Len Dalton
Member
Moving cattle efficiently with cowdogs without weight loss or stress. www.daltonscowdogs.com
Working cattle with cowdogs
- Thread starter Len Dalton
- Start date
I know many on this site are not in favor of cow dogs - - - - I have had one great cow dog, several OK ones and the rest are not worth talking about.
If you ever work with a good cow dog you will find they are better than a half dozen good hands except they won't help fix fence much.
I reciently bought a 6 year old silver gray German Shepard from the Army ( she had been a guard dog at an ammo dump ) and I took her with me on a lead for a while and we bring all the calves up twice a day ( most of them come on their own but you always have a few that hold back ) and she is really trying to learn - - - I just have to keep her calm she has been bringing them up off lead for about a month now but I have to stay within sight and if she gets too fast call EASY and she will slow down. I doubt she will ever be outstanding but it sure helps to be able to point and send her over a hill after cattle she can't see instead of going their myself ( I guess I'm lazy ).
I'm not a good trainer so I need a dog that wants to learn.
If you ever work with a good cow dog you will find they are better than a half dozen good hands except they won't help fix fence much.
I reciently bought a 6 year old silver gray German Shepard from the Army ( she had been a guard dog at an ammo dump ) and I took her with me on a lead for a while and we bring all the calves up twice a day ( most of them come on their own but you always have a few that hold back ) and she is really trying to learn - - - I just have to keep her calm she has been bringing them up off lead for about a month now but I have to stay within sight and if she gets too fast call EASY and she will slow down. I doubt she will ever be outstanding but it sure helps to be able to point and send her over a hill after cattle she can't see instead of going their myself ( I guess I'm lazy ).
I'm not a good trainer so I need a dog that wants to learn.
sic 'em reds
Well-known member
I very rarely move or gather cattle without a dog. I can get the work done in less time and with less stress to me, the dogs, and the cattle than I can when I have somebody come help me. The dogs know their job and the cattle have learned not to fight the dogs too much, unless they have a young calf at side.
Dogs seem to work real well for the way we are set up. Most of the time I just grab one or two dogs and the 4 wheeler and go do what I need to do. I can set the dogs up for what I want to do and then I use the 4 wheeler so my lazy butt doesn't have to walk!! Although it is alot more fun when I am not stressed for time and can use a horse and enjoy the work even more.
My biggest thing is the dog has to listen. A dog with no stop command can become a major wreck. I also want a dog that is tough when it needs to be, not every second biting and challenging cattle to fight whenever it wants. Thats where a bite whistle or command can become very handy.
I know they aren't for everyone, but they are a major asset to our operation and once you have had a good working dog, it's hard to be without one.
Dogs seem to work real well for the way we are set up. Most of the time I just grab one or two dogs and the 4 wheeler and go do what I need to do. I can set the dogs up for what I want to do and then I use the 4 wheeler so my lazy butt doesn't have to walk!! Although it is alot more fun when I am not stressed for time and can use a horse and enjoy the work even more.
My biggest thing is the dog has to listen. A dog with no stop command can become a major wreck. I also want a dog that is tough when it needs to be, not every second biting and challenging cattle to fight whenever it wants. Thats where a bite whistle or command can become very handy.
I know they aren't for everyone, but they are a major asset to our operation and once you have had a good working dog, it's hard to be without one.
I may be off base but I feel the thread in the past is not in favor of cow dogs.
I still feel the ones not using a good dog have just not had the chance. But there are many out there that think they have a good dog that will create more problems than anything else.
I feel a good dog is of more help than a good horse on a day to day basis here as most of the cattle are within a 1/4 mile area and I can stand in one place and send the dogs for them - - - have never had a horse I could do that with.
But it takes training on both the dog and handlers side. The dog needs to learn to know the propper distance a cow will defend and that the distance will change with calving. A cow that has never been worked with a dog needs training as well.
I will quit preaching and go feed my calves. Sold most of them yesturday and feel I did very well on them.
I still feel the ones not using a good dog have just not had the chance. But there are many out there that think they have a good dog that will create more problems than anything else.
I feel a good dog is of more help than a good horse on a day to day basis here as most of the cattle are within a 1/4 mile area and I can stand in one place and send the dogs for them - - - have never had a horse I could do that with.
But it takes training on both the dog and handlers side. The dog needs to learn to know the propper distance a cow will defend and that the distance will change with calving. A cow that has never been worked with a dog needs training as well.
I will quit preaching and go feed my calves. Sold most of them yesturday and feel I did very well on them.
Faster horses
Well-known member
Glad to hear about the good sale of your calves, George. Congratualtions!!!
And about the dogs, I think it is the same deal as Chevvy vs. Ford.
Much of how you feel is based on the experience you've had. Now
Mr. FH, he couldn't get by without the help of his dog. He's had some
good ones and some not-so-good ones, but they all have been of help to him--just some were better help than others.
He has moved cattle alone many times and he just couldn't get it done
without a dog. His dogs are his friends and his partners. But as you say, if your cows aren't dog broke, it's sure not a good deal and especially for the dog! :shock:
And about the dogs, I think it is the same deal as Chevvy vs. Ford.
Much of how you feel is based on the experience you've had. Now
Mr. FH, he couldn't get by without the help of his dog. He's had some
good ones and some not-so-good ones, but they all have been of help to him--just some were better help than others.
He has moved cattle alone many times and he just couldn't get it done
without a dog. His dogs are his friends and his partners. But as you say, if your cows aren't dog broke, it's sure not a good deal and especially for the dog! :shock:
DJL
Well-known member
I have seen a horse that you could send out to bring cattle back to you. One girl in the feedlot, who wasn't real good at reading and handling cattle, always tended to end up with a bunch of cattle out the gate, sometimes with the one she wanted, sometimes not. She had a little pinto mare that she would send down to bring the cattle back to her, and she would turn them back into the pen. The mare brought the cattle rather quickly, which was about the only drawback for her, but it was pretty funny to watch! :lol:
Faster horses
Well-known member
Now that would be something to see!!!!!
Too bad there's no video...or is there?
Too bad there's no video...or is there?
DJL
Well-known member
Sorry FH, but feedlots aren't picturesque enough to rate carrying a camera, so there is no video, and that girl doesn't ride pens anymore. It definitely was something to see though.
Is a golden retreiver I got from Idaloo Texas. The cows are so used to him they look tp him for directions. I have had other good cow dogs, but this one is the best. He belongs in the cow dog hall of fame. He not only opens and guards gates, he fixes fence too. He's saved my life three times now. I know I'm a little dog crazy, but I really love that dog. Once your dog gets the cows trained you are in for the treat of a lifetime.
Faster horses
Well-known member
I think Golden Retrievers are really great dogs, but I never heard of them working cows before. How neat is that?
kolanuraven
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- Jul 27, 2005
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- 10,917
Faster horses said:
We had one about 20 yrs ago that decided she was a cow dog and she was an excellent one at that....BUT...BUT...once a cow ' waller' her out once and it broke her spirit and she'd never work again.
Didn't hurt her physically, really scared her & us at the time, but I guess it broke her spirit. They get their feelings hurt really easy anyway, so maybe that was part of it.
CattleArmy
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Anyone who doesn't like cow dogs has never had a good one. I've had the good fortune to have had two amazing border collies at my home. The first one was left at the ranch we moved into and she turned out to be amazing. Would work for anyone and was a great pet besides. The second we got from a border collie breeder in western nebraska and he was an awesome dog but would only work for his master and didn't really care for any of the rest of us. However the work that one man and the dog could get done alone made my father a believer in good dogs.