Vine Hill Farm

July 2009~ Skip is one tough cookie as he has survived the gun shot and surgery!  Today, 8 months later, you would never know he was at the brink of death. You can read his story below.:

Meet 'Skip to my Lou', AKA 'Skipper', a purebred triple registered intact B/T English Shepherd.

His puppy picture. Isn't he one handsome fella?!  

Skip and Clemie have both been awarded PRGN status by the AWFA (American Working Farmcollie Association). What does PRGN stand for!? Go here: http://www.farmcollie.com/prgn.htm

Skip and 'My Darling Clementine'. AKA 'Clem' are our stockdogs.

See Clemie here: http://www.freewebs.com/vinehillfarm/englishshepherdclemie.htm

 Our farm could not function without them! They work beside us with our goats ......

 Skip, closest to Nubian goat, and Clem stop a runaway goat and bring her back. They also help put chickens and ducks back. More importanly, they can work independently, guarding the property chasing away varmints, deer and coyote while we are not home. When not working, they will rest quietly at our feet and take a break or run the orchard, pasture and forest patrolling, but always with one eye open! 

Skip is 14 months old. I captured this shot of him as he was laughing and rolling in the grass one day. It never ceases to amaze me all the different facial expressions and body language these dogs exhibit!

Below is Skippy with our new tiny kitten. He is 'tender' enough to allow the kitten to 'search' for a teat like he did with his Mama....LOL. However, the look on his face says, "What the heck is this cat doing!!??"

Like most ES, Skip is extremely attached to our other pets and us as well as our stock of goats and chickens. He watches out for all of us and guards against predators all day and night. He can be tender and loving yet also be fearless when defending his home. Skip gets credit for running off many ill intentioned deer headed for my orchard, treeing coons that were after our chickens and cornering a coon under the house. He will not back down and  stands his ground each night against the coyote trying to gain entrance for a free meal.

At 4 months - 

Skipper is out of Blacksheep Farm in NY ..... http://www.geocities.com/blacksheephomestead/. Bred by Tish Toren, his sire is Toren's Cimmaron Red Rooster and dam is Toren's Blacksheep Busy Bea (Beezy). He is of Butcher, Loflin, Maynard and other proven ES bloodlines.

Skippy is a very lovey-dovey licky dog...LOL. He is very attached and does not like to let me out of is site. He reminds me of a little teddy bear all black and tan thick fur. He will come to me frequently for attention and love.

Skip becomes a "different" dog when his land or charges are threatened. I have seen him on more than one occasion become  ferocious when threatened by nearby coyote, ready to protect, growling, barking. 

Skip has been socialized with children as well as a few family members, however we purposefully did not socialize him to the extent Clemie was. We did not want 'strangers' greeted by 'tail wagging' dogs! We value Skip's ability to watch over the chickens, goats, cats, rabbits, us and our land. We feel much safer knowing that he is guarding all of us.

Skip has basically been kept at home on the farm, so he is very apprehensive of strangers coming on our property requiring me to leash or put him up until I get a chance to 'introduce' him properly. He CAN be severe if not re-directed and this is basically what we wanted with him. We live in a very secluded area and I need him for protection.

Skipper Was Shot by a Hunter Dec. 2009

Knocking on death's door but thank goodness, nobody was home! : It was the first week of deer hunting season when Skip, Clemie and Nicki were assisting me with our small herd of goats. I had allowed them out of their stable so that I could clean the stalls and freshen bedding. My plan was to allow the dogs to keep them close by while I took a few minutes to do this. Because there is an increasing incidence of hunters shooting and killing livestock (and even each other) in this area I was trying to prevent my goats from going deep into the woods high up on the hills of the farm as they usually do so they would not be mistaken for deer.

Just as we were putting them back we heard brush move high up above us and limbs snapping. All dogs started barking immediately and the goats bolted. Skipper took off up the hill and despite my load screams for him to come back he could not hear me. I focused on returing the goats to the stable and keeping the other ES by my side and then returning to the cabin. On our way to the cabin I heard a gun shot. I knew in my heart that it was my Skippy.

Once inside I grabbed the brightest colored jacket I owned, a red OSU jacket, put Nicki on a lead, grabbed my rifle and we started our trek up the 70 degree grade of hillside behind our cabin, slipping and sliding through sticky clay mud and snow. As we made our way through the forest I continued to call for Skip to no avail. Reaching the top, there was a large open field that belongs to my neighbor who owns horses. There was the 'hunter' approaching my direction as I stepped onto her land looking for him.

I don't want to write a book right here, right now so fast forwarding, of course the 'hunter' denied seeing Skip. He threatened me so for safety reasons Nik and I returned to the cabin. That was around noon and I continued searching and calling for him for hours until 11pm when I sat down facing the hillside and screamed his name over and over in between uncontrolled crying.

Later, inside as I sat at my desk, one of the ES alerted me to something outside. I opened the sliding glass door and stood on the deck staring at the pitch black sky brightened by a million bright white twinkling stars. "WHERE is he?" were my thoughts. As I turned around to go back inside the cabin, something caught my eye from beneath the table there. Upon closer observation, it did appear to be an ES tail! Is it possible?

On my hands and knees I peered under the bench of the picnic table and could barely make out my Skipper as he laid in there panting and gasping for air but still trying to wag his tail. And, as I breathed I could smell the blood. He wasn't moving even with prompting so I reached my arms around his whole body and pulled him forward into my chest at the same time feeling the "whoof" of warm air come from his chest into my face. I gently placed my hand over the furry side of his body where I felt the big puff of air each time he inhaled. My nursing background told me that Skippy had a 'blowhole' most likely from being shot.

I screamed for help from my companion and we were able to lift and carry him to the couch all the while minding to keep my hand over the blowhole. He was in shock and was bleeding profusely. I got a clean sock and made a ball out of it by turning it inside out and then wrapped a pressure around him with ace wrap. Despite the blood loss and labored respirations, Skip was shocky but fully alert. I prayed in silence and then started trying to figure out how I was going to help him and making phone calls.

It was not until the following day that I was able to secure transportation to take Skip to the Med Vet hospital in Columbus, OH. My parents were the angels in disquise as we made a backboard and carried him to the car gently placing the board with him on it on the back seat and then me beside him.

At the hospital the techs used a gurney and whisked Skip briskly into the building. Two IV's were started, one in a foreleg and one rear leg, he was medicated for pain and antibiotics started then placed in a self contained osygen bed chamber. My poor Skippy. He was soon taken to surgery where the surgeon removed an almost quarter size bullet that rested 2mm from his lower heart. She removed the rest of the lung tissue that was left when the slug ripped through it and irrigated the hell out of the entire area. Nothing left to do but continue infection prevention and get him on the road to recovery now.

This is a photo of the actual slug removed from Skipper's chest:  I placed a quarter beside the slug.

After four nights and five days, and many tearful visitations, Skip was finally allowed to come home. He had a chest tube and that was removed but permitted to remain open for drainage. His bullet wound had been sutured closed. And he was nothing but metal staples from the top of his nceck to his belly button as the Dr. said she had to break his rib cage apart in order to work on him so she stapled it all back together.

My parents, Skipper with his newfangled wide brim clear collar on to prevent him from chewing on his staples made it back home. Last minute instructions included to continue the antibiotics, handed a bottle of pills for pain if he needed it, and informed that he was to remain on complete bedrest for the nects 2 months. Having already packed our suitcases when we checked out of the hotel and paid the bill, there was no need to return there so we continued on our 2 1/2hour drive home.

Once home, I dragged a large metal cage out that I have for transporting goats and set that dang thing up right in the center of my living room where I could watch his every mood, fulfill his every need for the nects 8 weeks. I made a big, comfy bed for him in there with disposable pads on top to catch the blood as it drained. And, he was gently walked a few feet out the door for 3 potty breaks a day.

That was 8 mths ago and today Skipper is as healthy as if nothing had EVER happened to him. I thank God my parents were there for us, as they have been throughout most of my life and that Skipper's breeder, Tish Toren, chose the lines she did, healthy & tough lines, to get my hero Skip. We kept T shirts on Skip because his entire underside and partial sides were shaved. He was nicnamed the Incredible Hulk and sported the same T shirt to protect his staples as he recovered and he will always be my Knight in Shining Armour.

Here are photos of him in his Hulk shirt:

June/July 2008 Photo Updates!

  Skip to my Lou~ Lovable, devoted, trustworthy, protective are some of the best words

I can use to describe my Skippy!!! He is that and SO much more!!!

  One of Skippy's new babies. He says, "You doin' ok little buddy!?" :)