Meet Belladonna

Those of you with enough patience to make it to the end of the previous post about our visit to the Wild and Wooly Fiber Festival, have already met the newest member of the Sheeps and Peeps Barn, Border and Brush Patrol.  She is Belladonna.  Bella is a  Pastore Maremmano Abruzzese, Maremma Sheepdog, and will join our Komodor, Samson, in guarding duties.  She was born on July 15th and weighed 16.4 lbs at her 8 week check-up. 

Of course you realize that this will result in flurry of puppy pictures and puppy stories because we love new babies here at the farm.  Today will be no exception....

We currently have a few lambs in the corral and Bella is staying in a small enclosure inside the barn pen when we are too busy to keep an eye on her.  Saturday evening and Sunday morning I took her for a long walk to the bottom of pasture and back.  Sunday evening we started down the hill and made it just over the crest when Bella firmly planted herself and sat.  Well I kept going, whistling and calling (a good training experience, I am thinking).   I am sure that she will follow.  About half way down, I look back up and there is no Bella.  Walking swiftly back up the hill, I am wondering what she is up to.

She has gone back up to the corral gate.  In no time at all Feisty's ram lamb comes over to investigate.



And Bella immediately knows where she is supposed to be.  She just isn't too sure how to get there.

Soooo smart!!