haflingerrider

Ren, I must have missed something. :confused: How did you end up with the stray? I am sooo.... thriled for your daughter and the pup. He now has a loving home and responsible owners, plus your daughter has the love of her life. That is wonderful!

Naomi, One thing that we do that we like is the OFF command. Anytime the pup tries to jump up on us we say off and gently push him off. We also use it to tell them to get their feet off the couch or chair. They quickly learn that off means to get back on to all four feet. It just works better than down cause later you will want to teach the down which is to lie down on their stomach. I agree with Kevin, the first thing we end up teaching is NO

We have friends who are dairy farmers. I only see them occaisionaly. The kind of folks you see at the county fair and pick right back up where you left off last year. She told me this year at the fair that they were down to 5 BC's. All 5 are in the house. One is so arthritic, from years of getting the cows in, that they help him up the steps to the bed room every night. But if you think this tough old German dairy farmer would admit this at the local sale barn to his friends, I doubt it.

John, I went to a clinic last fall. They worked cattle there. The owner of the farm and the clinician stated that they had to break the cattle to dogs. They went out every day with very well trained dogs and moved the cattle from field to arena. It was a chasing situation every day until the catle came to respect the dogs, from what I was told. I also asked about the same question you have asked about the type dog I would need to work our cattle. They told me that it is about impossible to work a herd, even a small one with one dog, especially if the cattle are not dog broke. I do understand the part about being dog broke. Our cattle are 4 wheeler broke. When we get a rougey cow (usualy at calving) that we can't drive to the barn... we get out the 4 wheeler. We have chased cows all around the field and after several trips to the other end, they are tired enough to listen to reason. We have had them walk into the lot with tongues hanging out. Sounds mean but the next time you try to drive that cow, she will usually let you drive her. If not you go get the 4 wheeler and I tell you she will almost start to the pen herself!! That is what they mean by being broke. We keep 70 head of brood cows and have found that the best way to keep cattle tame is to hand feed them ground corn. If you feed your cattle every day for the next 2 weeks, in the lot. You eventually will have an opportunity to slam that gate shut and have 'em. Or if you have "good fence" get some teenage boys to chase them around with 4 wheelers till they get ready to listen to reason If you have alot of valleys, trees or poor fence... this WILL NOT WORK! We happen to have a 60 acre field with good fence and nary a tree or hill. Another thing too. I truly believe one cow that is a rouge will ruin your entire herd. Not only will her offspring behave like her but insanity is catching. She throws her tail up and runs, so will all the others. When we wean the heifers we want to keep, we pen them up in the barn and hand feed them all winter. They get used to trotting up to the bunk for feed from your hand (actually a bucket). Then when you turn them out to be bred the folowing June, all you have to do is rattle a bucket of grain and you have insant attention. They will come running from the farthest point of the pasture. After several years of raising heifers this way, you have a pretty tame herd. Good luck! Of coures you can always shoot her! Burgers are good

You gotta be nuts to get into cattle. They demand much more time than you would ever think possible. Even if you only keep 6 head of brood cows, you still need a bull. Granted you can do AI but that in itself requires knowledge about cattle reproduction. ie: when is the best time to call the AI guy. We have had cattle for our entire married life, 26 years. I have been kicked, stepped on, trampled, pooped on. There is nothing like getting splashed with poop soup. It gets in you eyes, ears, and hair. I could go on for hours.... Calving season alone is a days worth of talking. But.... when you sit back in the newly growing grass, with the sun shining down on you and watch the calves race up and down the bank, seemingly playing tag with their other wobbly, long legged friends.... it almost seems worth it. The meat is unlike any you can buy in the store (especially if you have your packing house age it properly before it is cut up). And if you allready own the land, it can help you qualify for a property tax break in most states. Be forwarned, you will need good fences, shelter, tractor (hauling manure), manure spreader, feed storage for winter, cattle handling facilities (corral, chute, headgate...), trailer to transport cattle to sale, truck to pull the trailer and boots...real tall ones!

When you say that he will eat other things and treats...... I say when you want to give him other things and treats, instead go to his bowl and give him a piece of dog food. We always feed dry food, tablespoon of cottage cheese and a tablespoon of a good quality canned dog food to our puppies. I also feed free choice like your breeder.

http://bordercollie.heatherweb.com/cgi-bin...ic;f=4;t=000676 Check out this previous post The American Heartworm Society http://www.heartwormsociety.org/ Also check out the Heartworm Society website. After reading this you will see why many people wait until puppies are 6 mos to start hearworm prentative meds.

Mandie check out http://www.wolfweb.com.au/acd/ It is a neat cattledog site from your own country. Boomer is on the photo album #5.

Julie, That reminds me of a child and dog I had in class a few years ago. I looked at my sheets ahead of time to see what dogs we would have that year (4H). I saw a Belgian Shepard listed, oh no, I thought. When I got to class, I looked and thought well he must not have showed.... no BS was there. Instead I ended up finding she was the sweetest mostly labrador cross on earth. Her name was Belle and she belonged to a young boy with Downs Syndrome. Preston and his "Belgian Sheepdog" Belle went to State Fair many times in their 4H career. I always got a chuckle when I thought of the judges faces when they saw the dog that was listed as a Belgian Sheepdog come into the ring. Like you said...."she won't know the difference". Belle didn't!

As soon as her snoot goes down all the way I will go out into the yard and snap a pic!!!! I should have gotten a picture of her with her bull terrier head, it was comical!

Years ago...many years ago...when I worked for a vet, I remember that pups from the pound who had distemper were often given tetracyclin. It almost always damaged the enamel and discolored the teeth. I realize no one gives tetracyclin any more but it did come to mind and made me wonder if the pup had been given any type medication for an infection or other problem? Just a thought!

Crate rest and trying to keep her quite. With our Gem, a very active BC, this was the hard part. This was after the vet confirmed that nothing was broken. Took a good while if I remember correctly. Good luck!

Mandie, I'll get you one soon. The major problem is we are running out of low brances. I used to have to duck under the trees to mow the lawn till Boomer came along. We have had her 6 years and all the pruning is done by her. HA! We got her hopeing to do some herding. Ha! again! She hasn't got a herding instinct in her body. She does kill all the coon and any vermine that manages to get in her path. Our old AuCaDo's were good cattle dogs, she will go into the feedlot and walk up and down the bunk to clean out their noses. Both her parents have AKC herding titles. We were ignorant about the title system in AKC and assumed it meant the dogs would be good stock dogs. We are now better educated and are looking for a BC. I try to not post too much here, as I do not have a Border Collie right now. I got on the post to ask questions about how to better search for a BC and got to know you folks by reading your posts. Now I am quite fond of you can't quit reading and posting on the general type posts. I try to stay away from the BC specific posts as I do not feel a non owner deserves the right to post on them. Thanks for everyone being so kind to me and putting up with my ornery heeler and occaisional beagle comparisons. I hope to have a herding quality Border collie in winter or by next spring.

Boomer is goofy! There is no explaining her goofyness. She hangs from tree limbs, growling and jerking the limb, for up to 5 minutes. She loves snapping at bees and anything that moves. This is the simpleness of the "australian curse...." I can't wait to get these beagle puppies into their new hunting homes so I can get a Border Collie and have at least one thinking dog around here!

I always wanted a bull terrier, now I have a blue one! The vet put Boomer on antibiotics and steroids for what he is assuming is an allergic reaction to a bite. She looks goofy, eats like a pig (normal), plays with her purple stuffed animal and if you didn't look at her you would think nothing was wrong. Oh well such is life!!