Growth and Development

From the desk of Tarma Shena

One of the biggest myths I combat is the idea that if you bring a livestock guardian in the house it will not work.

Can it ruin a dog? Yes. But it is not the house that ruins a dog, it’s people. Growth and development are a biological imperative. Humans repress natural development in their desire to have something that needs them its whole life.

I contemplate this as I watch Elora hit her sixth month birthday. Every puppy, whether it is born here or not, starts out in the whelping box. It’s a handy spot to keep a pup contained, has a rubber mat floor in case of an accident, and helps a pup feel safe in a new and strange environment.

Contrary to popular belief, although canids are denners, that is not the same as burrowers. The den is a temporary home until such time as one can take care of themselves. Our whelping box serves this same purpose.

As Elora has gotten older she is outgrowing that childhood need for safety. I am fond of naps, there was a time when she went in the box at nap time, if I was tending large stock she wasn’t ready to be around yet, and again at night time. She graduated to napping in the living room and spending time in the yard when she couldn’t be with me.

Now she is outside all day, doing her stints with the livestock, and only coming in the house at night. Where once she was ready and willing to come in as soon as it started to get dark, now I have to call her in when it’s time for bed. We have a predator load that makes sleeping in the house at this age a good idea but she is expressing her desire to get to work.

I have supported her growth and development each step of the way, rewarding good decisions with increased responsibility. Letting her figure out her place in her own way. Her good breeding shows in her decision making, there was one night where you could hear the adults working and she was right there, ready to come in, other nights when it’s quiet her feet drag at bed time. I could handle this if you just let me.

I have not had to force her to go outside and work. She does not try to dig out of pens, cry on tether, or destroy things in a bid for attention. I have simply supported her natural desire to grow up and become a functioning adult.

It’s almost like she was bred for it.