Toys and Dog in the Driveway

[cowboydoc]

Terry,
Too Cool!!! I have a red border collie as well! Mine's the short hair though. He's a great cow dog. He's unlike the typical border collie in that he is very aggressive with anyone outside our family. He's a wonderful dog. He's mostly my dog as you probably know with a good cowdog you have to make them a one person dog. I'm the only one that feeds or trains him. They really are quite smart. It doesn't take much to get them to learn something.

 

[TerryinMD]

Richard,

Tip is all border collie!! With some minor exceptions, he's afraid of sheep and cattle!! Since he was raised with people and not exposed to farm animals, he just doesn't know he's supposed to herd them. Instead he herds bowling balls and smooth rocks. Yes, bowling balls and rocks! He accomplishes that by using the frisbee in mouth to guide the ball/rock around. Rocks are tough. They don't like to roll easy. Now the bowling ball - it is a sight to behold. He will guide that ball up and down our yard at a full run. He has gotten to the point to where he can push the ball wherever he desires. During the prime growing season, we will have the large gate to our garden area open and lo and behold - here comes Tip with his bowling ball. We have to yell at him to stop and then tell him to take it out of the garden area. At first, he would look at us as to say, "Are you nuts, it's work to get it here!!". But now, he just moves the ball out of the garden and keeps on pushing it throughout the yard. Crazy dog!

We have a cattle farm surrounding our subdivision. The farmer has had Australian Cattle dogs (I believe that is the breed). They have a merle coat and kinda look like a border collie with an attitude - big broad head that reminds a bit like a pit bull. He says the same thing. Short hair and stays by the family and trainer. Neat looking animal.

Yes, bordie collies are smart. Too smart sometimes. This is the first one we've had. Our last dog was a standard Collie. I've had two of those and would have gotten another but the wife wanted something a little smaller. So we got Tip. Tip's dad came in at 60 lbs. Tip weights in about 55 lbs. So much for smaller. But all in all, he's a sweetheart and a lot of fun being the character that he is.

Terry

 

[cowboydoc]

Tip,
Back home that's all we have are the austrailian cattle dogs or blue or red heelers as they are called. They are one tough dog. They get kicked by a cow and just come back twice as mean. They are great for tough cattle like we have at home. Now they can get mean at times though and are very one person. They are great dogs but not nearly as smart as the border collie. For going out and getting cattle out of rough places though they are priceless. For really working cattle though the collies are great. I'm by myself most of the time and I couldn't do it without my collie. Most of my cows are pretty tame as they see people all the time and not many of them challenge the dog. As you probably know a border collie will back down but those heelers don't. But with regards to herding and bringing the cows in from pasture and such he is just great.

 

[Bird]

Richard, I'd generally agree with you, but my closest neighbor bought both a male and female blue heelers to have the trained as cow dogs. He sent the female to a trainer, she got kicked the first day, and was scared to death of cows from then on./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif He kept her just for a pet, and that's all she's good for. She goes in the pasture with him on the Mule, but she stays on the Mule if there are any cows around./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[cowboydoc]

That's interesting Bird. I don't know if there are maybe different types or just a scared one that that guy got. How was the male? I know ours all came straight from Austrailia. My grandfather would import whichever one he needed to keep his breed going and not inbreed them. He still sells them to everyone around back home. I know none of them ever got scared from a cow. Those dang dogs would get just get meaner the more the cow abused them.

 

[Bird]

Richard, I don't know much about dogs in general and blue heelers in particular, but neither does this neighbor./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif He knows a lot about cattle, hay, pastures, vegetable gardens, etc., but not much about dogs at all. He had visions of having a pair of working cow dogs so the wouldn't have to spend so much time chasing his cows, and he hoped to make a little money selling pups, so he bought the two dogs (in different parts of the state) for $150 each, registered with the papers, and kept them in large separate, but adjoining pens for quite awhile. Both were friendly with anyone, the female grew up to be I believe the smallest blue heeler I've seen, but the male was a good sized stout looking dog. And the neighbor tried everything, including an electric fence wire strung inside the pen, and couldn't keep that rascal confined. So he sent the female to a local trainer first, she got kicked, was scared, and the trainer brought her back. The neighbor did raise and sell two litters of pups, but then he just sold the male (never did try to train him), and had the female spayed and kept her for a pet./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif And I laughed until I hurt at times when his wife gave him fits about the money he'd wasted on those dogs.

And this one case is definitely not a good example of what can be done with blue heelers. Like I said, these are fine folks, but they don't know anything about dogs. They also had a big female collie/chow cross for a pet; friendly with everyone, but they were afraid to try to put a collar on her, brush her, or trim that thick coat. They said she'd bite if you tried to do any of those things. When they took her to the vet, they coaxed her into the cattle trailer, went to town, and let the vet take it from there. So one evening, we were sitting on their front porch, and they had bought a collar but were afraid to try to put it on her. I just called her over and put the collar on her while she stood there and wagged her tail./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif They sat there with their mouths open, then later told all the neighbors about how I put a collar on that dog when they'd never been able to; made some folks around here think I'm a dog expert when I don't know a darned thing about them; just not afraid of them and usually get along well with them. Anyway, that might tell you why his blue heelers didn't work out./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[cowboydoc]

Great story Bird. I get the same thing with horses. Granted I know about horses but I can take a complete idiot horse and in a little while have them doing what I want. Give them back to the owner and they are an idiot again. I'm of a firm belief there are people that should have animals and those that should not. Some people have a gift and others no matter how much training they get never get it.

BOY are you right about keeping heelers confined!!!! They can get out of anything. I had a really good red female here about five years ago. She was a go getting cow dog but I couldn't keep her penned up for anything. Well we live on a fairly busy road and as you can imagine she got hit. Same way back home though, you might as well forget about keeping one penned up for the most part.

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>people that should have animals and those that should not. Some people have a gift and others no matter how much training they get never get it</font color=blue>

You sure got that right. My oldest daughter was always afraid of dogs; don't know why; she was never bitten or hurt by one, but she's leary of them and they of her. And my youngest daughter would always just walk up to any dog, even those reputed to be vicious, and they all seem to take to her right off.

And we don't have much traffic; seldom see a vehicle go by without knowing who's driving it, but our last dog (before the one we have now) was a black and white border collie and we only had her about 6 months before she ran out in the road as a pickup went by at a high rate of speed and killed her instantly. My wife and I were both in tears.

Bird

 

[cowboydoc]

Sorry to hear that Bird. I can't stand to lose a horse or a dog. Any other animal doesn't bother me in the least. I can raise a cow and feed it every day and butcher it and eat it no problem. But my dogs and horses they are just special.

 

[njrqs]

I am impressed !!! - You guys actually import something from Australia !!!!!!!1

<font color=blue>Neil from OZ.</font color=blue>