A New Dog in the Group — May 28, 2014

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Dayphoto

Close to the cab of the pickup is Balou, Shannon’s dog…next to Balou is Molly, Shannon’s boy friend’s dog, the there is Boomer and Fuzzy (you know those two 🙂 ). Behind Boomer and Fuzzy is Shannon’s ex-husband’s dog Rocky, then Hank Puff the grandchildren’s dog, the last dog is Buddy’s dog. Buddy passed away two years ago.

It’s a pack of dogs, that is for sure!

Rocky and Balou are Rottweilers, Hank is a Marshmallow, Fuzzy is 1/2 Border Collie and 1/2 Sheltie, Boomer is a Beagle, Houston a Mountain Cur, and Molly is a Blue Tick Hound.

We were aware that Houston (better known as Princess) could climb trees. On every walk she went, if there was a tree close by, up she would go.

But we didn’t know this…

Can you spot the Blue Tick Hound in the tree?

Boomer just sat on the ground and watch with all of us

We are all very surprised. She scaled the tree sniffing and exploring the whole way. Then headed out on this very dead branch…we yelled for her to come down

Which she took her sweet time of hearing and understanding and coming down, minding is NOT something she has been used to doing.

This dog has live her whole life on a chain. She was extremely timid, frightened and half starved. I’m not sure, but I think she is between one and two years old. Gradually she is learning it’s okay to be free, but you need to come when called, you need to respond when asked to do something…life is more than a chain.

Boomer just watches Houston or Molly climb trees. He looks at them as if to say “Trees are for Birds Silly. The best smells are on the ground”.

As for Fuzzy and I…we are learning what life is like in a pack…rather over-whelming, I must say. Although, we don’t see them often when they do come over it’s a huge group to go with for a walk on the farm!

Fuzzy and I really rather like the solitude of just us for a walk. Bedlam is rather daunting.

It takes about 10 full minutes for everyone to settle down and get into the swing of how the walk is supposed to be. Then just like geese we are off…Shannon and I in the lead, the two old dogs, Fuzzy and Balou bringing up the rear.

Have a good day everyone…just think You Could Be Walking in a Pack!

Tee Hee,

Your Farm Friend,

Linda

Houston Better Known as Princess

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Dayphoto

Houston a.k.a. Princess is a Mountain Cur dog. She is four-years-old. And papered.

Houston was Buddy’s dog, the two Rottweilers are Shannon’s now with Buddy’s passing, Houston is Shannon’s dog also.

From what we understand, Mountain Curs are a breed the originated in the southern Appalachia mountains. They are hunting dogs used to tree squirrels and raccoon’s and other critters that climb trees. They are known to be able to climb a tree and hold the creature right there. That’s called ‘hard treeing’ —

(Just to set the record straight…I know nothing about hunting, or hunting with a dog. Buddy came from a tiny town on the Texas/Louisiana border and grew up hunting. I only know this stuff because he told us.)

The rancher that rents our place in the winter to calve out his cows has Black Mouth Curs, they are also hunting and treeing dogs.

Princess Houston not only climbs up a tree but she can climb down a tree. The first time the dogs and I saw her do it, we just stopped and stared. Boomer ran up to the tree and put his front paws on the trunk and hallooooooooooooooowd at her. But he could in no fashion ever get up there. Fuzzy looked at her like she was out of her gourd some how. The Rottweilers didn’t even pay attention to her since they have lived with her from her puppyhood.

Since Boomer and Houston are both hounds they love to go searching and sniffing around all the holes and hollers and dales and valleys on our place, but they are both good about coming back and being with us — if we call.

Oh, wait…Boomer sometimes has to play tricks on us and only come way after we call! 🙂

Anyway, I had lots of questions about Houston and if she could also climb down the tree once she was up there…yep, she can!

And she has a heart of gold and is an outstanding watch dog although, she no longer goes hunting.

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Fuzzy Plays a Trick on Boomer

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Dayphoto

It’s fall here!

Thank Heavens…June and July has been hugely unpleasant…searing heat, brutal winds, lots forest fires and No rain.

Lots of colorful plants starting to show up, and the rain! Plus now we have mosquitoes. That isn’t good, but we will take it.

But that’s okay; Boomer and I are really enjoying ourselves!

Although, I have to admit, when Hank shows up, or any of Shannon’s dogs, Balou, Rock (two Rottweilers) and Huston (the most beautiful dog in the world) Boomer sorts of forgets what we were doing and goes off with his head cut off, so to speak.

Let’s see by his self, Boomer is intelligent, courteous, and resourceful, but when others show up, simple things, like going for a walk to the upper-end turns into a five-hour energy drink.

First Boomer and Hank, and Balou and Rock have to pee on everything.

And I do mean EVERYTHING… their Mom and my Mom have to make sure they move quickly through the yard, past all of Dad’s equipment, the sheds, the tires on every piece of vehicle and the grain bins.

I don’t know what is worse…tires or the grain bins for being pee magnates.

I’ve tried to keep up with them, but my leg doesn’t raise real high anymore so I have to settle for a shot in the dark. Sometimes that’s not good…I miss. Where I’ve been aiming I sometimes get myself. 😦

Mom told me I don’t need to keep up with everyone and just walk with her, then I don’t have to ‘raise the leg’ all the time, so speak.

Mom says all the dogs’ together act like a pack of boys—joking, poking, wrestling, and laughing. Only with us dogs, it’s sniffing, running into the corn to follow a sent, jumping into the canal (only Hank, Balou, and Houston like to jump into the canal). But they make a huge splash when they do it.

Boomer and I don’t jump in and neither does Rocky…Rocky’s hip hurts so jumping into way-over-your-head, very fast running water is not something he likes to do, then climbing out a grass covered slick, steep side of the canal isn’t fun either.

Boomer doesn’t like water.

I don’t even get in the irrigation ditches anymore, it’s for sure I won’t do the canal. My 40 pounds wouldn’t last long in that thundering mess.

Then Boomer and Houston (she is a hound breed also) take off baying and following who knows what. Sometimes they forget how far they travel and we have to wait while Mom and Shannon holler until they come back.

Walks like that are Bizarre!

The ones I like the best are the ones with just Boomer and I and Mom. We find lots of stuff to look at; Boomer has learned to travel off but not go too far as he might miss out on something.

At the end of all our fields are waste ditches…these are the ditches that take the water, which is running through the fields, back into the canal.

I really like these ditches…they are just right to jump in and chase bubbles and cool your feet off.

So yesterday I was doing just that as Boomer was sniffing around to learn what he could learn. At the culvert I decided to play a trick on Boomer…I stuck my head into the culvert, came back out, looked at Mom and barked like something really neat was in there.