This morning all the dogs and I played in the llama pasture, because the llamas are gone! Gone gone gone! And gone are the turkeys and the ducks and the goats and the sheep and the pig. And my neighbours too. We have the property back to ourselves again, until the next batch of weirdos moves in ;-)
I’ve been a real busy girl the past little while, so I have not had a chance to take any photos, much less write up the promised A Year In The Life Of The Magically Progressive TWooie. I guess the TWoo got tired of me waiting to wax poetic about him, because he took matters into his own hands.
It began with a Flamboyant stand-off:
And then an invitational play-bow.
And then TWooie, with the help of his brother Mr. Woo, demonstrated just how far this little porker has come in the last year, and how relaxed, happy and at home he really is here at Casa de Food Lady.
PLAY!
And normal dog play too, not just grabbing another dog and biting them in the pants.
Okay, well, as normal as TWoo gets anyway.
Doesn’t it just make your heart glad to see TWooie behaving like a real dog, with a smile on his face? I mean, look how HAPPY he is!
I can’t even begin to tell you how happy it makes *me*. Sure, there have been some ups and downs with him over the last 12 months. He’s still got a ways to go before he can be normal around other dogs, but he’s expanded his circle of acceptable canine friends quite a lot. He hates Dexter, but he’s learned to love his other canine brother and sister. In fact, a little later this afternoon he was also playing like crazy with old man Tweed (who is 11 going on 2). I didn’t get photos of that, because I was trying to make the turkeys’ enclosure more comfortable. They were standing in 6″ of mud, and there was neither food nor water in their house, so I cleaned them out and fed and watered them. My neighbours were kicked out days ago and I was pretty sure they’d left the turkeys behind. But they did come back for them today, so thankfully I am not left with turkeys of my very own.
Or ducks – they left one of those behind as well, initially. I am sure Piper was disappointed, as she has come to love ducks. And not in the way that TWooie “loves” ducks either. Last week the neighbours’ whole flock of ducks got loose from the yard while I was out washing the truck. I had zero success catching them (duh! Ducks can fly!) myself, so I stepped into the house and asked Piper to come out and help me. I really didn’t think she would, because Piper has never shown interest in livestock other than sheep and completely ignores the chickens. (Actually, she “helped” me put the llamas out every morning, but bless her, she had no idea that they knew the way to the pasture and were going there anyway.) It’s been several years since she has worked livestock with any regularity, and I really wasn’t sure what she’d do.
So imagine my surprise when I asked her to please ‘go bye” and she took her flank, and then I asked her to ‘steady’ and then ‘away’ to collect a couple stragglers, and she carefully put all the ducks together in a group. And then calmly walked them back across the grass and into the yard, staying well off them and not rushing them or panicking them at all. Such a good little girlie she is!
I was so impressed with her poise and gentleness, and also with her obvious delight at being asked to do a farm chore, that I have decided to get her some Indian Runner ducks this summer, once I have built them a proper enclosure. She can work them from time to time, and I will have duck eggs. And photo ops! And I don’t have to get sheep ;-)
Tweed was impressed too, but not with Piper. He was impressed with me, because I have apparently clued in and decided to just let him be him, limp and all. Weeks of trying crate rest, limited exercise and on leash walks didn’t make a single difference to his limp. So a week ago I gave in and started just letting him run. I even took him to agility class on Thursday and let him thunder all over the equipment. And frankly, I *still* see no difference in his limp. I can run the pants off him and it gets neither worse no better. As far as I can tell, it’s just how Tweed walks now; with a hitch in his giddyup.
And that means he can play Flying Squirrel and that makes him giddy!
Maybe that’s why he was playing with TWoo today. I swear, the older he gets, the goofier he gets. He’s regressing!
But not TWooie; TWoo is progressing, all the time. I *heart* the TWoo!
So …. what did you think of the book? I haven’t gotten mine yet. Apparently I can write a book, but I can’t write my postal code properly, so it’s still in transit ;-)
floral says
I am so glad things have worked out so well with Twoo. He must thank his lucky stars for finding you.
I want the book. I tried to buy the book. But every time I look at the preview and see that little bird, it makes me feel sick. I just don’t want to look at it and remember the lice on your arm and the bird’s demise. Blech. I might just have to wait for the next one. I guess I am just squeamish!
Alice says
Woohoo for the TWoo! He looks so zoomy in that one photo that it made me laugh. You’ve done a heck of a job, FL–TWoo’s been transformed from a tub-o-guts shivering with nerves and aggression to a slim, trim, happy hound.
Just ordered my book as a gift to myself–looking forward to it very much. Also very interested to hear about Piper’s work with the ducks. Had you ever worked her with birds before, and if not, did you worry at all that she might try and go for them? I realize she’s a stock dog and she knows her boundaries with sheep, but I am really interested to hear more about her working ducks. I guess a command’s a command, regardless of what’s being herded.
Hope you enjoy your free field time–everything’s coming up FL and her marvelous 3WAAWTW! (I *think* I got that right. I hope.)
I will soon be in BC with my own galumphing Jake the Snake. In the meantime, your blog brings me a little closer to dog-coat smell and endless dumbball/frisbee sessions, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that.
Julie says
I really want to buy your book, but apparently I can’t. :((
I have no credit card, and at blurb PayPal only allows you to pay for this book if you have a credit card linked to your PP-account. Which I haven’t, obviously.
Is there any other way to order your book? *praying*
Lynn says
Yea for the Twoo! And for Piper! And Tweed! And maybe, someday you will progress like Twoo and be able to properly write your address, then I’ll say, “Yea for you!” LOL
Shannon says
Yay, I’m so proud of the fat Two! Great work food lady, that is one lucky boy!
Liza Lundell says
Love the book, it came in two days. I was seriously impressed both with the book and the service. I’m so glad Twooie found a home with you, even if he does have to put up with Dexter!
The Food Lady says
I can’t see how it’s any of Blurb’s business whether you have a credit card attached to your Paypal account. Also, I do not have a credit card attached to mine and it let me order a book. You would have to ask Blurb – I don’t have anything at all to do with the selling/purchase side of things. Sorry.
julie says
Tried again, hoping it was some strange bug. “Error Message
You must add a credit card to complete this purchase. Some payments, like instant and immediate payments, require a credit card.” Maybe PayPal (or Blurb, whatever) only requires a credit card for overseas purchases or something, if it worked with you.
I’m going to try to get someone with a credit card to buy it for me. :)
Olga says
First dogs and cats, then the chickens came, and now your are thinking on ducks ;) I thought you were tired of your neighbour’s “zoo”, but you are definitely going down that road, and the funny thing is that something inside you realises what’s going on because you immediately look for a way of explaining the whole thing “It’s so that Pipper can have some exercise and train without having sheep”, cats don’t count towards my fostering so I can have another one.
Admit it you LOVE animals, and can’t live without fostering or having more around you. LOL
I hope they all fit inside the new car, because you’re becoming a huge family, full of love as Twooie can testify (I say Twooie because that’s the one that might have had the worst experience with humans prior to Casa de la Food Lady), but really big family.
Glad to hear that Tweed it’s somehow feeling better, and really happy to see Pipper in such a good shape after what happened to her. Thankfully it looks like it was a big scare but she is OK now.
Best wishes and don’t forget to take care of yourself :D
Adrienne says
I luvs me some Piper girlie. See, she doesn’t do agilty because her talent is… Duck-Herding! And keeping the household in line of course.
I love, love, love the pictures of the TWoo. How like a normal dog he looks now. It makes my heart glad.
Yay for Tweed! Poor man. At least he gets to play now that it’s spring.
clairesmum says
Glad that everyone at Casa de Food Lady is well and enjoying spring! Twooie sure has come a long way since he arrived and seeing him play with Woo is heartwarming. (cliche, but I can’t come up with a more accurate word.)
Ducks to herd – that sounds like fun for Piper AND the Food Lady!
Robin says
In his early photos Twooie seemed so shut down and lacking in good social skills and has become a happy and somewhat social dog. It is a treat to see him looking so well and playing so happily.
Jennifer says
Duck eggs – Does that mean the Food Lady will be baking cakes?!
Maria Shanley says
Mike and I love the book – great pictures and text, and put together well. Lots of laughs, especially the “brain explosion” picture with Piper and the hamster (reminds me of our somewhat demented 15 yr BC Kodi lol).
RachelB says
I got the book today. And– yay!– it’s lovely. I’m going to read it to my young nephews. Their dad is pretty potty-mouthed, so they won’t be learning new vocabulary, except maybe “bird lice,” and they’ll be transfixed by the doggie pictures. I know I am.
BarbaraF says
I got the book yesterday, and I really enjoyed it! Great pictures, and I love the stories about your crew. You need to consider writing many more! I second the comment about the “brain explosion” picture of Piper – priceless.
Adrienne says
Ok, now I have to get the book. Pictures of Piper? Gotta have.