Skip to content
Menu
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Dogs
  • Wordless Wednesday
  • Videos
  • Bees
  • Projects
    • Crafts
  • Questions and Answers

It’s a Start

Posted on January 8, 2023

A little bit of work with the little bitty dog…

I try to get my dogs to be relaxed around cattle. It’s easy to get them hyped up usually, so calm is the first thing I work on. Let’s do that with four critters Brandon is feeding.

Distance gives us less pressure, so we’re as far away as we can get. Indy keeps watching but Bravo flops down in the hay. While I hope Indy can relax enough to lay down, I’m also going to be working with Bravo to REALLY relax. I could do that with Lucas since he had so many vet visits, just tell him him to RELAX and he’d be on his side stretched out, enjoying the attention. I haven’t taught Bravo that, so he’ll be learning with Indy.

She’s very food motivated, so I have high value treats in hand… While she explores and keeps checking out the cows, I get my sleepy eyes going for Bravo. I’m leaning back, feet kicked forward and pretend I’m about to fall asleep. Bravo always looks right at my eyes, so soon, his eyes too are relaxing and his head drops down. Treat!

I never caught a pic with his head down, every time I move my coat rustles and he’d pop back up, looking to see what was going on.
Letting Indy sniff let’s her get used to the place… then, slowly, when life was just going to be boring…

Yup. That’s what I’m looking for. While not as relaxed as she could be, this is a start.

Find me here!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Please share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
← Previous Post: Present
Next Post: workworkwork Movie →

4 thoughts on “It’s a Start”

  1. Joan Wood says:
    January 11, 2023 at 12:26 PM

    Well of course. Bravo got a treat for laying down so…..
    I’m with Betty. Dogs are fun. Mine loves to walk and now will walk in the rain. This is the dog that didn’t like to get her feet wet last winter. Tried to keep all of them in the air — funny.

    Reply
  2. Joanne says:
    January 9, 2023 at 2:02 PM

    Well done Indy.

    Reply
  3. Marilyn says:
    January 9, 2023 at 8:35 AM

    Such a nice little story. Working with both dogs seems to me to be a good way to teach them this skill of relaxation, as well as reinforcing their instinct to be quiet observers.

    Reply
  4. Betty says:
    January 9, 2023 at 6:35 AM

    You have a lot patience, which I do not. My dog is 12 years old and she has slowed down quite a bit. But she is always alert for anything. Dogs are so much fun.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Carol, Wyoming rancher

Since 2008, I’ve kept this photographic journal of life on our working Wyoming ranch.  I share ranch work, my family, crafts and DIY, my English Shepherds, Bravo and Indy, and a love for this land.  Enjoy this red dirt country!

Get the Dirt!

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Looking for something? Search here!

©2025 | WordPress Theme by Superbthemes.com