How cool is this? Talented artist and friend Duene Raper of Pinedale asked me for a good photo of livestock guardian dog Rant a while back. The other day she mentioned “Rant is hanging on the art room wall” at the senior center, and I was welcome to take the piece home if I liked …
Tag: livestock guardian dogs
Dear dog: Please break the rule
This cold and blustery day started with me letting Hud the herding dog puppy outside to find a dirty-headed bald eagle sitting on the power pole, watching the goings-on in the yard. Okay, so I put the big dog out with the little dog as a precaution. Morning proceeded, and I noticed Rena the guardian …
Spanish mastiffs
As many of you know, husband Jim and I recently traveled to Spain to interview livestock producers about their livestock protection dogs used in wolf country. Spain was one of three emphasis areas on our research trip, which was sponsored by the Wyoming Wool Growers Association and funded by the Wyoming Animal Damage Management board. …
A journey to Portugal
Porto was rainy and beautiful, an ancient coastal city home to the port industry and 270,000 residents. Just as we had dreamed, Porto felt both historic and comfortable. Stone buildings lined the brick and cobble streets, with balconies overflowing with plants and flowers. It seemed every home on each narrow street had a backyard vineyard, …
Day of rescue
Yesterday was a day of rescue. The day before, the vet’s office in Pinedale called me about a sheep dog that had been brought in that was in very bad condition. I was in town for a meeting, so I dropped by to look at her and confirm it wasn’t a dog I knew. I …
Transferring Old World traditions
As some of you will recall, husband Jim and I just had a paper published in the Sheep & Goat Research Journal in which we summarized the problems western livestock producers are having in dealing with expanding and increasing populations of large carnivores, including grizzly bears and gray wolves in our area. The livestock protection …
Guardian behavior
As we finish up week five of sheep camp, I’m going to share some livestock protection dog (LPD) behavior that I find fascinating. I’ve been out in camp amid western Wyoming’s sagebrush sea with the lambing herd since May 1, with three LPDs, two guardian burros, and a herding dog. Every two weeks we move …
Sheep camp, week 2
This is what it’s all about for me: beautiful sage, happy sheep, and good guardians.
Just out of reach
I was working outside near the house the other day, and saw Rena going across the ranch yard with a piece of pipe. What the heck? Noting her enthusiasm, which later became obsession, I knew something must be in the pipe. Rena was so intent on her task that when Rant came over to find …
Meeting a mouse
It began innocently enough – Luv’s Girl (all white female Akbash) found a mouse and took it to Rant (male Aziat) and turned it loose.Rant was appalled. What the heck was that tiny thing that appeared to be about to attack him!?!Was it scary? Well it might be scary!To make it stop, put your foot …