Have you seen this website? There are some very funny photos on there. There are also some deeply disturbing ones!
Dexter doesn’t want me to submit this one, but I kinda think I should. Poor Dexter. Stacks of old truck tires are slippery.
And speaking of “poor Dexter,” yesterday I decided it was high time my working bred border collie met some woolies again, so we went out to Auntie Cheryl’s farm to harass her “fat and lazy” sheep (her words, not mine! Don’t be hatin’ on me for dissin’ someone’s sheep.)
This is Dexter’s second time meeting sheep. It was only marginally more successful than the first time. This time he didn’t climb anybody, perch atop their head and use them as an escape route out of the pen, but it still wasn’t pretty. Most of the time he was out there with them, he looked either like this:
or like this:
Le sigh. So much for my mighty stockdog ;-) Of course, I put a lot of effort into putting solid foundations on Dex for playing agility – lots of eye contact, following my body, keeping in tune with me … all of it completely antithetical to stockdog work, where I would ask him to pay very little attention to me unless taking a command, not caring about where I was except as related to the pressure on the stock and making decisions on his own. Never the twain shall meet, as it were. But I am okay with him not being a stellar working dog … I have no intention of having sheep of my own, something I think is of paramount importance to being really successful at stockdog work. And I really didn’t want him to be a jack of all trades, master of none kind of dog. I picked a sport, and we’re sticking to it.
And Dex is probably grateful, because as you can see, he really doesn’t like sheep except as a possible entree.
Piper, on the other hand, says sheep are Serious Business, and she are Serious Dog.
She’s not been on sheep for a couple of years, or nearly anyway, so we are both mightily out of practice. However, it’s nice to see she is still as enthusiastic – if not particularly talented – as ever.
Piper works too close and too fast. She has a real problem with pressure in all aspects of her life. In flyball, the pressure of other dogs running in the lane beside her was too much. In agility, the pressure of being asked to work away – but also being asked to work too close – is too much. And on sheep, she has a lot of push for a little dog, and she has never been able to find her comfort bubble – too close and the sheep take off because as soon as she gets close she gets frantic. Too far and she is worried they are getting away and she is too frantic and comes flying in to slice at them. And don’t think it’s just because I suck at playing shepherd (and I do – oh how I suck) because several years ago I sent her away for training for a month and her trainer said the same thing.
But that’s okay too, it makes her incredibly happy to work the woolies, however poorly she may do it, so from time to time I will indulge her with the help of Cheryl and her fat, lazy sheep :)
Now that sheep day is over, we don’t have time for anymore nonsense as the Zombie Adogalypse is coming.
This is their leader, and he wants your brains.
And they will of course not be proper, slow moving, shuffling zombies, they will be modern, fast moving zombies:
Annie says
OK the group pic is awesome. BUT…. looks like Spring is photo shopped in as that is just too clean of a bib…..Dexter looks photo shopped in 2x bigger than everyone else. BUT I LOVE the WooTWoo bookends!
2BlueDogs says
One of these things is not like the others. LOL
Nicola says
That group shot is fantastic,yay to your good dogs :O)
Susan says
Love, love, love the group shots. Both of ’em.
Tracey says
Love it!! Nothing like watching a BC on sheep!
Gorgeous family photo…well done!
Mary says
Ah, Spring’s annoying behavior sounds all too familiar, except that my unknown terrier mix also adds the most ridiculous vocalizations to her routine to get my attention. Oddly, this often happens when she’s at her most tired but she absolutely refuses to just lie down and relax. Of course, once I lock her in the cage she curls up and goes right to sleep. She’s like a toddler stuck in a dog’s body.
Jenn says
Terriers! Sounds to me like Spring needs a time out!
And I am familiar with the weird vocals, Mary – I call my Patterdale ‘Rhino Girl’ – her noises are so strange and undoglike!
Amy says
Mary, I think most dogs are toddlers stuck in dogs’ bodies lol. Foodlady, love the pics, as always. The group shot is fantastic even with them all wet/dirty. I’m glad you have finally embraced the fact that you have 6 dogs. Welcome to the family, officially, Spring-a-ling. =)
The Food Lady says
So the weird noises are also a terrier thing? Spring makes some *very* odd sounds!!
I never said I was keeping her!!
Delaney says
Ah, yes. The terrier noises. They’ve got quite a repertoire. I’ve got one that breaks into a bay every now and then when she hears sirens…strangest sound coming from that type of dog. And when she wants something, the nose whistle comes out in full force.
Great family picture – BTW, what in the world are you feeding Dexter? ‘Roids? :)
Lise says
Love the group photo– Spring looks like a Mafia don, with Dexter as her hired muscle.
I like Mr. Orange doing his National Geographic “leaping tiger” impression too!
Jennifer Rose says
hmmm makes you stop and think what is twooie plotting while spring is keeping you distracted?…. given that spring seems to be his apprentice :p
Janice in GA says
I think you’re a genius. I was SO IMPRESSED with myself when I got four dogs to sit still INSIDE long enough to take a picture. 6 dogs outside? In my dreams. :)
pam says
So… we can’t help but notice that Spring is now a firmly immeshed member of Le Case De Food Lady. How’d dat happen???
No matter. A good looking group indeed!
Kim says
I like seeing the Woo-TWoo as the bookends that hold the pack together :)
Amy says
There has never ever been a doubt in my mind that you are a great dog owner! But just ’cause I can I’ll share a couple of my group shots.
This one is not as good as yours but I was still pretty happy with it. Besides, one of them is deaf and has limited vision… ;-)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2421226417717&set=a.2421224817677.129705.1463139396
This one is better but it was before doggie #6 arrived. ;-) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2199697079622&set=a.2199734280552.122390.1463139396
Adrienne says
HA!
I’ve had to revise my opinion about what are “usual” dog noises with my last two dogs. Zoey’s vocalizations are downright unearthly. And Pippin’s are just odd. Thank goodness I have one normal barking dog!
Now if I can just convince my neighbor of that.
Des says
I loooveee how Dexter towers over the rest of them. He’s such a handsome boy!
As for strange noises, my golden retriever makes noises that sound what I can only describe as a baby elephant when she’s annoyed or frustrated. That’s right, Baby Elephant!!!!!!
RachelB says
Cutest. zombies. ever.
Lena says
Seeing as you’re doing such a good job on the dog agility, I’d love to see you tackling cat agility… Hey, this cat can do it:
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/11/04/funny-pictures-videos-richie-well-trained-cat/
Patty says
I just looove both family photos! I am really envious about their willingness to cooperate for both esp. the second one. Sigh. I wish mine would do that. I’d dearly love to have a family photo.
Patty says
Yeeessss you are keeping Spring even if you can’t admit it to yourself yet! This has also happened to me. I was quick to correct everyone who commented on my 2 new rescue dogs saying that I was fostering them…really! I honestly thought I was but I guess my friends knew me better than I knew myself. This happened 10 years ago and I still have one of those dogs (the other has passed away). I am just not very good at that part of fostering where I have to give up the dog. I guess that’s why my pack has grown so much. I’m not saying how many coz’n I don’t want to get hammered. But everyone is well-cared for and loved, wanders in/out of the house through a doggie dog and has a 1-acre backyard with a sturdy fence. My life would be so lonely without them.
cinamondog says
I find it suspicious that you claim not to be holding a dead bunny to get your dogs to pose en masse for that photo. Such a claim would never occur to most people, so I am pretty sure that you ARE in fact holding a dead bunny. Otherwise why would you feel the need to even mention dead bunnies?
Yeah, I’m a trained investigator. Don’t try this at home, you’ll hurt yourself.
clairesmum says
Piper looks like she has a grand time with the sheep – so who really cares if she is ‘doing it right”? Those of us who don’t know the ‘official’ way to herd sheep just see her working away in the field and enjoying the challenge. Smart girl, that Piper. Dexter is enormous – did anyone else in his litter turn out so huge? The family photo is lovely – but as in human family photos, it is very very rare to see a family photo that includes the family photographer! I imagine using a timer on the camera is out of the question with your family……thanks for sharing, Food Lady.
riosmom says
Ha Ha! Food Lady says she never said she was keeping Spring. Ha ha! Great photos as always though.
Heather says
Is that you in the field herding?
One thing I noticed that would help…would be to pay most all of your attention to the stock, not the dog! Its SUPER hard to do…but eventually if you stay with your sheep and convince them that you’ll keep them safe, they’ll tend to settle down and be easier to work with :) Also helps to have the dog get the picture of You<<stock<<dog
They are a little counter-intuitive, but I've found that doing herding, agility, obedience and rally w/ my cattle dog has provided a lot of overlap and a lot of things that do complement in the end. Yup, we wont be a champion at any…but it keeps us entertained to do a lot of 'cross training'