Puppy Leads Calf - Steer - Ox in Training: Serendipitous!

One night, Harry the Puppy, who loves ropes (It is said Newfoundland dogs once helped fishermen haul in their nets), picked up Scout the Ox's lead rope and invited a tug of war. The calf, Scout, who’s now halter trained, readily followed Harry’s tugs. With Harry leading the way they made several trips up and down the driveway, appearing to throughly enjoy this self-invented interspecies play.

"Get Up!"

Training "get up" and "whoa" using long reigns.

I’m working on teaching Scout, the bull calf, to “whoa” and “get up.” In addition to pulling a ox cart I think it would be fun if he could be ridden. I’m preparing him for that concept while he is young and manageable. Cattle have a good memory and what he learns today should stay with him into adulthood.

When he’s in his pen, or we’re taking a break while out on a walk, I’ll occasionally stand over him in the riding position, bearing my own weight, but getting him accustomed to the idea. With this same thought in mind I’ve been teaching him the “whoa” and “get up” commands using a pair of long reigns clipped one on each side of his halter. I draw these together over his back with an iron ring giving the sensation of the reigns being directed from the riders position. I’ve been surprised how well he responds to a gentle tug for “whoa” and a shaking of the reigns for “get up,” along with the verbal commands.

Calf and Puppy: Herd (and Pack) Replacement Companions

Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog snuggle in a clean pen.

Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog are forming close bonds by eating, sleeping, playing and even drinking together.

Getup and Whoa with Long Reins on a Standard Halter.

What?

Did you say "bad weather"?

Weather Alert!

When pigs carry straw to their sties,

bad weather may be expected.

Scout the Ox, Out of the Weather, Grooming His Tail

Keeping a clean tail is hard work for Scout the Ox; clean bedding is essential.

A Little History

I love this old photo! Maybe because I have some English and Scottish roots. The Ayrshire breed of cattle originates in Scotland and this photo is taken in England. I presume Dick is an Englishman.

Dick Armstrong with his Ayrshire Bull at Newtown, Kent, South East England.

This and more can be seen at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/hstchg/places.htm

Winter Grazing: Horses Help Cattle

Horses and Ponies do better at locating and pawing through the snow for grass than cattle do. Cattle may benefit during winter grazing by being with horses.

Scout the Calf

Enjoying the sunshine.

Harry the Puppy

Howdy!

Two are Better Together

"Let's explore the world!"

Cold Weather Survival for Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog

Ox and Dog.

When two lie together, then they have warmth.

Peaches the pony.

Subzero Cold Snap

The temperature got down to -15 F (-26 C) overnight (not that cold for a two-month-old calf). Even though he was in the shelter of the barn Scout got frostbite on his ears, and was shivering in the morning. I thawed his ears by holding them in my hands and put this wool coat on him. His ears softened up and seem fine. Here he is basking in the sunshine.

I think he must have had a metabolic energy shortage transitioning from pasture to hay — because of an additional snowfall. He had been on a calf starter mix but didn’t consume as much as I would have liked to have seen. He seemed to prefer pasture even though the forage was brown. I added a third feeding of milk replacer to his diet for a few days and he continued to wear the coat at night for several weeks. He could have shaken it off but seemed to enjoy the added warmth.

                                                                                 

Bonding, as the temperature in the barn plummets below zero F (-18C). 

Harry, the puppy, pushes Scout, the calf, off the calf's milk replacer bottle.

Scout shoves Harry aside and gets the nipple back.

Not a dog person? Can you tell?
Harry comes home.

Harry's mother is a blueblooded Landseer Newfoundland. His father is a rogue.

He's eight weeks old and ready to come home. His owner's daughter named him Harry. The name fits perfectly: HAPPY HARRY!

(photos courtesy of Dr. Jones)

Quality time.

Handling his feet now should make hoof trimming easier later.

 

Grandkids meet the calf.

2/12 Four Species Went for a Walk Today (Feb. 12, 2010)

Scout, the bull calf, has a strong preference for walking on my left, his nose about even with my elbow. On halter I trained him to walk mostly on my right: he’s walking off halter now and choosing to walk on my left. I’m blind in my right eye — is it possible he has picked up on that and chooses to walk within my field of vision? He dislikes most when I walk behind him making him take the lead. I would attribute this to “cow herd” mentality: the lead cow. . . . well. . . .leads.

Peaches, the pony, usually isn’t allowed to go on our walks because she likes to run — flat out! Full gallop! I surmise that in a wild herd of horses, the slowest horse gets eaten. So I have to keep her on a rope lead. Starting out on our walk she makes circles around us, keeping me busy untangling rope, leads, feet, hooves, and paws. By the end of our six-mile walk, though, she’s lagging behind at the end of her rope, and I’m dragging her along at the end of my patience. She is a horse, of course! Horses are particularly good at flight. Being quick on the trigger is good for horse survival, and makes horses well suited for the races and wars men seem so intent on. But, for a leisurely walk, not so good. Scout maintained consistent speed throughout whereas Peaches was quickly bored with our plodding.

Harry, the puppy, was in scavenger mode most of the time. He worked both sides of the gravel road, up ahead of the pack covereing many more miles than the rest of us. I suppose the wolf who finds road-kill first, and gulps it down quickest, is the fattest dog in the pack. (No, I didn’t say fastest.) As Harry matures, I expect to see his scavenging behaviors gradually begin to include hunting behaviors. When we walked by farm places with barking dogs, he showed signs of unease with sharing territory. Dogs being territorial are quick to defend their space. (The less space they have the quicker and more vehemently they will defend it.)

And that brings us to me, our representative of the human race. It was pitch dark before we got half way through our walk. One vehicle passed us during that time. As soon as I spotted the headlights I got Scout and Harry on leads, along with the Peaches, and dragged us all in a tangle into the ditch, belly deep in the snow. As the driver passed, did he wonder what a dog, a horse, a bull calf and a man were doing tangled together, in a huddle, along a lonely road, in the ditch, in the snow, in the cold, and in the dark?

Only an animal with an oversized brain could have gotten us there.

A horse, of course!