Description
Bella is the third dog that Mich raised from a pup and trained herself. She was supposed to be a smooth coated prick eared pup. Her ears are pricked and Mich still tries to laugh at her rough fluffy coat that carries lots of dirt and mud wherever she goes. Despite this “flaw,” she is a wonderful partner to work with. She has had 3 litters and Mich is competing her daughter Peavy here at Soldier Hollow. Bella is an exquisite listener and a steady easy dog. Sheep like her and she settles them. She follows Mich like a shadow unless she is chewing on a bone or playing with her offspring.
Mich Ferraro lives in Milerton, New York, a rural area 90 miles north of NYC. Mich and her spouse live on an 80-acre farm where they have 120 commercial ewes and lamb approximately 120 lambs per year. They host a trial at their farm and sell meat and wool. Mich is an equine veterinarian who specializes in equine sports medicine. She started trialing in about 2006. Herding was the culmination of her interests in animal husbandry, sports medicine, and the behavior and communication between people and animals and between animal species. The relationship of the dog to the stock and the dog to the handler is complex and fascinates her. As Mich says, there are so many factors that influence success: the elements (wind, sun, rain, elevation), your emotions, the dog’s abilities, and the type of sheep, to name a few. It’s all about balancing strengths and weaknesses with behaviors to get the desired outcome.
