Working Cattle Dogs

[504RP]

Was watching Dr. Phil show today that was about dog attacks. Had a young woman that looked to be in her mid twenties that was house sitting some dogs for the owners while they were going to be away for a while. The sitters job was to be to take the dogs ( 3 of them I think) that was being kept inside their house. out of their cages to be feed and I guess put in the back yard for exercise.

I guess when she let the dogs out of their cages the dogs mauled her chewing her ears off, tearing her bottom jaw loose, chewing her cheeks off of her face along with a lot of other injuries. When first responders arrived it was 37 minutes before they entered the house to help the woman.

I have owned and trained hunting dogs, regular house dogs and a couple of Blue healers. Healers are pretty much kind of high strung I guess would be a good way to describe them. Having only owned two healers I am by no means an expert as to knowing a lot about them. From talking to others who have owned them they all seem to agree Healers like to nip the heals of people as much as they do cattle. And I agree 100 % from my experience that is true.

My first Blue healer wasn't no where near as aggressive and app to nip at people. He had a lot milder disposition than my second healer that I have now. I had to break him from healing me. And still haven't broke him from biting my 4Wheeler tires. But man he is really a great working dog when it comes to cattle. Have seen him bring a 8 year old bull down on its front knees by latching onto the bull's nose. The dog had rather work cattle than anything else.

I sold my cattle because of the drought so he hasn't had a job in a while. He nipped the on the back of her leg and bruised it pretty bad. The wife treats him like an ordinary pet. I told the wife to not let that happen but I know she wouldn't allow that if there was something she could do about it. She feeds him and pets him but because he doesn't see her as being the leader of the pack. He is showing it by biting her like that.

He run up and bit me one time when he was a pup and still learning. I beat the crap out of him because of him biting me. When I raise my voice to him he drops that head and shows a lot of submission. He knows I rank above him as his pack leader. I am not the least afraid of him but am afraid for anyone else to be around him if I am not there.

I keep him on a premiter shock collar and feel confident no body will be able to break in my house. But because he will no doubt bite a stranger I don't know if I should keep him around.

A few years ago there was a man killed at his own home by some pit bulls that belonged to his kids. He was afraid of the dogs and his kids knew it. The dogs had even fed on the mad body when they found him.

Was wondering if anybody here own or have owned a Blue healer that they were worried about hurting strangers or even a family member.

This one I have doubt very serious if he would. On cold nights we bring him inside and let him sleep in a pet taxi. He is just a mild mannered reporter. And if someone was to break in the house I think he would tear the door off of that pet taxi to get to them. But animals are unpredictable.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Was wondering if anybody here own or have owned a Blue healer that they were worried about hurting strangers or even a family member.

The last Heeler I had was one mean SOB!
If you weren't me or my kids he would eat you.
If you said Tractor or Truck to him he would met you at the door and ride all day with me just as happy as could be. But if I wasn't there nobody dared open my truck door.
There wasn't a coon, cat, rat or any thing else smaller than him that would make it out alive if he got ahold of them.
He was just really starting to get good at moving cows.
One night I was out doing chores and kind of got busy and lost track of where he was. He tried to chase a mini van (another bad heeler habit) and got killed.
I miss him.

 

[Dave]

There was a guy when I was rodeoing that had one bad mean heeler. The padded dash board in his pickup was gone. Any time someone walked by the truck the dog would go nuts chewing on the dash, seat, or door trying to get at the person walking by. When they are good dogs they can be real good. When they are bad...... they need to be shot.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

This this first event sounds like Pit Bulls, seems like heelers nip people but Pit Bulls and their types tear people apart.

See dogsbite.org.

 

[Ky hills]

We have a working female Blue Heeler, almost 8 years old. She loves driving cattle. She's a house dog too. She isn't overly aggressive on cattle, but get them moving. She's been kicked and flipped head over heels, hit ground and yelped then growled as she got up and went right back after the cows, she's learned to hunker down when she nips to avoid being kicked, I've seen her get down low to the ground and turn her head to side to watch the animals leg go over her so she knows when to get back up and continue. She's actually more easy going with young calves and won't nip them unless it's bottle calves that we've got up around the barn that she gets jealous of.
She is good with us, doesn't nip at us but will try to bark us around.
She doesn't take well to other people unless introduced, then she's more accepting of women and children, and very few men. Most men she doesn't take to very well.
Once introduced she does very well and won't bother anybody unless they try to mess with her. Children are about the only people besides us that she will allow to pet her.
When we take her to the vet it involves them coming out to the truck and one of us holding her. If we take her in we have a muzzle on her.
Once we took her in a big pet carrier crate and and she growled the whole time. Somebody had a German shepherd there and it went over and smelled around the crate and the growling amped up and the crate was rocking like the box when the drop the cartoon Tasmanian devil down in, plus all the cartoon noises he makes was pretty comparable. The owner of the shepherd dog asked what we had in there.
We have a BnB on property so we have to walk her out on a leash just to be safe.
She is smart, we have to spell certain words around her or she knows what we are talking about and will start barking.
She gets real excited and barky when we are going outside, Cant say out or outside or it's a bark fest. She seems to recognize other words too sometimes.
She's a good watchdog.
I've had 3 purebred blue Heelers and probably that will be the next dog too, as both of us really like Heelers. although I would kind of like to have a Rottweiler and go to obedience classes with it and try to properly socialize it.

 

[Lucky]

We watch my nephews Pitbull from time to time and he's the sweetest dog I've ever been around. I still don't trust him though. After being around him it's easy to see why people like them.

Healers are unpredictable around strangers but doubt one could kill you. My neighbor has a really good one.

 

[Stonewall Joe]

Was watching Dr. Phil show today that was about dog attacks. Had a young woman that looked to be in her mid twenties that was house sitting some dogs for the owners while they were going to be away for a while. The sitters job was to be to take the dogs ( 3 of them I think) that was being kept inside their house. out of their cages to be feed and I guess put in the back yard for exercise.

I guess when she let the dogs out of their cages the dogs mauled her chewing her ears off, tearing her bottom jaw loose, chewing her cheeks off of her face along with a lot of other injuries. When first responders arrived it was 37 minutes before they entered the house to help the woman.

I have owned and trained hunting dogs, regular house dogs and a couple of Blue healers. Healers are pretty much kind of high strung I guess would be a good way to describe them. Having only owned two healers I am by no means an expert as to knowing a lot about them. From talking to others who have owned them they all seem to agree Healers like to nip the heals of people as much as they do cattle. And I agree 100 % from my experience that is true.

My first Blue healer wasn't no where near as aggressive and app to nip at people. He had a lot milder disposition than my second healer that I have now. I had to break him from healing me. And still haven't broke him from biting my 4Wheeler tires. But man he is really a great working dog when it comes to cattle. Have seen him bring a 8 year old bull down on its front knees by latching onto the bull's nose. The dog had rather work cattle than anything else.

I sold my cattle because of the drought so he hasn't had a job in a while. He nipped the on the back of her leg and bruised it pretty bad. The wife treats him like an ordinary pet. I told the wife to not let that happen but I know she wouldn't allow that if there was something she could do about it. She feeds him and pets him but because he doesn't see her as being the leader of the pack. He is showing it by biting her like that.

He run up and bit me one time when he was a pup and still learning. I beat the crap out of him because of him biting me. When I raise my voice to him he drops that head and shows a lot of submission. He knows I rank above him as his pack leader. I am not the least afraid of him but am afraid for anyone else to be around him if I am not there.

I keep him on a premiter shock collar and feel confident no body will be able to break in my house. But because he will no doubt bite a stranger I don't know if I should keep him around.

A few years ago there was a man killed at his own home by some pit bulls that belonged to his kids. He was afraid of the dogs and his kids knew it. The dogs had even fed on the mad body when they found him.

Was wondering if anybody here own or have owned a Blue healer that they were worried about hurting strangers or even a family member.

This one I have doubt very serious if he would. On cold nights we bring him inside and let him sleep in a pet taxi. He is just a mild mannered reporter. And if someone was to break in the house I think he would tear the door off of that pet taxi to get to them. But animals are unpredictable.

We've had a couple and one crossed with an Australian Shepherd. They have been very good family dogs for us, maybe we just lucked out, they lovd nd watched out for the kids and grandkids and my wife. For the biggest part they distrusted everyone else. The first female would allow people on the property, watch them as they stayed around and talked with us (as long as they didn't appear aggressive or move real fast) and then try to bite them when they were leaving. She would positively confront and bite a stranger if we weren't there. Several of our friends had to deal with her when they stopped by to "borrow" a tool or something when we weren't home. She was really good at working cattle and since I started with her when she was 6 or 8 weeks old she had a down and a recall on her like a border collie and if requested could get as agressive as you wanted on a tough one. The second one was older when we got him and it took a long time to get him to where you could easily call him off, he had been allowed to just chase before we got him. He stayed back off of strangers but fr the biggest part was fine with kids. The Aussie cross was not good for much but a pet. She would work a little with another dog but would rather just lay around on the patio and if someone had tried to steal anything I think she would have helped them load it up. I've had a couple of friends with the crazy, frantic eat up everything attitude, they are worthless and I've had some friends that had some that were nice dogs around people but would put cattle through a fence. To me, although I liked the 2 we had, but they are tough and way harder to train than a border collie to work cattle reliably. We just lost our old Border Collie and we have an elderly American bulldog that doesn't like other dogs a lot so when he passes I thing I'm going to try a Hanging Tree Cattle dog and have a guy I know start him on cattle before bringing it home

 

[whisperingpinesnh]

HI.

Was watching Dr. Phil show today that was about dog attacks. Had a young woman that looked to be in her mid twenties that was house sitting some dogs for the owners while they were going to be away for a while. The sitters job was to be to take the dogs ( 3 of them I think) that was being kept inside their house. out of their cages to be feed and I guess put in the back yard for exercise.

I guess when she let the dogs out of their cages the dogs mauled her chewing her ears off, tearing her bottom jaw loose, chewing her cheeks off of her face along with a lot of other injuries. When first responders arrived it was 37 minutes before they entered the house to help the woman.

I have owned and trained hunting dogs, regular house dogs and a couple of Blue healers. Healers are pretty much kind of high strung I guess would be a good way to describe them. Having only owned two healers I am by no means an expert as to knowing a lot about them. From talking to others who have owned them they all seem to agree Healers like to nip the heals of people as much as they do cattle. And I agree 100 % from my experience that is true.

My first Blue healer wasn't no where near as aggressive and app to nip at people. He had a lot milder disposition than my second healer that I have now. I had to break him from healing me. And still haven't broke him from biting my 4Wheeler tires. But man he is really a great working dog when it comes to cattle. Have seen him bring a 8 year old bull down on its front knees by latching onto the bull's nose. The dog had rather work cattle than anything else.

I sold my cattle because of the drought so he hasn't had a job in a while. He nipped the on the back of her leg and bruised it pretty bad. The wife treats him like an ordinary pet. I told the wife to not let that happen but I know she wouldn't allow that if there was something she could do about it. She feeds him and pets him but because he doesn't see her as being the leader of the pack. He is showing it by biting her like that.

He run up and bit me one time when he was a pup and still learning. I beat the crap out of him because of him biting me. When I raise my voice to him he drops that head and shows a lot of submission. He knows I rank above him as his pack leader. I am not the least afraid of him but am afraid for anyone else to be around him if I am not there.

I keep him on a premiter shock collar and feel confident no body will be able to break in my house. But because he will no doubt bite a stranger I don't know if I should keep him around.

A few years ago there was a man killed at his own home by some pit bulls that belonged to his kids. He was afraid of the dogs and his kids knew it. The dogs had even fed on the mad body when they found him.

Was wondering if anybody here own or have owned a Blue healer that they were worried about hurting strangers or even a family member.

This one I have doubt very serious if he would. On cold nights we bring him inside and let him sleep in a pet taxi. He is just a mild mannered reporter. And if someone was to break in the house I think he would tear the door off of that pet taxi to get to them. But animals are unpredictable.

I do have a blue heeler and I'm EXTREMELY careful not to ever let him get out of the fenced in yard, and I don't let him near my cows. He's just too aggressive. I do stay right on top of him or crate him if we have company. I don't trust him. If he were to get loose, I am fairly certain that he would bite a pedestrian. They are very high strung and do need a lot of interaction and activity. I just purchased an agility course for him to try to keep him focused. I can say though, I won't ever own another heeler. If someone comes to the door, I have to physically remove him because he is so intense about strangers. He's incredibly intelligent, but the MOST stubborn animal that I've ever known. If he bites one person, I'm putting him down. I love the little sh*t, but he tests me every single day.

 

[504RP]

One time my wife and I pulled into our drive way to find a stranger standing on our back porch hand rail hanging onto the side of the house to balance himself so that he didn't fall off the 2X2 inch square 1/4 inch hand rail.

The man was looking for the guy living next door to our property to serve a court summons on him. And I guess turned into our driveway instead of the address he was looking for.

My healer along with another pet setter breed were both on premiter shock collars so the both of them had the man treed I guess you might say. Lucky for the man our back porch is one of those prefab or molded type setups that had about 4 steps up then a flat landing that's about a 4 x 4 foot square. With the one hand rail that our home owners insurance requires. And that I just recently installed a few months earlier.

I could tell by the man's facial expression he was sure glad to see us when we pulled into our driveway. I don't know how long those dogs had him treed on that 2 inch wide hand rail and he was lucky that when I build something I build it stout and strong. Don't like doing rework.

Now once I got the dogs pulled off and put up I wasn't any too happy to find this man standing on my hand rail after all of the work I went to installing it and made it real clear to him I wasn't. He didn't waste any time explaining to me who and why he was looking for them. And pointed next door to where who he was looking for lived. He apologized and was off on his way.

Wasn't long after that we had an older couple in I guess their late 60's ( Jehovah Witnesses) pull into the driveway. I wasn't here but the wife was. And luckily for everyone she just happened to be outside when they pulled up and got to them just after they got out of their car. ( Drive way is just outside of the dogs premises, so they can't get to anyone there).

But When the man and woman got out of their car the wife told them to not come any closer that the dogs were on premises shock collars and that both dogs are very protective and might bite. But both the man and woman proceeded to walk toward the dogs, the man reaching out to pet the healer with it standing there barking to beat the band with the wife hurrying as fast as she can to grab the healer by its collar and telling the man now that the dog might bite. The man persists anyway to keep coming with the wife dragging the dog back from the man until he finally stops.

The wife explains to him that the dog more than likely would bite him. She ask both the man and woman to leave and politely ask them to not ever come back. Because we have had the Jehovah witnesses stop at our house a few times before we got the dogs. It's always different Jehovah Witnesses too.

The woman Jehovah Witnesses told my wife that we didn't have any signs up saying the dogs would bite. Even though she was there telling them personally not to come any further that the dogs might bite them.

So the wife put up a sigh on a tree beside our driveway that reads Beware of guard dogs.

And I spent $ 200 on custom made signs that I haven't put up yet that warns people of the dogs. But a friend told me not to put sighs up because I could be sued if the dogs bites someone ? I don't like having to be rude to people but I am about to loose my cool with these Jehovah Witnesses. In stead of them visiting me I am fixing to visit their church and I am not going there to listen to a cermon and they are not going to like what I have to say and I am hoping I can get a sheriff deputy to go with me.

 

[SBMF 2015]

The heelers I've been around (and maybe most herding breeds) are very one person dogs. They're all heart, loyal beyond fault, and will protect their home and person with all they've got.

 

[Ky hills]

One time my wife and I pulled into our drive way to find a stranger standing on our back porch hand rail hanging onto the side of the house to balance himself so that he didn't fall off the 2X2 inch square 1/4 inch hand rail.

The man was looking for the guy living next door to our property to serve a court summons on him. And I guess turned into our driveway instead of the address he was looking for.

My healer along with another pet setter breed were both on premiter shock collars so the both of them had the man treed I guess you might say. Lucky for the man our back porch is one of those prefab or molded type setups that had about 4 steps up then a flat landing that's about a 4 x 4 foot square. With the one hand rail that our home owners insurance requires. And that I just recently installed a few months earlier.

I could tell by the man's facial expression he was sure glad to see us when we pulled into our driveway. I don't know how long those dogs had him treed on that 2 inch wide hand rail and he was lucky that when I build something I build it stout and strong. Don't like doing rework.

Now once I got the dogs pulled off and put up I wasn't any too happy to find this man standing on my hand rail after all of the work I went to installing it and made it real clear to him I wasn't. He didn't waste any time explaining to me who and why he was looking for them. And pointed next door to where who he was looking for lived. He apologized and was off on his way.

Wasn't long after that we had an older couple in I guess their late 60's ( Jehovah Witnesses) pull into the driveway. I wasn't here but the wife was. And luckily for everyone she just happened to be outside when they pulled up and got to them just after they got out of their car. ( Drive way is just outside of the dogs premises, so they can't get to anyone there).

But When the man and woman got out of their car the wife told them to not come any closer that the dogs were on premises shock collars and that both dogs are very protective and might bite. But both the man and woman proceeded to walk toward the dogs, the man reaching out to pet the healer with it standing there barking to beat the band with the wife hurrying as fast as she can to grab the healer by its collar and telling the man now that the dog might bite. The man persists anyway to keep coming with the wife dragging the dog back from the man until he finally stops.

The wife explains to him that the dog more than likely would bite him. She ask both the man and woman to leave and politely ask them to not ever come back. Because we have had the Jehovah witnesses stop at our house a few times before we got the dogs. It's always different Jehovah Witnesses too.

The woman Jehovah Witnesses told my wife that we didn't have any signs up saying the dogs would bite. Even though she was there telling them personally not to come any further that the dogs might bite them.

So the wife put up a sigh on a tree beside our driveway that reads Beware of guard dogs.

And I spent $ 200 on custom made signs that I haven't put up yet that warns people of the dogs. But a friend told me not to put sighs up because I could be sued if the dogs bites someone ? I don't like having to be rude to people but I am about to loose my cool with these Jehovah Witnesses. In stead of them visiting me I am fixing to visit their church and I am not going there to listen to a cermon and they are not going to like what I have to say and I am hoping I can get a sheriff deputy to go with me.

We are constantly having to tell people not to get out of their vehicles until we get the dog or in the past dogs contained.
I don't know how many people say oh I'm used to dogs or oh I'm good with dogs or dogs like me, we're like no these dogs are not good with other people and no they are not going to like you.
They don't understand that farm dogs especially herding breeds are territorial and guard their family and home almost instinctively. Farm and ranch dogs aren't like fluffy and spot from the city or suburbs that get walked in parks and taken to the groomers and see all kinds of people making over them.
Herding dogs are bred to be tough and assertive to do their job and oftentimes people that come around on the farm atleast here have no business being here, and the dogs pick up on that fast.
A truck pulled up with 3 men in it a while back and wife happened to be behind the house with our female Heeler. The dog made a bee line to the truck barking and growling. She went around and was chewing on the tires and by that time she'd growled so much she had slobber hanging out of both sides of her mouth still growling, by the time my wife came around. Said they were inquiring about a tractor and wife told them they better not get out and should leave. They left
Another time we came home to find a guy that worked for us occasionally treed by the same Heeler up a fence post.
Years ago when the dog was younger an elderly friend came by some and he would get out and walk by the dog before we got her contained. He had neuropathy in his legs and didn't have feeling, at one point he said I can't feel it but I believe that dog is chewing on my leg, Next time he came he brought some food for the dog and she let him go by without a problem, he swore it was a different dog. Food is her love language, but there's still some people that it doesn't work with and she doesn't let her guard down.
One point when we were busy with my mother being in and out of the hospital our preacher brought us a meal by from the Wednesday night fellowship meal.
He came on in the house with the dog in here and put the food in the refrigerator.
She had met him before but the fact that he was carrying food boxes made everything ok. She allowed him in and out without incident. I think she even quit barking when she saw the food.

 

[Brute 23]

The owner knew those dogs were agressive to humans. Digs don't just up and maul a human out of no where.

The house sitter was not thinking when she turned all 3 out at once. That's a lot to handle.

 

[504RP]

The heelers I've been around (and maybe most herding breeds) are very one person dogs. They're all heart, loyal beyond fault, and will protect their home and person with all they've got.

That's been my experience too. And both of the ones has earned every penny I ever spent on them.

I taught them some basic commands that use to teach to my bird dogs like " Stay,Come, Down, the one I have now works well off hand signals so that I can cut a particular cow out of a heard. When setting round bales into ring feeders I can have him keep a heard of 30 or 40 head at bay not swarming me while I cut net wrap off and set the bale. He is patient enough doing that. That some times calfs will walk up and smell of him until I turn him loose on them. He will load and ride on the 4Wheeler, in the cab of the tractor. Loves riding in the cab or back of the truck. Have cows get in the woods when moving them. He brings them out. He is worth his weight in gold when it comes to working cattle.

I use him when vacating cattle. I have had only him to push cows up the alley from the tub to the head gate. Like working with better than most people I have had helping me do that. He moves them, there isn't any of this frying them with a hot shot to get them to move. After I turn the one out of the gate we just worked. He is already waiting behind the others ready to push the next one in the gate. He is better than a hired hand.

 

[whisperingpinesnh]

One time my wife and I pulled into our drive way to find a stranger standing on our back porch hand rail hanging onto the side of the house to balance himself so that he didn't fall off the 2X2 inch square 1/4 inch hand rail.

The man was looking for the guy living next door to our property to serve a court summons on him. And I guess turned into our driveway instead of the address he was looking for.

My healer along with another pet setter breed were both on premiter shock collars so the both of them had the man treed I guess you might say. Lucky for the man our back porch is one of those prefab or molded type setups that had about 4 steps up then a flat landing that's about a 4 x 4 foot square. With the one hand rail that our home owners insurance requires. And that I just recently installed a few months earlier.

I could tell by the man's facial expression he was sure glad to see us when we pulled into our driveway. I don't know how long those dogs had him treed on that 2 inch wide hand rail and he was lucky that when I build something I build it stout and strong. Don't like doing rework.

Now once I got the dogs pulled off and put up I wasn't any too happy to find this man standing on my hand rail after all of the work I went to installing it and made it real clear to him I wasn't. He didn't waste any time explaining to me who and why he was looking for them. And pointed next door to where who he was looking for lived. He apologized and was off on his way.

Wasn't long after that we had an older couple in I guess their late 60's ( Jehovah Witnesses) pull into the driveway. I wasn't here but the wife was. And luckily for everyone she just happened to be outside when they pulled up and got to them just after they got out of their car. ( Drive way is just outside of the dogs premises, so they can't get to anyone there).

But When the man and woman got out of their car the wife told them to not come any closer that the dogs were on premises shock collars and that both dogs are very protective and might bite. But both the man and woman proceeded to walk toward the dogs, the man reaching out to pet the healer with it standing there barking to beat the band with the wife hurrying as fast as she can to grab the healer by its collar and telling the man now that the dog might bite. The man persists anyway to keep coming with the wife dragging the dog back from the man until he finally stops.

The wife explains to him that the dog more than likely would bite him. She ask both the man and woman to leave and politely ask them to not ever come back. Because we have had the Jehovah witnesses stop at our house a few times before we got the dogs. It's always different Jehovah Witnesses too.

The woman Jehovah Witnesses told my wife that we didn't have any signs up saying the dogs would bite. Even though she was there telling them personally not to come any further that the dogs might bite them.

So the wife put up a sigh on a tree beside our driveway that reads Beware of guard dogs.

And I spent $ 200 on custom made signs that I haven't put up yet that warns people of the dogs. But a friend told me not to put sighs up because I could be sued if the dogs bites someone ? I don't like having to be rude to people but I am about to loose my cool with these Jehovah Witnesses. In stead of them visiting me I am fixing to visit their church and I am not going there to listen to a cermon and they are not going to like what I have to say and I am hoping I can get a sheriff deputy to go with me.

Now that is where I'm THRILLED to have a heeler. He does keep the JW's away. I put up "no trespassing" signs but still they came a knockin'. I told them that NH has a castle doctrine and that those bright yellow signs weren't for show. I told them that we can and do carry, all while my heeler was doing his thing at the gate. They haven't come back here, or to anyone's house on my entire street! I'm a whopping 5' tall, but my jerk dog makes up for it!

 

[SBMF 2015]

That's been my experience too. And both of the ones has earned every penny I ever spent on them.

I taught them some basic commands that use to teach to my bird dogs like " Stay,Come, Down, the one I have now works well off hand signals so that I can cut a particular cow out of a heard. When setting round bales into ring feeders I can have him keep a heard of 30 or 40 head at bay not swarming me while I cut net wrap off and set the bale. He is patient enough doing that. That some times calfs will walk up and smell of him until I turn him loose on them. He will load and ride on the 4Wheeler, in the cab of the tractor. Loves riding in the cab or back of the truck. Have cows get in the woods when moving them. He brings them out. He is worth his weight in gold when it comes to working cattle.

I use him when vacating cattle. I have had only him to push cows up the alley from the tub to the head gate. Like working with better than most people I have had helping me do that. He moves them, there isn't any of this frying them with a hot shot to get them to move. After I turn the one out of the gate we just worked. He is already waiting behind the others ready to push the next one in the gate. He is better than a hired hand.

I never let mine move cows up the alley. He got to load the tub, then he would go sit next to the vet table until it was time to load the tub again.
I used him much more on feeder cattle and yearlings than I did on cows or replacement hfrs. They have a tendency to teach the cows to kick and I didn't want that problem.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

We've had Heelers for 45 years up until a year ago. They have been very protective of our kids and property. Most would bite if you touched the truck or tools if I wasn't there. That being said once they accepted you ,they would play fetch with a toddler, drop the ball and back up. Roy is our second Border Collie, she's VERY protective of the truck and would bite in a second. She had three thumpers pinned against their vehicle a bit back. I told the lady screaming the loudest to shut the he77 up or she was going to get bit. I told Roy to come sit! When she came I told her "good watch Roy!" You should have seen the look on their faces when I praised her ! HAHAHA
Last week the Fed Ex driver just tossed the package out the window when the gate was left open. Nobody sneaks here up anymore.

 

[504RP]

I never let mine move cows up the alley. He got to load the tub, then he would go sit next to the vet table until it was time to load the tub again.
I used him much more on feeder cattle and yearlings than I did on cows or replacement hfrs. They have a tendency to teach the cows to kick and I didn't want that problem.

I don't ever have more than 40 pairs most of the time. ( Don't have any now. Sold out because of the drought. ) My cows and calves that I had seem to become as trained as the dog is after being worked by a dog for a year or more and after they learn what the dog is capable of doing. They are a lot more willing to cooperate with the dog. Just his present seems to bring out the mild mannered. About all he has to do is make it known he is there to move them and they move on up that alley way. If I still had my cows I would make a video and show you. But this will be the second summer since I sold my cows and I am sure he will have to have an attitude refresher adjustment himself. My Heeler is hard headed and had rather do things his way until I remind him who he is working for !

 

[504RP]

Now that is where I'm THRILLED to have a heeler. He does keep the JW's away. I put up "no trespassing" signs but still they came a knockin'. I told them that NH has a castle doctrine and that those bright yellow signs weren't for show. I told them that we can and do carry, all while my heeler was doing his thing at the gate. They haven't come back here, or to anyone's house on my entire street! I'm a whopping 5' tall, but my jerk dog makes up for it!

I don't personally have anything against Jehovah Witnesses or any other religious groups. I had rather them just let me be the one to decide wether or not I want to attend and participate in their churches. I respect them and don't bother them and would like the same curiosity in return. Showing up at my home pushing their beliefs on me only turns me against them. I believe every human being has their own personal relationship with god and the right to choose how to handle that relationship themselves.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I have owned a Blue Heeler for over 55 years. They were rare when I first got mine - Dingo Blue Heelers. Aussies would come over to US to work on farms and brought their guitar & their heeler. They are about the smartest dog around. MOST are smarter than their owner.
YOU have to be the boss - leader of the pack (as someone already mentioned). And all the members in the household have to be high on the pecking order.
I show cattle and I bring our dogs with us. I cannot allow my dog to be aggressive. They accept strangers coming and going. BUT, don't raise your voice or your hand - they will get you. They might not bite to break skin, but they will HOLD you. My nephew & I might push on each other and I guarantee you the heeler will grab his arm and hold him. And he is HIS bed partner. I have a Miniature Schnauzer. But, he is the dog's "buddy" - I'm the boss.
We work on the pecking order right from the get go.

 

[Brute 23]

I have owned a Blue Heeler for over 55 years. They were rare when I first got mine - Dingo Blue Heelers. Aussies would come over to US to work on farms and brought their guitar & their heeler. They are about the smartest dog around. MOST are smarter than their owner.
YOU have to be the boss - leader of the pack (as someone already mentioned). And all the members in the household have to be high on the pecking order.
I show cattle and I bring our dogs with us. I cannot allow my dog to be aggressive. They accept strangers coming and going. BUT, don't raise your voice or your hand - they will get you. They might not bite to break skin, but they will HOLD you. My nephew & I might push on each other and I guarantee you the heeler will grab his arm and hold him. And he is HIS bed partner. I have a Miniature Schnauzer. But, he is the dog's "buddy" - I'm the boss.
We work on the pecking order right from the get go.

That's how it's supposed to be. My biggest pet peeve is dogs that are agressive when you go up to some ones house and owners that think it is normal. If a dog is so stupid it doesn't know who is a threat and who isn't it need a bullet. It's a liability.