Almost lost one...

Mom neglected to keep an eye on Chip, our quite elderly toy poodle, and she wandered out, and right up to Libby. Libby is tempermental as all hell, and of course decided to stomp the crap out of her.

Chip got away, luckily, but I have a feeling Libby was only making a veryhalf-assed attack on her as it was. I don't see a 9 pound, half deaf and going blind dog surviving a serious attack from anything.

Her belly is half-skinned, she's bruised, and sore, and she got knocked in the hip pretty good (the same one from the leg she broke and never set right years ago) but she seems alright. Tomorrow she's going to be so stuff though.. poor girl.

I'm not too happy about being yelled at that it's my fault that Libby did that, and I should have trained her better, but she was upset. Hopefully Libby will settle down herself soon too.

Heated Arguments...

Libby is in heat. She's in love with Drifter. She keeps grinding her butt on his chest, and is scaring him away. *sigh* Poor guy, he has no clue!

Wet critters are free.

Libby & Drifter have been out for about half of the week- and we're only halfway through. Sunday, and Tuesday (today), and they're still out tonight. We're trusting them to be good and not knock down the fence.

If we don't let them out, they're going top get hoof rot, and considering we can't handle Libby's feet as of yet, I don't think that would be easy to treat. At least out back they are on firmer ground,a nd there's no standing mud and muck; they also get the benefit of being able to eat to thir hearts' content all day and night.

Libby has been living it up- she eats, browses, and stretches her legs, then later lays down, and alternates between rubbing herself on the ground, and delicately picking grass from between her fornt hooves.

Chastised by Libby :)

I probably spelled that totally wrong..lol.

Anyway, between rainfall, I was out taking photos of the goats since I've redone our entire website, but don't want to launch the new files until I have at least half of the photos up- and I want all new photos.

Libby and Drifter were moping around, wet, soggy, and refusing to go under their shelter. So while I was standing there trying to coax a few goats out into the mud to get a good picture, I was suddenly knocked/smooshed/slammed into the fence in front of me.

What the heck did that?

I turned my head, very slowly, and Libby was standing there, ears wiggling sheepishly, and watching to see what I was going to do in response to that little behavior..lol. I reach out and scratched her chin. She let her ears flop, and walked away.

Bad Donkey Mom.

Libby says she's feeling quite neglected and I understand that! Poor girl has had to brave rain the last few days, though she does use the shelter some- mostly she sticks it out with Drifter. He won't use the shelter at all.

Between raina dn this week being the first day of the new semester, I haven't had a chance to do more then talk to her a little in passing, and rub her nose a few times, also in passing. Yup. Bad donkey mom.

Greedy, pushy donkey!

Libby is a greedy, pushy donkey. A very greedy, pushy donkey. But she was good overall today. I put her on a lead for the first time in about a week and a half I think, and she followed me like a puppy dog. Only balked a few times towards the end of things.

I tried to introduce her to a curry comb today, which was interesting. She sniffed it, poked it, and let me rub her nose with it when she was sniffing it, and let me rub the cheek strap of her halter with it, but not any other part of her directly. I finaly settled for her sniffing it and lipping it, and then put it back in my pocket. For her being so interested in not being touched with it, she sure wanted to see what it was doing while in my pocket! Maybe a few more days of introduction of the currycomb and she'll let me use it on her. I know it's still cool out, but she's so furry and she is shedding.

And because she won't let me clip the rope on her without a bribe, I go out with about two handfuls worth of grain in a bucket. I know, no grain needed for donkeys, but she's getting about three single-handfuls a week, if that. Less then a cup. Half of what I bring out goes to Drifter just for standing around and waiting patiently. I'm not bringing anything out at all though most of the time, because I don't want her to always expect something. Anyway, she decided several times to push past me and go for the grain, which is on the ground in the middle of her pen so Drifter can't get to it. Each time, I stepped in front of her, gently pushed the lead back towards her chest, stepped forward slowly, and said back as she stepped back with me. Maybe she'll learn "back" pretty soon.

The last time, towards the end of our little lesson in being nice, being handled, and following me like a puppy, she lunged forward, and I was doing good to keep her in place. I took this opertunity to run my hands over her neck, shoulder, and part way down her foreleg. She never flicked an ear until I was almost to her knee, making me think she's a big old buffalo, and not one bit afraid of me! That doesn't mean I'm going to suddenly start pushing her, but it does mean that maybe she's more ready for things like brushing and other touching then I thought.

I'm also wondering what I'm going to do if she goes from being a little mouthy to being nippy- right now when she lips at me, I just move my hand (or any other body part) out of reach so it's not so easy for her to nibble. It seems to be working, but I'm curious on how to draw the line between her not being mouthy and her allowing me to look at her teeth and mouth.

ANy ideas out there, readers?

Hooray! Libby came in for dinner on her own!

The easiest way to catch two hooved critters that are out eating is to offer them dinner.... right? So this evening, Mom fed both of them in their feeders, and ten minutes later, both came happily in for the night to be put up. Libby wasn't hungry, which is fine. She can leave her hay til morning if she wants, no one else can get to it. Both of them got an apple as a reward for coming in quietly and nicely. I hope this will be a sign of things to come, because it'd be nice to have them out every weekend.

She really enjoyed her day out, and even though Drifter largely ignored her and didn't do any playing of his own, she took every chance to kick up her heels, run, buck, twist, and just have a good time.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but yesterday she also had a great time checking me out as I filled the goat mineral feeders- and stood for rubs and scratches again.

Munching.

Libby went out first thing this morning, and is enjoying herself. Drifter is still being a bit standoffish, but he's tolerating her very well. Cross your fingers that after a day of eating and exercise, she'll be willing to come back in!

Sweet Nothings.

The day after Libby's last day of friendliness, she pretty much ignored me, aside from showing me she was more then capable of kicking me from here to next week, without actually doing it.

The last few days, I have made myself available to her, but not tried to do anything. Just walked by, talked to her, made a few detours to walk near her, that's it.

Today we put up a few more mineral feeders for the goats, and as I filled them, Drifter was of course determined to get into the bucket. Libby was braying and snorting, wanting her share too. When the feeder was full and the bucket was empty, I went over to the braying dancing, impatient donkey named Libby... Drifter followed on my heels.

Libby thoroughly checked the bucket, and let me scratch her necka nd shoulder while she did it. When she was done, and it was proven to be empty, she started to notice I was scratching her. I gave a last rub, stopped, patted Drifter on the neck, and walked away.

Tomorrow I think they will both get to go out back to much all day, assuming MOm will buy into Libby being willing to actually come back in at night. I hope she will!

Something new...

The last few days I've been a bad donkey mom, and haven't had time to work with her at all. Yesterday I made a quick visit to her with a small bite of carrot, which still amazes me in the difference in how she eats hers, and Drifter eats his. Drifter we have to fight to make him bite the carrot, and not eat the entire thing in one bite. Libby gently takes a tiny nibble from the end, with wonderful manners.

Of course it being close to feeding time, Libby and Drifter were both full of attitude, and wanting to fight and fuss at each other thrugh the panel. I vacated the area quickly, before I was squashed into a pulp.

A few minutes ago I went out back, empty handed, and was of course follwoed by Drifter all the way to Libby. Libby, for the first time, came to me with no rope to keep her nearby, and stood for face and neck rubs. Part of it was jealousy because Drifter was right ther getting rubbed, but part of it was her genuinely wanting attention from me.

I probably won't have time to do anything more with her today, but I am hoping for a repeat of this tomorrow. Even when I reached over and got hold of her halter noseband (yes, still wearing that thing) she backed upa step, but then stopped. When I let go, she relaxed, and allowed me to get hold again, let go, and continue rubbing.