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STORIES 2

GERANEN BOERBOELS

Two For One Kimber Special

I had gone down to the dog pens to feed. I keep the food in a nearby hay barn that is
located near the dogs and is backed up to a steeply sloped, wooded creek bed. I was lost
in my own thoughts and didn't look up until I was 20 feet from the barn. What I saw made
my throat go dry. Two of the neighbor's young bulls were beside the barn looking at me.
These bulls only weighed about 700 pounds each but the were of the Corrino (sp?) breed.
You know, the bullfighting bulls? Ole! Now these bulls would rather fight than eat and
their eight inch horns looked mighty big right then. And they were looking at me like I was
their encore performance. Fortunately Rocky was there in short order, taking on both
bulls and baiting them away from me. It worked well until they hit that wooded slope
behind the barn and Rocky slipped. That was the only opening one of the bulls needed
and he turned and had Rocky pinned to the ground with his horns. I wanted to chase the
bull off of Rocky but caught myself just in time to spot the other bull heading for me! Did I
mention that hay barn had NO hay in it at the time? I was dead meat and the barbeque
was about to begin! I was about 6 feet away from looking at the stars when Kimber came
rushing by. The bull that was after me apparently didn't like the look in her eyes and
turned and hightailed it into that creek bottom. Without stopping, Kimber rushed full speed
into that bull that had Rocky pinned. She hit him right between the eyes with her teeth
bared and nearly flipped him over backwards with the impact! I couldn't believe my eyes!
I was soooo grateful to her as she put those bulls back over the fence. When she came
back to me I was busy giving her big hugs when it occurred to me that Kimber had been in
her pen. How had she gotten out? I walked over to her pen and was amazed to see what
she had done. Kimber had put her nose against the chainlink and pushed. She pushed
until the wire stretched enough for her body to get through. Obviously nothing will keep
her from her job of taking care of business. Ole!
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Cleaning Up After a Storm

When we still lived in town, we experienced a strong storm that resulted in many limbs dropping onto our
yard. I went out with Rocky to pick them up and place them at the curb for the city to pick up. I soon noticed
difficulty in moving these limbs. Probably had something to do with the dog at the other end! We had a lot
of fun there for a while but the job was progressing slowly. I finally had to tell Rocky to let go and go get his
own limbs! To my surprise, he did! I even managed to get him to bring them to the pile by the curb
although his limbs tended to get smaller as they moved across the yard to the pile. He was sooo vicious
and he had to shake those limbs to bring them into line! Never fear when Rocky is near!
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A Dog's Hero

We have two lab maies that belonged at one time to my daughter. They're
always eager to join in with whatever the Boerboels are doing. Of course
they have their own version of what to do when dealing with animals here
on the farm and it usually involves explosive speed to the animal for the
rights to the first butt sniff. Needless to say, this makes for a few more
challenges the Boerboels have to overcome! One day I heard the two labs
in the creek beside the house barking at something. Nothing unusual
there. I didn't pay any attention to them. Suddenly Rocky comes from the
bedroom and crashes through the metal bottom of our storm door and
rushes into the creek. I follow and realize there is only one lab barking.
Before I can get my shoes on Roscoe, our 122 pound lab, shows up on the
porch looking like a muddy, drowned rat. I go to the creek and look down
the steep wooded bank and see that whatever varmint was down there
had been dealt with by Rocky and was no longer a problem. I went back
and rinsed Roscoe off with the hose and discovered four quarter size, very
deep holes in his chest and the same on his left haunch. He was crying
miserably. I sent my husband under the fence and down in the creek to
see what had done this to Roscoe. What we found was the largest beaver
I've ever seen/heard of. Estimates were 40-50 pounds with each tooth
being well over an inch long! This is what I think happened. The two labs
stumbled across this beaver near the creek and Roscoe must of moved in
for the obligatory butt sniff. I think the beaver grabbed him and drug
Roscoe into the water the drown him. Judging by Roscoe's condition
when he first came out of the creek, I'd say the beaver was winning.
Rocky heard/sensed this and rushed to Roscoe's aid. We were unable at
first to determine how Rocky killed the beaver. It wasn't until we were
hosing off the beaver that we noticed he had no eyes. Rocky had crushed
his skull piercing both eyes with his canines. Roscoe had to go to the vet
as he was unable to walk and he seemed in really bad shape. The vet,
who has a large rural practice, said he's never seen a dog attacked by a
beaver who lived. Rocky didn't go to the vet. He had two holes like
Roscoe that were located around his heart area. He never complained.
He just came into the house and went under the bed for two days. When
he came out he was a little stiff but ready to be by my side as I did my
work. I have no doubt Roscoe would be dead if Rocky hadn't interceded
when he did. Roscoe now has his own hero!
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A Night Time Stroll

We heard the dogs barking in our backyard and knew the dogs were dealing with yet
another of our neighbors wayward cows. It was just after midnight (of course) and we
discovered it was our frequent visitor a hereford mixed cow with foot long horns that she
wasn't bashful about using. This cow had been harassing the other neighbors on our road
for years and probably has more buckshot in her body than Walmart sells. Everyone called
her Lucy because of her red hair and the fact that she was always getting into trouble. Lucy
had herself cornered in a low spot in our backyard that was very muddy from a recent rain.
With Kimber and Rocky both helping I went out there to try to shoo her down the drive. The
problem was Lucy didn't shoo. Every time I'd move closer she'd try to get me with her horns.
Rocky closed with her then and got hold of her horns. Big deal! But he wouldn't let go
because he was protecting me. Lucy was working him over grinding him into the mud,
kneeling on him and generally trying to kill him. Kimber, then barely over a year old, would
dart in when I asked her and get the cow off of Rocky. Twice I convinced Rocky to let go of
the cow and each time Lucy would turn and try to gore me. Finally Rocky refused to let go
and we appeared to be at a stalemate. For 45 minutes we had been out there trying to
move that cow out of here so that we could get back to bed and for 45 minutes all that we
had succeeded in doing was getting Rocky beat up by this cow. (By this time "Lucy" had
been christened with many more names!) Finally out of exasperation, I waved toward the
driveway and told Rocky, "Well...Take her down the drive!"...He did! Rocky switched his
hold to her ear and started pulling her toward the drive. We have a looong driveway, but
Rocky never let go. He never backed off. It took some time, and Lucy went to her knees a
half a dozen times, but Rocky got her to the road. He took her to the middle of the road,
placed himself between Lucy and us...and let her go. Needless to say, old "One Ear" hasn't
been back again!
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Sink Or Swim?

Here on the farm, I have a path cleared that I take the kennel dogs on for exercise and mental health
benefits. It's about 1 mile in total length and after I've walked it and they've run around at least 3 times
that distance, I will take the dog to the pond for a swim. It was Nandi's first trip to the pond. I had just
purchased her from John Blackwell and she'd never seen such a big water bucket!. Nandi walked out
into the water, trying to drink it dry, going farther in her wading than the other dogs normally did. I didn't
think too much about it as she is a very big girl (27" and 150 lean pounds). As I watched, Nandi took
another step and sunk like a rock! Not a splash, not even a ripple and she was gone! I waited a
moment and then started heading for the water Before my foot reached the water, up she came like she
was walking out. No coughing, or retching...she just started lapping water again like nothing had
happened! We've visited the pond often since then and Nandi shows no hesitation in going into the
pond. I have noticed though, that she doesn't wade out quite so far anymore!

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SHERIFF'S SAIL
Hearing noise out in the carport, my daughter went out to investigate. She came flying back into the house
just as a black bull came running by on the porch. Fortunately, bulls don't get good traction on wood planks
and she was able (barely) to escape the bull's charge. With the bull looking in the storm door, I knew there
was no time to waste so I went out the back door with Rocky and the two labs. Circling around the house I
carefully peeked out at the front porch and saw the bull standing there. Unfortunately the bull also saw me.
He turned fast to come after me and fell. A quick assessment of my situation and I realized I had nothing to
hide behind except for a tree in the front yard that was halfway between me and the bull. With no time for
anything else I ran for it! The bull got up and lunged off of the porch and headed for me. Those fighting
bulls are fast! It was going to be close and I could see I was going to lose. Rocky was suddenly there
making life difficult for that bull and giving me enough time to get behind that tree. I don't know exactly
what Rocky did, I just know I had to circle that tree a few times and I dimly remember the labs barking from
a safe distance. Finally Rocky baited the bull away from me toward the drive. When they got opposite the
dog kennels, with Rocky hammering that bull hard to keep him moving, the bull made a break and ran behind
the kennels. It was a dead end, but that bull backed up to a tree that was behind the kennels but also
between the kennel fence and the barbed wire fence and made a stand. He wasn't going anywhere! Rocky
was still on him hard and I went to the house to get a leash for him so that we could keep him back. When I
came back a sheriff had arrived in his new Durango and he and Alan had made a makeshift fence with the
pickup and the sheriff's vehicle to direct the bull down the drive. The problem was he wasn't moving! I
leashed Rocky and gave him to Alan and went into Nandi's pen. Nandi would not allow me up to the fence
where the bull was and, remembering his fondness for chasing me, I waved my arms and yelled at the bull,
running away down the fence. Sure enough, here he came! When I got to the end of the kennel fence, that
bull didn't stop, but headed straight for Alan and the Sheriff. Their faces were priceless as they realized that
bull was going to get them! Alan sailed into the bed of the pickup just as that Sheriff sailed behind his
Durango. Did that bull stop?...No way...it just raked the front fender of that Durango with its horns and
literally climbed over it and headed back toward the house and then beyond into the dark. (These things
always seem to happen at night!) I notice then that Rocky was not with Alan. When the bull charged, Alan
had let go of Rocky's leash and, of course, he was after the bull in the dark, with a choke collar and six foot
long lead rope on him. I had visions of that bull stepping on that lead and then killing Rocky or Rocky getting
hung up and being at the bull's mercy. I got on the riding lawn mower and zipped (ha ha) out into the pasture
following Alan and The Sheriff in his Durnago. As it happened, I found Rocky and the bull. Rocky was
hanging back from the bull but I noticed he positioned himself in between me and the bull. I was able to get
him to come over where I could take off that collar without attracting too much attention from the bull. Alan
and the Sheriff came along then and I pointed out the bull to them. Brights and spotlights on, weapons in
hand, both men drove towards the bull stopping about 20 yards away. That Sheriff started his siren to try to
move the bull away from him. The bull started pawing the ground and, you guessed it, he charged. He hit
that new Durango head on and lifted one wheel off the ground. He backed up and hit it again. Sensing that
a bullet was going to head his way, he turned and ran to the house, down the drive and out onto the road and
headed home (with Rocky's encouragement of course!). Since that time, remembering the sight of that
Sheriff "sailing" through the air, I have always looked at a "Sheriff Sail" with a smile on my face.