sam dupont
Well-Known Member
I have a pet that is of a herding breed. Yesterday I was at a friends ranch and he had to feed the cows. His wife or son usually watch the gate but since I was there with my dog, I volunteered. We opened the gate, and of course the cows tried to follow him and his bucket full of hay. The dog and I stood in the open gate. He said: "You're going to have trouble with those two", and sure enough, these two Herford's walked up. They didn't know what to do looking at me and a dog that looks like a black Coyote, so we stood there for a while staring each other down. The cows took a step towards us, we took a step towards them and they stopped. After a minute, they couldn't stand it and took another step towards us. We took one step towards them. They stopped, and after a few minutes, the bigger cow nudged the smaller one in the gut and the smaller one took a couple steps towards us. We took a step towards her and she stopped.
So, he got them fed in that pasture and then came through the gate to feed in the other pasture. Needless to say my dog found this experience very interesting. It's as though something is calling to him. Much like the maniacal way he chews the Whitetail ribcage laying on the ground. Running loose in the pasture, he runs from cow pie to cow pie, and takes a nibble at each. The fresher, the better.
Talking to my friend he said that when his wife watches the gate she has to use a cattle prod to hold them back and his son, I forget what his son had to do, but the cows were a total pain. Their recently passed GSD was bullied by the cows, but I figure that was familiarity, my dog is an unkown and scary looking. These cows are kind of tough on dogs because they live on a creek with feral dogs and coyotes coming through all the time. I had another of this breed and at four months old, one of the milk cows charged him. He tucked his tail and ran, then when she charged him a second time he grabbed onto her nose and held on. She backpedaled for a full two seconds dragging that 30 pound pup. I realized there must be something to the instinct of these dogs, it wasn't all training. That cow was a dog abuser, but they said for a couple weeks after that, she was even respectful of their little beagle dog. My dog enjoyed it so much I want to go back and do it again, and I thought I'd ask if anybody's had any experience with herding cattle with dogs.
So, he got them fed in that pasture and then came through the gate to feed in the other pasture. Needless to say my dog found this experience very interesting. It's as though something is calling to him. Much like the maniacal way he chews the Whitetail ribcage laying on the ground. Running loose in the pasture, he runs from cow pie to cow pie, and takes a nibble at each. The fresher, the better.
Talking to my friend he said that when his wife watches the gate she has to use a cattle prod to hold them back and his son, I forget what his son had to do, but the cows were a total pain. Their recently passed GSD was bullied by the cows, but I figure that was familiarity, my dog is an unkown and scary looking. These cows are kind of tough on dogs because they live on a creek with feral dogs and coyotes coming through all the time. I had another of this breed and at four months old, one of the milk cows charged him. He tucked his tail and ran, then when she charged him a second time he grabbed onto her nose and held on. She backpedaled for a full two seconds dragging that 30 pound pup. I realized there must be something to the instinct of these dogs, it wasn't all training. That cow was a dog abuser, but they said for a couple weeks after that, she was even respectful of their little beagle dog. My dog enjoyed it so much I want to go back and do it again, and I thought I'd ask if anybody's had any experience with herding cattle with dogs.
