No Cowdog Left Behind

Just when I think my little white “terrier-ist” is getting too old, she does something menacing ….

Like kill a skunk ……. or corner a badger in the yard.

Sometimes I forget to put her up before we go down the pens to work cattle.

We all know how much “help” she can be.

If I race over there in the 4-Wheeler sometimes we get the cattle worked before she arrives.

But not today. I forgot about her and she must have figured a short cut.

I start yelling at her. I can feel T.H.’s eyes burning a hole in my back.

All my yelling accomplished was to scare Puncher so she quit me and stuck to my side like glue. She thought she was in trouble. Misti has been “deaf” to my yelling since the day she was born. She’s always been an “at will guest” in our house.

So there was nothing I could do but stand there and watch. And hope for the best.

Well ….. when I stopped yelling, Misti stopped barking. Then she went to work.

For T.H.’s benefit, I pretended to give her commands like she was Puncher (who is still stuck to my leg).

Misti!  Away !

I know she’s not listening, but she is sending them in the right direction.

And quietly to boot. And I’m smiling.  And I’m acting as if I planned this.

 I don’t know what T.H. is doing because I won’t turn around and look at him. I’m in enough trouble.

So I keep pretending.

 “Misti …  Walk up!”  “Good Girl!.”

(For the record, these steers were just bought at the sale barn yesterday.They are not trained, dog-broke steers)

But they are now!  Because they’ve never seen a little white cowdog before.

And neither have I.

I guess she has been paying attention. And the funniest part to me is that she is not barking.

For the first time in her life she is not barking at the cattle.

Which tells me she can control herself. She just chooses not to.

Puncher must be amazed too. For she is still glued to my leg.

Puncher must be waiting for all hell to break loose.

As it usually does when Misti gets in the cattle pens.

 The coast must be clear because Puncher finally goes to help.

Not that Misti needs any help.

However, Misti did make the mistake of running past me after they penned the cattle.

And I scooped her up.

Told her she was a good girl. And put her in the truck.

We were pushing our luck.

Love,  Cowgirl Red

P.S.  Sometimes being a cowdog is just a state of mind.

To see what usually happens when Misti helps work cattle read :

Cooling our Jets