I always suss out where the cattle are in relation to a critical stile on the way back from my morning walk with Lady. She's scared of cattle big time and if they are anywhere near the stile I can't get through. So this morning going well and did a session of training in the field before the stile with SBD doing well with the stop-sit and some blinds and casting around the straw bales in the field after the harvest. Jogger with dog comes past and over the river into the field with the cattle who are so excited to see her and the dog that they all charge over to the "critical stile". Aaaargh! SBD and I sit on the bridge waiting for cattle to move which they start to do, but about 10 or 12 of them are fascinated by something at the stile. I get fed up in the end and approach the stile to shift them and SBD skirts around to one side. I blow stop and miracle of miracles she does! Clap and shoo and a gap opens between the cattle. SBD shoots through like a rocket and over the stile. She stands in the next field with tongue out and tail wagging as if to say "Look at me!" Well done Small Black Dog I say. She really had to screw up her courage to do that.
I tend to post about this sort of thing because she is such a timid girl and I know how hard it is for her to do. Mind you I saw another side of her on Wednesday that took me quite by surprise. My OH, Lady, Ella (our 4 year old granddaughter) and I were walking back through the field with the cattle and they started to amble over towards us. Nothing threatening at all, but curious and coming over to see. Lady immediately moved between Ella and the cattle and squared up to them with her tail up and her head stuck out. So obviously a protective action which must have been for Ella as she doesn't do it for me - just legs it for the stile. I had to call her to "get on". Most interesting.
What a good girl she is! Cows scare the bejeebers out of me when I'm with the dogs. The dogs haven't shown any interest in them whatsoever, but with all the calves around at the moment, I'm worried that, if we get too close, the mothers will be protective and chase the dogs.
Juno doesn't bother much about cows, seeing them is pretty much a daily occurrence wherever we walk. What confuses her is when there are cows in a field which was previously empty . That does require a stand and a good luck at them. I'm sure she's trying to work out if they are cows she knows or not
Bless her Lady shows her mettle when she needs too if those pesky cows are making a move in on Ella.....Dad can just fend for himself! Juno is probably puzzling on how those cows got into the field...did aliens drop them? Dexter did that at a house the other day that had had a new gate put on,it was solid wood rather than the metal kind and he did a right comedy stop and stood with his brow furrowed,head tilted as if to say 'that is really not on! Something has changed I just know it!'
Well done! Cows are scary. Chepi takes the other stance, literally, squaring up, tail up AND barking. Maybe my new clicker book will help - if I can get her to read it ...
