Up-Close and Personal - Meet the Canines

Ready for a little fun? 💁

I know I am! If it were always SEO and pillar topics in this Farm Journal, it wouldn’t be an authentic reflection of Petrichor Farm… an every-fluid little homestead full of life and never-ending projects. You may not learn anything applicable or life changing in these more personal posts. But you’ll get to know me, my family, and my farm, and I tend to think that’s pretty darn important.

For starters, let’s get to know the critters on the place!

The Stubborn Helper - Raegan AKA “Squirt”

She’s my OG… the pup we got right after we moved out of our first rental house and onto some land in Tribbey, Oklahoma. That was going on 12 years ago… which I guess is how old Squirt will be this fall. Before kids came into the picture she went everywhere with me. We hiked and camped together, and anytime she could go into a store with me she was over the moon.

Her favorite pastime is putting away any wayward chickens, though even that isn’t getting her quite as hyped up as it used to. I remember when I used to clock her as she rounded the flock up and put them away at night. It sure made the evening chores easier!

Of course, that herding instinct isn’t always welcome. One time, I got home after dark and found her in the chicken run. There were dead birds scattered around and I was furious! But, after investigating the crime scene, I had to hand it to her. There wasn’t a single carcass that had a bite mark. Apparantly, she’d simply run the poor things to death!

Now her hearing is going and, sometimes, I think I see signs of her sight not serving her as well either. Awhile back, she got run over by an SUV and we were sure we’d have to put her down. I refused to take that step without x-rays to back up what everyone was saying about a broken pelvis, and, sure enough… the ol’ girl proved tough as nails and just needed a week or so of rest and anti-inflammatories.

The Tiny One - Pixie Anne

As soon as we moved back out to the country the begging began. “Pleeeeease can I get my own pet? I promise to take care of it!” I don’t think a day went by without having SOMEone ask me for a new dog, or cat, or goat, or chicken. And promises were made as soon as the first kitten came home. “Yes,” we said. “You’ll be able to have your own pet if you take care of it.”

Our oldest daughter had been saving her money for a dog almost a year. Birthday money, payment for extra helper jobs, and anything she could find made it to her piggy bank. Ultimately, what she wanted was out of reach. But I started looking for something nearer her budget soon after we got settled in our new place.

Little dogs get snatched from shelters pretty quickly, I figured out. Everyone wants to add a little snuggle-bug to the family! But buying a puppy from a breeder wasn’t in the cards, and, honestly, I really wanted to avoid the need to potty train if I could. That girl is pretty responsible, but still…

When I saw an add for a rescued Ch-orkie, I decided to slip away by myself to meet her. The dog that came wiggling out of the apartment was the cutest kind of scruffy and I knew my daughter would melt over her.

And she did. Her eyes filled with tears and a smile split her face. Pixie immediately wormed her way into all of our hearts. She’s a little spitfire, way too eager to take on coyotes and far too confident wandering from home. But she’s our daughter’s little spitfire, and she loves her.

The Lovable Guardian - Legend AKA “Floof”

If ever there was a learning curve during our first year on the farm, it was training my very first livestock guardian dog. Well… that, and my disastrous attempt at raising bottle calves. But that’s a story for another day! I wasn’t planning on getting an LGD puppy until we were a bit more settled, but when she popped up on my feed I decided to go for it. She was a surprise for the kids and oh my goodness, that reveal is such a cute video!

She was SO different than my heelers in years past , which was a pleasant surprise. There was more chill in this pup’s extra dew claws than Raegan’s entire body! Introducing her to the little flock was encouraging… but ended up being a bit TOO encouraging.

In spite of that breed-characteristic calm, it took a solid 18 months to get past the “puppy playfuls.” We lost more than our fair share of birds because — let’s be real — they’re basically squawking, flappy chew toys. I had to come to her defense and insist we keep her many times.

She cycled through phases of trustworthiness that would randomly swap out with being a terror that had to be chained when I wasn’t around to keep an eye on things. Adding other species to the farm seemed to help. She particularly loves her pigs!

But what really sealed the deal for her was when we got a second LGD to join her in the pasture. Now, when the cold weather gives her an extra boost of energy, she has someone to share it with. In fact, having him around has made HER seem like the proven farmhand. 😏

The Rescue - Sarge

Getting a second LGD as Legend neared maturity had always been my plan. With the busyness of summer garden season behind me, I was determined to get it done. But I was torn. Should I find another puppy and go through the entire training process again, or find an older dog and run the risk of integration not going well?

A dog on a shelter page I’d followed back when I was looking for Pixie had come across my feed and caught my eye, but every attempt to call them had failed. Finally, a volunteer saw my Facebook comment and reached out. Unfortunately, she confirmed what I already suspected. The shelter didn’t offer a trial period.

Bringing home a dog with no exposure to livestock without having an exit strategy didn’t sound like a good plan. So I moved on, looking for a puppy to start from scratch. About a month went by before I found one and set up a day to pick him up.

But that shelter dog wouldn’t leave me alone. On a whim, the night before I was supposed to drive halfway across the state for the pup, I went back to the Facebook page. Sure enough… he was still there.

I reached back out to the volunteer and got a unique phone number to speak directly to the shelter manager. After discussing my needs, he agreed to let the gentle giant come to the farm for a trial period. We slowly introduced him to the barnyard critters and he had an easy-going quality that worked perfectly with the flock. Larger animals made him uncomfortable at first… and he still doesn’t get why Legend likes pigs. But after his first couple of nights of incessant barking — and I do mean incessant — he started to fit right in.

Now, Sarge is the primary patrol during the night. While Legend sticks close to the barnyard, he works the perimeter of the pasture. I may not always be so lucky with rescues… but this one sure has worked out well!

Next up…

I haven’t decided on whether to get Legend spayed or not. On the one hand, the thought of puppies feels overwhelming right now! On the other, I can see us needing to raise up replacements at some point. For now, she’ll remain intact and under lock-and-key so my options stay open. Who knows… maybe I’ll have my own little group of tiny Floofs to send to a working farm someday. 😎