Sentry, Baymule’s Livestock Guard Dog

[ducks4you]

It is interesting how hard wired dogs are. Eva takes her guard dog position very seriously. I had both dogs in the house yesterday while I worked on the burdock in the south pasture and could hear every time somebody walked/drove by. Eva has an awesome bark. Don't think anybody would challenge her, now that she has grown in her big feets!

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I have two working dogs too. Australian Cattle Dogs. Titan and Bandito.

They work hard at sleeping on the couch, in their beds, and loving on Mama. Well, to be fair, one of them off a dairy farm in Lodi CA, watches constantly for crows, and keeps an eye on the "property".

 

[baymule]

Today Sentry got a leash lesson. He proudly took the leash in his mouth and led me around. A new game!

We walked, stopped, come, praise and ear rub. Ringo came too.

When Sentry wanted to play tug, I didn’t scold or fuss. I just said Sentry come, he did, then lots of good boys and praise. Ringo is no dummy. Sentry got praise, Ringo wanted praise and rubs too. We walked, Ringo walked. We stopped, Ringo stopped. I praised both, rubbing ears to both their delight.

Sentry likes to hang out with Ringo. When he gets too annoying, Ringo rumbles and swings his big head, sweeping Sentry away.

 

[baymule]

A couple of weeks ago, I took Sentry in with Paris, the ewes and lambs. I caught Aria and sat on a milk crate with her, soothing and talking to her. Sentry got to sniff her all over. He wanted to nibble on her, I said No. About a thousand times LOL. I caught Latigo and we did the same thing. I caught a white lamb and we did more lamb training. When they struggled, it grabbed his interest so that he wanted to "play". No Sentry. He nibbled my chin and I snatched his muzzle with my hand, held it firmly, while I quietly told him No and talked with him. When I released his muzzle, he licked me like, I'm sorry Mommy! BJ walked up while I was lamb training and got to watch and listen until Sentry saw him there, then he ran to the fence.

I stayed in the barn and let Sentry walk around, sniff ewes and lambs. Miranda butted him hard. He gets a subdued look on his face, and is never aggressive back at the ewes that butt him.

Of all the crazy things, Paris loves Sentry. She asks every day to play with him. She may roll him a time or two, but it is plain that she loves this pup. We are in awe of this change in her. Instead of wanting to attack and eat him, she adores him. Paris has​

never​

done this. It takes months for her to accept another dog and sometimes she never does. Sentry has brought new life in her, she has gone from an old dog with not much of an appetite to a dog with an interest in life again, eating all her food and licking the pan clean. What's not to love about Sentry?


Saying Hello!

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We’ve had Sentry 1 and a half months. He has learned a lot. No! It works most of the time. Get back! So he doesn’t rush the gate, he waits until I say come. Come! He does that well unless the other dogs are around, working on that. He still wants to nibble, working on that, can’t have a 140 pound dog being mouthy. Sit! He does that pretty good. When I feed him, I make him sit. Once he got that down, I taught him Wait! Then the command Take It! And then he eats. He has such a sweet personality.

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[thistlebloom]

I love that dog Bay. I believe you have a the makings of a one in a million farm hand. Good job with the training!

 

[baymule]

Thanks! He is amazing, he is so intiuitive, he just knows! I am impressed with this pup, I think you are right, he is going to be a one in a million farm hand.

 

[Carol Dee]

wow Sentry has grown a LOT in the last 1 1/2 moths. HE seems to be a fast learner too. I am delighted to hear Paris has accepted him with no fuss

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

I am reading and learning from this post with great interest! Keep the posts coming! Sentry is a good looking pup! And so smart!

 

[baymule]

Today Sentry got more lamb lessons.​

Eve is a very calm ewe, she nuzzled noses with Sentry.

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He watched what she and her lambs did. He kept his tail low, that is a good thing. That means he is relaxed and the sheep take their cue from him. I want to see that tail position that says he’s no threat to them. Sentry is doing great!

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He followed them out of the lot, tail still hanging low and relaxed. Good boy!

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Hanging with the flock.

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It seems all of a sudden his chest is wider and his head is growing to the massive shape it will become. My baby is growing up!

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@seedcorn are you still bored?

 

[seedcorn]

Keep the stories coming. Don’t make me have to scold you again....