Chris
Premium Member
Tonight we were putting the chickens in their coop. The baby guinea fowl had been ranging the back field all day, and we were worried thet might not find their way back to their pen. They were starting to follow us back to the house, too. Beckon was with us -- we'd left a gate ajar, and he'd come to the coop area. On his way, he'd rounded the little guinea flock, but I called him to come. (Yes, I have a Sheltie who has a reliable come around fluttering keets.)
So I got this crazy idea... I called Beckon to come and started walking slowly toward the little flock. Beckon trotted toward them, and I said, "Easy, easy." He stopped and began moving very carefully. As they swerved, I said, "Come bye," and he moved around them to head them toward the pen. Slowly we made our way across the field -- Beckon never put a foot wrong. In no time, the keets were in the pen.
Now, you have to know that neither Beckon nor I have ever herded a thing in our lives. All I know about herding I learned watching the movie "Babe." But I know enough to know I have a natural born herding dog in Beckon. No, I'm not planning to take classes. Beckers and I are just going to work together with our farm fowl, and he's going to be a working farm dog -- just what Shelties were originally bred to be!
So I got this crazy idea... I called Beckon to come and started walking slowly toward the little flock. Beckon trotted toward them, and I said, "Easy, easy." He stopped and began moving very carefully. As they swerved, I said, "Come bye," and he moved around them to head them toward the pen. Slowly we made our way across the field -- Beckon never put a foot wrong. In no time, the keets were in the pen.
Now, you have to know that neither Beckon nor I have ever herded a thing in our lives. All I know about herding I learned watching the movie "Babe." But I know enough to know I have a natural born herding dog in Beckon. No, I'm not planning to take classes. Beckers and I are just going to work together with our farm fowl, and he's going to be a working farm dog -- just what Shelties were originally bred to be!
