COWDOGS IN THE SNOW

Lyn sent these photos of Aussies gathering and driving cattle on a Canadian farm in February.

Lill Roth-Lee and her husband Jerry's Swede-Lee Farm is a mixed farm in central Alberta. They crop about a thousand acres and have about 200 cows that are just starting to calve. The dogs in the photos are eight year old Grit (WTCH Spinoff's Red Grit RD RTDc DNA-VP) and his 16 month old son, Spinoff's Tray Full of Grit. Photos are by Lill and Jerry's daughter Jennifer.

Lill's note: "(the dogs) help us almost daily with chores and whatever we need them to do. They are great helpers—once you have had a good dog to help you they are hard to live without! In the winter we swath graze the cows out in the field about two miles from home, and then in the beginning of February we bring them home to calve. My husband goes ahead with a tractor and the dogs and I go behind . Most of the time I'm on horseback, but if it's slippery and cold in the winter I use the quad. As you can see  in the photos the dogs do all the work. I just drive behind them and enjoy watching them work!"

Grit and his son Tray (barely visible behind the cow).

Teamwork.

Heading up the ridge.

Moving the stragglers.

Over the ridge, heading home.