Max, The Duck Herder

Max, our Black Labrador Farm Dog

Every farm needs a farm dog.  Each morning when I go out to feed the animals, he is excited to join me. Of course, there is a reason.  Max is a labrador, after all, and very food motivated.  There are 5 ducks and 5 chickens on The Derby Farm, as well as the two peacocks.  In the mornings, I let them roam freely right outside the pen (not the peacocks of course.)  The chickens are busy away scratching in the dirt finding tasty bugs.  The ducks love to go out further into the tall, wet grass to seek out their sweet, buggy snacks. All the while Max is running around the back part of the field doing his business and snacking on sheep poop.  He leaves the bird alone, mostly.  But every now and then, I really need his help. 

The little black flock of waddlers likes to cross the driveway and check out the bugs over by the wood pile.  This is where the duck herding instinct happens for Max.  I call to him for his help, and Max comes running toward me, sees the ducks, and knows what he has to do. In through the ducks he bounds, chasing them back across the driveway toward the pen. Once I get the ducks and the chickens all back safely inside the coop, Max patiently sits right outside the coop door, waiting expectantly for his reward.  A duck egg!  He loves them. We have several laying ducks, so I don't mind sharing an egg for such a good and well behaved dog.  He doesn't care so about the sheep.  He goes nose to nose with them.  But, he is a duck dog, not really a sheep dog.  We are all so glad to have Max as a part of the family on The Derby Farm.