New Zealand Farm working Dogs 2 Buying a dog

By Dr Clive Dalton
 

Buying a dog can be a very worrying experience, especially if your current dog has just died or been killed.  You generally want a good dog that will work for you within 24 hours - and be as good if not better than the old friend you are still grieving. 

A pup

You cannot look at a pup and predict with any accuracy what it will turn out to be.  There is a lot of folklore on this such as taking the boldest pup in the litter, the one with black on the roof of its mouth, the bitchs favorite, and so on is not reliable.

Dog handlers often stress that you should take a pup that you like, because you have to build a close bond with it over the 10 years or so youll be together.  Thats got to be very sound advice.

Always go to a reputable breeder, rely on the pedigree if there is one, or ask to see the parents working.  There is no official breed society for working dogs but if dogs win trials, they can if the owner wishes, be entered in the stud book of the NZ Dog Trials Association.  You dont get in there by your looks, you have to give public displays of your work to get there.

Half-broken dog

This is a dog that has started to work - but beware!  It may be one that has stopped again!  Or it may be a dog that has had a relationship bust-up with its boss, and there may be deep scars, that may cause problems for new owners.

There are many dog handlers who do especially well taking (often for free) dogs that other handlers were going to shoot, so its not all bad news.  You many have the skills to form a good relationship with such a dog.  Just realise what is involved, and beware of what you may NOT have been told about the dog.

So just check the reason for selling.  If in doubt consult a member of your nearest branch of the NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association (SDTA).

Fully-trained dog bought privately

This is often the best option for a beginner as a reputable breeder will guarantee the dog.  This means that he/she will replace the dog or offer you the money back.  Check this before you buy.  Theyll show you the dog working on their farm (for as long as you like), but remember the importance of the bond created between owner and dog.  You will not get the same performance from the dog until you build a similar bond.  Thats why the guarantee is important.

Many breeders will give you details of the commands, either with a demo or a tape recording or both.  Itll take time for the dog to learn new sounds, as you will never be able to mimic the old commands to perfection.  The dog doesnt understand English, it only recognises sounds.

A fully-trained dog may appear costly - but just remember how many hours have gone into its training and the costs of feeding and care.  Work out the purchase price over an expected working life of 5-7 years and a top dog is always a bargain.   Again if concerned, get someone from your local SDTA to help you.

Dog bought at a sale

Special dog sales are common and there are sometimes dogs are put up at farm dispersal sales.  The points made above apply.  The only problem with a sale is that you wont have unlimited time to see the dog work.  It may only get a quick run around some friendly sheep and give a couple of barks and a leg cock.  You may not see all its strengths or weaknesses.  It may not have time to grab a sheep by the jugular or hang on a bulls tail.

And you never know what the final price may be if someone else likes it!  If youre forced to buy at a sale, get someone from your local DTA to guide you.

Which sex?

There is a wide range of opinion here.  A male dog is often preferred, as they dont come on heat and get pregnant so need time off work.  The odd bit of wandering they do is not a mortal sin unless they worry a few sheep on the way home.   Getting a bitch pregnant is seen as their good luck rather than the bitchs misfortune.  Youll always get a pick from the resulting litter even if the bitchs owner is not very pleased.

Some people prefer a bitch because they are a softer nature and maybe less headstrong.  These points are debatable and differences in temperament are often strain differences rather than sex.

Bitches these days can be prevented from coming on heat by hormone treatment.  De-sexing of working dogs (by castration) and bitches (by spaying) not needed for breeding is not popular, as many believe it makes them more prone to put on fat and get sluggish.  Current veterinary opinion is that desexing working dogs has no bad effect on their working ability.  They get plenty of exercise so obesity is not a problem.

Which colour?

 
Not an important issue.  Shepherds like a dog that is easy to see at long distances.  You would think that white would be an ideal colour, but shepherds reckon it looks too much like a sheep, and the sheep get confused too!  Red and ginger dogs are hard to see sometimes so the ideal would be a combination of black, tan and some white.

Read More..

For The Love Of A Good Dog What Makes A Good Cow Dog

Tiff was an accident between my sister’s purebred Border Collie bitch, and my dad’s 8-month-old Blue Heeler mutt. I’m pretty sure that she was the best dog in the entire world, but then again everyone has that one special dog that will claim the title of “favorite.” Tiff wasn’t exactly into working cows, although she didn’t mind as long as we were doing it together. After a particularly hot day spent moving tired pairs to forest allotment, Tiff started working for me like she was a veteran cow dog, heading instinctively to where I needed help the most. It was almost as if my wishing sent her straight there. I always felt somewhat insecure around other cowboys when I’d ask Tiff to work, because she wasn’t professionally “trained” and since I didn’t know the proper commands I’d just holler helpful things like, “Tiff plug that hole!!!”

When I first started thinking about writing this article, there were two sets of people that I instantly knew I had to talk to: Matt Mori from Winnemucca, NV and Jim and Julie Dunlap from Maxwell, CA. The reason being, these three cowboys are outside every day: they’re frequently alone and short-handed. The country they cover makes it imperative to have at least one good cow dog, preferably more. There are many cowboys that use dogs, but don’t really like them. They’re a tool, much like a saddle or a bit. But for Jim, Julie and Matt, their dogs are partners, someone that not only makes the job easier but is also a friend.

The overwhelming consensus from all three cowboys is that a good dog doesn’t necessarily live to work cattle, but is sharp and has enough of a connection with you personally that they want to work, just to please you.

Despite his repeated insistence that he is not a dog trainer, Matt kindly agreed to answer some of my questions about what makes a good dog, a good dog. He’s had two that have stood out above the rest, but his absolute favorite was a Border Collie pup named Freddy. Freddy was apparently very slow to mature but once he did, it happened all at once. “He wouldn’t work just to work, he just wanted to do what I wanted to do. He’d cowboy with me, and then go trap and hunt mountain lions with me. He had a lot of range, you could send him a long, long ways. He had this habit, if we were moving baby calves he wouldn’t bite very hard, just hard enough. But then if he had to turn a big cow, he was tough enough that he could draw blood. He was smart about how much to give them.”

According to Matt, you can get better and more work out of a dog that likes you rather than one with a whole bunch of natural talent (breeding).

Julie Dunlap agrees, “My favorite dog was a red Border Collie named Joe who just recently died. He was my favorite because he was very smart, I’m pretty sure he could read my mind. He always seemed to know just where I wanted him to be.” Inside I performed a small, triumphant dance as I considered Tiff’s seemingly clairvoyant abilities. So, maybe she hadn’t been that unusual. Julie continued, “Joe was a good tracker, he could find cattle that I couldn’t even see. He was very loyal and refused to let anyone else pet him. For me, a good dog is one that will think for itself. I prefer to give my dogs a little more freedom so they aren’t as dependent on me.”

Jim Dunlap echoes his wife’s sentiments when he starts talking about his favorite dog, a white Border Collie called Rush. “I love dogs and am a big advocate for using good dogs. I got Rush from a guy that was going to knock him in the head because he couldn’t sell white pups. He was smart and tough and I still have pups from him 20 years later. Dad and I were sorting a bunch of steers and heifers that had gotten mixed. We were holding them in a corner out in the field, and I had a couple of dogs so I was holding the big bunch and dad was working off the heifers. The bunch got pretty stirred up and a steer got away from me. I sent Rush to stop him and the steer ran right over him and got in with the heifers. I had to stay with the main bunch, but assumed Rush would hold that group and maybe bring them all back to the main herd. When I got a chance to look back, Rush had the steer cut out and was bringing only him back to me. I don’t know how he did it, be he sure did.”

Well Jim, maybe it was all because of your love of a good dog.

 *First published in the Nevada Rancher. Like them on Facebook or call (866) 644-5011 for a free copy. 

Read More..