The Working Dog

By Laci Jones

A dog is commonly referred to as “man’s best friend,” but is the saying still true for a working dog?

Randy Reed, an Oklahoma dog trainer for more than 10 years said having working dogs on the farm and ranch is helpful because of their ability to sort livestock. He said having a good working dog will make the trainer look good.

“These dogs will teach you just as much as you can teach them,” Reed said. “They are intelligent dogs, and all they want is to work and please you.”

Each dog has a different technique to herding livestock, Reed explained.

“Herding dogs were developed to do certain jobs for different types of livestock and for different types of farming,” said Susan Bennett, president of the Oklahoma Stock Dog Association.

Some dogs, known as headers, will herd livestock by putting pressure toward the stock’s head. Other dogs, known as heelers, will nip at the heels of stock to herd them. Bennett said some dogs can be headers and heelers. Each livestock species may require a different approach, Reed said.

“Working sheep is different than working cattle,” he said. “The dogs can work the sheep with their eyes. You don’t have to be on sheep so tight, but it’s a challenge with cattle.”

For an owner, it may be a challenge to decide which dog breed is appropriate to have. The best working dog breed depends on what livestock species is worked and the owner’s preferences.

Border Collie

Border collies are known for their herding ability, Bennett said. This breed of dog was bred for their intelligence and work ethic.

“The border collies that actually work livestock were never bred for how they looked,” she added.

Border collies typically use their eyes to herd livestock, but they can also be sent into a pasture and gather livestock.

“If you want to pull 300 yearlings off of a wheat pasture, you can pull up to the gate send the border collies out there,” Reed said. “They will bring the cattle right to you and through the gate.”

Bennett said people need to make sure they have jobs for working dogs.

“These dogs have been bred for hundreds of years, and they have to find an outlet for that instinct,” Bennett said.

When the border collies are not working, both Bennett and Reed keep their border collies in pens.

“I can run them loose, but they will overwork the stock,” Reed said. “They are like keeping an eye on kids.”

A downside to having a border collie is some may not have a tough enough bite, Reed said. They may not be as aggressive as other dog breeds.

Kelpie

Kelpies originated from Australia and are typically short, slick-haired dogs. This breed of dog is rangier than most other breeds, Reed said.

“Kelpies’ working style is similar to border collies,” he said.

Like border collies, kelpies are a “fetch” dog, meaning they will bring the livestock back to the owner, he said.

Bennett said the kelpies she has seen are typically more aggressive toward livestock. They have more stamina than most breeds, Reed added.

“When they go to work, they will be in a crouch position,” Reed said. “Their head is going to be down level with their shoulders. The tail is going to be dropped down behind them.”

Good border collies and kelpies have constant control, and they will have a lot of movement with their eyes, he said.

Reed said the American kelpie is close in proximity with the Australian kelpie. However, the American kelpie is weaker than the Australian kelpie.

Australian Cattle Dog

Developed from the native Australian dingo, the Australian cattle dogs was originally bred for driving livestock, Bennett said.

She said most working dogs within this breed are heelers, which is why they are commonly referred to as blue or red heelers, depending on their color.

Australian cattle dogs are typically used in pens and corrals to move livestock, Bennett said. They were not developed to go into open areas and gather livestock.

“We would haul cattle to the sale barn,” Reed said. “There was a blue heeler that would work on the chute and bite the cattle and get them through there.”

However, the Australian cattle dog is not as common in the competition trials as the border collie.

Reed said there is a market for the Australian cattle dog in the state. Australian cattle dogs are in high demand, but their herding ability is still to be determined.

Australian Shepherd

“Back when the United States was being settled, the Australian shepherd was the farm dog to have,” Bennett said.

Bennett said Australian shepherds were bred to be farm dogs, but they have changed in recent years to become show dogs and pets.

“There are very few Australian shepherds that can now go out and do a job,” Bennett said.

The Australian shepherd is not as popular for herding as other breeds today, Reed added.

“They are pretty dogs, but I haven’t seen any stock-oriented,” Reed said.

Reed said Australian shepherds can be trained, but he found them to be easily distracted.

Catahoula

Catahoulas are typically used for hunting. However, these bay-type dogs can be used to work livestock.

Reed said catahoulas and border collies have different styles of working. Unlike the border collie, this breed of dog uses their bark to move livestock, Reed said. Catahoulas will also work the outer perimeter of livestock, he said.

“Catahoulas will hunt livestock because they can use their nose, where the border collie will do everything by the power of their eyes,” Reed said.

Reed said catahoulas would be the better working dog in a situation where the owner needed help finding livestock.

However, working livestock with a catahoula is a team effort. A catahoula dog will not fetch livestock, but they will keep livestock in a “tight wad.” The owner will have to move the cattle themselves.

Cattlemaster

The cattlemaster is a newer breed of working dog. They are a cross between Border collie, pit bull, and kelpie, and they were bred for working cattle, according to Reed. They are more aggressive and have a stronger bite.

However, when cattlemaster was bred to get more bite, they lost their natural herding ability. Reed experienced this firsthand when he trained a cattlemaster.

“There wasn’t the natural ability,” Reed said. “She was just mechanical. I can move her, but she couldn’t read a cow.”

Reed said other breeds of dogs can potentially be used as working dogs including corgis, McNab shepherds and German shepherds. However, before purchasing a new dog, the buyer should research bloodlines and breeders.

“Buy a dog that can be bred to work cattle,” Reed advised. “Go watch the parents work and research who has trained the dogs.”

It is also important to purchase a dog that has been bred to work the specific species of livestock, Bennett added. No matter what dog breed an owner chooses, imported dogs may not always make the best working dogs.

“Just because a dog is imported doesn’t mean it will be better than a dog bred right here in the United States,” Bennett said.

She said there are many more great dogs and trainers in the United States than 20 years ago. It may be helpful to seek advice from a professional to help kick-start a new program, she added.

After purchasing a working dog, it is important to spend extra money to send the dog to a trainer for 30 to 60 days, Reed said. Then, the owner should spend quality time with the dog and the trainer to learn how to work together.

Bennett said each dog may require a different type of training, which may require adjusting. She said incorporating techniques from several different trainers can help the owner and their best friend.

This article was originally published in the January 2016 edition of Oklahoma Farm & Ranch.