Fun With Mudflap

tx_cowgirl

Honored Member
Staff member
I've been gone a while due to technical difficulties, but I felt like sharing what's been going on with Mud and I.
Today I took Mud to a park in town and did a little practice on her off-leash work near traffic, people, dogs, ducks, geese, turtles, and the like. After about 40 minutes or so, we took a break to get a drink from the water fountain. Mud's always loved snapping at the water from the hose...so I couldn't help my curiousity. The water shot out just past the edge of the fountain itself when you pushed the button, splashing onto the concrete. Mud's left ear perked, the right ear forward with the tip lazily folded over. I held it only for a second, then just had to try again. This time I held it longer, and of course Mud went for it. She was happy to drink the water but wanted to play. She snapped at the stream of water shooting out of the water fountain, and the joggers smiled and chuckled to themselves at my silly little thirsty (and soaked) dog. It was amusing to say the least, and made the day of one elder jogger. :dogsmile: I got a vid on my cell phone, but unfortunately I couldn't get it to load. >< Grr.
On another day a month or so ago, a friend of mine asked for Mud's help. She has a lamb that she took in as a pet who has started bullying her 98-pound yellow Lab. He's a big clown, and was abused when he came to her. So when Simba took to headbutting the poor blonde, he would either cower or run. Of course, Simba just made a game of it, and would headbutt him if he got too close to Morgan, or when he just felt like it. Morgan asked me to bring Mud over to help him learn to respect a dog's boundaries. Mud is not what I would call stock-aggressive. She will nip lightly to push a stubborn lamb or other animal. I've had her do some work with sheep before, but she's not a "working" border collie necessarily. Anyway...so I decided to put her to the test on listening with an extreme distraction. (The lamb, my friend's dogs fenced nearby, her horse sectioned off at the front of the pasture, us, very light traffic, and the occasional train in the distance, plus a not-very-familiar place.) I'd send her out to sort things out with the stubborn lamb(there was no attacking, no gnawing on legs, no abuse to either animal), call her back to me, ask for an off-leash heel, give commands at random, ask for a stay while I mingled with the very people-friendly Simba, call her to me(where she had to pass Simba to get to me), etc. It went incredibly well. Her recall was flawless. She never faltered. Her "on my left"(taught here on DTA as "get in") was perfect every time. Her basic commands were fantastic, her more advanced commands were pretty good, and her release was always incredible. She looked forward to me telling her to go out and work the lamb. ^^ So...she was great, and did help the lamb some. My friend and I plan on repeating the session several times, and I think that the lamb will respect dogs more in time. We brought Yeller out once Simba had learned that Mudflap wasn't going to be pushed around, and he never once got headbutted, charged, or anything else. ^^ It was very productive. Yeller kind of has a crush on Mudflap, so he stuck to her like glue. Simba wouldn't charge him with Mud by his side, so it went well. Poor Yeller. Mud barely even notices him half the time. xD He doesn't seem to mind though...lol. :doglaugh:
 

storm22

Experienced Member
good little mudflap, theres nothing worse than a pet sheep getting away with butting a dog, its good that you can help your friend and her poor doggy

yeller sounds like he has abit of puppy love with mud, storm is totally head over heals for my old girl timex too, she ignores him most of the time, sometimes she'll lick him but most of the time he just follows her and gets excited and puppy like when she turns and looks his way, (i dont have the heart to tell him that shes going blind and cant reallly see him that far away)
 

tx_cowgirl

Honored Member
Staff member
Lol, Mud rarely even acknowledges Yeller. ^^ It was rather funny seeing my little 30-pounder putting the 100+ pound sheep in his place to protect the 98-pounder. xD
Watching Yeller and Mud play fetch is fun too...lol...it's like putting a big truck up against a little Ferrari. Yeller kind of lumbers in a very clumsy, dorky looking gait, while Mud tears it up and runs after the toy at full speed. ^^ The two of them make for good entertainment. He loves it when Mud comes over, because Morgan's Shar-Pei/Lab isn't much for playing.
 
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