6 Herding dogs

DAW Rounding Up

. . . continued from the Bird Dog Clan.

6) THE HERDING DOG CLAN:

Hardware: agile form.

Software: some drive by nipping, some grip, most use their presence to move the sheep, some turn the stock by getting close to their head, other move sheep better from afar - some herding dogs are geared to work tame sheep, others are geared to work wilder sheep.

Lots of software needed: to gather sheep into a bunch, to move the bunch without scattering them, to sort lambs from ewes, and rams from their flock, to cause the sheep to freeze or move when the dog is told to.

To always obey the handler, but to learn the ways of the sheep. .

Use:

Cattle Dogs: to herd cattle, usually by biting their heels.

Shepherd Dogs: to work sheep, often by rushing at the sheep's head..

Bio: this is a continuation of the tolling stage, but with herding deer into drifts of snow where the deer can not run well, or herding deer back towards the rest of the pack after it has been tired out a bit.

This stage takes intelligence to pull it off well..

Remember this is still a modified form of a wolf hunt, but everyone with sheep & dogs probably has seen that.This is an early winter stage..English-European (Old World) domesticated dogs tend to be highly specialized.

Some bird hunters even have one dog to point birds, and a second dog to fetch the shot bird. There are sheep dogs that herd by nipping heel, sheep dogs that herd by rushing at the sheep's head, sheep dogs that work sheep by eyeing them, and then a whole different kind of dog to flock guard..

The American Indians who have sheep, have dogs that work sheep, guard sheep, and hunt their own rabbits. These dogs look something like a cross between an Australian Shepherd (who doesn't come from Australia), and a husky.

They are one of the do-it-all ranch dogs..I personally listened to a campaign by a 'humane' society wanting to get American Indians to have their dog's operated on. Why? It was the purebred breeders who were cranking out the puppies, not the people on the reservation.

Because, at that time, (and maybe still?) the people who ran the local 'humane' society were dog breeders. They bred and sold purebred puppies from breeds accepted in one kennel club..

I still don't like the idea of a government so cheap, that it lets a private group of wannabees carry guns and badges to enforce law.

Particularly, when this group is untrained, and paid through a group that has it's own interest. At least the police have training in laws and rights..

I knew some of these people, and for them, it was a simple: get others to spay and neuter their dogs, so they won't compete with us.

People would rather get a less expensive, less inbred, less specialized at- a- task- they- wont- ever- use- it- at- dog. This was a campaign.

California's bill# 1634 would have been the ultimate end to this campaign, and a loss to everyone but a handful of show breeders and puppy mills..

Listen People. When somebody sends a person to tell you to have your dog operated on, it is often so that their own dogs can make more puppies to sell.

Why do you think 1634 would have given purebred show breeders an exemption that would have made other people get their dogs fixed?.

Why would PAWS (USDA) have negotiated to let one organization that has dog shows etc, to be exempt?.

Sounds to me, like another unfair case of: You neutered your dog, so I can breed more of mine..

If you don't have sheep, don't breed what you call sheepdogs, because you won't know if they are any good at working sheep. .

If you are just breeding dogs who look like what you think a sheepdog should look like, then breed the ones that would make the best pets - that's where you sell most of your puppies to - people who want a dog that's good with their children..

Sheepdogs (herding dogs), like musicians and artist, they are not recognised by what they look like - they don't all look the same. They are sheepdogs because they work sheep well.

.. . . next group, Arctic dogs.