Tag Archives: cattle dog

Me and My Dog: Lou Brightens Life

Lou with flowers in her hair ;)

One of the things I love about farming is that the vast majority of days tend to be different. They will have elements that are similar. We milk cows for over 300 days a year, in spring the calves are fed morning and evening, in winter all animals need to be foddered but other work tends to vary such as tasks like fencing, spreading fertiliser, spreading dung, grass measuring, dosing cattle, mowing grass, paperwork. If the sun is shining, it [...]

Why My Dog is my Best Friend

A farmer and her best friend

It’s been years since I’ve had a dog of my own, and I’ve never had a working dog who obeys me. When I was four, our cattle dog was killed on the road. Scared of storms, and the babysitter not realising he was normally allowed indoors during a storm, he ran off and was hit by a car. “Pupsy” was a dream dog. He brought in the cows when told to do so, he jumped into the boot and helped out [...]

Farming Essentials: Mobile Phones, A Good Dog and Telepathy but 2 out of 3 ain’t bad

Cows going out to grass on a beautiful evening

Telepathy fails sometimes doesn’t it? Even on farms? So what do you need instead? I’ve concluded a dog and a mobile phone are essential requirements. Although we have to bear in mind that a mobile phone doesn’t always work. A dog? Well, that’s up to you to ensure you have a good one – or at least know its weaknesses.

These events happened a couple of months ago, late March and early April, when the cows were out but it was [...]

One Girl and Her Pup

One girl and her pup bringing in the cows

We bought a new pup a couple of months ago. Sam, our hardworking collie, will soon be ten years old and apart from thinking that he probably needs a rest, we’re very conscious that we would be lost without a good dog. Put it this way, I’d need to improve on my fitness! Indeed, when we see him next to an exuberant pup, it really brings home that he’s worked hard his whole life and is starting to slow up [...]

Why A Dog Is A Farmer’s Best Friend

Our dog’s love for the farmer is something else as is his desire to please him. Sam is usually put back into his kennel after bringing in the cows in the mornings. He is then let out again once the cows have been milked and we are heading in for breakfast. The reason he is put away is because he used to enjoy nipping at the cows when they were in the collecting yard so it was nipped in the [...]