I have been on this forum for a short while, still exploring it when I came across this thread. What a great way to get to know everyone! So, here goes...
I am Robyn(42), married to Jim(54). We have a yours, mine, ours thing going on here....Jim has one boy, Jimmy(33) from his first marriage. I have Clay(21) and Carlin(20) and we have Keevin(12)
All boys...we also have three granddaughters aged 13, 4 and 2.
We live on the goat ranch in Missouri, raising boer goats for meat. (we don't milk them) We also have 3 black angus steers that will go in the freezer soon.
We are heavily involved in rescue, and have fostered and rehab'd more dogs than there is room on here to tell you about. I also got involved in a bird rescue once, but that is a whole nuther story.
I love livestock guardian dogs, and we got dogs initially to protect the goats. Now, I have the goats just so I can have the dogs.....
There are around 40 different breeds of livestock guardian dogs (LGD) and, much to the dismay of my husband, I hope to work with at least one of every breed before my life is over...
We do not have a newf yet, but hope to someday. But, at the moment, our family consists of: Daisy the yorkie queen. Ewok, her son who is afraid of the dark, but loves to play hide and seek with Keevin. Molly, a rescued Bichon who has a binge eating issue. we really have to watch her. Rambo the crazy yellow headed Amazon (he hates everyone here but me) that we kept from the bird rescue. Echo the Quaker Parrot (she loves everyone here but me)
In the yard we have Glory the Akbash who was a rescue. She is now retired to the yard and seems to enjoy it. Clover the Anatolian also a rescue/rehome. Her job is to follow Keevin in his snake hunting adventures and anything else he might decide to do.
In the pastures working, we have Rico the Estrela and love of my life. Sancha the Estrela, a sweet and misunderstood rescue that was supposed to be worked with and rehomed, but we could not give her up.
Zeki the Anatolian from Istanbul Turkey who was stabbed in her vaginal area. She was rescued by kind souls who sent her to the USA, where we ended up with her because of her behavioral issues. She is wonderful and completely trustworthy now.
Czaritsa the Gampr from Armenia is a rehome. She was given to us from a lady who works with the state dept. She had to travel overseas again and could not take Ritsa with her. We were the lucky family she chose to have her girl live with.
Yukon the Karakachan from Bulgaria was given to us as a gift from Dr. Sponenberg, Prof. of genetics in VA.
Rebel, the Estrela is a young sweet thing that is learning the ropes of goat ranching life.
And, last but certainly not least, Barry the Tornjak from Croatia via Canada. (Thank you to all the newf net people who helped to get him to us) Barry is now known as Sokol the Great, and he has earned his stripes and is working in the pasture like a champ, in just a few short weeks.
We had thought that we wanted to breed and raise working lgd, but as you can tell from my lineup of dogs, there is never a shortage of rescues available. After seeing so many get put down because people didn't understand them, I decided that there was really no need for us to breed. If I bide my time, I can have a pasture full of rehomed rescue dogs that can be taught to do the jobs they were born to do.
I also have a list on yahoo called WorkingLGDs. We try to educate people about these wonderful dogs, talk them through issues that crop up, and give newbies a place to ask any question, no matter how silly they might think it is. I am proud to say that we have a variety of members ranging from goat ranchers like me, to professional breeders and trainers, professors, Doctors, Authors, veterinarians and vet techs.
I like the list because no one is made to feel stupid for a mistake they have made or a question they might have. We are on the list to help each other through any crisis. I can say that I spend many hours on the phone talking people through situations, as do many other members on my list.
Someday I hope to write a training book on LGD, but in the meantime, I have written a few children's books that are told from the point of view of the rescue dog. I hope to have them published soon.
In our *spare* time, we like to landscape on our yard. This weekend we are working on a checkerboard in the back yard. It will be made of sod and granite stone....I also do a bit of photography, mostly taking pictures of my dogs and Keevin (my two favorite things) but also of Keevin's baseball teammates, his basketball teammates, and of Keevin doing motocross. We love our lily pond full of fish, and spend our down time drinking a beer and feeding the fish who come to the top when they hear my voice.
There is so much more to tell, but luckily for all of you, I do talk much faster than I type! (how frightening is that?)
But, that is pretty much us in a nut shell. We like our quiet riot here on our dirt.
(Oh, I would like to add that we are in the process of putting a bar in on the back deck, so any of you newf netters who want to stop by for a beer or mixed drink this summer, just stop on by. We are the first goat ranch on the right, on C highway just east of Purdy USA)
