Surprise!

Alot of sheepdog people get cute cuddly pictures of lambs and puppies cavorting together while they are small.
I've never had pups and lambs at the same time until this year.
So I grabbed Alice and caught a lamb and got my camera ready.

Alice didn't want to have anything to do with a lamb.

So I decided to pack it in and put the lamb back with it's mom.
But when I went to pick the lamb up, it ran, and then something I always find magical happened...
Alice turned on!

Now most border collies don't want to start working sheep until they are between 6-12 months old but Alice is only 3 months old today. 
Even if a pup does start to follow a lamb around, it's really just chasing.
But Alice was working this lamb.

Really working it.
Every time the lamb tried to run away, Alice got on the other side of it and brought it back to me.

In adult border collies, we call this "finding balance". 
It's the point when a dog stops chasing and starts to have a purpose. 
The purpose is to always bring the sheep to the handler.

This was no game to Alice.
She was very serious.

If you have a dog to trial in the nursery classes in 2013, you should be afraid when Alice and Scott walk to the post because she's got lots of time to practice.

Wait!
I have a nursery dog in 2013.
Shoot!  Ford and I better get training now!

Sunshine Day

We have had a major change in the weather today.
From a deep dark cold to a warm sunny day.
Most of the lambs had never seen a beautiful day and were soaking it up.

They didn't need to worry about who was keeping watch.
They had protectors on the ground,

And scouts in the sky.

 And although some weren't quite ready to quit the safety of the barn,

others took full advantage of opportunities to look for trouble,

or just to pretend to be a grown up.

Aww Shoot!

 I was hoping Old Man Winter was going to take this year off.

No such luck.

Morning Feed

During lambing, mornings start before the sun comes out.
The first frosty check in the pasture shows sleepy ewes wondering why we woke them up.

 So we quietly sneak off to the nursery, otherwise known as the barn, to feed and check on the residents.

 We drop hay from the upper loft,

   down to the happy residents,

  and then I go back to sleep.

Baby Talk

Yes?
You have something to show us?

 Oh, yeah!
We've started lambing!

Alaska is still keeping her eyes averted from the lambs.

She's hoping that will keep the new creatures from attacking her.

A Useful Dog

My parent's dog, Kane...

Oh, he's not so special!
I'm sure Skid could do that.
If he was bigger.
And we had a paved driveway.
And a morning paper.

Minimal Monday - Gratuitous Puppy Photos

Alice:

 Kids, do not try this at home.  Working border collies should never be on the couch.

 Scott is a professional trainer and can insure that no one gets hurt.