Rialey: Future Farmdog

  So I have to apologize for the lack of posts in the last few weeks, but for the last week or so I think I have a pretty good excuse. A certain puppy, on her first day with us, chewed through the power chord on my laptop in one good chomp. And who is this tiny force of destruction? Let me formally introduce the newest member of our canine pack and our next farmdog extraordinaire....

Meet Rialey! 

  Rialey (pronounced Riley) is a 12 week old English Shepherd who we are very excited to have here on the farm. Our sweet, hard working Luna is going to be 9 years old in the spring, so we figured it was high time we started training her successor. 

 We chose an English Shepherd because I was looking for a farm dog that would be a little bigger than Luna. A dog who would help with herding the poultry and sheep and keep a watchful eye on all the goings on here on the farm. English Shepherds are an american breed that are truly bred to be farm dogs, selectively chosen and trained for performance and temperament over looks (though you have to admit our girl is awful pretty!).

  We were a bit worried at first because the little girl was very spooky when we got her home. It took a few days and there are still some things that throw her for a loop, but she is really coming out of her shell and shaping up to be a great pup. She already has a firm grasp on the basics of sit, down, stay, and loose leash walking as well as a couple of fun puppy tricks. She is also doing very well with our motley crew of cats and dogs. She and Barley are the bestest of best friends, and I'll often catch her looking to Luna when she is not sure how to response to a new situation.  

  I'm sure there will be tons and tons of posts about the raising and training of our newest farmdog, so please stay tuned!