Buford T. Justice Baymule’s LGD

[baymule]

Today was momentous. Buford stays out with the ewes and lambs now, along with Sheba and Sentry. He’s doing great. No chasing, no trying to play with the lambs, even when they are running and playing. So tempting for a puppy!

Normally when I leave, I put the sheep in the lot. Today I left them out, with all 3 dogs. I got home a little while ago and all is well. No traumatized lambs, ewes, puppy, no chewed on ears, no ewe stomped puppy. Buford is doing beyond my expectations.

I let Sentry in the house. He’s in the floor taking a nap. He loves his house/nap time and is snoring.

 

[Connor434]

It's nice when everything is ok. I'm very happy that you didn't have a surprise.

 

[baymule]

Puppyhood finally kicked in. I watched as Buford “pushed” the lambs, walking them towards their moms until they broke into a run. Buford half heartedly trotted after them. I fussed at him. For this week, I’m keeping Buford separated from them unless I’m out there with them, which is in the late afternoon. I have the two little granddaughters this week, so spending time with them.

Buford LOVES the girls and lots of attention!

 

[baymule]

Oh Buford! He’s at that play with lambs stage. So far, he’s “walked” the lambs into speeding up and I yell at him. BUFORD! NO! And he stops and trots to the gate.

Wednesday morning Aerial the lamb got left in the night pen and was yelling for her mom. She got Buford instead. I took my eyes off him just long enough to give the horse something to eat. He was chasing Aerial in hot pursuit. She was running and BAA BAA BAA!


I lowered the boom on Buford. I snapped a leash on him, called the sheep and closed the gate. He got a serious Come To Jesus meeting. I fussed at him, dragged him through the sheep, he got butted several times and told NO and MINE. Then he wouldn’t come to me. Uhhhhh…… no we aren’t going to do this. I call, you come. He ducked into a Quonset hut and growled at me.

WRONG THING TO DO. I dragged him out, rolled him, pinned him by the scruff of his neck, belly up, growling and doing my best Sentry Serious Bad A$$ Dog snarl. Something must have worked, Buford yelped and got rid of his pissy attitude.

We worked on Buford Come, and he did. Profuse praise, baby talk, hugs, lots of good dogs on a now happy wiggly puppy. Over and over and over.

I turned the sheep out, Buford on a leash and spent the next few hours on positive reinforcement. Took leash off, walked through sheep, Buford Come! He did and got lots of praise. I spent 4 hours with him, sheep, Sheba and Sentry. Maybe we made progress this morning. Maybe we do it again tomorrow or next week. He’s a puppy. He may be big, but he is a puppy.

I loaded the truck with brush and tree limbs to take to the burn pile. Buford saw himself in the shiny trim on the side. He stalked that other dog and barked at it. Silly Buford.

 

[baymule]

I had things to do Thursday morning, so penned Buford and let the ewes out to graze. Early afternoon I let Buford out. Was on the porch making my 50 CCX chicks comfortable. Buford was with the flock. Sentry and Sheba were asleep. I drew up a chair and watched Buford. He was being good. Even when the lambs ran right past him, he didn’t chase. Several hours went by. I was busy, but kept a close eye on Buford.

I noticed him singling out Aerial, following her. I guess she is his favorite to torment…er guard! I watched closely. He followed her, walked past her, but just a little too close to her. Finally he he put his front paws splayed out, head down, butt up, in the let’s play position.

BUFORD!! I bellowed.

OH CRAP! MOMMA CAUGHT ME!

He immediately broke off, with that grin he does when he’s in trouble (it’s so darn cute) and ran to the gate. I stayed on the porch and told him not to play with sheep.

After awhile he wandered back out to the flock. He behaved himself.

Yesterday he followed the flock as he should, looking for an opportunity to play, which he shouldn’t. I kept a close eye on him, going out on the porch to yell at him NO! I must have a good set of lungs, I bellow to the far reaches of the field. So far, he listens. If he doesn’t, then we will have another “meeting” and I will make his life miserable for the day.

I don’t let his “play” get beyond a slow chase. It’s not uncommon for LGD adolescents to chew legs (that’s how they play with other dogs) or shred ears. That’s why I closely supervise Buford and don’t let his play escalate to damage.

 

[baymule]

Buford has advanced in his training. He now is a full fledged idiot adolescent in what is fondly called “stupid teenaged phase”. He has figured out that my yelling at him from the porch is ineffective. He shows great promise as a mathematician, using advanced algebra, calculating the speed of an old lady coming off the porch, distance of crossing the driveway and field before catching him, so he can get a few more chases in before I get there.

Ahhh…. but this old lady has a few tricks in her pocket… the previous owners had Black Mouth Cur dogs. Cattle dogs extraordinaire. They left behind a concrete floored chain link kennel. Perfect for a misbehaving PIA.

I’m tired of Buford’s shenanigans and stupid behavior. He gets put up at night now. This gives me a few moments of peace, able to drink my coffee as dawn breaks, and not looking outside to see Buford pushing the sheep in circles in the night pen.

BWA-HA-HA-HA!!!!

 

[baymule]

In all fairness, I did catch Buford being good yesterday. It was such a special moment that I had to get a picture.

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

Buford has advanced in his training. He now is a full fledged idiot adolescent in what is fondly called “stupid teenaged phase”. He has figured out that my yelling at him from the porch is ineffective. He shows great promise as a mathematician, using advanced algebra, calculating the speed of an old lady coming off the porch, distance of crossing the driveway and field before catching him, so he can get a few more chases in before I get there.

Ahhh…. but this old lady has a few tricks in her pocket… the previous owners had Black Mouth Cur dogs. Cattle dogs extraordinaire. They left behind a concrete floored chain link kennel. Perfect for a misbehaving PIA.

I’m tired of Buford’s shenanigans and stupid behavior. He gets put up at night now. This gives me a few moments of peace, able to drink my coffee as dawn breaks, and not looking outside to see Buford pushing the sheep in circles in the night pen.

BWA-HA-HA-HA!!!!

View attachment 56197

The playfulness gets better of him but he is adorable!

 

[baymule]

April 11, I had Reina the horse on the driveway to graze. I took her 4 month pictures. I brushed her, getting dead winter hair off. She looked so good!

A half dozen sheep came running down the fence. Silly sheep, I’m not going to feed you! No, not silly sheep, Buford was behind them, chasing. I had the horse brush in my hand and threw it at him, BUFORD NO!!!! It hit the ground, bounced and hit him.

Immediately he ran to the fence with his wrinkled up lips, grinning and saying I’m sorry. I read him the riot act a few minutes.

Something must’ve clicked. It’s been a week and 3 days and he hadn’t chased sheep since. The past 2 nights I’ve let him stay with Sheba in Coopers pen with 7 ewes. He’s being so good!

Because we are talking about Buford, here’s more. He found some kind of a plant, plopped down and ate it to the ground.

Buford was raising a ruckus. Senrty and Sheba came running up to see what the emergency was. Buford found a chunk of wood. They sniffed it, gave him a “you are stupid” look and walked away. Buford was sure he had a turtle monster and barked some more. I finally praised him for being so brave and he was proud of himself.

 

[baymule]

Couple of days ago, I sat down with a glass of iced tea and was looking out the window. Buford was zigzagging around in the field, playing. He pounced. I saw a flash of white. Cattle egret? Lamb? The white flashed again and Buford pounced again. I was out the door and running. I don’t run so good, but I was doing my best imitation.

Buford had a lamb. It was my tiny triplet ewe lamb, Dandelion. I lost it. I don’t hit my dogs, but I slapped Buford across the face, hard. I grabbed him on both sides by the scruff of his neck, yelling and shaking him. I was so mad. I dragged him up to the lamb, steadily scolding. I put him in the kennel. I took him out the next morning to let him potty, on a leash. Took him in the ewe pen and gave him a lamb lesson. I picked up Dandelion, put her under his nose, told him No. Mine. Mine. Not yours. I put him back in the kennel.

After I fed yesterday evening and closed up the sheep for the night, I let Buford out with Sentry and Sheba. I fed them, let them play for a couple of hours, then put Buford in a small pen next to the ewes and lambs. I have about 8 ewes due in June and July, so he will be in the pen next to them. I’ll give him lamb lessons daily and pen him when they are out on the field. I’ll let him out with the ram and his 7 ladies. Any time on the field with the ewe crew and lambs will be closely supervised.

I was hoping he was out of the teenage stupids, but it’s back. We go back to the beginning and start all over. Goofball.