Jarrah's such a good girl.

[Goldfields]

At the moment, with my knee so bad, Hazel, I've had to start using a walking stick, and thankfully, she's a dog that knows when to be careful. She reminds us a lot of our very first registered girl. A sensitive soul.

[lindapalm]

Jarrah just wanted to make sure Sibi was getting enough exercise, she wasn't going to hurt her. Our border collie/lab does that to our cats all the time, I can't believe she hasn't gotten scratched really bad.

[Goldfields]

Originally Posted by lindapalm

Jarrah just wanted to make sure Sibi was getting enough exercise, she wasn't going to hurt her.

I wish. We don't take risks after a cross bred heeler grabbed the cat we had when we got married. Tiger was used to my sheltie so just walked up to this heeler. Broke Tiger's leg in a couple of places, paralysed his hindquarters. The leg was pinned and the paralysis wore off, thank Heaven. Anyway, I don't approve of dogs even scaring cats, if it's mutual playing - cat baiting dog - fair enough, but otherwise I want instant obedience so the dog can be called off the cat.

[Goldfields]

What was she watching so intently, she stood there for a while, not moving a muscle? She was looking up, it's a bit hard to tell from this angle. It was a crested pigeon sitting on our power line, and unlike a sheltie, which would bark and chase, Jarrah was just curious, listening to it coo-ing, then following slowly to see where it went after it flew on. She is such a good girl.

[hazelrunpack]

The Pack is gonna make that good girl an honorary pointin' setter!!!

[Goldfields]

She would have an absolute ball with the pack, Hazel. She stalks/creeps like a strong eyed Kelpie and would freeze like a Setter ..... what's wrong with her? She should go in all guns blazin' , biting like a cattle dog. Here is one at dusk when I was counting sheep(just in case anything was tangled up in baling twine), she's more interested in me than that ewe watching her. Susie would have been trying to bite through the wire(I didn't call her 'Susie Scissorteeth' for nothing, and we did have to repair an almost cattle dog size hole in the fence because of her)) while Perkins would have a Kong in his mouth and be spinning madly, chomping the heck out of it seeing he couldn't reach the sheep. Speaking of sheep, I am getting closer to culling some ewes and this one, added two more of her, is definitely a stayer. She lost her lamb to arthritis last year but I'll vaccinate against it next lambing. She loves me to pat and massage her head, very friendly, but more importantly, no wool around her rear end to get wet and dirty, then fly struck.

[Goldfields]

Well, I'm back from hospital and getting used to my new knee slowly. Jarrah is still being an angel, she does seem to sense I can't be jumped on yet, although she did try to dive up onto the bed one day when I was doing exercises. My fault though as I'd allowed her to sleep beside me while I did pre-op exercises. Fortunately Ian had a lead on her and I also fended her off with my closest arm. You have no idea how fabulous it is just to be able to sit comfortably long enough to do anything on this computer! I'd be doing a happy dance, if I could. LOL.

[lindapalm]

You must be very happy the surgery is over, was it better or worse than anticipated? The hard part now is to have to sit back and watch all the weeds grow outside. Will your husband help with the flowers? I know mine wouldn't.

[hazelrunpack]

Glad to hear you're home and on the mend, GF!

[Goldfields]

Sadly, much worse than anticipated, lindapalm, and not really due to my knee. I take anti-inflammatories for other problems and they'd made me stop taking them a week before the op.. I also can only get comfortable with my sore hip and back on a very firm mattress, while they pride themselves on the lovely soft mattress they supply in Acute Care. So, hours of agony there, and even worse, I am sensitive to morphein or anything related to it. They swapped from morphein to Endone(same thing or related), then to Targen(sp?)(same thing or related) so I was as sick as a dog for an entire week, saved only by my GP paying me a visit and telling them to get me off all 3. He put me on Tramahexal and it was 100% better, but that was the week from Hell where I couldn't do the exercises I should have been doing, so now I'm battling to get the knee mobile again. I lost either 8 or 12 kg over 9 days, so sick that I'd refuse meals and just eat dry bread, and you can't blame the nurses seeing they can only give you what Dr's tell them to. Can't wait to see the surgeon again.
I can walk, slowly seeing it's wet and muddy, around the garden, or out to our letter box, and tomorrow go back for a new set of exercises from the physio. If anyone reckons this is easy, the best thing they ever did, then I think it must be like childbirth, where women sort of forget the pain involved. To get back on topic a tiny bit, Bo is the only dog, and maybe Silk a little bit, that can't take no for an answer. He wants to leap onto my lap, she wants to crawl up my leg. LOL.
Hazel, I've been looking at your albums on FB and must find time to have a look through them, but it's only last night and today I've been able to sit more than a few minutes comfortably.

[hazelrunpack]

Your hospital stay sounds horrible, GF Glad your GP finally arrived to set them straight. Being at the mercy of doctors who 'know better than you do' is sort of a Stephen King plot...

Now that you're home, I hope the therapy goes much better and you get that knee moving again quickly!

As for the albums, they're not going anywhere. Glad you're enjoying them... or at least looking at them!

Get well soon, GF!

[Dog Dancer]

GF, I didn't realize you had gone for your surgery already, and am so sorry to hear it went badly at the hospital, but glad the surgery was a success. I sure hope your recovery goes better than the hospital stay! Gentle hugs to you my friend as you recover, take care of yourself and keep us posted when you can drag yourself to the machine!

[Goldfields]

Sorry I didn't see your message, DD, I actually proved sensitive to the Tramahexal the Dr put me on too after the op. so didn't feel even halfways like I'd survive until I took myself off it last week.
Jarrah is about to see what dog showing is all about, but only as a spectator.
A friend(All Breeds Judge, breeder of Australian Cattle Dogs) (who sometimes handled Perkins in the show ring for me) is judging locally this weekend and I will take Jarrah over there for her opinion on which of her stud dogs might suit her as a mate IF all of Jarrah's health tests are okay. I have just sent paperwork off for the PLL and coat colour tests, PLL being (mental block) LOL, primary lens luxation. PRCD has already been done.Coat colour test is to see if she carries the genes for cream,chocolate etc.. Same test they do for Labs I think, but don't quote me on that. Hips, elbows and hearing will be done down in Ballarat later. She's just been in season so I need to wait a while before I get her hips scored.
Just one photo of her today, out in my overgrown garden cum dog cemetry. I'll bet she'd love to have another cattle dog to tear around with in there.

[lindapalm]

She looks like a very strong dog, I love her markings.

[Goldfields]

She apparently knocked her previous owner out twice, Lindapalm, by leaping up I think and hitting him under the chin. So, yes, she's strong, but maybe not as strong as Perkins was. A friend with Kelpies had to hold him for me at a show and even though she didn't walk him anywhere, she commented on his strength. Jarrah is softer and more easily controlled, the girlie version of our red fellow.

[Goldfields]

Oh, ACDs are supposed to be built like a small thickset dingo by the way, though she's more like a big thickset dingo. LOL.

[Goldfields]

Feeling cosy in my Winter dog coat, and it was so good of Betty to throw weeds out to make a cushion for my head while I doze in the sunshine. It's a hard life for some dogs.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by Goldfields

Some more of the happy couple. LOL.

They're a very handsome couple! I love the photos of the sheep and dog and pony together.

[Goldfields]

I'm really going to have to get her a cattle dog puppy pal, can't have her lying around doing nothing.

[hazelrunpack]

She's adorable in that jacket!! And so comfy on her weed pillow!

[Dog Dancer]

She does look comfortable on her pile of weeds, dressed for the winter (lovely coat). Halo would find something soft to put her head on too! Jarrah is so pretty.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

She's adorable in that jacket!! And so comfy on her weed pillow!

I tell my dog he looks cute in his jacket and does not believe me. He hate to wear it and will lay down to make it harder to put on him.

[Goldfields]

All my dogs have dog coat for the Winter, simply because blow drying wet shelties got old fast. LOL. The only dog that really dislikes its coat is Bo, who tries (and sometimes succeeds) to rub it off. Let's face it, Hazel and DD, some girls are just Princesses.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by Goldfields

All my dogs have dog coat for the Winter, simply because blow drying wet shelties got old fast. LOL. The only dog that really dislikes its coat is Bo, who tries (and sometimes succeeds) to rub it off. Let's face it, Hazel and DD, some girls are just Princesses.

Marty's fur get matted very easy when it get wet so I put a coat when it raining hard or snowing. My hearing dog thought he was going to work when I put his winter jacket on him and he would get very serious when I put it on him. He was a clown when he was off duty. I don't think Marty would like me blow drying him.

[Goldfields]

Dogs get used to a hair dryer fairly fast I've found, but then my shelties seem to know they need looking after. You only need to make sure it doesn't get too hot for them. I brush and blow at the same time, moving the dryer constantly. Then run fingers through all the coat making sure they are dry. They think it's all good.

[Goldfields]

Another of Jarrah's results is here, she is clear of PLL(Primary Lens Luxation). Hooray! Untreated PLL can lead on to Glaucoma so I am very pleased with this result. The coat colour test isn't complete yet, I should get that result next week.

[Goldfields]

Darn dog, still lying about, sunbaking. Thought I'd show you a nice cattle dogs smile too. It's only the dogs with good cheek muscles that produce such a nice smiley result. LOL. Jarrah's colour results are in . EE, BB, DD, so all is well. No surprise chocolate or cream pups if I did ever breed with her.

[hazelrunpack]

She sure does look happy, GF.

[Koteburo]

First thing I thought when I saw her...
What a cute smile

[Goldfields]

The cattle dog smile is why my previous red girl got called(amongst her other nicknames) "Susie Smiley-face". Love my smiley dogs.
The other thing the breed has become renowned for, in the States particularly, is the cattle dog shriek. Thankfully I've only ever had one that did it, but she did it well. She'd wait till you were walking past her yard, then leap to shoulder height so she could shriek in your ear. The first time she did it she was in one of the back yards and I went tearing around to rescue her seeing I was convinced she must have had a leg trapped in the wire for sure.LOL.