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Don't know if this is in the right place or not. Please move it if it isn't. Thanks!

 

I am looking for someone to evaluate Maid on stock. Cattle, or better yet, cattle and sheep. I would like to bring her to someone and leave her for as long as they deem necessary. It must be someone within an hour or two of the SF Bay area.

 

I know nothing about the process, and I have no vehicle, nor do I drive. Hence the wish to board her with the trainer through the evaluation period. I can get someone to bring us up, and take us home, but repeat visits are going to be very difficult for me, as I will have to pay for them, and scheduling could be difficult.

 

If this is all asking too much, I'm sorry. I don't know what's the usual arrangement. I don't know about prices for this kind of thing, but I'm not expecting it to be cheap.

 

About the dog: 11 mo. old spayed female, allegedly bred and sold for cattle work. The rancher was going to return her to the breeder, but she went to rescue instead.

 

She has allegedly been started on cattle.

 

When she came to me about 3 mos. ago, she was a nervous wreck. She's still shy of new people, but great with other dogs. Seems to have a lot of prey drive, very biddable. VERY SOFT.

 

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How close is the breeder? That is where I would start, they may be able to refer you. Few should know as much about their dogs as they do.

I don't know who the breeder is. I was not given any info about them by the rescue where I got her, nor the rescue she was in for a few weeks before that. All I was told was that the breeder had agreed to replace the pup, and "said that he would shoot this one." He may or may not have actually said that. I have no way of knowing.

 

I searched for a breeder in the area where she came from - near Truckee, CA - and talked to a few on the phone, but no one could shed any light on where she might have come from. I was hoping to see a pedigree, so I could research her parents and whether she was actually working bred.

 

For all I know, she was the product of an "oops litter" or a puppy mill. (Neither one of which, I suppose, precludes her from being working-bred.)

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There is a chance that the rancher did not want her because she is very soft. A lot of the cattle folk want a tough dog that can handle a lot of pressure. And depending on who you send her to for evaluation, they may or may not like the softness either. some folks are a lot better at working with a soft dog than others. So you may want to consider this when making a choice of who to send her to. Considering that she is only 11 months old, she may have just needed a little more time to mature and build confidence. and you may want her started on sheep first. cattle can be pretty intimidating for a pup.

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If I were you I would go to a good and kind trainer and put her on sheep and you go as well. You then can watch while your dog is worked. Sheepdogging Geezer gave you a trial, I believe, a

good way to meet people. Be very careful sending your dog to a trainer you know little about.

Get references, ask others. Go watch the trainer work other dogs, ask about their ideas on

corrections. And think about where you want this to go.

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There is a chance that the rancher did not want her because she is very soft. A lot of the cattle folk want a tough dog that can handle a lot of pressure. And depending on who you send her to for evaluation, they may or may not like the softness either. some folks are a lot better at working with a soft dog than others. So you may want to consider this when making a choice of who to send her to. Considering that she is only 11 months old, she may have just needed a little more time to mature and build confidence. and you may want her started on sheep first. cattle can be pretty intimidating for a pup.

This is my suspicion. She was 9-10 mos old when I got her, and she had spent a month of that in rescue. I'm guessing that her shyness and fear of making eye contact was due to being pushed too hard.

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There is a chance that the rancher did not want her because she is very soft. A lot of the cattle folk want a tough dog that can handle a lot of pressure. And depending on who you send her to for evaluation, they may or may not like the softness either. some folks are a lot better at working with a soft dog than others. So you may want to consider this when making a choice of who to send her to. Considering that she is only 11 months old, she may have just needed a little more time to mature and build confidence. and you may want her started on sheep first. cattle can be pretty intimidating for a pup.

 

If I were you I would go to a good and kind trainer and put her on sheep and you go as well. You then can watch while your dog is worked. Sheepdogging Geezer gave you a trial, I believe, a

good way to meet people. Be very careful sending your dog to a trainer you know little about.

Get references, ask others. Go watch the trainer work other dogs, ask about their ideas on

corrections. And think about where you want this to go.

I think the idea of evaluating her on sheep is a good one. Can a dog be ruined for cattle by being pushed too hard? She was still a baby, for Pete's sake. What did they expect? <_<

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Sure, Anything is possible I have a dog here that was surrendered to me that was thought to be 'crazy'

Actually it was because the work made no sense to her.

 

Now she is a pretty good little hill dog

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My experience has taught me it is seldom the dog that has the problem. If she is from working lines odds are she will enjoy working. May not be a cattle dog if she is hesitant or shy, most cattle take more push than sheep. Sheep or even ducks may be the place to start and get her instincts kicked in and build confidence. As many different dogs that are out there there are that many different trainers and methods. Just have find someone who is interested in helping the dog be the best she can be and helping you both become the best team you can be. If the trainer approaches it that way most will adjust to the individual dog instead of thinking the dog should adjust to their method. I would look up Gerri Brynes web site maybe she knows of someone close to you.

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I've seen dogs turn around with a new home or proper handling. I have a very soft handler sensitive dog. But she is not soft on stock. If she is handled harshly she will quit the handler and push on the stock.

Her mother was nicely bred, very nicely bred. Totally turned off stock by several different handlers. Took 6 months being penned next to stock watching other dogs working, having fun.

She never came back totally for handlers or much training but you could tell she had been talented. She now lives on a cattle farm with people who don't control her work her. They just let her work how she feels comfortable. She has blossomed into a wonderful farm dog.

My newest pup is handler soft but I haven't started her yet. I will take a long time to start her.

As someone mentioned, be very careful who you choose if you send her off.

I will make a shameless plug for Angie Coker-Sells.

She started Faye wonderfully and she is very handler sensitive.

Her keeness keeps her happy.

Good luck Geonnie

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Geonni, my contact says the folks she knows who evaluate only take an hour or so. There are 2 in Sonoma County and one in the San Ramon area. The only person she can think of who does cattle lives in Oregon.

 

I'm wondering what you hope to do with Maid? Are you thinking of trying to work her yourself, or perhaps place her in a working home?

 

Ruth and Gibbs

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Geonni, my contact says the folks she knows who evaluate only take an hour or so. There are 2 in Sonoma County and one in the San Ramon area. The only person she can think of who does cattle lives in Oregon.

 

I'm wondering what you hope to do with Maid? Are you thinking of trying to work her yourself, or perhaps place her in a working home?

 

Ruth and Gibbs

 

I am taking her to a woman named Joyce Shephard in Santa Rosa for an afternoon sometime in the next week or two. (Unless someone gives me a good reason not to.) I got her name from the Redwood Empire website. I talked to her on the phone, and she seemed to understand that a light hand was needed. I will not let her bully the dog, but she did not seem to be the kind of person that would.

 

I would like to try her several times, perhaps with different people and different types of stock. It seems unrealistic to imagine that she would be stellar the first time out. If what I have been told is true, then she has been started on stock. But it may not have been a good experience for her. So she may not want anything to do with it at first.

 

In answer to your question. I would love to start learning stockwork with Maid, but I have neither the money or the mobility. If she demonstrates clear working potential, I intend to put her in a working or working/trialing home. If not, she will stay with me. If she shows the potential to be a good stockdog, I think she would be happier than she will be, living in the city with and "old lady." She is very fearful and nervous out on the street, but I know she could be gotten over it eventually. Sugarfoot was the same.

 

On the other hand, why put her through it if she can get into a proper working home? She was raised in a rural setting. It's what she knows. Maybe she was put in my hands to help her get back to her heritage and reach her potential.

 

OK. Now I need to go blow my nose and think about something else for awhile...

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You didn't like the contact I gave you?

A

Have no problem with the contact you gave me, or those others have given me. Yours has not yet returned my message, and I do intend to go to more than one. :)

 

I did hear back from Crystal Rose Cowdog College, and they have moved to another state.

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Yes, I know Joyce. You should do well. And I was suspecting that you were thinking if a 'professional' said that Maid has the talent, you'd try and get her into a working home.

 

Good for you exploring the possibility.

 

Ruth and Gibbs

 

Thank you for your understanding. There are those who would criticize me for giving her up. But giving her up is not the same as giving up on her. If she can work stock, and wants to, then it is my opinion that that is what she should do. I want her to be happy and have a real purpose. I have an assistance dog. I don't need another. And having her jump through hoops and catch Frisbees would give her occupation, but not purpose. I may be wrong, but I suspect that she is the sort of dog who would know the difference.

 

I hope that those of you who give work to dogs will consider her. She is a good dog, and I hope, a useful one. I want a loving home for her. And if she doesn't pan out as a stock dog prospect, then she will get that from me. She deserves nothing less.

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Really!? They moved? To where? Well,they would not necessarily top my list to recommend anyway :-)

A

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