The Blue Dog

I’ve never been a dog person per se’, but our son loved dogs as a young boy. He tried to keep every one that came his way. I told him, when he had a home of his own, he could keep as many as he wanted.

Life has a way of bringing things to be, and when he had a family of his own, our son had many dogs. He was given a talent for training without much effort. He began raising the cattle dogs because of his job as a cowboy in the feed yard. These dogs are good to help gather cows that get unruly and out of the herd. 

Some of you know that the job of a cowboy may or may not last long, or circumstances tend to push in a way so that you are on the move quite a bit. In one of these moves, Josh, found himself back home, for a while, with his family, AND his dogs. 

We , of course were happy to have them, but the dog’s lifestyle had to change a bit.  Mom had never allowed outside dogs to be inside dogs. This was Bugg and Blue. Along with these two, were 6 pups, due at anytime.

We brought them to our hen house, which was a warm place with hay, and a warming light, just in case the babies were born in the night, in the cold. I am not entirely heartless! Sure enough, the beautiful pups were born just as we’d expected. Josh was well known in the cow dog community for his training , so the pups were spoken for before they were born. We barely had time to get attached to them. So, then there was only two again.

When the time came for our son and his family to move on to the next place, they found out they could only have one dog. Of course, Bugg was the king , so the little blue dog had to remain with us. 

It took Blue some time to get to know us as friends, but she warmed up fairly quickly. Especially to my husband. He loves dogs, in there place, so Blue settled in to stay.

We raise chickens on our acreage , and we like to let them out during the day to graze the property. This means they scatter out for some distance, and have to learn to come in when I call, “chick, chick, chick.” It takes a while for them to learn that, so I’d have to round them up from a ways away from the hen house.

Blue began to take notice of the “herd/flock” birds and started trying to help me get them in. Of course, at first, because she was used to riding rough-shod over cattle, she could send those fluffed feathers into a tizzy! I’d have to yell at her to knock it off! She was, of course, very proud of her efforts and had to be scolded more often than not. It became quite the show each time we rounded up the “herd!” I’d still have to remind her to go “easy girl,” so the hens wouldn’t have a heart attack.  

It has taken her some time to figure out that it’s ok for the hens to be out.   Sometimes, before I give the signal, she decides it’s time for the hens to go home, and she puts them up without me. I’d have to make her lie on the porch till I say go. Now she meets me at the door and waits for me to say “let’s put em up!”

As time has passed, I’ve learned to love her help. She saves me miles of walking. We’ve gained a bond like I never thought I’d have with a dog. I’ve even renamed her to fit her regal status of “chicken wrangler.” Her new name, instead of Blue Dog, is Bonnie Blue Belle. It fits her well, but she doesn’t mind at all if I call out, “bring em in Blue Dog!!”

By: Sandra Hail