September Swangsong

September has been my last month in Germany. And what a bitter sweet time it has been.

On the one hand I can celebrate all I have experienced and learnt with friends who have visited. On the other hand I have to say good bye to a life that I have loved and say farewell to people that I have loved sharing my great adventure with.

Nonetheless, I have to close this chapter of my life. And I have to begin a new one with sheep and dogs in Australia.

I hope that you have enjoyed my blog. And I sincerely hope that you have learnt to appreciate the sheep and the dogs and the way of life of the traditional German shepherd.

I am currently fondly reviewing photos and videos. Here are some of the recent ones.


This should have been in an earlier blog

This is from one of Richie's last flights

The car pass to end all car passes

At the Bundesleistungshuten - the German National German Shepherd Dog Herding Competition

Our final dinner before I left

The Bear man's last day with his flock......he is now safe at home waiting for me to arrive back in a couple of days.

Guest Contributor 5

Let me introduce you to my final Guest Contributor, my Australian friend Karen.
Karen's claim to fame is that she is the owner of Kyra, the mother of Bear. Like me, and also Pat, Karen is a GSD owner of many years who has become addicted the thrills and spills(!) of traditional herding with our dogs.

What experience did I take away from Germany...

Well I would have to say the 3 main things that sticks out in my mind are...

1. How warm and welcoming the people are...

2. How wonderful the food is....

3. I CAN NOT over state how Obedient the dogs are....

I personally want to thank Alexa making this trip possible. Not only going the extra miles in driving me around (Kermit rules), to the beautiful apartment I stayed in but also introducing me to such a wonderful experience, introducing me to Georg and his lovely family and friends.

Just saying "Thank You" to Georg does not seem enough to cover the gratitude I feel. Also the ability to learn and study Georg's magnificent 8 Dog Team and he's 500 flock of sheep...WOW!!!!

The experience of watching 500 sheep being worked by two and three German Shepherds is a priceless experience. The knowledge and experience passed on to us from Georg will enrich my own training back in Australia.

Also the welcoming kindness from George's family, his beautiful wife Margot and his family Susanne, plus their charming friends.

I also met a lovely lady Pat, who also has German Shepherds, from the UK. We all had a brilliant time for 3 days watching the German Shepherd Sheep Herding Nationals (BLH) and we enjoyed experiencing the German hospitality...all I can say is...2 Australians and a Pom walked into a pub....LOL

I am extremely looking forward to going back to my farm, to begin a new chapter of sheep herding......

The Wandering Shepherd 4

Moving the Sheep

I love moving the sheep. It can be calm and slow or fast and hectic. This depends both on the nature of the move and the will of the sheep. Sometimes they do push the limits.

So, we can be moving just across the way, or across a busy road that needs to be navigated carefully. Dogs can push sheep into the traffic or sheep can lead dogs into the traffic. It requires skill and preparation. You have to organise the flock and know before you start how you are going to handle their movement. It is not an occasion to "wing it".

One problem is that the roads curve and visibility is not always great, so Georg has been able to use my help to stand and stop the traffic on the most vulnerable side.

Here the sheep leave the road at Magerkingen and climb up to cross the railway crossing.

Travelling the back way into Magerkingen

Not the same railway crossing, but the same line

Moving the sheep along forest trails on the other hand is a leisurely delight. Bear loves moving the sheep. It has immediate purpose and I think it appeals to the bossy side of his character.

Preparing to move on

Bear moving sheep along a country road

Young Lambs

While we have been up here lambs have been born. They can either be born during the grazing day or overnight in the pens. Usually it goes smoothly but there can be times when Georg needs to give the ewe a hand. Normally Georg will take the twins and triplets home to the barn in his trailer. The single lambs and their mothers go into a nursery pen until the lambs are strong enough to travel with the flock. Usually a few weeks.

This is what you can find when you arrive in the morning.

A temporary pen alongside the main pen

Nursery pen

Looking after the stock

Naturally care of animals and their health is an ongoing job. The main tasks are foot care; thorns being picked up by the sheep grazing among thorny bushes and foot infections due to the wet soil.

As well there is the usual parasite prevention needed.

Georg uses the old shepherd skill of catching a sheep with his Schippe (crook) to look after the feet or to check on a sheep's condition. For the parasite and foot infections he sets up temporary yards and, often with help, he will treat the whole flock.

This guy knows what he is doing

This guy doesn't

On this occasion the Vet helped with injections