English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[centrarchid]

That's interesting!

She and Ben exhibited allo-grooming in the past. Ben has even pulled them off Lucy.

 

[fisherlady]

Our two also are big on grooming themselves (especially their feet) and sometimes each other. Much more so than any other dogs I have had over the years.

 

[aart]

She and Ben exhibited allo-grooming in the past. Ben has even pulled them off Lucy.

My dogs have pulled burrs off themselves, but never each other.
Tho have never had puppies here.

 

[centrarchid]

My dogs have pulled burrs off themselves, but never each other.
Tho have never had puppies here.

Burrs and need for dumping heat during periods of sustained physical activity is why I think many dogs were selected for short hair. The dogs removing burrs requires down time.

 

[centrarchid]

Pup mobility and coordination is increasing rapidly. They still operate in continuous play mode for about 2 hours after release, then they crash hard, sometimes without eating. They are also starting to cause more trouble with chickens which is to be expected. I will try to gently persuade the pups to leave chickens alone.

This morning their mother came in, bolted down a bowl of feed then went directly to penned pups where she then puked up the feed she just consumed. Pups consumed the puke with gusto.

 

[fisherlady]

Motherhood is such a beautiful thing, lol

 

[centrarchid]

Ben and Honey taking territoriality to another level that is forcing me to intervene. Neighbor to NNE has a male brindle male molossar type shepherd that has for a long time been trying to run my dogs off. My dogs are now moving from property boundary into neighbor's. There have been boundary squabbles before, but something now different. Ben normally just goes to boundary and lays down with Honey doing most of the incursions. Honey has been trying to draw her foe where Ben or where Lucy hiding behind hill can cut him off. Today Ben was moving well past boundary towards core of neighbors property with Honey doing her taunting much more closely to Ben. Ben moved slowly crouching just a little looking at the other dog. He is looking for a chance to run the other dog down where it has no where to go.

I had to work hard to get Ben and Honey to come back. I may resort to keeping Ben penned during day as the events only occur when neighbor lets his dog out.

 

[centrarchid]

Yesterday we went to the woods. In addition to getting pups out, we where after skull crawlers that might be eating our rabbits (imagination time for kids wanting to work with Nerf guns). They are getting real bows and arrows today for target practice and hunting rabbits. Daughter in particular wants to hunt rabbits.

Pups had good time finding new smells like tracks from rats, squirrels, mice and flying squirrels. Cat also followed us down. Pups were not above photobombing.

 

[centrarchid]

Three of 6 pups will now cross fence only by jumping over locations adults use. They do this even though they have never been shocked or fence taken down so they have a fence free location they could walk through.

 

[aart]

Three of 6 pups will now cross fence only by jumping over locations adults use. They do this even though they have never been shocked or fence taken down so they have a fence free location they could walk through.

Monkey see, monkey do!
Best trainer for a pup is an older dog, especially if older dog is a 'good' dog.