My dog put my ducks to bed!

[mandelyn]

We were out back having a fire, and the ducks like to come out and "party" too, but we had the dogs out, two Shepherds. Logan is cool with the birds, Ricca can't be left alone with them ever, but she does mind well. So I let the ducks out since we were going to be out there for awhile.

Ricca, watches them for awhile all nonchalant and I only had to tell her once to mind her manners. Logan was too worried about who was going to throw his ball, didn't care about the ducks at all.

Ricca learned that she could herd the ducks from 10 ft away, and she started moving them left to right, and straight, to their mud hole, away from their mud hole... then she would sit down and watch.. like "huh... that was neat". Then she'd calmly move them again.

Then that dog very slowly and calmly herded them through the gate, around the corner and into their run!

I sat back and watched, all like "huh... that was neat".

She comes trotting back over like "Look what I did, aren't you proud?" So I gave the chicken killer a pat on the head and said thanks for putting the birds up.

She seems to like the ducks because they stay neatly in order and don't panic when they see her. The older hens didn't see when she killed a pullet since she had plucked it right out of the brooder in the house after a series of human errors. But they flip the heck out still over the dogs and they scatter, and she can't stand it. But the ducks... they stare at her, walk up to her, give her the one eyed look, and move off when she takes a step towards them, in a neat little group. She has more herding drive than anything, and she appreciates a nice group.

She was so good about it! And I can't believe she just went ahead and put them to bed, as if she's seen me do it 500 times from the window or something...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Maybe she was watching,

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Gotta love when they get it and problem solve. We send the female great Pyrenees into the water when the ducks don't want to come in. She likes to swim, they respond to her to come.

 

[wackwack]

omg my big dog would have so much fun.....chasing the ducks

if he got in there i can count on one hand how many secs till they get their wings out and figure out how to fly......
i would love to be able to let the dogs in with the animals, but unfortunatly big dog is a city starter and a bad mix of setter and collie, so he likes to chase and knows he shouldnt all at the same time, which means fun takes over and ears glue shut!
My two small dogs think they are big and strong, my ducks are a lot bigger than my small dogs, and my small dogs can run seriously fast and i can just imagine the mess, they have some terrier in them.....mind you, one of the small dogs would be pretty put off by the mess and poop and mud and water that goes with the ducks and i dont think it would go with her princess attitude!! the other one, well, lets just say she wont be going near the ducks unless they want to train for a marathon, cause she can do one and not tire! and shes only 3kg!
i am jealous of your clever duck putting to bed dog! very handy too!!!