Blackbird
Goat Whisperer
Heck, I AM young hot and fit (well, maybe) and I sure as heck can't do that. My legs would fall off mid jump if I tried running hurdles.
Bee's Guest House
- Thread starter MorelCabin
- Start date
Heck, I AM young hot and fit (well, maybe) and I sure as heck can't do that. My legs would fall off mid jump if I tried running hurdles.
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
So hot, BB! 
Report on Dewley pup's maiden voyage into the big, bad world:
He is soon to be 3 mo. old and hasn't had any leash training or socialization other than with immediate family, home and the other animals. So far I've only successfully taught him to sit and respond to negative tone of voice for misdemeanors...haven't had any time at all to work with these pups.
Put him on a harness and leash, loaded him up in the truck after dark and drove to town. Took him to the nursing home but he was showing a lot of fear of the place and I thought better of it. Visited a friend's home instead. She has multiple cats and dogs, dishes of pet food and water simply everywhere!
He was a perfect gentleman, stood calmly while her JR terrier growled and sniffed at him, walked calmly past all the cats and laid down on the kitchen floor. He begged for our food once or twice but stopped when I told him no, never looked twice at the other pet's food, and never had one accident for the 45 min. we were there! (I haven't been working on potty training....just not keeping them indoors for longer than 20 min. at a time.)
Took him to an outside memorial ceremony with lines of luminaries, singing people, other pets....sat calmly and watched the whole do.
Took him inside to the after party and he sat or laid calmly in the foyer while people ate, milled around, petted him, laughed and talked...I walked away into other rooms and out of his sight.....he stayed where he was. Serene. Dignified. Even majestic. No puppy prancing, tail wagging, begging or whining....just looked like a bear rug on that shiny floor! Gazed thoughtfully into the distance and took his pettings as if they were his due....never licked one hand or put a paw on anyone. Progress!
Did very well on the leash, rode in the truck like he was born to it, came home and sat calmly while I divested him of the halter, replaced it with his electric color and sent him to bed.
I was simply amazed, to say the least. Shocked and pleased and proud as punch!!! Can't wait to take Tuesday out to see how she does in similar circumstances.
Called his grandma and bragged....she was proud also!
dragonlaurel
Improvising a more SS life
Wow! He is amazing. 
Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
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Sounds like a real keeper!
BarredBuff
El Presidente de Pollo
Wow!! That is awesome!! He is a keeper for sure!
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
The Blast from the Past thread had me looking through some old homesteading pics I had packaged up to include in my book and I found some you all might find interesting. Of course, these pics are pretty grainy but will give you an idea of how it looked when we first started.
This first one is of my mom and dad on the subfloor of their first hand built log cabin. This cabin had to be put up pretty quickly as fall/winter was coming fast. I can't get over how heavy set my parents were back then....they are bean poles now and for the last 16 years.
Our shower and outside wash station....that didn't come until I had been living there about 5 years.
My mother and my oldest brother with the total area of the first cabin in which we lived in the background. Think you all could fit all those people in that small space?
Our first and only cow on the homestead....a wicked Holstein that fought tooth and hoof every time she was milked. If you look closely you will see her legs and her head are tied tightly.....also the reason for Dad's strange milking stance. He dared not squat down to milk this demon....she was lethal and would be just as likely to start lunging and fall over on top of you before she would let you milk. He is exerting pressure on her side to prevent this very thing.
She was sweet as sugar when you weren't milking her and would often lie down beside me on the grass and put her head in my lap for a good scratching.
Dad wasn't much of a farmer and we were learning as we went, so everything was pretty much trial and error back then.
This first one is of my mom and dad on the subfloor of their first hand built log cabin. This cabin had to be put up pretty quickly as fall/winter was coming fast. I can't get over how heavy set my parents were back then....they are bean poles now and for the last 16 years.
Our shower and outside wash station....that didn't come until I had been living there about 5 years.
My mother and my oldest brother with the total area of the first cabin in which we lived in the background. Think you all could fit all those people in that small space?
Our first and only cow on the homestead....a wicked Holstein that fought tooth and hoof every time she was milked. If you look closely you will see her legs and her head are tied tightly.....also the reason for Dad's strange milking stance. He dared not squat down to milk this demon....she was lethal and would be just as likely to start lunging and fall over on top of you before she would let you milk. He is exerting pressure on her side to prevent this very thing.
She was sweet as sugar when you weren't milking her and would often lie down beside me on the grass and put her head in my lap for a good scratching.
Dad wasn't much of a farmer and we were learning as we went, so everything was pretty much trial and error back then.
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Thanks for sharing the pics!
Your life has been very interesting gal! This is one reason I just know that book is going to sell gangbusters.
I am afraid that cow would have become hamburger in no time at all around me. I haven't got time of day for a wicked critter. My sister had one of her old horses die yesterday. If it was up to me I would have been eating HIM ground on a bun years ago! He was a big beautiful old buckskin and a wonderful jumper, but wild and nasty around the barn. I used to call him my Y2K (or TSHTF) rations! It made sissy mad. Now the problem is solved.
How long did you all keep the cow?
Your life has been very interesting gal! This is one reason I just know that book is going to sell gangbusters.
I am afraid that cow would have become hamburger in no time at all around me. I haven't got time of day for a wicked critter. My sister had one of her old horses die yesterday. If it was up to me I would have been eating HIM ground on a bun years ago! He was a big beautiful old buckskin and a wonderful jumper, but wild and nasty around the barn. I used to call him my Y2K (or TSHTF) rations! It made sissy mad. Now the problem is solved.
How long did you all keep the cow?
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Farm, the older I get and the more people I meet, I have come to the same conclusion....my life, though not extraordinary by any means, sure has been weird and different than most others I know.
We only kept that cow less than a year....her calf was a demon too. It was my chore to separate her calf from her before the morning milking and she was huge! I was leading her down the yard on a rope and she took off.....dragged me down the yard lickety-split, bouncing me off every tree along the way.
By the time I could get her stopped I was fighting mad! I took the end of that rope and beat her with it and she didn't even flinch....just stood there and glared at me. Then I had to hurry and get cleaned up before walking out to catch the bus.
I loved the fresh milk but I was glad to see the back end of that calf when they left....I kind of missed her mom, Lady(clearly one of those ironic names), as she was my buddy.
You are right....there are too many nice animals in this world to burden oneself with a nasty one, no matter how pretty they are.
We only kept that cow less than a year....her calf was a demon too. It was my chore to separate her calf from her before the morning milking and she was huge! I was leading her down the yard on a rope and she took off.....dragged me down the yard lickety-split, bouncing me off every tree along the way.
By the time I could get her stopped I was fighting mad! I took the end of that rope and beat her with it and she didn't even flinch....just stood there and glared at me. Then I had to hurry and get cleaned up before walking out to catch the bus.
I loved the fresh milk but I was glad to see the back end of that calf when they left....I kind of missed her mom, Lady(clearly one of those ironic names), as she was my buddy.
You are right....there are too many nice animals in this world to burden oneself with a nasty one, no matter how pretty they are.
Farmfresh
City Biddy
I will go to extremes on this point as well.
I will pay more for an ugly animal with a good temperament and not even consider the pedigreed animal if they are nasty. Some of the temperament thing IS genetic.
I have been around LOTS of horses in my life. Two horses crossed my path years apart when I was training. One was a cute little sorrel pony and one was a big bay gaited filly. Both were just plain stupid and evil. I even made the comment that I had never seen such a stupid evil horse since ___ (fill in the first horse's name) when I was given the second to train.
When the owner of the pony that I trained second was picking up their animal (and hearing the bad report that I gave), he mentioned the pony had a certain sire. Bells started to ring. I went home and made a call. Sure enough BOTH horses had the same father!! I would have NEVER believed that unless I lived it.
I also prefer to start my animals as young as possible. Like your pups. I prefer to be the one teaching them those first most important lessons. You always end up with a better animal in my opinion.
I will pay more for an ugly animal with a good temperament and not even consider the pedigreed animal if they are nasty. Some of the temperament thing IS genetic.
I have been around LOTS of horses in my life. Two horses crossed my path years apart when I was training. One was a cute little sorrel pony and one was a big bay gaited filly. Both were just plain stupid and evil. I even made the comment that I had never seen such a stupid evil horse since ___ (fill in the first horse's name) when I was given the second to train.
When the owner of the pony that I trained second was picking up their animal (and hearing the bad report that I gave), he mentioned the pony had a certain sire. Bells started to ring. I went home and made a call. Sure enough BOTH horses had the same father!! I would have NEVER believed that unless I lived it.
I also prefer to start my animals as young as possible. Like your pups. I prefer to be the one teaching them those first most important lessons. You always end up with a better animal in my opinion.
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
That is why I snort every time I hear the phrase "there are no bad dogs, only bad owners"....who are these people kidding? That's like saying there are no bad people, only bad parents!
The whole nature vs. nurture thing has been argued down through the years but the only conclusion arrived upon is the fact that they both play a part but genetics/nature is stronger than nurture.
How many times have you seen a wonderful person arise from a horrible home? Many, many times. How many times do people raised in normal home settings go badly wrong? Many times.
Same with animals, in my humble opinion. You can do a lot with an animal whose breed characteristics are intelligence, eagerness to please, docile, etc. It is very hard to train, keep and depend upon a breed that is stubborn, willful, aggressive, etc.
The whole nature vs. nurture thing has been argued down through the years but the only conclusion arrived upon is the fact that they both play a part but genetics/nature is stronger than nurture.
How many times have you seen a wonderful person arise from a horrible home? Many, many times. How many times do people raised in normal home settings go badly wrong? Many times.
Same with animals, in my humble opinion. You can do a lot with an animal whose breed characteristics are intelligence, eagerness to please, docile, etc. It is very hard to train, keep and depend upon a breed that is stubborn, willful, aggressive, etc.
