My dog chicken-sits …
Best Friends Jake & Cotton
After old Jake died this month (I still can’t talk about it much), little Cotton has been lost and lonely. He clings to us for attention and doesn’t want to be alone.
I knew, with his love of being outdoors, this poor-pity-me would not last very long. He started getting excited about going out in the mornings with me to feed the critters. He would sit on the cart watching me let the chickens out of their house, feeding them and cleaning their water pan.
One morning I didn’t have to go anywhere, so I had time to stay out there for a while. I decided to leave the yard gate open. As the chickens filed outside, pecking the grass and moving away, Cotton became concerned. He jumped out of the cart, and keeping his distance, he tried to herd them back to the yard. I was collecting eggs and adding more clean hay to the dirt floor.
When I came out, he had the chickens back in the yard, and was standing at the gate so they couldn’t get back out!
you can't hide!
I decided it was time they had some free range, so I secured the gate enough the donkeys and Mr Bull couldn’t get in, and went back to the house.
I went out on the balcony to try to spot them. Cotton had brought them over to the corral where they gleefully pecked on green grass and bugs to enjoy their new freedom! In the picture, that white spot behind a chicken is Cotton.
headcount
Hey, Cotton, you got one on top of the bale! Troublemaker (the wayward rooster) is that black dot in the pasture waiting for Mr Bull to get back.
sitting on the job
All day long, except for coming in for a nibble and drink out of his bowl, my dog
Chicken Sits!
I guess everyone wants to feel needed!
I loved that little story. I used to keep chickens so it resonated with me
Awww, little Cotton has so many talents! And I so love the pictures
Cotton must like to keep busy! Great story!
He does keep busy, and if he has to wait to do something, he pouts. When the grandies come to visit, he never stops unless a kid wants to hold and pet him. He’s such a social little guy, born to be with as many people as he can see. With my experience of living with him, I would recommend a Bichon Frise as a pet for any family – especially with active kids. He was sold to an elderly lady as a Poodle. Why they totally docked his tail is a mystery! We were lucky enough to adopt him!
Cotton obviously does not see himself as the lap-dog type; he wants to help on the farm. And the rooster left him to look after the girls on his own, too. That shows considerable trust.
If one can hold eighteen pounds, he cuddles like a baby! His hair is like silk and does not shed like fur. Since he sleeps with me every night since he arrived, he gets a lot of baths and daily brushing. His intelligence matches his precocious chosen ranch life. From his healthy athletic little body, his eye contact speaks volumes of who he is.
I just have to share this. I walked in from work one night and Cotton was sitting straight up in my chair with his little arm on the armrest, looking totally relaxed. My husband was in his chair close to him. They had been having a conversation! Of course, my husband was mystified as this had never happened before, and seemed impossible. First one would talk, then the other. Cotton was trying to speak words! Obviously, we talk to him a lot!
He’s obviously trying to talk to you. My last dog didn’t do that, but I could send her messages by sending her an image of something and she would react to the message. She had a whole range of facial expressions and I’m sure that she will come back as a human, if she hasn’t already. There were some horses in Germany who learned to write German by holding chalk in their teeth and writing on a blackboard to answer questions. They wrote in a “horse” version of the language which eliminated any unnecessary letters (no double “l” for example). Before that, there had been horse mathematicians who did astounding things with square roots. It’s just a question of finding a way to communicate. The animals seem to be more intelligent than we are because they learn our language while we have trouble learning theirs.
Hi,
That is just so sweet. It is very, very sad to lose a mate, but I’m sure Cotton will eventually settle down, Cotton may have found his calling in life with the chickens.
Wonderful story! And with photos, too!
Need I say I had to read the title twice…??
Gotcha!
It’s a reminder to myself when reading other blogs, read carefully!