Friday Farm Fun- Molly

As mentioned before we are dog sitting our daughter's aggressive mini Australian Shepard female. Our daughter bought a pair of mini Aussies to breed. The only problem is the female, Molly, is more aggressive than the male, Maverick. After two years and no puppies, my daughter finally held Molly when she was in heat and directed Maverick so they could make puppies.

Our daughter and her family travel between Oregon and Alaska and usually take the dogs back and forth with them. When Molly became pregnant and they were ready to head back to Alaska it was too close to her due date so Molly stayed with our oldest daughter a vet tech and had the puppies. She also sold the puppies for her sister.

Molly went back to Alaska and got in trouble being aggressive with the neighbor kids. So the next time our daughter came to Oregon, she left Molly with us. Our daughter isn't ready to get rid of Molly, but she can't have her in an area with so many people and cooped up.

And so, Molly, has become our back up cow dog. Back up, in that, she usually stands back and watches Boots, the border collie do her thing. But lately, Molly has been getting in and helping move cows through the squeeze chute and is learning how to bring up the back of the herd when moving the cows. She's even learning that barking at us will get her no where.

When she first arrived, she'd bark and bark if we didn't pick up her ball and throw it. We wouldn't pick the ball up if she barked or I'd put the ball where she couldn't get it. Now if she drops the ball close to me and waits quietly, I'll pick it up and throw it for her.

She's full of energy but has a bubbly personality until someone new arrives. She barks in a scary manner but if the person ignores her, or like the delivery men, give her a biscuit, she leaves them alone.

This photo has nothing to do with Molly, but I thought it was pretty with the willow leaving out and the herd of deer underneath.

Friday Farm Fun- Mini Aussies

Molly, Maverick and our border collie, Boots. 

MavFreak enjoying the snow.

We've been keeping our daughter's pair of Mini Australian Shepards for nearly a year. In 2010 when they were going back to Alaska during the holidays the airline wouldn't allow the dogs to fly, so they remained with us. Our daughter returned in the summer and the dogs were back and forth between us and her in-laws where ever our daughter was residing. The female,Molly, became pregnant and our daughter couldn't take her back to Alaska so Molly stayed with our other daughter(a veterinarian technician) awaiting the birth and during the birth.  We kept, affectionately known as MavFreak, Maverick the male.

Once Molly was separated from MavFreak, he actually started to listen and didn't run around like he hadn't a brain in his head. One day he was running, ran smack into a boulder three time his size, bounced off, and kept running without a yelp. He also likes to bounce up and down at your side like a dog on a pogo stick. It's very annoying when you're trying to walk because he knocks his body against yours. He wanted to work cattle and tried but has a problem with nipping the noses instead of the heels.

Molly had six puppies, two females and four males. Our vet tech daughter sold all but two. Those came to our house since our Alaskan daughter is back. We had the last two puppies here for a week before they sold. The grandchildren enjoyed them and cried when the puppies left.

If you've never been around a mini Aussie they are full of energy!  We keep them in a kennel when we aren't outside because we have a trigger happy neighbor. Once the gate opens they make three low flying circles around the house and then head out into the field to do their business. Then they're back jumping and running all the way to the barn. Molly has a favorite ball she likes to throw in the air, catch, and roll on her back playing with it in her paws like a cat. Maverick puts his nose to the ground sniffing out varmints.

They've been fun to watch but we are also looking forward to when the mini Aussies leave and our border collie, Boots, and min-pin/chihuahua, Tink, can feel like the queen bees again.