I really didn't realize how much danger Jake was in when a potentially aggressive animal took that blink as a sign of weakness
Meet Nanny Devil Incarnate and company (Nanny D is one in the middle), she is accompanied by her kid and Billy the Hitman, well, Billy is really a wether, but no one has told him.
Nanny D and Company came home with us from the Colfax Sale Barn in November after we sold our calves. We have not had goats in years, these three came through for $50.00 a head (cheapest of the day) and we decided to give it try again. They are a tough crew, I don't dare put a young dog in with them, they will ruin a dog if given the opportunity. Ricky handles them the best, old Nanny D comes straight at him, he waits for to get to him, he bites hard she backs up and he says "Want to try again?" She leaves.
This is how Nanny D operates, she sends Billy the Hitman in to challange the dog and then waits to see what happens. If Billy can get Jake to blink he goes for the kill and Nanny D follows right along behing hitting Billy in the hip until Billy turns off and then she takes a stab at the dog.It's not for the faint of heart, to say the least. At the beginning of our session Billy the Hitman met Jake head to head in the narrow alleyway of a T chute, the exit is about 20 foot from the wall. I thought Jake was going to stand firm, but then he blinked....Billy did his thing, Jake went to fight back but Billy took the low road, sorta picked Jake up and ran him 20 feet back slamming him into the wall. Jake regained his footing and declared war, he might blink but he typically get's the last word. There was nothing I could do, aside from being speechless, trying to stay clear of getting piled up myself and thinking this is frickin dangerous...
So now I am at a crossroads, set it up again and risk having Jake injured or get out while we are ahead and keep things out in the open. Well, I'm a risk taker, and to tell you the truth that alley configuration has caused Jake all kinds of simular issues at cattle trials, mind you he has never been slammed into a wall by a cow, but at Platte, SD a heifer came real close, if he had zigged instead of zagged it would have been kiss good old Jake goodbye. So, we set it back up, Jake head to head, he has no problem going head to head, it's just that he has a moment of weakness at a moment where he really needs to show strength, this time he blinks again, but goes low and Billy blows on past him. Ok, we got change, that's good....let's try it again.
Third times a charm, head to head, face to face, I can see more lean in Jake's posture actually leaning a bit into Billy, and then it happened...Billy backed up and left. There it is!!!! Reapply, Rinse, Repeat.... Reapply, Rinse, Repeat... As a reward I went ahead and let Jake move the not so happy trio around in the open.
Now Billy the Hitman has a different tune, and note Nanny D wants no part of Jake.
But then Nanny D decides that this just is not right and stands square and firm, she's kinda a tough old bird
I didn't get the shot of Jake giving her what for, but between the white hair in his mouth and the near spinning poltergiest head with tongue fully extended you can imagine who made his point.
I called Wayne to update him on our progress and to let him know that we may be risking Jake's health, he said proceed on, it's way less dangerous getting plowed by a 50 lb goat then it would be by a 800 lb steer. The jury is still out as to whether or not I will continue down this path, I have a call into Marc to see if he thinks that the possible gains outweights the risks. And then I wondered why Jake's breeder told us to get through this type of stuff before you put alot of time and money into the dog. Kinda wonder how many realize what all goes into proving a stockdog from a risk of injury standpoint, ducks and dogbroke sheep are way easier...I hope I don't regret going down this road, how much is a canine life insurance policy?
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