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LazyWP

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Apr 24, 2009
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I am thinking I need to get me another pup. My Squeak dog, quit me yesterday. It was warm, but not terrible hot. First time he has ever done that, and then he came up limping. He is only 7. Blue Heeler Border Collie cross. My question is... what do you guys use, that can go all day, bring a critter, or drive them away. Gentle enough to use on baby sheep, but aggressive enough to take care of bulls on the fight. Has to stay with the Thoroughbred/Hancock horse I am getting from Tumbleweed. :D

I found a heeler/border collie/corgi/mini aussie cross, but I'm not sure if it could stay with me all day.
I'm not totally against the full Border Collie, just not sure that I am smarter then they are, and its not good to have a smarter dog then the owner.
 
My last dog to acquire was a red Heeler/ Kelpie cross. I like him, slicker haired then most BC's more leg then a pure heeler. I'd be interested in a dog with a higher percentage of Kelpie. :D
 
You could try a Catahoula...

:D

If your Squeak dog is getting stove up, I know of something that
works really good for them. A friend has an older Jack Russell female
that was really getting bad, and he started her on this stuff and she
runs around like a puppy. I'd have to call him and get the name.

I agree that mix of dog you mentioned most likely would have
trouble going a long ways.

Some folks here just got a Hangin' Tree pup, but haven't seen it yet.

Good luck!

I just read BMR's post. BMR, you want more Kelpie. You don't know
what you are asking for.......................... :P :lol: :lol: :lol:
How is your Ace dog working out? I thought he was going to be
really handsome, do you have any pictures of him?
 
When I lived in Texas we got some dogs from a man in S. Tx that we bought some bulls from. They were 3/8 heeler and 5/8 australian shepherd. Very smart and very tough dogs. We liked them so much that we started raising them.

Having worked allover the southern half of the country and now working in the northern region, I can say that dog needs definetly vary. Down south dang near everything has brahma. There are alot more places for cattle to hide and the cattle are just alot more rank as a whole. I have friends who make their livings down there daylaboring and catching wild cattle. Up here in this part of the country the cattle are night and day different from down there. I have found it actually cost less to raise tamer cattle. Just my opinion, but I swear by it.

I grew up using the rougher more aggressive breeds of dogs and now having to switch to a smart rather than tough dog is challenging me. I have brought several pups up here from down home and tried to make them work here. Every time, I had to get rid of the dog because he got too rough. This ended up making these tame cows wilder. Now I have a BC that I raised. She is the smartest dog that I've ever owned. She is still young and I am having to relearn how to use a dog. It is nice though when a dog will actually listen and obey.

There are exceptions, but in my experience, catahoulas, curs and some lines of heelers are best left to the guys down south. Catahoulas and curs have been bred primarily to be head and catch dogs. Their job is to hunt the cattle up and either bay'em up till you can get a rope on them, or they put so much aggtession and pressure on the cattle that they will bust outta their hidey hole in a high lope. When that happens, the cow is usually missing an ear and has a dog hangin from it's nose. These type dogs and the ones I first mentioned are alot tougher than smart. I have literally seen a 60# dog flip a fullgrown bull. On several ocassions I have witnessed these type dogs leave a cow with a stub for a tail.

I would advise to find someone who raises dogs that are used on your type cattle. A good dog is worth three cowboys when he knows his job. Getting a dog that has the makings to be rough though will cause you to leave him layin in the pasture. My personality is pretty gruff for most BC's and I'd had bad luck with them until I raised a litter myself and the pups knew me from birth. We got lucky and I was able to get a wellbred bench that was expecting. I have went thru alot of dogs since living here, just cause I was used to one type when I needed something different.

Brian Rice in Morril, Nb raises some good ones for this area. I also know a gal in Casper who raises Hangin Tree's.

Good luck.
Tex
 
Couldn't you tell I was kidding about the Catahoula?

I studied those dogs, they use them on hogs and cattle down south,
and they are about the only dog that can get a bull that's in a swamp
with just his nose out. Full name is Catahoula Leopard Cow-Hog dog.

It's fun to watch then herd the cows when there is only one person
and he/she is in the front of the cows. And once they are bonded to
your horse that's pretty much where they stay. I've read where a
rancher can gather his cows, get the ones out that he gathered for,
turn the cows out and the dogs will keep them together as long as
your (or his) horse is there. Of course to do this, you need more than
one dog. More like 3 or 4. That's why we didn't get one, and another
big reason is because they are head dogs. We did have a Catahoula
Blue Heeler cross and she was TOUGH. But the best way to use her
was to have her bring cattle to you. She wasn't much on heeling and
with 2 Blue Heelers, you could have had a circus. Luckily they all
listened to Mr. FH and he could keep control of them pretty easy.
You darn sure didn't want to sic that Catahoula cross on any cattle
you wanted driven AWAY from you.

That dog should have belonged to a rodeo clown. Talk about personality!
She'd do anything for a laugh, kept us pretty entertained. She wasn't big
like a Catahoula, more the size of a Blue Heeler and more narrow than
a heeler. We called her 'Cat' and loved her til she died.
 
I have had 2 Catahoulas. The first was the best buddy animal I have ever had. Never had to worry about locking anything up when he was around, the second was about the prettiest dog I have ever seen, but neither one was worth shooting when it came to cows. My first one, required a hedge post to the head, before you tried using him, and the second was just plain WORTHLESS!!
I am kinda leaning towards a Kelpie cross, just not real sure where to come up with one, yet.
 
My favourite dog of all time was a border collie aussie cross. I have never seen as honest or as hard working a dog as him in the twenty years since he has been gone. He could work day after day, moving big bunches of cattle ten or twelve miles, through swamp and rock and jackpines. He maybe wasn't the most talented dog I've ever had but he was definitely the best. He was also quite a character!
I have seen some similar crosses that were worthless though, but it might be worth a try if you can find one.
 
WHR said:
My favourite dog of all time was a border collie aussie cross. I have never seen as honest or as hard working a dog as him in the twenty years since he has been gone. He could work day after day, moving big bunches of cattle ten or twelve miles, through swamp and rock and jackpines. He maybe wasn't the most talented dog I've ever had but he was definitely the best. He was also quite a character!
I have seen some similar crosses that were worthless though, but it might be worth a try if you can find one.
Click to expand...

I'll vouche for Poke, he was likely the best all around stock dog I've worked with. :D
 
My cousin's son-in-law has a hangin' tree dog that is fun to watch work! He listens great and has the perfect amount of aggression. Sure saves a lot of work. Now, the $50 question is, is it the dog or the fact that Wayne has put in the time with him to make him into a great dog? :D
 
Well I am finding lots of options on dogs. I did find a 4 month old Border Collie/ Heeler, somewhat close, for $100. Was kinda leaning that way, until someone popped up saying they have some nice looking dogs in Missouri, and might be coming this way in August.
We moved bulls yesterday, and Squeak did fine there, so I am not in any real big toot to find something. Hopefully I have time to find exactly what I think I want.
I have a friend that raises Hangin tree/Border Collie cross, and they say that the pups work and obey, almost naturally. Never been around them, and can't afford them either.
 
My 2 cents...there is good ones in all breeds and crosses. A lot is the luck of the draw of getting a real good one or cull a lot of mediocre ones to get a good one. Myself I go with Aussies, the Hangin Tree bloodlines as the main blood. Mite try Norm Andrews in Dwight, Ne or Randy Kidd in Oakley Id...dont know if they have any right now but mite be worth a call.
 
We have a neighbor who runs his cattle on the forest, he uses Catahoulas and catahoula crosses. They are neat dogs to be around but haven't seen them work. He loves them for what he does. Mikes dog is a McNab, mine is half BC half McNab. The McNabs we've been around a touch calmer than most BC's. Slick haired (which I don't like the looks of as well but sure hold up in the heat better), and will head and heel.
 
I ended up getting a Hangin Tree/Border Collie cross. Picking her up this afternoon. I just hope I am smart enough to bring out part of her potential.
 
LazyWP said:
I ended up getting a Hangin Tree/Border Collie cross. Picking her up this afternoon. I just hope I am smart enough to bring out part of her potential.
Click to expand...

And now you have a dilemma... three dogs, two dog houses. Sounds like Squeak should move inside. ;)
 
LazyWP said:
I ended up getting a Hangin Tree/Border Collie cross. Picking her up this afternoon. I just hope I am smart enough to bring out part of her potential.
Click to expand...

Thought you weren't in a hurry :wink:
 
I wasn't in a hurry, but the deal just came together right, and i HAD to do it. As for the lack of dog houses, Tators, the pup, is sleeping inside for now. Squeak will probably get his bed moved inside when it gets cold. He HATES cold.
 

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