Dusty Britches
Well-known member
I am very excited how my Blue Lacy pup, Stryker, is showing his instincts. He is now 6 months old.
I took him for a walk Friday afternoon to run some energy off of him while I checked my deer feeder. To get to the deer feeder we had to walk through our heifer pen, which we have 4 - 15 month old heifers. They've never been around a dog. Due to the 7 inches of rain, the grass has outgrown them and is about knee high, just under Stryker's head.
When he saw the heifers about 100 yards from us, he ran up to them, barked at them and ran back to me. I said, "Good Boy!" Then he ran back to them, barked to move one and looked at me. I shouted "Good Boy!" He turned back to the heifers. I was now about 30 yards away. The heifers were spread out over 40 yards. Stryker ran to one on the outside, barked and as she moved toward the others, he ran around to the other outside heifer and did the same thing. I timed my "Good Boy's!" just right when I noticed he was asking me if he was doing the right thing. As the heifers moved, he backed off. One heifer got mad, kicked, he laid down flat on the ground and the hoof went over the top of him. He immediately jumped up, ran to her back side and barked. Then he ran back over to the other outside heifer. He did this until all 4 heifers were standing side by side and not moving. He sat down and looked back at me. "Good Boy!" Then one put her head down to graze and he barked at her as if to say, "I didn't say you could do that!" I said softly, "That'll do. Here." He proudly left his post and came to me. I was so excited.
As we left the heifers he looked back and thought about going to them, but I said, "We're done, let's go." We reached a stock tank and he got some water, fell in, and learned that he really can swim. :) We're still learning a few commands, like "get some water" and getting more solid on all of the other commands.
Here's some pictures of Stryker getting after some cows and calves - not the ones in the story.
Here's a close up of him.
Beautiful dog
Getting after it...
Turning on a dime and leaving change....
Move out of my way!
I took him for a walk Friday afternoon to run some energy off of him while I checked my deer feeder. To get to the deer feeder we had to walk through our heifer pen, which we have 4 - 15 month old heifers. They've never been around a dog. Due to the 7 inches of rain, the grass has outgrown them and is about knee high, just under Stryker's head.
When he saw the heifers about 100 yards from us, he ran up to them, barked at them and ran back to me. I said, "Good Boy!" Then he ran back to them, barked to move one and looked at me. I shouted "Good Boy!" He turned back to the heifers. I was now about 30 yards away. The heifers were spread out over 40 yards. Stryker ran to one on the outside, barked and as she moved toward the others, he ran around to the other outside heifer and did the same thing. I timed my "Good Boy's!" just right when I noticed he was asking me if he was doing the right thing. As the heifers moved, he backed off. One heifer got mad, kicked, he laid down flat on the ground and the hoof went over the top of him. He immediately jumped up, ran to her back side and barked. Then he ran back over to the other outside heifer. He did this until all 4 heifers were standing side by side and not moving. He sat down and looked back at me. "Good Boy!" Then one put her head down to graze and he barked at her as if to say, "I didn't say you could do that!" I said softly, "That'll do. Here." He proudly left his post and came to me. I was so excited.
As we left the heifers he looked back and thought about going to them, but I said, "We're done, let's go." We reached a stock tank and he got some water, fell in, and learned that he really can swim. :) We're still learning a few commands, like "get some water" and getting more solid on all of the other commands.
Here's some pictures of Stryker getting after some cows and calves - not the ones in the story.
Here's a close up of him.
Beautiful dog
Getting after it...
Turning on a dime and leaving change....
Move out of my way!
