Kneeling in cold, damp grass that has been touched with frost and looking across at sheep in the distance. In the company of guardian dogs who also like the view from high points on the prairie although for a very different reason. My arm and camera being nudged in earnest by a strong white muzzle as I try to still myself to take a photo…
With the arrival of each fall the flock settles as do I. Market lambs are gone, replacement ewe lambs are weaned and have returned to the ewe flock. The flock is settling into the season and staying tight as coyotes push in.
The guardian dogs are not quite so settled. This is their season of hard work and their behaviour’s change in slight ways because of it.
Each day, regardless of the season, I take a walk with the kelpies twice a day. The morning walk is often at first light, when it’s tough to see clearly, or just after. If we pass too near to the flock and we are spotted/scented by the guardian dogs they will alert but typically settle back down upon realizing who we are. So occasionally on morning walks in the Fall I am caught unawares when a guardian dog or two leaps the fence and charges at us as a first move of defense. This switch up to charge first, ask questions later is one way I know the guardians are feeling extra sensitive to predators.
With market lambs no longer here the worry over predators is significantly less for me. The guardians would probably claim otherwise. The replacement ewe lambs held back are few in number and they will garner some protection just by way of keeping with flock. There is still a risk of kills by coyotes but that is a risk of grass based management, a risk that comes with the territory, a risk that guarantees guardian dogs have a working future for some time to come.