Eli milking Tilly
A funny thing happened. Ten years ago, Tyler & I bought our first dog. Actually, we didn't buy her. She was free. At 5 weeks of age we brought her home as a little black ball of fur. Appropriately named Liberty Belle, the poor little girl had to be trained by a mad pregnant woman. But it worked, ten years later she is a very well trained over hyper black golden retriever dog.
Libby posing with the boys. I swear she thinks she is a kid.
Liberty is so well trained that she comes, sits, goes to her room, gets out of the kitchen, fetches the ball, and does all of the normal things that a dog does. Except bark, alert us to danger, protect my children in our back woods from rabid raccoons or bobcats, and keep my goats in their pen. Basically, she is well trained for a family in suburbia that doesn't need their dog to do anything except leave the neighbors alone and come when she is called.
To make a long story short, Tyler and I had this predicament:
1. Liberty does not protect our children
2. Liberty is going to die in the next 3-4 years,
3. Liberty should be here to help train a new dog
Our answer:
1. What: An Australian Cattle Dog or Heeler
2. Cost: cheap
3. Timeframe: 1-2 years
Current Solution:
1. What: A female Australian Cattle Dog
2. Cost: A deposit and recently milled hemlock
3. Timeframe: Now
So we have a new dog, about a year early, but affordable. Her name? Independence. She wasn't free, but she was bought on Independence Day.
Already, Indy has herded my little Nigerian buck into his pen a handful of times, and is learning the property lines by walking with the boys everyday. Liberty doesn't seem to mind a farm dog on site. As long as it doesn't bother her sticks or balls or frisbees.
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