Have you ever known a child who is perfect one place (maybe school) and a proper little devil in another place (maybe home). I know a dog like that. His name is Blue. 
We call him Boo. Sit, Boo-Boo, sit. He is the opposite – perfect inside and a heathen outside. Boo and I have decided that he is better off on a chain for the first part of the chores. Boo is less than thrilled about this decision but his behaviour needs to be checked. Firstly, he feels he needs to nip at the heels of each of the animals as I am calling them in. Hard. He nips hard. These large slow moving animals do not need or appreciate the hurry along.
They have got it in for Boo. In fact the other day I watched Queenie watch Boo run along beside him, Queenie stopped, adjusted her huge weight forward ever so slighty and the moment Boo was perfectly placed she let fly with a sideways back hoof kick. Yes, cows can kick out to the side. Hard. I heard a thunk, hoof on brain, and Boo returned swiftly to MY heel. Chastised. Silent.
Secondly, he is also giving the Big and very Old Dog a hard time. I know it is the way of the young buck to oust the old one but I cannot allow it. He is bumping into him, and trying to herd him, nipping at him. He does the same to Ton, running like a shooting dolphin straight at him and hitting him with his nose, hard. Dolphins can kill sharks by doing that you know. Boo is especially naughty if Ton is working. Ton’s job has always been to find each animal for me and anticipate who I am feeding next, watching the buckets and working out where we are going, and Boo has decided that his job is to turn Ton, push him sideways, dominate him and Ton runs like an arrow the moment he has his task in hand, arrows, dolphins, torpedoes, sharks. Collisions. When my tottery old Big Dog gets in the middle of that – it is not good.
All of this happens in the first 15 minutes of chores. So I have decided that for the first 15 minutes of chores, Boo is on his chain. He sits very quietly. Pretending he is the inside Boo. The sweet Boo who loves his teensy weensy tiny bung-eyed kitten who lives in the lid of a shoe box because the whole shoe box is too big and the cat is so small it could sleep in a child’s wooly hat and disappear and does. But that is the Inside Boo.
The last thing I need is a Blue Heeler with bad manners. I know he loves his kitty. Inside he is a prince, outside he might become a horror.
And we don’t need any more horrors.
Do we. I know I sound terribly strict .. well.. that is because I am. No-one wants an unruly dog around other vulnerable animals.
The hoses have also had to succomb to my wishes, they are to be drained of the water and hung on a fence post each night, I do this every winter, all winter, so they are not frozen solid in the morning. You will remember I have only one outside tap (faucet) to provide water for the whole farmy and it is right beside the house. I cannot afford to have hoses that are frozen solid.
Winter is coming and Miss C is getting ready.
Have a lovely day.
Love your stern friend,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
73 responses to “Sit, Boo-Boo – Sit.”
Oh dear, you have to do it, Daisy or Queenie could kill him with a kick and he might fair no better if he upset Sheila!
Exactly, Sheila has whipped him with her head twice. The thing with Boo is he chases after an animal that is running and if the animal is running to me when I call it I do not want that balance shifted. I love that shot though, he is a handsome dog.. c
… and then what would the Marmelade Kitten do? Plus it shows him you are the Absolute Boss of Everyone. And dogs need to know who’s Boss.
Yes they do kate. You are absolutely right. Untrained dogs are a menace on the farm. c
Untrained dogs are a menace anywhere. I’m glad you’re asserting your boss-ship.
That hose trick is a good one, too. We used to have to do that when we had ponies.
Have a good day.
Good Morning Celi, you’re early this morning (or am I late?).
You are absolutely right in your dealings with Boo. Like children, if not taught at an early age what is acceptable, by their teenage years they become a menace to all around them. I think maybe his indoor job with the kittie has given him a false sense of power that he feels he can lord over every other creature on the farm. Now that winter is upon us, I am sure you will find the time to re-educate our Boo as to what his role is, inside and out, and he will come out of his preadolescence years a much better character!
Thanks for reminding me about the hoses by the way, must get mine drained and put away before the true freeze comes and stays!
miserably i need to fill the water barrels all through the winter with these hoses, so draining them daily is paramount, once it freezes here it stays frozen for months andif i forget and the water freezes inside the hoses, then i have to drag the hoses down into the basement to thaw out, which is SUCH a bore.. c
Nothing like a hard-headed dog to mess up your routine…I had hoped that the kitten was helping him settle some. My late, lamented husky-mix Chloe was like that. Unfortunately, she was that way for every bit of her 13 years on this planet…Good luck, C.
Yes, Boo is endless hard work and though he sits on the chain quietly enough it is already a battle of wills to get him there. I will win though, or we will have trouble.. c
I agree with you. Boo should be as nice outside to otheer animals as he is with wee kitty. So you are not being unkind, just helping the others to be able to live their day in peace
It really is only for those first few minutes when TonTon is whipping around making sure everyone is where they should be. Once Ton quietens so does the pup. I tried to do the chores with Boo on a leash but i just don’t have enough hands. c
celi, I am on your side. There can only be one boss and that is you, otherwise you would have chaos, and that is no good for wo/man or beast!
Exactly grannymar, we want calm, not chaos.. c
Great post, c. You’ll sort Boo out in no time. He’s clever. He’ll learn. Hope you and the farmy have a lovely day.
Poor Boo, he looks so pathetic in that first shot, Celi. Now that winter is here you will no doubt have a bit more time for command training, and knowing you, he will be whipped into shape by spring!
Oh yes indeedy! Boo is trying to establish dominance. He will learn his place! Good job Mama Celi! You are top dog and you are soooo right! No one wants an unruly dog period!!! I had that problem with Maisy when she was a youngster. Didn’t want to get out of the golf cart and growled at me! Oh yeah! I growled back more fiercly and she backed off and got out! LOL That was the end of that! I was the alpha dog!!!! 😉 Dogs are very smart! They learn quickly and will test you. They just like to play you sometimes! 😀
I have a cold….misery…ahhh choo!
Have a good day Celi! And everybody too! Sniff sniff…cough cough…uffda…
Mere Frost, keep warm, rest, drink tea with honey, take extra vitamin C and relax. Your body is telling you it needs some time off! xo
seconded! c
Camped out on the sofa by the fireplace with hot chocolate and toast. Took some chicken soup out of the freezer for lunch! Thank you for the love di and c! I am the worst patient in the world!!!! Cranky wanky and a royal pain in the kazinga! Just ask Kevin! He’ll be happy to tell you! 😉 Got my big fluffy bathrobe on and flannels all hidden under a bankie! 🙂 Bless the creators of Puffs!
Have a similar problem with a stray cat that I have allowed access; Mr Stray has taken to charging at my resident cat, trying to drive him out of the house. Pitched battles downstairs in the early hours – not on! The other morning Mr Stray tried the ‘run full tilt at my opponent’ tactic and was surprised to meet a largish pad of ‘yellow stickies’ coming the other way!. (OK, maybe not an ideal deterrent but it was the closest soft thing to hand.) It’s ‘softened his cough’ a bit. :-))
Training begins as soon as you bring that little bundle of joy home. And being consistant is key! I am amazed at how many dogs are thrown away just because their owners don’t train them and then are disappointed because the dog didn’t train itself. So sad for the dog.
Hmm, maybe we should rename that kitty JImmy Choo 🙂 Laura
Hee hee! Jimmy Choo!!! 😀 Good one!
There’s a blog about a cat named Jimmy Chew on WP! Yes, he has eaten many a shoe! They don’t post much anymore, sadly.
Ah, the drama’s of being a young pup with high urges to dominate. It is a painful time for both the teenager (puppy) and the parent. You’re doing the right thing, Boo needs training. I know you have mentioned how old Ton is before, but he seems to be more middle age 4-5-6? Our beagles are now 8, and are perfect companions (but still bark as all beagles do….I don’t think you can ever train the bark out of a beagle no matter how much you work on it)
Have a lovely day – keep warm.
How I have missed this blog while I was away. Love the cow picture.
Who would have thought Boo could be Jekyll and Hyde! If anyone can tame him, it’ll would be you!