Persistence Pays

Annie finally convinced McCoy to play with her.

  https://youtu.be/07hnNbml1w8

I had taken McCoy's food dish out after he ate this morning as he did not want Annie anywhere near his dish, empty or not. I thought that was why he was willing to play with her this morning.

However, this evening when he was done eating and I had taken his bowl out, I went to open the gate to let him out for the night where Annie was bouncing around, waiting for her playmate. McCoy growled and snapped at her.

He was definitely *not* playful. He tried to keep her away from me. I managed to open the gate so long as Annie stayed on the opposite side from McCoy, but when she came around to our side, he attacked. Apparently, he was protecting me from her.

Or else trying to keep me from giving her attention?  I really don't have this interaction figured out yet.

After I left, they played together again. But when I went to the goat gate that Annie goes under to join McCoy, she came back inside and went with me to her pen and ate food. Before I left for the night, she had gone back out to play with Mr. McCoy.

I don't know how much guarding the property Mr. McCoy is doing now that he has a puppy to worry about. Time will tell...

Hard Lessons

In late June, we brought home a Great Pyrenees/Maremma puppy to replace beloved Shirley Puppy who died at age 15. Annie Puppy was born in April and came from the same farm Shirley had come from. Annie is supposed to grow up to help Mister McCoy, who is ten. Mister McCoy, however, is not pleased. Here is the video I made of Annie's attempts to play with McCoy. https://youtu.be/LqV3TB1JwxY

Annie spent her first several weeks in the baby goat pen with the baby goats. They tolerate her okay and she them. But the big goats want nothing to do with her. She is learning. But she really wants to play with McCoy when he is turned out at night and he really doesn't want to. Things seemed to be going okay after the evening romp in the video... until the next night,  when I heard a horrendous screaming from the pup that did not stop. I had just started back to the house with the milk so I set it down and dashed through the barn to find Annie racing toward the goat gate (she goes under to get out) with McCoy racing after her in fury. Even after I got her through the gate he stood growling outside the gate. I don't know what she did but he was furious.

Yesterday was a hard day. McCoy is locked up during the day but Annie had other problems. She met the horses. It was not a happy meeting. Annie followed me and a neighbor out to the horses. As soon as Mr. Smith and Nightingale saw this tiny puppy running toward them, they took out after her with ears back and heads down and chased her out of the field. She fled to the barn. Poor Annie.

Today started out better. She must have had fun last night because she was wet with dew and muddy this morning.

After a night of playing in dew and dirt

The big goats are still leery of this bouncing dervish but she is learning how to keep from getting herself bashed. Just lie down and act nonchalant as they walk warily past.

Waiting for the goats to come in.

Staying down while the goats come in warily

Good puppy.... temporarily.

I thought that was very good of her but later this morning I saw all the goats running hysterically into the barn with Annie bouncing alongside them. Sigh. She is just a puppy. She did lie down when they all streaked past her to the barn, so maybe she is learning what they will tolerate and what they won't. Here's hoping.