Pepper

Pepper and the kids

While the rest of the country is having spring, and much of it is having mud season, we're having the central Wisconsin version of spring:  melting slush and ice.    It takes a long time to melt so much snow, but we're starting to have patches of bare ground here and there.   It was warm enough yesterday to work on cleaning the barn and the yard.   The ewe, Diglett, and her two lambs, were moved with the help of Ben into a sunny outdoor pen for the day so I could muck out their stall, then we moved them back again for night.  It turned out to be a good decision because last night we had some freezing drizzle, not the lambs' favorite weather.  

Meanwhile, I've been working Pepper on the sheep as much as I can.  She does better with more work- never gets enough, really, like a lot of dogs her age (19 months).    She's got the big flanks already, so now I'm working a lot on her walk up and out and her smaller flanks, keeping her tuned into me and thoughtful the whole time.   She's a very keen and natural dog- she wants to cover the sheep at all times, but she's getting the walk up too and this week has learned to be steady and stand up close to the sheep without getting excited.    I think in the last few sessions  we have made huge strides in our teamwork and partnership.  

I also got the news that Pepper's breeder, Penny Ewert,  has just whelped out a repeat litter of the cross that produced Pepper.  They were born March 17 and there are 5 babies:  1 black male, 1 red bi male, 1 blue male, and two red merle females.

Snoozy Pepper