She is 5 months old now. Still a pup in many ways, but she is showing many clear signs she is maturing. Her boundary right now is small, her gate is the barnyard gate, Huck and Mud do not go past it. In time she might be allowed in the front area if the dogs are in, but for now, she is learning her role is different than Huck and Mud. She is learning to be The Head Mistress.
Very soon, I will begin letting her have short periods of time with the main flock. the lambs are old enough now that it will be okay. But I will supervise her all the time in those first trials. She will defiantly be pushed around by the mature ewes, but it will be good for her. She has done a fair amount of that herself, and now she will have to learn from the ewes that they too have boundaries. I told her it is like your first time on a crowded elevator-just because the cute guy standing next to you is pressed against your coat, you don't reach over and lick him.
Hard knocks. But it will all be fine. She has a good life, a job. We should all be so lucky.
I constantly question myself, am I doing this right? But I am doing my best, and have the breeder and other farmers to come to my aid for answers if need be. She has other important tasks on a daily basis-carrying the feed containers back to the barn, for one. She is very good at that! And she is maturing in small ways-like when she begins to over chase an animal in play, I yell out to her,
"Mar----Cell- AAAAAAAAAA!" and more and more she stops in her tracks, sits, and I yell out,
"Good Girllllll!"
She is learning the command, "Stop now!"
She is lessoning in her goof-ballness.
Then again, when I look at that smooshy face that she arrived with some months ago...I melt a small bit. And get on with it all.
