Socks has been limping and we have been giving her antibiotics and other treatments. I used to give the shots, but Maria has taken it over. Socks used to run at the sight of Maria, but few animals do that for very long.
Red took Dotty out for a walk this afternoon, a curious thing to see. He walks alongside her and beside her, moving close when she wanders or circles around. He walks her up to some grass, then back to the barn. He keeps up with her, but I would not say he is herding her. Honestly, I cannot say what he is doing, but it appears that he is taking her out for a walk. I have not seen border collies herd single sheep much, if at all. She is sometimes disoriented, it seems – thus the name – and he seems to keep her on track. I am wary of reaching too many conclusions about this. You can decide for yourself.
The old sheep have definitely been frisky lately. They busted out of the pasture the other night, and this morning, they rioted in the big barn. They heard the grain cans moving (I bumped into one) and they stampeded into the barn, nearly knocking me and Maria over. Sheep around grain are a wild mob. I yelled for Red who zoomed into the barn and quickly quelled the disturbance, following the “away” command to get behind the sheep and drive them out of the barn. They moved quickly.
Simon pays little attention to sheep, he often chases them out of the pole barn. But he seems very easy with Dotty. She went right up into the barn, lay down next to him,and that’s where she is when she isn’t grazing. I see Simon is very protective of her. When Red and I approached the barn, he put his head down and prepared to charge. He stopped when I got close to him, and I sent Red back down the hill. I think Dot has found a good place for herself.
Meet Dotty, the newest member of the Bedlam Farm cast (that’s what they call people at Disney World), and she fits right in. She looks over the fence at the other old sheep, but I just went up and checked on her, and I said, “Dot, give it up. You just don’t have the legs to get up that hill.” She has already bonded with Simon, who nearly ran over me and Red when we came up the hill to take a look at her.
My animals never cease to surprise and teach me. You never know with sheep. Dot is eating heartily and seems happy around Maria’s black wool sheep, She does seem a bit confused, and I can’t really blame her. I’ve been fairly confused myself lately. I’m curious to see how Red handles her in this new setting. He wouldn’t push her with the old sheep and allowed her to move at her own place. I’ll try it out tomorrow. Dotty seems to know her way around the farm. I wonder if she was her once before.
