Cattle and dogs

[dcara]

Beffy and Dun

A basset hound herding cattle? Poor little guy/gal probably wears themself out just trying to keep up. I'll bet thats hoot to watch though

I had one when I was a kid. Funnest thing to watch when it was a puppy was when it would step on its ears

 

[D.R. Cattle]

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

South of Kissimmee/St Cloud area. Home of the Heartbreak Hotel.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

DR
Wouldn't be working for the Duda's ranch?

 

[D.R. Cattle]

DR
Wouldn't be working for the Duda's ranch?

No, but know well and good the Duda operation. In fact I don't really want to say who I work for, as he probably doesn't want a loud mouth like me representing him.

 

[LaurenE]

Wow it is amazing how close some people are on here. I live right near you guys. Oh, but about the dogs, I agree to just keep them home. I have a lab that you could say is not the smartest dog, she is a great family pet, but having learned that she loves to be right by my side when I am working cattle, that it just doesn't work.

 

[triple'S']

I have a dog that hangs out with me but he completely ignores the cattle. I didn't have a need for a cattle dog. once in a while he choses to sniff a cowpile that is too close to an unattended calf, but he has learned scoot pretty fast under the fence.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Laurene
Give us an idea where you live 30 miles radius since there is no stalkers on here.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I own two breed of dogs - an Australian Cattle Dog (blue heeler) and a Miniature Schnauzer. Both are house pets, but both go with us all the time. Cattle dog will lick cows noses when they are laying down & cows let him. BUT, if he's working, they know it & respect him. The Schnauzer "thinks" he's a cowdog & "works" them also (well he used to - gone now).
I now have a new Schnauzer puppy. He NEVER is in the cow/calf field without being on a lead. He is totally fascinated with the cattle & will run after them, so he is kept close til he learns. The biggest thing is you have to be in control of the dogs, otherwise, they need to stay away from the cattle.

 

[TheLazyM]

Central Fl Cracker, imo take your dog with you, but have a leash and a plan ready. just because your dog is a load mouth at the house doesnt mean thats how they will act in the field. i've read alot of comments on here and as most are good points but still you do not know if it applies for you untell you take it to the field. i'm surprised by the statements from some on the posters say that the work with dogs. i dont work much with dogs any more but i use to. and i tell you, you dont know how your dog will act untell you put it in the sitution.
our chocolate lab doesnt herd cattle but it is always by my side. if he gets to close a cow will head butt it. most times he stays back, but the real reward here is, my little girl on the weekend makes me take her with me to the field. i tell you this there is'nt a cow alive that can get close to that little girl. this sweet loving lab becomes a mean fierce devil when a cow starts toward her. kinda makes me think of Ol' yeller x 10.
whats the worst that can happen, your dog goes crazy a cow head butts it. you have to put a leash on the dog and tie it to a post. then you know where your dog belongs. but then it might turn out that in the field is where your dogs heart lies. big wide open spaces has been know to settle down many of high strung hearts.......

 

[Caustic Burno]

Central Fl Cracker, imo take your dog with you, but have a leash and a plan ready. just because your dog is a load mouth at the house doesnt mean thats how they will act in the field. i've read alot of comments on here and as most are good points but still you do not know if it applies for you untell you take it to the field. i'm surprised by the statements from some on the posters say that the work with dogs. i dont work much with dogs any more but i use to. and i tell you, you dont know how your dog will act untell you put it in the sitution.
our chocolate lab doesnt herd cattle but it is always by my side. if he gets to close a cow will head butt it. most times he stays back, but the real reward here is, my little girl on the weekend makes me take her with me to the field. i tell you this there is'nt a cow alive that can get close to that little girl. this sweet loving lab becomes a mean fierce devil when a cow starts toward her. kinda makes me think of Ol' yeller x 10.
whats the worst that can happen, your dog goes crazy a cow head butts it. you have to put a leash on the dog and tie it to a post. then you know where your dog belongs. but then it might turn out that in the field is where your dogs heart lies. big wide open spaces has been know to settle down many of high strung hearts.......

Dead dog Dead Dog Dead Dog walkin on a leash. Funeral services for urban rancher Cracker pending. Widow Cracker now one of the most eligible widows has good tractor,land,and cows.

 

[jersey lilly]

:clap: :lol2: :clap: :lol2: Caustic

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Caustic :lol:

I am 51 and every once and awhile I see a young babe while we are out somewhere and make the comment that could be my next wife. Her answer " Who would want a pot bellied old man that will be broke after the divorce settlement" I also cut her a deal on the new house we are starting to build, that for every dollar she spends on window drapes I can spend the same amount on my cattle. She also said she ain't eaten Bezzie the cow so I told her no problem when they get big enough we are just shipping them to a petting zoo were they will be much happier. :lol:

 

[Bama]

Just got a new blue heeler pup to replace mine that died a little back. Dogs and cattle mix like oil and water. A good cattle dog on my place is raised with the cattle. My little 8 week old pup stays in the barn. He will grow up thinking that barn is his. He mingles with the cattle. He will learn what cattle can do before I start training him. So far hes been stepped on once that I know of, thats part of his learning experance. When the cattle are up laying down near the hay he goes out there and walks around them. Sniffing and figuring out what that big old thing laying there is. The cattle are fed first then he gets fed. He learns to wait until I'm ready to feed him. I call this backgrounding for the dog. Only after he is exposed to the cattle will I start training him to work then, and only then, if he measures up. I'll cull a dog as quickly as I will a cow. A dog that has not grown up around cattle has no place inside the gate as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Don't know ANYTHING about Blue Heelers-- but just in case anyone conciders letting a well bred Border Collie raise itself around stock-- Don't.

you'll never know when a Border Collies instincts are going to turn on- and how they are going to initally make use of them.

And a bored Border Collie on the loose is just bad news waiting to happen-- either for you or your neighbors.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

"Generally" Border Collies are more hi-strung than Blue Heelers. I have NEVER had a heeler round up the cattle or work them when I wasn't around. (We've owned a heeler for the past 30+ years - on our 3rd one.)
You basicly don't have to teach the dog how to work cattle, you have to teach the dog directions & down & come. We point right or left & he works them accordingly. If they get running, he will head them off & turn them. Never had one that would do that. He learned because we would run to the front & head them off, so he just picked up on that & does it by hisself. Great dog. Worth a thousand steps. When doing the same thing, he'll even BRING the cattle TO you & put them thru a gate. This is usually show cattle that are brought in daily. But remember, a cattle dog knows the cattle but most important - the cattle know the cattle dog.
PS - Caustic - that was hilarious
I couldn't take my dog to someone else's herd with poor fencing & not expect cattle to go thru fences.

 

[Bama]

I've had several blue and red heelers over the years. I treat them as working dogs first, pet second. They do great raised up around cattle. They are not normally agressive toward cattle. After about a year old they do get protective of the cattle and premises. They will keep other dogs away. They also make good guard dogs. I have had one border collie. It was constantly herding the cattle. It was not raised with them. I culled it pretty quickly.

 

[Howdyjabo]

,""

 

[Howdyjabo]

It was constantly herding the cattle. It was not raised with them. I culled it pretty quickly.

What a bad dog
Border collies are not for everyone-- half the buyers I get coming looking for a Border Collie I talk out of getting one.

For the right person and situation they can't be beat. The wrong person and situation its a train wreck waiting to happen

Guess I ought to learn more about heelers-- they'd make a better choice from what you guys are saying for most people that I send away.
The ones I have seen around here have been unimpressive-- but I know they weren't bred right to begin with.

 

[Bama]

I'm not knocking border collies. The one I had was really smart. I think it was to smart for his own good. He would constantly try to herd the cattle. When I pulled up he would run towards the cattle. During feedtime he would put the cattle in a bunch. I think that dog was trying to impress me. :lol: The biggest problem I had with him was he would do this even when I wasn't there. He was just so full of energy. Any dog in my pasture without my concent is a nuisence, even if it's mine. Nuisence don't last long around my place.