Winston the Working Dog

I am so sad to share with you all that Winston, our Great Pyrenees Livestock Guard Dog has passed away. 

Winston was such a fantastic dog - a kind and gentle soul. Winston's job here at the farm was to guard our sheep from predators - mostly coyotes who are a continual source of anguish and loss of life here at our farm. He slept outside, mostly during the day. At night, he patrolled our fields, barking constantly to keep the coyotes away from our sheep. 

Our Border Collies Ness and Kate are here for a different reason - to herd our sheep. The two breeds of dogs are so different - their personalities, their demeanor. It is really amazing to live with such fine animals who are still doing what their breeds were developed to do. 

Winston arrived with his brother Archie in November of 2011. You can see more photos of them as young boys here. In fact you all helped to name the two boys and some of you even donated to the fund that helped to pay for the pups. Sadly we found Archie dead one day when he was just a year old. 

Winston's purpose here at our farm was to guard our sheep from the coyotes. That is what his breed - the Great Pyrenees has done for over 14,000 years. 

Winston did an excellent job for 4 years - we barely lost an animal when he was on the top of his game. A few months ago, we noticed a swelling in one of his front knees. We had the vet check him over - thinking it was a fracture or something. On the vet's second visit, she mentioned the possibility of bone cancer since it is so common in large dogs. Winston lived on through the summer guarding the sheep, barking all night long. 

Last week, I could tell his time had come. I sat with him outside for several evenings, petting his thick coat, making him feel like the special guy we was. I tearfully called Amy, our vet, and she put him to rest. Mark dug a giant hole with the bucket of the tractor and we laid him in and covered him with brown soil. Winston is next to Paisley and Phoebe, two of our working Border Collies. 

I remember when we first got Winston and Archie. We were told not to socialize with them nor make them part of the family. The sheep were their charges. Winston took care of the sheep in his own gentle way and still was part of our family. I love this selfie I took of him and me one snowy winter day. After the photo, he knocked me over in the snow and I lay there laughing. Such a lovable, sweet gentle dog even if he weighed 170 pounds. It's a good thing the coyotes didn't know that his bark was way worse than his bite. 

It's an end of the Winston era here at Leyden Glen Farm. Thank you Big, Beautiful Boy of Mine. We all miss you. XO  

Meet Beau and Sadie - The Two New Great Pyrenees Guard Pups

I've had quite a few dogs in my life. I grew up with dogs in our house and over the years, Mark and I have had our fair share - Haida, Kelso, Paisley, Devon, Phoebe, Ness, Winston, Archie and Kate. These days, we choose working dogs - those canines who have been bred to have a job and help out on a farm. Border Collies take care of the herding. Great Pyrenees guard the sheep from the predators. I can't imagine even being able to sheep farm without a good dog or two or four or five. Dogs cover ground at amazing speed - they know their job - whether herding or guarding. As a sheep farmer, you come to rely on your dogs like family. And they are our family for sure. Our dogs rarely ever let us down, once they are out of the pup stage and know their role here at the farm. 

Sadly, two weeks ago, we lost Winston, our 4 year old Great Pyrenees Livestock Guard Dog to bone cancer. We knew there was not much to be done about his short life. No matter how much it pained me to think about life on the farm without Winston, I knew I had to think about replacing him. Knowing that it wouldn't take the coyotes long to figure out that Winston was ailing and gone, I started a search for another Great Pyrenees pup. We love the breed, the gentleness, the deep bark and their instinct to protect our sheep. Because we have frequent visitors here at our farm, we wanted to know that we could trust the dog. Luckily, I found a litter of pups at a sheep farm about a half hour from us and we were first on the list for a new pup. 

Off we went to visit Huckowicz Farm Suffolks in late August. The Great Pyrenees pups were in a barn with their sheep and alpacas. We met their Mom and Dad - Buddy and Abby - and chose not one but two pups. I couldn't bear the the thought of one little pup out in the field with the sheep in the wide open spaces since I didn't know how long Winston would be with us. 

Meet Beau and Sadie - the two new Livestock Guard Dog (LGD) Great Pyrenees pups. They are totally lovable balls of white fluffy fur. 

Beau and Sadie met Winston and lived with him for a couple weeks. Our vet Amy said she is sure he passed on his wisdom to them. Here's hoping they do their job as they grow into it. It has been a bit easier losing Winston with the distraction of puppies. Not that they will totally replace him. They will have their own personality that we will learn to love too. 

Sadie is smart as a whip and I'm sure will be the trouble maker and instigator. Her brown patches will fade as she grows.

I see a bit of Winston's personality in Beau - he is slower to move and not quite as rambunctious. His gray markings will probably remain as he grows older. 

It will take several months for the puppies to grow into their job. Right now we are trying to keep them safe and out of trouble. They are getting used to our family, the other dogs, and the sheep. 

Thank you everyone for the incredibly kind comments you left upon Winston's passing. We all read each and every one and appreciate your thoughts and sympathy. You guys are wonderful. 

Morning Walk with the Five Dog Family

The Farmer has been so busy with lambing still (yesterday 4 more), it is my daily job to take the five dog family for a walk and to check the pastures for sheep which might be stuck in a fence (like this morning) or whatever else sixty almost year old lambs can get themselves into. Our daily job is to walk the fences... to see if anything has snuck in that shouldn't be there. To make sure everyone is alive and happy.

It is difficult to get a photo of all of the canines all looking good together. I won't even try. If you want that kind of thing, go check out Jon Katz's blog. He does a gorgeous job with that. Here are the five dogs.... they are all so busy, looking, sniffing, chasing, doing what they need to do.

Almost every morning, we walk the fences... looking out into the forest. I always wonder what is looking at me at that particular time. Mysterious the forest is.

Hard to believe we have 3 puppies all at the same time. Archie and Winston arrived in October. They are Great Pyreness Livestock Guard Dogs (LGD).  You probably wonder how I can tell them apart. I can - from their personalities and from some very specific markings. Archie has stripes on his face and Winston is lighter in color. Archie is the more dominant, rough and tough. He likes to run with the Border Collies. Winston on the other hand loves me. Every morning, he snuggles up to get loves and follows me closely as we walk through the field.

Both Archie and Winston are incredibly sweet and gentle dogs. It seem so funny that we have them as Guard Dogs living with the sheep.... to me, they are like giant teddy bears.  They have a large calf shed which they can use but mostly they are outside in the weather. Their coats are very thick and sometimes coated with icy bits. They don't interact a lot with the sheep but they seem to know their place and their duty. Every evening at dusk, they start barking.... in a deep, gruff, scary bark. This goes on until about midnight. I guess it keeps the predators away. I know if I didn't know these two, I would be scared too. Here they are at a very sweet moment on our walk, giving each other little kisses.

And then there is Kate - our three month old Border Collie. Kate is fast as the wind, can turn on a dime, is in constant motion, and is BC through and through. I have high hopes for her herding talents and can see it developing every day, all day long. She loves to watch the chickens, chase the cats but hasn't quite figured out the sheep yet. 

The ewe is wondering what that streak running across the field is....

As I watch the dogs while walking or being with the sheep, I constantly marvel at the difference in the two dog breeds. Both are time honored dog breeds bred for working with sheep - just different kinds of work. The Great Pyrenees plod along slowly and do a lot of watching and barking. They are slow and steady. The Border Collies on the other twist and jump and turn and never stop until it is time to go inside. We yell out "that'll do" and they know it is time to finish with the sheep and go inside. Kate hasn't quite learned the term yet but she follows Phoebe and Ness, seeming to know that she is a Border Colie.

Kate, Archie, and Ness

When Kate first arrived, I wondered what Archie and Winston would think of her. I shouldn't have worried. Every morning, they are waiting for her to come visit. They run and play but they can't keep up. She bosses them around. It is something to watch - a small little 20 pound puppy telling these two giant puppies what to do.

Archie and Winston playing with little Kate

I love this photo of Winston on the knoll. Ness is behind him and barely visible. She is following the ewes and Winston is watching out for something. He looks so serious and she looks like she has a giant smile on her face.

Winston watching and Nessie waiting to move the sheep

We couldn't have this farm without our dogs. They live to work. It is quite a priviledge to watch a dog do what it was bred to do over the centuries. Sometimes, I feel like I am living in another time - when humans and their dogs supported each other with their own special skills. 

And here is head dog - Phoebe, sweet Phoebe. Thirteen years old and a total love. A lot slower than she used to be but we love her just as much.... Nothing like the familiarity an old dog brings to your life. What memories we have with her.

Do you know the term "Five Dog Night?" There's a great children's book with a title of the same name by Eileen Cristelow about an old Vermonter and how he kept warm. Sweet.

Meet Winston and Archie and their New Morning Duties

So sorry this has been such a long time in coming but things have been busy. Thanks so much for all the name suggestions for our two new pups. Our family decision was to stick with "Archie" for one of the pups. This decision came with approval from my Mom who thought Daddy would have liked to have a dog named after him - considering he was such a dog lover. The choice of Winston (after Mr. Churchill) was unanimous with the three of us here. Thanks to all of you for all the awesome name ideas! We had to choose names that could be called out across a field and which would sound different. 

"The Boys" as we have been calling them have begun learning their territory. Every morning, shortly before sunrise, they get fed and then it is time for them to go to work learning their boundaries. The other morning I tagged along. The sun was just peaking over the mountain.

 

The electric fence got turned off and opened up. 

Out went the sheep to graze.

Archie and Winston followed The Farmer around the inside of the night pasture. 

 Then it was time to walk the other pastures.

We have one very open pasture and two other fenced pastures that are abandoned apple orchards. Over the past couple years we have had permanent fencing put in to protect the sheep from the wildlife that are their predators. Until a month ago, things had been fine. And then this..... 

Each morning, all four dogs walk the fences with their boss.

They walk down towards Glen Brook....

 

Along the way, we found one of many tunnels the coyotes have been working on. 

Archie and Winston had a good sniff.

 

More walking.....

 All four dogs seem to be loving this new morning ritual. 

 And more walking....

By the time we came up out of the lower orchard, the sun was shining.

The boys are growing so fast. I can't believe how much bigger they are since this photo was taken last week. 

Thanks again for all your help with the names. Get ready for more puppy photos as the boys grow.

Stormy Days

This post seems to not be showing up in many people's browsers. It was written on the day of the hurricane. I have re-posted it on November 2nd. 

We're waiting for the big storm to arrive. Schools have been cancelled all through our area. The wind is blowing like crazy and sure to be blowing for hours. The sheep are ready. They take storms like this in stride, hunkering down getting wet and letting it pass. There's been such hype because of last year's storm. Not much we can do about it but wait and see. Although humans want to control everything in their lives, nature is the real boss. I suppose living on a farm we are more tuned into this than many.

I have been wondering how to tell you all this and there is no easy, gentle way…. We found Archie, one of our Great Pyrenees Guard Dogs, dead in the woods next to our neighbor’s field a few weeks ago. We don’t know why he died and never will. We are sad beyond belief. It is not easy to lose a dog. Archie and his brother had not lived here at our farm even a year. 

Winston and Archie

Archie was an enthusiastic boy – full of life, large barks and bravado. We and his brother Winston miss him. Winston is trying to sort out his work life considering Archie was more dominant. He seems to be stepping up to the plate barking all night long, just like the two of them did together. We don’t plan to get another Guard Dog at this point in time.

Winston

We buried Archie in the sheep field in Bernardston where all The Farmer’s family’s farm dogs have been buried for decades. Sad day for sure.

Puppies, A Routine + Save The Date!

First off - More exciting news from the farm today. At least for me. We are throwing an "Open House/Open Farm" two day event. We are just in the planning stages but I'm joining together with a couple of local friends to do this thing. I'm a bit scared and trepidatious but we are giving it a go. Julia is convinced noone will come. I hope she is wrong.

Dates: December 5/6, 2015
Mark your calendar, get in your car, come to the farm, buy some art, books, pottery, + ethnic textiles and jewelry. Visit the sheep and the puppies. Buy some lamb for a special holiday meal. 
How does that sound? 
More on the event coming soon. 
Here are the directions to our farm if you are curious.

Oh boy - Autumn is almost over here. The leaves are pretty much on the ground and the architecture of the trees is back in the landscape. Today is an incredibly foggy and misty and drizzly day and although it is warm, I can't even see the sheep out in the pasture. 

Yesterday though - it was incredibly gorgeous. Sunny and in the 70's. I took the opportunity to be outside a bit and it was glorious. It is part of the daily routine here to take the puppies Beau and Sadie and the Border Collies Ness and Kate for a walk in the orchard. This is part of the training process for the Gt Pyrenees Livestock Guard Dogs (LGD for short). We walk the perimeter of the fences so they know what they "own" and need to protect. 

The puppies are growing like weeds. They are in the teenage stage. You can see their muscles growing under their saggy skin. They are fast, curious, and are loving eating disgusting things. Typical farm dogs. 

There are some patches of moss at the bottom of one of the pastures. 

It grows in large drifts and Beau and Sadie rush to it, lie down on it and roll around on it. So cute. They know every patch of it in the pasture. It must be like a giant mattress for them.

People have asked me about the training of the LGD's. Besides the walking the fencelines, there isn't much training involved - except for trying to keep them from jumping which is a losing battle right now. Their instincts are amazing. They already know their territory. I suppose they smell Winston's trails and scent. Maybe he is guiding them as they take over his job and territory. Although we have had them fenced in, trying to keep them safe, they have now learned how to climb out of the picket fence (Gt Pyrs are climbers if you can believe it). There is no keeping them in. When we wake up in the morning, they are usually out in the sheep pasture sniffing around and eating poop. 

The two personalities of these puppies is starting to come out. Beau is more attentive to me and reminds me of Winston. He is a little slower and will actually look at me if I call him. Sadie on the other hand is all business, up to her own antics and could care less about me. 

Sadie venturing off on her own

Beau has the sweetest face and look

Kate and Ness, the Border Collies, want nothing to do with the puppies. Ness is frequently nipping at the puppies, helping her retain her top dog position in the pack. Kate is frequently gone now - doing chores with The Farmer. Her sheep herding skills are really improving and she is being a real help. Nessie just can't keep up anymore. We can't remember how old she is but she has got to be at least 10 and she has worked very hard. She has earned her position on the comfy couch. 

For a month or so, we have only had 6 sheep in the pastures at our house. And then there were 5, and then 4, and then 3. The coyotes were eating well when Winston was not feeling well. We haven't lost a sheep in about a month - do not know if the coyotes have moved on to someone else's animals or if it is because the puppies are here. This week we moved 16 ewes back and we'll see what happens. 

I love having them back because it makes the pastures more alive and makes this place feel more like the farm it is. The rest of the ewes and rams are still grazing in other locations but it will be over soon. Winter will come, the grass will stop growing and they will go back to their winter barn and we will wait for lambs in January. 

 

The puppies were raised in a barn with sheep. When the sheep arrived, they were not the least bit interested in chasing. They just kind of settled in with them although I'm not sure the sheep were too comfortable with the new puppies. Their enthusiasm is boundless as captured in these two photos. I wish I could bottle it. 

Beau

Sadie

We all are settling in as a newly minted farm family. Our farm dogs are such a part of our lives. We all have a job to do and it feels great that Beau and Sadie seem to already know their position and job here at the farm. Winston must have had a good talk with them before he left them.