Cattle and dogs

[Central Fl Cracker]

I am very close to my pets and was wondering how do you include your dogs when you go out on the pasture with the cattle. The dog shown above barks when the phone rings so she is a little high strung but a great companion. I do not want to have nervous cattle but would love to include my Sheltie on trips to the pasture

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

If your dog is high strung as you say I'd leave her on the porch.She will most likely spook your cattle and she could get hurt bigtime.

 

[Cabo]

I have an Australian Shepherd that I planned to train to help with the cattle but I have given up on that idea.

 

[msscamp]

If your dog is high strung as you say I'd leave her on the porch.She will most likely spook your cattle and she could get hurt bigtime.

I agree with MPR, but more importantly - she could you hurt big time! The fastest way to get taken around here is to take a dog into the field or corral with the cows - especially when they have calves.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

I thought that would be the answer so I will make them sit on the porch. Thanks
What about Iron Pants (wife of 25 years) she is a little high strung also but I guess I could leave her on the porch to watch the dogs. :lol:

 

[kaneranch]

I would rather have a dog that just follows me and doesn't try to work the cattle. Cattle dogs tend to teach cattle how to kick if they don't already. and they can sometimes get the cattle stired up. Cattle dogs can be handy for one man operations though. I think that it just depends on the person and the dog. Thanks Kaneranch

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Cracker- I don't agree with any. A good cow dog will train your cattle to respect you. I work with dogs frequently. None of them are mine, but dayworkers who come to the ranch when we need extra help. Every batch of yearlings we raise out for replacements be it bulls or heifers, usually gets the dogs to learn a little respect. I don't know if your dog is trained to work cattle, but a good one will work wonders. Cattle have a tendency to fly and a dog will make them miserable and want to go back to the herd. After a couple sessions with dogs, we turn wild heifers into a tight pack that hardly wants to stick their nose out to look for an escape. A cow dog will naturally bay up your cattle if you turn it out on them (like in the pens). If that is the case with your dog then you can work on the commands from there. Be careful not to crash a fence trying to figure all this stuff out. P.S. If your cattle aren't wild and work fine don't put the dog on them. The information I gave you is based on a very large ranch's experience, not a small farmer who can hand raise all the stock and calm them from that. By the way I work in Kenansville, FL- where you at?

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

D.R. it was obvious to me that Cetral Fla Crackers dog is not a trained cattle dog and a key point in my mind is that he said he is very close to his pets. I would hate to see a family pet get kicked and killed. I do agree with you completely that a well trained cattle dog can be a real help.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Alltoona fl eventoually right now I am in Orlando. Farm is about 30 miles southeast of Ocala near Umatilla and Eustis fl. The only training the sheltie has it give's me some room when she sleeps in the bed.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

D.R. it was obvious to me that Cetral Fla Crackers dog is not a trained cattle dog and a key point in my mind is that he said he is very close to his pets. I would hate to see a family pet get kicked and killed. I do agree with you completely that a well trained cattle dog can be a real help.

10-4. I've picked up some tips and am training a Catahoula Cur to work cows. I started by simply exposing her to them, and she naturally wanted to bay them up. It's important to make sure you can call your dog off when necessary. I usually crack my whip to get her off the herd and come back to me. For anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of seeing good cowdogs work, they are missing out big time. Hard to get the grin off my face when the pups start working in harmony.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Alltoona fl eventoually right now I am in Orlando. Farm is about 30 miles southeast of Ocala near Umatilla and Eustis fl. The only training the sheltie has it give's me some room when she sleeps in the bed.

But I'll bet she love's to bark at the cattle.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

The dog is a great pet but she barks when you sneeze, the yard sprinklers come on and when dominoes pizza makes a delivery it is katy bar the door. My wife only barks when I drink to much.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

D.R.
Were is Kenansville, FL I think you could be a yankee this far north. :lol:

 

[Howdyjabo]

I personally find it a royal pain to have a pet dog around cattle.
And I train and use Border Collies.-can't get thru the day without them.
But a pet dog is just a distraction that can make work more dangerous or difficult.The cattle will either want to play with it,run it down or just watch it--none of that is constructive. Leave it at home or in the truck(if it keeps its trap shut).

And it REALLY screws cattle up when you try and work them with dogs-

That being said LOTS of my neighbors think nothing of it and do it all the time-- but they aren't the ideal stockmen either

 

[Caustic Burno]

http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic. ... light=dogs

 

[Bez!]

My land, my cows, my chutes and my squeeze.

They brought Pookie even though I said not too.

Dog never stopped yapping. They let it lose when I said not to.

Owners kept saying "quiet Corky" in a squeaky voice. You are "Such a bad doggie". It was out of control and they could not catch it. Yap yap yap .........

Cows in pens and they wanted that dog bad.

Before there was a wreck I managed to grab it when it made a lunge for a cow in the squeeze - fortunately with a gloved hand. Had it by the back leg and I made a pretty fair softball pitch - heaved it over the corral fence and out of the yard - screeching all the way.

Dog went home within minutes - as did the owners.

It has not been back and neither have they.

Unless a dog is well trained to work cattle, or grows up with the "follow Farmer Freddy and keep quiet" attitude - a dog is a pain in the @ss.

Moral of the story:

Good ones are great - I wish I had one - I have seen what they can do and I am in complete admiration.

The untrained farm yard dog (the pet that lays in the sun and plays with the cats at my place) is fine around almost all animals - he knows enough to stay out of the way and not cause a problem.

Otherwise - keep them on the porch or you are looking at a wreck headed your way.

With no offense intended I believe your dog to be a porch dog.

Regards

Bez!

 

[mdmdogs3]

The dog is a great pet but she barks when you sneeze, the yard sprinklers come on and when dominoes pizza makes a delivery it is katy bar the door. My wife only barks when I drink to much.

you just answered your own question - "dog is a great pet"
a working dog is just that a worker - not a pet
be that a performance show dog or a cattle dog - they are always more than a pet -
to have a working dog many hundreds of hours are spent training that dog and handler to work together as a team (did you notice that I said handler too?)
I taught obedience and agility classes in Nebraska and when I moved to Arkansas brought my 3 labs with me - even though they are obedience trained when I go to the pasture they stay in their kennel (I don't want a mama cow deciding my teammate is lunch or trying for dog and getting me!)

 

[Gliderider]

I have 2 german shepherds and a BC/aust shepherd cross. They love to work the horses, cows and goats, and the chickens and guineas, and the kids too! If it moves they're herding it. We just got our big cows and their two calves, and boy are the dogs finding out about protective mommas! The calves want to play with the dogs but the momma cows just want to stomp them. Luckily when I call them(dogs) off they listen. I just yell "OUT" and the dogs head out of the pasture and sit outside the fence and stare. Won't have a dog that won't listen here. It unsafe for me, my family, the dog and the other animals. If I'm having to pay attention to a dog that isn't listening, then my focus isn't on the bigger animals that can do me serious harm.

 

[msscamp]

If I'm having to pay attention to a dog that isn't listening, then my focus isn't on the bigger animals that can do me serious harm.

I couldn't agree more!

 

[dcara]

Just a link to some rescue operations for herding dogs

http://www.dmoz.org/Recreation/Pets/Dog ... _Shelters/