Cowdogs around the country.

[Big Muddy rancher]

I wondered if we could post picture and tell a bit about the dogs we use on our operation and see the differences from around the country.
We use border collies. I am leaning to shorter haired dogs because of the summer heat. The cold doesn't seem to bother them as much as the heat. The tri color that I use is a papered dog from working and trail dogs. He is a bit hyper and not as tough as my old dog or as I would like. The red and white dog is shorter haired and a tough bugger. He doesn't hit the heels as well as the other dog but just backs up anything and turn it around. He also isn't papered and i'm not sure if he is only a "border" collie cause I brought him across the border. Our dogs don't have much brush to bring cows out of but as typical angus cows they like to fight when they are with their calves. Sometimes it's just better to call the dogs off and then the cows move along. Where they really shine is bringing calves along that lag or want to go back.
Lets hear what and how you use your dogs. Some pictures as well.

 

[Yanuck]

We have 5

Grizzly, a heeler, he's 11, has slowed down a lot, but in his day was a great chute dog, and loading trailers

Scooter, she's 5, Collie/Aerdale cross, they call them Fuzzy Face dogs around here. She's okay, she is a typical Collie, always herding

the Wolf Pack...Spike, Luvie, and Dakota, they are Heeler/Catahoula x's. They are coming to be pretty good dogs, definetly couldn't do without them when pushing cattle up canyons in the summer time. Luvie's getting awful good at keeping things flowing thru the chute as well

They have to be pretty tough dogs with the terrain here, the Wolf pack seem to have the right stamina, just a little more bite perhaps at times would be nice

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Scooter almost looks like a Bearded Collie. I had Beardy<heeler cross before I got married. good old ranch dog but nothing fancy.

 

[Yanuck]

Scooter almost looks like a Bearded Collie. I had Beardy<heeler cross before I got married. good old ranch dog but nothing fancy.

we shave her in the summer, otherwise she gets pretty matted, great temperment, a shock collar would prolly do some good in the down department with her

 

[cowhunter]

Just about every ranch in fla have there own line of curdogs they come in all colors. Red yellow buckskined. Black n tan white and some carry the murle gene and r lepord colored. Most but not all are born bobtailed or 1/2 tailed and even 3/4 tailed. All are short haired but grow a winter coat. We breed them to be fast. We breed them for 4 things. Nose, speed, stop.and stay. When we are ridein twards cattle, the dogs stay behind the horses till we send them. They bunch the cattle and circle them. We call that ringin. A few dogs hold the cattle and a few bring in the straglers to the main bunch. Then we drive then to the pens with some dogs ringin and some in the front kind of pullin. If a cow breaks off, we send 2 after her. These dogs work the head so they will sometimes skin the cows nose a bit. But she will come. Back and be glad to be there.

 

[per]

Boy I'd love to tell about my working dog but when he died at 17 last year we haven't yet replaced him. Since we went to moving cattle weekly the cows know and are ready to go making the dog less necessary here. Our 2 year old GP shows some promise as a working dog. Has anyone tried to train one? Would have to pull the stock trailer all the time to take her places. :?

 

[RobinFarmandRanch]

we use a mixture of alot of dogs. heelers, black mouth curs, catahoulas, and pitbulls. yes pitbulls, they make excellent head dogs as long as they are not too aggressive. everything but the heelers are used as hog dogs too.

 

[tta stockdogs]

I've had Aussies for about 25 yrs tho I have tried a heeler and BC-Aussies is my choice of weapons I usually always have at least 5 or 6-registered and mainly Hangin Tree lines with a little SlashV and Las Rocosa thrown in. A friend talks me into trialing about once a year--last year it was the Iowa State Fair-this is pic of Rosa, took 6th place in Ranch Cattle class.First big trial and I had the case of the nerves bad-gonna give it a try again this year.

 

[sic 'em reds]

I run Border Collies, one is a papered short haired tri-color, and the other two are red and white medium coats. The red dogs have alot more bite and spunk to them. The shorthaierd dog is a great outside dog, and really controls how nasty she gets with pairs. She stays off alot better and doesn't cause near as many fights as the red heads. My dogs are mostly head dogs, but will heel a when needed. I run on alot of small fields, so they are perfect to go gather and bring them to the gate, and I usually don't have to do much but flank on side or the other of the cows.

My dogs only work outside of the corral, they hit the truck once they get them to the pen. Nothing against them in the corral, but my dogs are always in the way when trying to work in the pen. Probabaly more my patience than their ability.

I am going to get one of those "Idaho Fuzzy" dogs from a friend of mine in MT. I am hoping I can use her in the pen more, they seem to have alot more heel than my BC's.

 

[Faster horses]

So tell us about the Idaho Fuzzies. Never heard of them, but they
sound interesting.

If you notice, Soapweed hasn't posted on this thread. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
He doesn't think there is such a thing as a good cowdog. :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: :nod:

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

So tell us about the Idaho Fuzzies. Never heard of them, but they
sound interesting.

If you notice, Soapweed hasn't posted on this thread. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
He doesn't think there is such a thing as a good cowdog. :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: :nod:

Should I start a hound dog thread for Soap? :wink:

 

[Faster horses]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Justin]

personally, i don't like having dogs around when working/moving cattle. barkin', yippin' sob;s i realize that in some parts of the country dogs are almost required due to the terrain. but thats is not the case here. i've been around a few "good" cowdogs and most of them should be tied up at the house. i think cattle are calmer and stay calmer when there is not a dog barkin' and nippin at their heels all the time. IMHO

i apologize in advance, i know i will ruffle some feathers on this one. :wink:

 

[cowhunter]

I don't work mine in the pen either but dog broke cattle are sure easy to pen. Some places are thick down here and a good dog sure comes in handy. All I got of our dogs workin cattle is some phone videos but big muddy goin to post some pics of some bayed hogs. Same dogs we work cattle with. I think it takes a cowdog to train one.

 

[cowhunter]

I don't work mine in the pen either but dog broke cattle are sure easy to pen. Some places are thick down here and a good dog sure comes in handy. All I got of our dogs workin cattle is some phone videos but big muddy goin to post some pics of some bayed hogs. Same dogs we work cattle with. I think it takes a cowdog to train one.

 

[Yanuck]

personally, i don't like having dogs around when working/moving cattle. barkin', yippin' sob;s i realize that in some parts of the country dogs are almost required due to the terrain. but thats is not the case here. i've been around a few "good" cowdogs and most of them should be tied up at the house. i think cattle are calmer and stay calmer when there is not a dog barkin' and nippin at their heels all the time. IMHO

i apologize in advance, i know i will ruffle some feathers on this one. :wink:

there are definetley times when a dog does more harm than good, especially if the cattle aen't used to them, and what kind of control the handler has on the dog...that can also apply to horses as well... a dog can either save you a lot of steps or help you aquire fence fixing skills :wink:

 

[sic 'em reds]

So tell us about the Idaho Fuzzies. Never heard of them, but they
sound interesting.

If you notice, Soapweed hasn't posted on this thread. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
He doesn't think there is such a thing as a good cowdog. :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: :nod:

The Idaho Fuzzies look alot like that Fuzzy Face dog of Yanuck's. I am not sure what all breeds they are. My friend that I am getting the dog from says the bloodlines of his dogs have some Border Colllie in them. I think they're pretty much a cross of several different breeds that work. This line my friend has are not nearly fuzzy as Yanuck's and pretty much just have a bearded muzzle and fuzzy over the eyes.

I just thought I would give them a try and see if I could get one that works like his do. And he has a line that are red & white, which I am pretty partial to!!

 

[Yanuck]

So tell us about the Idaho Fuzzies. Never heard of them, but they
sound interesting.

If you notice, Soapweed hasn't posted on this thread. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
He doesn't think there is such a thing as a good cowdog. :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: :nod:

The Idaho Fuzzies look alot like that Fuzzy Face dog of Yanuck's. I am not sure what all breeds they are. My friend that I am getting the dog from says the bloodlines of his dogs have some Border Colllie in them. I think they're pretty much a cross of several different breeds that work. This line my friend has are not nearly fuzzy as Yanuck's and pretty much just have a bearded muzzle and fuzzy over the eyes.

I just thought I would give them a try and see if I could get one that works like his do. And he has a line that are red & white, which I am pretty partial to!!

I've never seen a red/white...love to see a photo? they are not all as shaggy as Scooter, I've seen short haired ones as well.

 

[Jassy]

Ya'll have seen pics of my "girls" on here from time to time...Jade is a registered Border Collie...very lady like, and when she was younger one heck of a herd dog...she's 11 now, and her hearing is fading fast...so we don't use her like we use to...

Jazzy is my pride and joy...She's Border Collie with some McNabb in her..she's quick, aggressive, funny, quirkie, and doesn't like strange people..though if she knows ya..she's yur best friend. She doesn't have the lady like traits of Jade,,more of a "bull in a china closet" kind of attitude..lol She was the hardest to train, but is by far the best minding dog we've ever had...

Both girls earn their keep around here and we take em with us everywhere...We don't use them in the correls but Jazzy does get to work the chute...My favorite thing is that Jazzy is my gate dog..nothing will get by her through a gate that's for sure... :wink:

 

[burnt]

My goodness those are two beautiful collies!