Farm Fresh Blog

Meet the JV Team - Judge & Jury

They are bigger than everyone but Briar now, and they aren't even 6 months old.

Because of their size, it's easy to forget that Judge and Jury are still just kids. They are long and lean and remind me of teenaged lion cubs when they walk. These guys are very athletic, moving suprisingly fast for their size. I have heard the Anatolian Shepherd described as the 'basketball player of the dog world' and it certainly fits them.

 Mesa is more agile but only a year old herself, so they are great playmates. Because of the size difference, I keep an eye on them lest in their play, they accidentally drown their little buddy in the pond. The play not only keeps them fit, but it sharpens their skills. It is warrior training. This fun sparring prepares them for their future.

 Considering the predator load here, I appreciate not only their size, but their warrior nature.  Even at their young age, they are already at work. At night, they sleep with the sheep and goats in the stalls which open into runs behind the barn. These runs are adjacent to the buck pen.

The night before last, because of storms I was forced to shut the main doors of the barn, locking Briar inside the barn. This left the buck pen unattended. In the middle of the night, the puppies exploded with barking, alerting the rest of the dogs. Other Half ran outside but whatever caused the disturbance had already run off into the dark. It was not until morning that I realized a predator had climbed the fence and attacked two bucks as the puppies in the stall pens alerted the pack inside the barn. Thankfully the bucks only had minor injuries, but it was a wakeup call for me. Without these dogs I would have no small livestock within a week.

So chalk one up for Judge & Jury, my young Spartan warriors, children, already training for war.