My profile picture is of my ex worker Border Collie 'Sweep' age 11 He has now retired as we sold all the sheep four years ago. I do miss the sheep especially at lambing time - I was frequently found with my hand up a sheep's back end !
I enjoy walking Sweep and he has grown into quite a little character not the vicious sterotype working dog. He was never very good at working - used to get half way up the hill look at me and scratch his head as if to say 'What do you want me to do? and promptly come back to me, resorting in both of us trudging up the bank to bring back the sheep. While I was in hospital he drove my husband bonkers by barking and not settling - I dont care what people say but they do know when something isn't right.
He loves playing sticks but hasn't quite grasped the rules of the game that if he brings the stick back I'll throw it again - he'd rather hang on to it and let me do the chasing - he's not stupid.
It's great confiding in him with all my fears and concerns which I don't like doing to family incase it makes them worry, he puts his head to one side and gives me his paw.
He is light relief at this awful time.
FormerMember
Hi Kaz, I hope you're recovering well after your op. I Love your story of Sweep, he sounds like a real charachter. I have 2 female borders, Jess is 13 and half yrs and Izzy is 9 months old....Jess has a new lease of life now, thanks to Izzy!! They are such lovely dogs and like you I confide in mine, so as not to worry my family. As you say, they certainly know when things aren't right. Sorry you are going through such a bad time but i'm glad Sweep is there to help you, as are mine.
I hope you are feeling a bit better and more positive about your illness?
I have just read your blog and am sorry you seem to have really gone through the mill and had your fair share of it all.
I am fairly new to the website. My friend was diagnosed with AML a few days before Xmas and has just finished her 1st round of chemo a few weeks ago. She is on her 1st visit home after the chemo and we are hoping to meet up at the weekend providing she remains free of infections, temperatures etc.
One of our other school friends had breast cancer at age 35 (15 years ago now), so I symathise with your diagnosis.
What pulled me to your blog initially was sweep. He is gorgeous. I thought of my late father when I read your story, as I could relate to your experiences of keeping sheep and feelings of missing them now they have gone. Like you, my favourite time was lambing and I loved being out helping Dad bring new life onto the farm. Our boarder collie, Bob, loved it all as well, he would nuzzle his nose through the straw bales to get the scent of the new borns' and was always trying to get the opportunity of a lick of an ear or nose. I lost my Dad 3 years ago on 17 Sept 05, a month or two after the main flock was sold off. I miss my Dad and the way of life we had dreadfully, it was hard work but so satisfying. So I empathise with your situation. Do you live on a big farm and did you have a large flock? When were you diagnosed and was that the reason you had to give up rearing sheep?
I will sign off now as the time has really flown by and I have to cook now!!! It would be lovely to hear from you.
Take care Kaz and I will include you on my prayer list tonight.
Hello thanks for your comment. We sold the sheep four years ago due to my husband having a full time job and suffering from a bad back. We had over 200 and rented grazing from a local farmer. My grandfather was a shepherd too and I can remember him in his old tin wagon on the sussex downs and using old fashioned ways compared to my husbands use of modern equipment.
Oh Kaz he is beautiful. Your blog did make me laugh though, I inherited my dads dogs when he died 4 years ago - a female border collie cross, very sweet girl who sadly died and her daughter a pointer collie cross. She has the same problem with retrieving, she will gladly run after the ball, but then drops it and comes back - she looks at me as if to say - well I ran after it what else do you want me to do!. I end up retrieving the ball. The first few times at agility, I went over more jumps than she did with a "high value reward" clutched in my hand - sausage to you and me - to encourage her; she cheated and went round the jumps and we ended up knocking the pole off more than once.
Funny that your dog went through a phase of barking when you were away, mine did the same after her mum died and she was on her own - but hey one dog psychologist, lots of £'s, a training plan and some medication and we are quite a chilled dog most of the time. But she still won't bring the flaming ball back. Wouldn't be without her though.
