Our Australian Shepherd pup knows cows!

We have been walking the cows out to pasture every morning and bringing them home in the evening. It has given Teddy lots of practice with working the cows.

I walk ahead with Dandylyons and when I get to the road, Brad lets the herd out. I call them when they come into sight and Teddy keeps them in order from behind. Here is Dandylyons walking with me.

We have to put Echo away twice a day because the cows walk past his field and he creates a bit of a ruckus. He has always come in with no trouble or he'll let me catch him in the pasture. This morning he was running, bucking, and didn't want to be corralled. He has been such a good boy; I don't know what got into him this morning because he was going really crazy. Soon as he galloped into the corral, William slammed the gate closed before he could race out again. Once again, the little 'wild' mustang was caught...this time without the help of helicopters. Here he is giving me the evil eye.

Here come the cows around the corner. Brad is flanking them on the right and Teddy is working solo behind them, keeping them moving. See two of them fighting...Teddy will not allow that kind of nonsense and quickly barked orders for them to face front.

Dandylyons and I are out standing in our field as we lure the herd across the road. I can hear Teddy's bell jingling and her little quick barks as she gets the stragglers to catch up.

Teddy brings them solo because Brad is too slow and gets left way back. It's amazing how that little pup brings them across the road by herself!

Here is Teddy bring them home in the evening. At first when she got confused, she would run over to Brad for guidance, now she's working independently. One white cow turns and gives her guff, so Teddy is ready for her...ready with a bark and she almost goes in for a nip. There is a Ginger heifer that misbehaves often and so Teddy is extra vigilant with her. Teddy now zig zags behind the cows and will go around them to get ones that wander off back in line. It's wonderful to watch. It all comes naturally to her.

A couple of times, on the way back home the cows have taken off. The first time they took off bucking, jumping and chasing each other, they chased Teddy and so she ran home. A few weeks later, they ran off again and chased her again across the meadow. This time she managed to turn them and Brad was ever so happy to see the cows running back to him with Teddy behind them. Now Teddy's attitude seems to have changed towards the cows, she is braver, more confident and stops trouble before it starts.

This afternoon I stopped in the gateway with Dandylyons to watch Teddy in action. We let the cows run past us into the corral. Teddy did not like Dandylyons standing there and thinking she needed to be with the rest of the herd; she barked at her and tried to nips her hocks. Dandylyons didn't even noticed and I had to tell Teddy that Dandylyons was with us and to back off. I'm so glad we got Teddy. She is so much fun and very affectionate.