Registered ESC, MDR1 normal/normal, AHBA HIT, PennHip .43/.52Bulletin: The Puppies have arrived! Bonnie is the farm's pride, a 3 yr old female tri-color registered English Shepherd who is eager to work, strives to please, and has the all-important "off switch" often missing in the higher strung herding breeds. Her shepherding chores include rounding up the sheep, moving them from paddock to paddock, keeping them from crowding the shepherd at feeding time, and chasing wayward sheep back inside the fence. Her other farm chores include keeping stray dogs away, chasing off buzzards (especially at lambing time), keeping deer away from the fruit trees, and keeping the mice population at zero. Her other duties include watchdog for the family, playmate for the children, and companionship for the adults. She is an outdoor/indoor dog, whose primary vantage point is the front door, so she can see the lambs, greet whoever comes to the house, and keep an eye on the fruit trees. She spends most of her time outside, though sleeps inside during winter, opting to stay outside during Spring lambing season. Bonnie's herding style is typical English Shepherd; primarily upright, loose-eyed, and close when needed. On a short range gather, she will immediately go to the outside shoulder of the lead (or farthest) sheep. In stockyard movements, she will come in closer if stock are not moving, and will nip beneath the hocks of the outliers if more movement is needed. Since 8 months old when we first exposed her to stockyard situations, she has never backed down when an obstinate ewe has tried to face off with her. If an ornery ewe tries to stand ground and headbutt, Bonnie has a fast spin move that avoids the headbutt and puts her at the side of the ewe's face, breaking the will of the ewe, which then turns and moves off, pushing the flock in the intended direction. Bonnie is out of McCall's Gabby and Ringo.   
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