Laney goes to University Updated July 17, 2006 Ch. Csigora Bator Lány of Casablanca, CGC arrived at The Farm of the Wild Roses on April 3rd, 2005. David Gallagher raises sheep for fiber and meat in the beautiful White Mountains of Arizona. Predation (primarily from neighborhood dogs) has stopped since David brought his first kuvasz to the farm more than 12 years ago. Can a show dog and companion kuvasz reach into her genetic hardwiring for the skills of a working dog? Through David's positive training methods and the example set by Casablanca's Moses of the Wild Roses, we will find out. If all goes well, Laney will graduate with honors and be bred to Moses. Laney will then come back to Casablanca
to have her puppies. Click Thumbnails to Enlarge April 3, 2005 Moses on guard David shows Laney the classroom while Maggie and Csikós goof off The sheep
Click here for video in Real or Windows format First progress report from David April 16, 2005
After twelve days of being a house dog and going for walks on a leash, both
Laney and I decided on Thursday night that we were both ready for a new
routine.
On Friday morning, April 15, at 8:00am, Laney, on her leash, and I entered the sheep and lamb pen. Previously, we had walked by the sheep pen and stopped and watched them numerous times. This was Laney's first time actually going into the pen. I removed her choke collar and leash. This was the first time she has been outside the house without her collar and leash. I left the sheep pen. While I puttered around doing this and that and keeping a close eye on Laney and the sheep and lambs, Laney got to know the sheep and patrolled the entire pen. She and Moses had some fun running up and down the portion of the Sheep pen where they share a common fence line. The adult sheep, not yet familiar with Laney, were leery but allowed her to sniff them. The lambs were very leery when Laney wanted to get to know them and ran. This, predictably, resulted in Laney chasing the lambs. A sharp and loud, NO CHASE, resulted in Laney coming to a complete stop and looking at me. When she was at a stop, I said to her, "That's a good girl, calm and docile with the sheep and lambs. This was repeated several times during the hour and a half period of time. After puttering around for the hour and a half and seeing that Laney was doing very well for her first time with the sheep and lambs, I entered the sheep pen. Laney came to me allowed me to put her choke collar and leash on. We came into the house and repeated this first lesson of another hour and a half in the late afternoon. In conclusion, I would say that Laney did very well with the sheep and lambs. She could have shown aggression towards them and attacked them. She also could have been fearful and stayed far away form the sheep. She displayed neither of these behaviors which would indicate an unlikely prospect for a sheep guardian. Laney does need to learn that she will have to wait for the lambs to approach her for them to get to know each other. I think this will happen. Her chasing them was her desire to get to know them and not a hostile act. In addition, my big concern, will Laney come to me and let me put her collar and leash on, was answered positively. In fact, after her afternoon lesson, she was so happy to see me in the sheep pen with her collar and leash that she surprised me by jumping up with her front paws on my chest. We went back into the house from the sheep pen for the night. We are now both ready to repeat yesterday today. Instead of going for walks, Laney is now going to be with the sheep and lambs in their pen to relieve herself. And of course to learn. Second progress report from David April 19, 2005 On Saturday, Laney had a repeat of her Friday experience with both the
morning and afternoon "session" one half hour longer. I came back into the
house during the afternoon session and watched through the windows. I
concluded that, while I was outside puttering around keeping an eye on
Laney, she was also keeping an eye on me. With me in the house, she wanted
to get out of the sheep pen and be with me. April 24, 2005 Laney has spent the night outside with Moses in his yard and dog house
each night now since Sunday, April 17th. I did work in Mo's yard on Monday
morning for a couple of hours and both Mo and Laney were curious and
interested. Laney was especially glad to have some human company. April 25, 2005 Both Laney and Moses are doing well with sharing Mo's yard and house.
They get along well now that they have become use to each other. April 29, 2005 I was gone all morning Thursday and Laney was still with Mo from the
night before. When I returned in the afternoon, I found all to be
okay. Laney was very happy. I let her out of Mo's yard and into the
sheep/lamb pen for the rest of the afternoon. Only this time, I did not put
her collar and leash on. She walked freely out of Mo's yard and into the
sheep/lamb pen. For the night, she returned to Mo's yard and house. May 10, 2005 Laney is doing very well! She has been spending most days with the
sheep and lambs and all nights with Moses. I took another two nights
away trip this past Saturday and Sunday night. Again, Laney was very
glad to see me upon my return. She is very easy to handle. I think
keeping her in the house with me for her first two weeks here was a good
idea. We are pretty well bonded which makes both our lives much easier
with this experiment. May 14, 2005 Today, marks the
end of Laney's first week week of spending all of her time, day and
night, with my sheep and lambs. She enjoys having the expanded territory
to patrol and protect. She is on guard for all trucks, cars and others
who may pass by along our road. She has been quite impressed with the
elk that pass by in the night and early in the morning. She lets all
know that she is there. Laney and Mo were bred in late June. Neil and I picked up Laney on August 22 to bring her back to Casablanca to whelp her puppies in luxury. We'll be interested in seeing how long it takes her to adapt to life as a princess again! The pedigree for these puppies is at http://www.hbalaw.com/casablanca/2005litter.htm Inquiries are always welcome. Puppies were born August 27, 2005!!!! November 2005 Neil and I returned Laney to the farm. Her daughter Elan
from her previous litter came along for the ride. Photos of Laney's return
and Elan's first sheep experience are here: March 2006 David reports that Laney, Moses, airedale terrier Angel, sheep, lambs and ducks are all doing well. "It was something seeing them all deal with the three feet of snow that we had a few weeks ago. Laney actually enjoys being with the sheep and lambs more than Mo." July 2006
David reports...."by
the way, the two of them, Laney and Moses, kept a bear that had gotten
into my sheep and lamb pen up a tree all night last Thursday night until I
showed up at first day light. Interesting watching the bear try to come down
and seeing
Gail S. Dash &
Neil Berger
phone (818)77BWDOG
City of Los Angeles
©2006
Gail S. Dash
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