I know this is not a show question but i'm sure this board will have alot of knowledge on this topic. We have not have a cattle dog for about 5 years and i think it is time for one. In the past my favorite has been Aust. Shepards but have heard alot about Welsh Corgirs. What do you think is the best cattle dog that we can sell puppies, work a few cattle and are good around young kids? Thanks in advance!
Best cattle Dog
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ArrowHBrand
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IMO Australian Cattle Dogs, Blue Heelers, are the best herding dogs there are. Not only are they extremely intelligent, but are great around kids, are very protective of their territory against strangers and animals, and they have a short rough coat that is easily washed unlike Border Collies or Aussie Shepards. I will not have any other herding dog on our place.
I have had corgi's all my life and I love their personality they are great around my kids and I have a 1 and 4 year old they don't even attempt to bite them. I don't really use them to herd my cattle but they do have great instinct.
We have 2 welsh corgis and they are great! Now like most cattle dogs if you are looking for one to work cattle they need to have the herding instinct. Some do and some don't. Also corgis are great for close work, but if you want them to go way out and bring a cow back it will be very hard for them as they just don't have the same speed as the aust. shepards or border collies. However for sorting or having a dog with you while momma checking cows, they are great. My 30 pound corgi doesn't know his size and has taken on many a 1500 lb cow and back them down.
They are great with the family and and on the farm. Look closely though a corgi that comes from a farm will always work best for you. Stay away from puppy mills.
They are great with the family and and on the farm. Look closely though a corgi that comes from a farm will always work best for you. Stay away from puppy mills.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
This is true for any breed of dog.
We have had Aust. Cattle Dogs (blue heelers) since 1970. We're on our 3rd one, who's getting old now.
Wouldn't have any other breed to work cattle. And, because they have the "pack" instinct real strong, they really protect their "pack" - your kids!
As mentioned, heelers hair coat is easier to take care of. They shed off dirt, burdocks, etc. very easily. They are a bit less "active" than the Border Collies & Aus Shephards.
Soooo smart. Most PEOPLE shouldn't own one - unless they are smarter than their dog. You have to be THE BOSS! head of the pack.
All 3 of ours have lost most of their hearing when they got 10-12 yrs old. We always taught hand signals (thank goodness!) but it's still more difficult now to work cattle when he can't HEAR your commands. Has saved me MILLIONS of steps!
Here he is with our Schnauzer.
ArrowHBrand
Well-known member
Jeanne - Simme Valley":s2ijsjxp said:This is true for any breed of dog.
We have had Aust. Cattle Dogs (blue heelers) since 1970. We're on our 3rd one, who's getting old now.
Wouldn't have any other breed to work cattle. And, because they have the "pack" instinct real strong, they really protect their "pack" - your kids!
As mentioned, heelers hair coat is easier to take care of. They shed off dirt, burdocks, etc. very easily. They are a bit less "active" than the Border Collies & Aus Shephards.
Soooo smart. Most PEOPLE shouldn't own one - unless they are smarter than their dog. You have to be THE BOSS! head of the pack.
All 3 of ours have lost most of their hearing when they got 10-12 yrs old. We always taught hand signals (thank goodness!) but it's still more difficult now to work cattle when he can't HEAR your commands. Has saved me MILLIONS of steps!
Here he is with our Schnauzer.
Every bit of what you said is SO true! We are on our third ACD and they were trained with hand signals because sometimes if they are across the lot and your working cattle it's not the best time to yell over to them, could make the cattle nervous. What I have found about ACD's, tell me if you would agree, is that they are fearless! Nothing scares them, except for cows that have just calved and aren't in real good moods. They will stay away from them.
Here is our pair of females.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Yes, they are a "tough" breed. Mine isn't even afraid of momma cows - except in the barn in pens - he feels trapped - which I don't blame him. And he is deathly afraid of THUNDER. If it's raining out, he slinks around expecting it to thunder. When we're at shows, we use hay bales to build him a "den".
Keren
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Kelpie or short haired Border Collie.
Heelers are good dogs, IF you know how to handle them. They were developed to handle rough cattle, so they themselves are rough as guts. As bad as it sounds, they were bred to bite - if they are not well trained and kept stimulated they WILL bite people.
You mentioned that the dog will be around young kids - I would NOT let a heeler around very small children. Although other posters have said they are good with kids, and I personally know some that have made good pets, I would hesitantly say we have more heelers here than you do in America, and on the whole they are NOT a dog for children. The do not tolerate young kids very well and like I said, they were bred to be snappy, so they will snap when aggravated.
I dont want to put anyone off the heeler as a working dog. They are fantastic and I have worked with many. But that is all they should be - working dogs. If you have a working heeler and a young family, protect yourself and the dog by keeping it restrained/confined away from children when it is not working.
Heelers are good dogs, IF you know how to handle them. They were developed to handle rough cattle, so they themselves are rough as guts. As bad as it sounds, they were bred to bite - if they are not well trained and kept stimulated they WILL bite people.
You mentioned that the dog will be around young kids - I would NOT let a heeler around very small children. Although other posters have said they are good with kids, and I personally know some that have made good pets, I would hesitantly say we have more heelers here than you do in America, and on the whole they are NOT a dog for children. The do not tolerate young kids very well and like I said, they were bred to be snappy, so they will snap when aggravated.
I dont want to put anyone off the heeler as a working dog. They are fantastic and I have worked with many. But that is all they should be - working dogs. If you have a working heeler and a young family, protect yourself and the dog by keeping it restrained/confined away from children when it is not working.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Keren
I know you are more knowledgeable about heelers than we ever thought to be, but --- I think our "washed out" version of what you have is a bit of a different temperament type dog.
My experience with them (have owned heelers for 35 years now & know lots of folks with them), they are a pack oriented dog. The family if their pack. So a household with children is protected by the dog. Never saw one snappy with any household member. Now, strangers can be a different story! They are well known to be protective of what they consider "theirs" - house, yard, truck, barn, & all family members!
I honestly have never heard of one being snappy with their family - other than one that was TIED up all the time. He got mean to everything & everyone.
I know you are more knowledgeable about heelers than we ever thought to be, but --- I think our "washed out" version of what you have is a bit of a different temperament type dog.
My experience with them (have owned heelers for 35 years now & know lots of folks with them), they are a pack oriented dog. The family if their pack. So a household with children is protected by the dog. Never saw one snappy with any household member. Now, strangers can be a different story! They are well known to be protective of what they consider "theirs" - house, yard, truck, barn, & all family members!
I honestly have never heard of one being snappy with their family - other than one that was TIED up all the time. He got mean to everything & everyone.
Grand Chaser
Well-known member
Well i've heard of aust. shepards doing good with cattle and all and welsh corgis too. but i would not recomend a blue healer. personally i dont' like them but my favorite would be a Kurr. we have had a bunch of them and they have been the best cow dogs i've ever seen. and there great around kids and familys but they are VERY protective of their owners.
ArrowHBrand
Well-known member
Keren, as much as I would like to disagree with you on your opinion about Heelers, I can't. You are right. Heelers aren't a dog for someone who doesn't know or can't train them correctly. They will snap at children, mine have snapped at my son who is 13 mos. old, and they can't be left outside to their own devices, either. They aren't like shepards, if heelers are left out with the livestock all day, they will chase the livestock all dayl. If you can handle them they are great dogs. However, I would like to say that all breeds of dogs have their quirks and different ways have handling them. Go with what you are most comfortable with.
pdfangus
Well-known member
I don't use my dogs on cattle any more as the cattle are gentle and come to call now.
But we have had Australian shepherds for over twenty years and I will have one for as long as I am able to feed and care for one.
We have three now. In later years we have taken to rescues and the dogs we have now are all rescues from Aussie Rescue.
I am an older unit and have had about every breed of dog over the years.
Said several times that I never had a dog til I got my first Aussie.
Smart, loyal, dependable, trainable, great family dog, protective without being agressive.
I have had three that were absolutley great cattle dogs form the time they were puppies. A little more agressive than a border collie but not quite as agressive as the heelers I have seen work.
I had one that when I was not home, would gather the cattle for the neighbor to feed them when he saw the neighbors truck come down the lane in the late afternoon. Would not do it in the morning if the neighbor came by to check. Wife and neighbor both told me about this.
Same dog got hurt once getting a mean momma cow off of me. The wifes dog was in the house and she broke the front door and came out and rescued both of us.
the breed got popular a while back and finding a true aussie type is a bit more difficult now. Some folks also started crossing them with border collies for some fool reason. My main dog now does not have much livestock ability but it is no longer a prerequisite for me and she is a great dog.
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But we have had Australian shepherds for over twenty years and I will have one for as long as I am able to feed and care for one.
We have three now. In later years we have taken to rescues and the dogs we have now are all rescues from Aussie Rescue.
I am an older unit and have had about every breed of dog over the years.
Said several times that I never had a dog til I got my first Aussie.
Smart, loyal, dependable, trainable, great family dog, protective without being agressive.
I have had three that were absolutley great cattle dogs form the time they were puppies. A little more agressive than a border collie but not quite as agressive as the heelers I have seen work.
I had one that when I was not home, would gather the cattle for the neighbor to feed them when he saw the neighbors truck come down the lane in the late afternoon. Would not do it in the morning if the neighbor came by to check. Wife and neighbor both told me about this.
Same dog got hurt once getting a mean momma cow off of me. The wifes dog was in the house and she broke the front door and came out and rescued both of us.
the breed got popular a while back and finding a true aussie type is a bit more difficult now. Some folks also started crossing them with border collies for some fool reason. My main dog now does not have much livestock ability but it is no longer a prerequisite for me and she is a great dog.
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rouxshortorn
Well-known member
St.Bernard by far 
:lol:
:lol:
Australian Shepherd granted it is from true working lines.
Have more power to move stuborn cattle than border collie, and not as hard headed as cattle dogs (blue heeler), plus they have more fetch than a cattle dog and more ability to drive and cross drive than border collies
Have more power to move stuborn cattle than border collie, and not as hard headed as cattle dogs (blue heeler), plus they have more fetch than a cattle dog and more ability to drive and cross drive than border collies
*Cowgirl*
Well-known member
I :heart: my Border Collie!
This show might help you
http://www.24-7agtv.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_seyret&task=videodirectlink&Itemid=1&id=22
http://www.24-7agtv.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_seyret&task=videodirectlink&Itemid=1&id=22
grand chaser09
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IMO i think a curr dog would be the best type of cow dog there is. we've had many of them and they were all amazing. and the most protective dogs over their family.
Red Bull Breeder
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I have a Red Healer pretty good little dog. Saves me a lot of steps and time, a little hard headed sometimes, but minds well. Been around my six year old grandson sense he was born no problem.
