheep. She's a wonderful sheep dog, but maybe she's a much better cow dog. She has NEVER gripped a sheep, but she had no trouble hitting both ends of the cows... it's all so interesting! I'm thinking of getting a group of goats now. I don't have room for cows. Unless I only kept them until they were 600 lbs or so. I'd have to work calves. The growing steers would eat A LOT more than Boer goats. I really have no choice but to wait till we have our 80 acres to have cattle.
We're have some really ugly trouble on the elementary school bus. These are kids K-5. The bus driver does not have very good control (he's new this year) and some of the kids are taking full advantage of that. Many kids, including our youngest are being verbally, and even physically abused by a group of colored kids. I say colored, because it's relevant. Recently, my youngest asked the 'ring leader' to please get his feet out of the aisle, because the bus driver wasn't going to go until he was sitting right. The boy got right in my son's face and said "You don't tell me what to do, you fuckin' white boy!" OMG!!! WHO are these kids, and WHO is raising them!!? My friends' 3 elementary kids ride the bus here everyday, and their middle daughter has been called a "white bitch" and the little girl next to us has been hit in the stomach. All by the same ONE kid!! Letters by NUMEROUS parents have been written, phone calls have been, visits (that turn threatening) to the school board office have been made, still nothing!! Many parents are now driving their kids, and that's fine, but that is just NOT right!! We shouldn't have to drive our kids!! We pay taxes to have the kids bused, and being bused is not a promise. If you behave badly, you're kicked off. Unless of course you're colored!! (so it seems) Anyone want to guess what would happen if my white son called this boy a *uckin' *igger!? He'd never ride another public school bus in his life!! Yesterday I could no longer take it. I'm tired of what's happening and I'm tired of listening to them when they stop at the driveway. Yesterday I was loading the truck to go to the dump and naturally the dogs were all out with me. The bus pulled up (my dogs know to wait until the kids are off the bus to greet them) and since it was warm, they had all the windows down. As soon as they spotted my dogs a whole group of them starting yelling, screaming, barking, and carrying on. Well, you know what my dogs did- and I just lost it. I FLEW onto the bus and yelled "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!!?" I went on to tell them how 'over it' all the parents are on this route are and that numerous letters and phone calls have been written. I told them they needed to shut up and grow up!! Then I turned to the bus driver and apologized. He said "I don't mind, I wish I could get them to shut up like that, they don't listen to me!" I went to get off, and do you know those little (oh I wanna say it SOOO bad) kids in the back went to back talking! I wheeled back around and told them to SHUT UP!! I said "Do you want ME to drive this bus!?" In unison they all said "nnooooo!" I said "then shut and be decent". I said when you come by this house I don't want to hear you. Of course I half expected a phone call this morning, figuring they'd be quick to get after me. Call me, please do, I'd LOVE to come down and have a chat!! I really want to send our son with a recorder, but I don't really want to do that to him. If one of them found out, I'd be worried about his safety. Is that just crazy!!? That I have to worry about that kind of crap at an elementary in the country!!!! So I'll say it again, who are raising these kids and why are they allowed to act like this?? Something has happened to me in the last year or so, and I just no longer have any patience for that kind of crap and I have no problem calling someone right out on it. I talked to my neighbor last night, who is the county 'disciplinary guy' for the county next to us. He said he would make a few phone calls for me today and if he doesn't get anywhere, he'll tell me what we need to do next. It's obvious the Principal is hoping this will all just go away. She is the one that has the power to take the kid off the bus, but hasn't even come close. I guess she rode the bus the other day. Yeah, like that's going to help. That's like having a uniformed officer standing at the jewelry counter waiting to bust someone for stealing!! Stupid!! I'm very, very frustrated. I've called the school board personally, twice. Nothing.
As mentioned, the pups got to work sheep in the round pen. They all did various things. For some reason the group that we put over there had an pretty one ugly ewe. That's not typical of her sheep, but this ewe was nasty. She quickly read they were pups was constantly turning around on them. Which made getting the pups to cover, nearly impossible. We finally pulled her out during Sly's turn, but it was too late. He started out so nice, but was then convinced it was best to stand back and watch, not go around. I was a bit upset, but oh well. Not upset at him, but upset at the situation. Ivy is "this close" to turning on. She almost did it. Jim pretty much ate poop. He knew right away that ewe was not something he wanted to get involved in- smart pup. Clare was fabulous and told that ewe a couple times what she thought- but I didn't like that she had to do that. She too little to have to hold her ground. Keele is quite the character and fearless!! He said to the ewe "bring it on". And she did- she was going to pound him! (nasty *itch!) Keele's my friend's kind of dog, with all that attitude, so it's a good fit. As heavy as my ewes are, I don't have any that are ugly like that. She'd be out of here right quick if she acted like that. Or I'd stick Deal on her! Deal has zero tolerance for ill behaving stock and she never bluffs a bite. Cruz will bluff a bite, not Deal.
This got to be a long post and I have quite a list to get done today. We have to be at the ball field by 5:15 and I have to be at work at 5:55. Luckily the ball park is 3 minutes from work. Ben will be there around 6:00 or so. I'm a little tired, but I only work tonight and have tomorrow off. I want to get some dogs worked today. At least the ones I didn't take to NC on Weds.
We're have some really ugly trouble on the elementary school bus. These are kids K-5. The bus driver does not have very good control (he's new this year) and some of the kids are taking full advantage of that. Many kids, including our youngest are being verbally, and even physically abused by a group of colored kids. I say colored, because it's relevant. Recently, my youngest asked the 'ring leader' to please get his feet out of the aisle, because the bus driver wasn't going to go until he was sitting right. The boy got right in my son's face and said "You don't tell me what to do, you fuckin' white boy!" OMG!!! WHO are these kids, and WHO is raising them!!? My friends' 3 elementary kids ride the bus here everyday, and their middle daughter has been called a "white bitch" and the little girl next to us has been hit in the stomach. All by the same ONE kid!! Letters by NUMEROUS parents have been written, phone calls have been, visits (that turn threatening) to the school board office have been made, still nothing!! Many parents are now driving their kids, and that's fine, but that is just NOT right!! We shouldn't have to drive our kids!! We pay taxes to have the kids bused, and being bused is not a promise. If you behave badly, you're kicked off. Unless of course you're colored!! (so it seems) Anyone want to guess what would happen if my white son called this boy a *uckin' *igger!? He'd never ride another public school bus in his life!! Yesterday I could no longer take it. I'm tired of what's happening and I'm tired of listening to them when they stop at the driveway. Yesterday I was loading the truck to go to the dump and naturally the dogs were all out with me. The bus pulled up (my dogs know to wait until the kids are off the bus to greet them) and since it was warm, they had all the windows down. As soon as they spotted my dogs a whole group of them starting yelling, screaming, barking, and carrying on. Well, you know what my dogs did- and I just lost it. I FLEW onto the bus and yelled "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!!?" I went on to tell them how 'over it' all the parents are on this route are and that numerous letters and phone calls have been written. I told them they needed to shut up and grow up!! Then I turned to the bus driver and apologized. He said "I don't mind, I wish I could get them to shut up like that, they don't listen to me!" I went to get off, and do you know those little (oh I wanna say it SOOO bad) kids in the back went to back talking! I wheeled back around and told them to SHUT UP!! I said "Do you want ME to drive this bus!?" In unison they all said "nnooooo!" I said "then shut and be decent". I said when you come by this house I don't want to hear you. Of course I half expected a phone call this morning, figuring they'd be quick to get after me. Call me, please do, I'd LOVE to come down and have a chat!! I really want to send our son with a recorder, but I don't really want to do that to him. If one of them found out, I'd be worried about his safety. Is that just crazy!!? That I have to worry about that kind of crap at an elementary in the country!!!! So I'll say it again, who are raising these kids and why are they allowed to act like this?? Something has happened to me in the last year or so, and I just no longer have any patience for that kind of crap and I have no problem calling someone right out on it. I talked to my neighbor last night, who is the county 'disciplinary guy' for the county next to us. He said he would make a few phone calls for me today and if he doesn't get anywhere, he'll tell me what we need to do next. It's obvious the Principal is hoping this will all just go away. She is the one that has the power to take the kid off the bus, but hasn't even come close. I guess she rode the bus the other day. Yeah, like that's going to help. That's like having a uniformed officer standing at the jewelry counter waiting to bust someone for stealing!! Stupid!! I'm very, very frustrated. I've called the school board personally, twice. Nothing.
As mentioned, the pups got to work sheep in the round pen. They all did various things. For some reason the group that we put over there had an pretty one ugly ewe. That's not typical of her sheep, but this ewe was nasty. She quickly read they were pups was constantly turning around on them. Which made getting the pups to cover, nearly impossible. We finally pulled her out during Sly's turn, but it was too late. He started out so nice, but was then convinced it was best to stand back and watch, not go around. I was a bit upset, but oh well. Not upset at him, but upset at the situation. Ivy is "this close" to turning on. She almost did it. Jim pretty much ate poop. He knew right away that ewe was not something he wanted to get involved in- smart pup. Clare was fabulous and told that ewe a couple times what she thought- but I didn't like that she had to do that. She too little to have to hold her ground. Keele is quite the character and fearless!! He said to the ewe "bring it on". And she did- she was going to pound him! (nasty *itch!) Keele's my friend's kind of dog, with all that attitude, so it's a good fit. As heavy as my ewes are, I don't have any that are ugly like that. She'd be out of here right quick if she acted like that. Or I'd stick Deal on her! Deal has zero tolerance for ill behaving stock and she never bluffs a bite. Cruz will bluff a bite, not Deal.
This got to be a long post and I have quite a list to get done today. We have to be at the ball field by 5:15 and I have to be at work at 5:55. Luckily the ball park is 3 minutes from work. Ben will be there around 6:00 or so. I'm a little tired, but I only work tonight and have tomorrow off. I want to get some dogs worked today. At least the ones I didn't take to NC on Weds.
No comments:
Post a Comment