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Cattle dogs

G

Gomez

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 28, 2010
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102
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Sask
I recently saw an amazing display of what a dog can do. How many ranches use working dogs as part of their cattle handling? What breed and where did you get your dog(s)? Male or female - fully trained or started or as a pup?
Thank you
:)
 
Some days I think it is the only reason I go to work, the Dogs is a waiting on me. Males, Females, dont make much difference to me, ones in heat, the other pees on your tires. Some I bought, some I raised, got a mess of pups now, and probably need to do a little tradin' to get some new blood, as I have wrapped these up about as tight as I want too. Border Collies, short to medium haired. I have had a McNabe that was pretty nice, but they are harder to come by, around here at least.
 
We use dogs sometimes so that when we get mad we can yell at them instead of each other. I have one partially trained border collie that I started from a pup. He was less than six months old when he had his first experience with a cow and calf. It didn't end well for him and I thought for sure I had ruined him, but he got right back into it as soon as I would let him. He works good for gathering feedlot pens and moving up and down alleys but isn't real great in the pasture on his own. He is slowing down now since he is 10 years old.

One day my dad and I were sorting cattle in the corral. He had his completely untrained border collie there that day. The dog had lots of good intentions, but very little sense. He got himself behind a bull and started pushing pretty hard towards the gate. Dad was in the gate sorting cattle and this bull comes right at him. He was waving his arms and jumping up and down trying to get the thing to stop, not knowing that his dog was behind the bull. He finally gave up and got out of the way and let the bull by, and that is when we saw that dog. The dog took one look at dad and spun around with his tail between his legs, running flat out for the fence. We never saw him the rest of the day. I had to take a break for a while to collect myself. The look on that dog's face was priceless. If there was ever an "Oh, Crap!!!" look on a dog's face that was it. He wasn't going to stay around and take the correction.
 
We have always used dogs. Mr. Fh loves dogs and is really good with
them. We have had 3 at one time and he could control them all without
raising his voice. We like females. We have mostly had blue heelers,
or blue heeler crosses. The best dog we ever had was a mutt (the
folks we got her from have bred these dogs for 40 years, but they
can't remember what they are. :P When a new dog comes into the
country, they usually try and breed some of their dogs to the new
dog, So it's not very scientific, but it has worked for a long time.)
In SW Montana they are known as "Bierers Dogs" and have a great
reputation. They are short-haired, natural bob-tailed, with short
ears that don't stand up, yellow dogs with white rings around their
neck and their legs. They are really good-looking dogs and they
are tough. Our dog never barked at a cow in her life, yet she was a
whale of a watch dog. A little too good at that, because she has
bitten a few folks. You could send her to bring a heifer to you that
you wanted to bring in the barn and she'd do it. Same with getting
a heifer or pair out of the barn. All you had to do was open the door
for her. She had a lot of respect from the cows, because they knew
if they took her she would not back down. She'd grab and ear or
whatever was closest...and never, ever did she bark. She was
amazing. We have had some really good dogs in our ranching lifetime,
but she was the BEST.
 
I have been using dogs for a while now and our cows dang sure know it when they're not around. Mine got ran over a few months ago and so did my dads so were both down to pups. I really like short haired border follies and my dad likes austrailian shepards. I will say there is nothing worse than a no good dog around cattle but if you got one that you can control and knows something they sure same alot of running around.
 
strawking said:
I have been using dogs for a while now and our cows dang sure know it when they're not around. Mine got ran over a few months ago and so did my dads so were both down to pups. I really like short haired border follies and my dad likes austrailian shepards. I will say there is nothing worse than a no good dog around cattle but if you got one that you can control and knows something they sure same alot of running around.
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"border follies"

I think I have the same kind. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
border collies, everything else is just a dog, but then gaurd dogs we have used PyreneesxAkbash, there are other good livestock gaurd dogs out there too, but the best herding dog is a border collie, just remeber they gather and bring.
gaurd dogs will bond with cattle too, we winter our replacement hiefers with the ewes and they get used too the garud dog, sometimes the bulls get fed with the sheep, kind of funny because they bond rally close.
 
I've use border collies for years, and have had good luck with them. The big question is what are you going to use him or her for for, the sex doesn't matter to me. If they are going to be used alot or just now and then, and will determine how good or consistent your dog will be. The dogs that you seen working probably are used a fair bit and that makes em pretty handy. Buy a pup in my opion and if you want send him out to be trained when he or she is ready, unless you want a dog now, you will pay more for that just like a saddle horse.
 
I use border collies everyday have had really good luck with them. I personally like females better seem to want to work for you not themselves. I just got a catahula pup I don't know what I have yet but I think I can honestly say that I think it will be the last one I ever get never seen anything like it I just hope she turns out all I know is I have my hands full just trying to teach the basics.
 
As far as easy to train for herding a Border Collie would be hard to beat. I raise German Shepherds and if you are willing to put the time in they will make very good herd dogs but I doubt they could ever compete with the Border Collies. German Shepherds are also big enough to protect me if a cow was to go nuts or they can protect the cattle from coyotes.

As I have them and I'm willing to spend time daily with them they are good for me but I bet I could spend 1/10th as much time to get the same result with a Border Collie.
 
Like most everyone else we also have border collies, though my dog is border/mcnabb...They are so fun to watch work and at play, and their natural abilities along with training is amazing. I will say though that we don't use our dogs to the best of their abilities and that is just because of the way we run the ranch and work cattle. My "Jazzy" is mainly my gate dog when I'm caking cows...she really holds the cows back so I can get through a gate, and if she's not there the cows know it! I wish we had more opportunities for her to do what she loves to do,,but then again she does what is asked of her and that's all I can ask for. If nothing else, she's entertaining and a great companion to me.

DSC02837.jpg

Just took this picture Sunday..."Jazzy"
 
I had a German Shepherd x Dingo one time that was good on cows & bulls, but too rough on small stock. Good dogs are great, I've had a couple. Now I don't have any. Lots of peoples idea of a good dog is different than mine, but I've seen some post here that sure seem to have the right kind. I'll settle for a good horse & neighbor. In the brush or mountain country, I'd have a dog. I think that bonding is the biggest thing with a dog. I like the Border Collie, but they need to have a job, or they will cause trouble. That is my opinion from my limited experience. Some folks on this site have a lot more experience than I, and their dogs show it.
 
turkey track said:
I've use border collies for years, and have had good luck with them. The big question is what are you going to use him or her for for, the sex doesn't matter to me.If they are going to be used alot or just now and then, and will determine how good or consistent your dog will be. The dogs that you seen working probably are used a fair bit and that makes em pretty handy. Buy a pup in my opion and if you want send him out to be trained when he or she is ready, unless you want a dog now, you will pay more for that just like a saddle horse.
Click to expand...

TT, well said!

From my experience over the years the degree of time commitment is one of the major components in the making of a good working relationship with a dog. A day a week or two days a week just won't get you that far. Every day all winter on a young dog will get you a pretty helpful dog by the summer, a steady 5 to 6 days a week in the summer and another steady winter will get you a really helpful dog, another year on that and you can have a dog that is unbelievably helpful.

Lots of folks that I run into who express the wish for a better dog when questioned about the amount of time spent working with the dog invariably have good excuses for the lack of time spent working with their dogs.
 
Grandpa used to say....."With Kids, Horses and Dogs, you get out of them exactly what you put into them". :D I admire folks like Dylan who make the committment to take the time and energy it requires to have amazing dogs. I'd like to think I am pretty good when it comes to my kids and I've really enjoyed starting and finishing horses over the years. But my patience level with canines vanishes like smoke. Thus, my dog owner status is and will probably continue to be non-participatory. :D
 
took a young dog to a Jack Knotts clinic he said "if you have time to watch tv you got time to train a dog"
his thing was to just 15 mintues a day in a round pen with a few ewes or calves let the dog work then add comands after it doing it right, if it just chasing you stop pinch it ears a little then you move the dog moves the ewes move, till the dog gets it right.
 
jodywy said:
took a young dog to a Jack Knotts clinic he said "if you have time to watch tv you got time to train a dog"
his thing was to just 15 mintues a day in a round pen with a few ewes or calves let the dog work then add comands after it doing it right, if it just chasing you stop pinch it ears a little then you move the dog moves the ewes move, till the dog gets it right.
Click to expand...

jodywy, 15 minutes a day is good for starting a young dog, it is the daily part that a lot of people have difficulty with. The thing with a young dog is the routine and the consistency to get that good foundation established.
 
Wind was hittin' Mach 2 this day, bulls couldn't hear the chuckwagon, so Lefty got sent to fetch 'em in for dinner.

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They are way back there somewhere.

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I was proud as punch, not to have to saddle a pony, four wheeler, or heaven forbid, walk, to go get them. [/img]
 
We raise registered australian shepherds, they go back to hangin' tree blue bear and are a foundation line that stay short to medium haired. Best part about them is they pretty much train themselves are are cowy as all get out! My pups want to start working at 6 mos and will keep a stranger away from the vehicle at that age too! My female rounded up 100 cow/calf pairs and swam them across the niobrara river by herself when she was about 2 yrs old. My male dog worked cattle aggressively at 9 mos of age when my husbad was working for O'neil Cattle Company AI'ing cows and heifers. Fortunately I have been able to breed them to be a "direction you are going dog" so when the cow turns on you the dog doesn't keep following the heels and chase her over the top of you, he bites her nose and turns her around and keeps her going! We also love to have ranchers that enjoy using dogs have our dogs, if you know someone looking, send them a line on us!! Our dogs were also at the Black Hills Stock Show at the petting zoo, so if you were there, you saw em :)
 

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