Herding Dogs in Early America

             As elsewhere in the world, the introduction of herding dogs in America is closely connected to the growth of the sheep industry. The first sheep (Churras, a meat- and milk-producing breed) came to the Americas with the Spaniards as a source of food. They not only survived in their new environment, they flourished and multiplied. Sheep can survive on land with very little vegetation that is too arid to support other types of stock. The sheepdogs, the pastor leonés along with the Spanish Mastiff, a livestock guardian that came over with them were hardy individuals, too, toughened by exposure and capable of withstanding many hardships in the rough, dangerous, and uncharted lands of the Southwest during Spanish colonization.

             By 1776, when the eastern colonies declared their independence from England, thousands of sheep had been driven from Mexico into the Spanish colonies in the Southwest and California. Spanish Pastor Dogs abounded throughout the sheep-raising the land that is now Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. One early journalist described an immense herd numbering 17,000, guarded only by a few men and many remarkable dogs keeping the sheep together. The dogs continually moved around the outer edge of the flock and returned strays to the group.

Herding Dogs in the Eastern Colonies

            When the English colonists settled Virginia and Massachusetts, they brought a small number of sheep with them. Dutch and Swedish settlers also brought sheep to New York and New Jersey for food and fiber. There was a difference between sheepdogs in New England and those along the Atlantic Seaboard; early accounts and old paintings indicate there were rough-coated dogs, similar to Old English Sheepdogs (although much different from the modern OES), in the colonies before 1700. These were intelligent, strong-framed, short-tailed animals, quite distinct from the “colley.” They were used principally for cattle but readily trained for sheep. To control the sheep, the dog would take hold of the fleece on the side of the animal’s neck or cheek, releasing it when the sheep turned in the direction the dog wanted.

The Importance of the Merino

            After Napoleon’s invasion of Spain in 1808*, the entire course of the American sheep industry changed with the arrival of the superfine-wooled Merino. The merino wool was considered the most desirable of all fleeces, with the lamb’s wool especially prized for luxurious fabrics. Presidents George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson were among the best-known sheep raisers.

            Along with Merinos, Thomas Jefferson imported native French herding dogs (Briards), which he bought just as he was leaving France in 1789. Jefferson remarked in his correspondence about the wonderful sagacity of the dogs, claiming they had no equal as herding or house dogs. He described them as “the most careful, intelligent dogs in the world, their sagacity is almost human and qualifies them to be taught anything you please.”

            Robert R. Livingston, who served in the Continental Congress, helped draft the Declaration of Independence, and worked with James Monroe on the details of the Louisiana Purchase, was appointed minister to France in 1801. During his tenure in Paris, Livingston arranged for the shipment of some of the first French Rambouillet Merinos to the United States. A year later Colonel David Humphreys, minister to Spain, bought a hundred head of Merino sheep and sent them back to the United States.

           Twenty years later, after France invaded Spain, William Jarvis, American consul to Portugal, was able to obtain some highly prized Merinos from the royal Escurial flock, which he shipped back to the United States. Ex-president Jefferson and President Madison each received a pair as a gift. After the second invasion of Napoleon and the subsequent confiscation and sale of four enormous Merino flocks, Jarvis was permitted to buy a large number. He employed shepherds and bought dogs to accompany the sheep. With each shipment he was careful not to put too many animals in one vessel, allowing them plenty of air and providing an abundance of hay, barley, and fresh water. For every sheep that reached the United States in safety, he gave the captain 50 cents and the mate 25 cents; consequently he lost very few.

Arrogante, a Spanish sheepdog brought to the Eastern Seaboard from Spain with a flock of Merinos.

            By mid-1811 nearly 25,000 Spanish Merinos had reached the Atlantic seaboard. By the close of the 19^th century, the Merino or its derivatives, the Rambouillet and Delaine, had spread through the entire country.

* Note: Before that time, the export of Merinos from Spain was a crime punishable by death.

Copyright © 2009 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Cowdogs on the Western Range

Lester Taylor mounted on Skips Deacon with Jan, an Australian Shepherd by Taylor's Whiskey out Taylor's Buena.

            The herding system of the western cattle industry evolved from the cowboy culture. The stock handling practices of these mounted herders relied almost completely on horses. Herding dogs were secondary. Until, the advent of Stockdog Trials in the early 1970s, most cowboys used working dogs primarily to nip the heels of a laggard cow, or to push cattle through chutes. Dogs were expected to follow behind the horse unless they were needed to for reinforcement. They didn’t know how to handle a dog that went to the head of the herd. Consequently, Australian Cattle Dogs* known at that time as Queensland Blue Heelers, Australian Shepherds and Texas heelers (a combination between the ACD and an Australian Shepherd) were fairly popular cowdogs.

*Including the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog see:

http://stockdogsavvy.wordpress.com/category/australian-stumpy-tail-cattle-dog/

Copyright © 2011 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Cowology

A working ranch dog with a deliberate, authoritative approach. ©Copyright 2011 Hartnagle Archive

            Working cattle effectively requires an understanding of bovine behavior. Fifty years ago, the men and women who worked with stock still lived on the land. They were for the most part themselves a simple people familiar with the nature and behavior of animals. Today, most people come from urban, man-made environments. City people are often unfamiliar with farm animals and the land. Before the era of hobby herding, people acquired a dog to work their stock. Nowadays, people buy or lease stock to train their dog.

People who don’t have practical experience with livestock have a more difficult time reading them. Articles and books serve as a foundation of knowledge, but experiential learning is necessary for total comprehension.

Becoming Acquainted with Cows

To get a feel for cows, an understanding how they think and move takes a little practice. Work them on foot without your dog. First, work a single head in a round pen, then two or three. Walk behind the shoulder towards the cow’s hip to set the animal in motion. Move into the shoulder to observe how it drives the animal forward. When you step further towards the head you can see how it causes the animal to stop or change directions. Some cows may require a little more pressure (a closer working distance or bolder approach) before they budge.

Driving the animal forward by putting pressure just behind the shoulder. ©Copyright 2011 Hartnagle Archive

You can also learn a lot about the social structure at feeding time. Dominance is determined by size and forcefulness. Cows higher in the pecking order eat first. The dominant or boss cows push subordinate herd members out of their way to get to feed and water.

When you are working a herd, perhaps trying to pen them or put them through a narrow opening, nudging low-ranking herd members at the rear of a bunch isn’t going to force the more dominant cows move ahead. What it will do is cause them to spill around the sides or break back.

The more you understand basic cow psychology, the better you’ll be able to recognize why cows do what they do. Something as insignificant as sun reflecting off a pair of sunglasses can spook cows or cause them to balk. When one cow balks, that influences the adjacent animals as well. This is known as allelomimetic behavior. In other words, they do the same thing as the neighboring animals do.

Types of Cattle

There are basically two species of cattle: Bos taurus, from which European breeds were derived, also called Taurine cattle, and Bos indicus or Zebu, the ones with the hump over their shoulder, also known as ear cows because of their commonly longer droopier ears. Bos indicus breeds, such as Brahman and Brahman crosses, are more comfortable in hot weather, and do not seek shade as readily as the European breeds. British breeds tend to be calmer than either ear cattle or Continental breeds. The two basic species can be and often are interbred.

Hartnagle's Las Rocosa Christophene, a working cowdog dropping to the ground to avoid being kicked by Corriente steers - ©Copyright 2011 Hartnagle Archive

Breeds of cattle are further classified as either beef or dairy. The main difference between in working with beef cattle and dairy cows may be explained by differences in general handling practices. Dairy cows are handled frequently so they are fairly tame, however, they can become quite agitated if they aren’t handled quietly. Beef cattle are generally handled less often, so they have an increased flight distance (the closeness a dog or human can get to an animal before it moves away or turns to defend itself).

Cattle behavior

Understanding how bovines act in a natural environment is important to applying good stockmanship. Cows are herd animals. As herd animals, they graze and travel as a unit. Cows maintain visual contact with each other. They are also prey animals, so being in a group protects them from danger. A singled-out cow will tend to be agitated and want to get back to the safety of the group. Cattle are comfortable in familiar environments. When you change their location you alter their comfort level, so they will be more nervous.

Along with sheep and goats, cattle are ruminants, which means they digest their food in two stages. First, they eat raw plant matter, and then later, regurgitate the partially digested fodder, also known as cud, to further chew it. Normally, they graze in the early morning and again in the evening, while in the middle of the day they’ll mostly be resting and chewing their cud. Normally, they lie down to sleep.

In rainy weather, cattle may seek shelter such as from a tree or lean- to. In cold weather, cattle usually bunch together for warmth. Cattle are more unpredictable in windy weather.

Flight distance and moving cattle

The herd’s movement is controlled by managing the flight distance— the animal’s individual space — through applying and releasing pressure. As the dog moves to the edge of the animal’s comfort zone the cows will generally turn and walk away. When the dog backs off they will slow down or stop. If the animals slow down or start to stop, pressure can be increased.

Champion Las Rocosa Justa Sinner and HOF Champion Las Rocosa Little Wolf moving a herd. ©Copyright 2011 Hartnagle Archive

On the other hand, too much pressure on the flight zone causes the animals to run. Pressure without relief is stressful to stock which endangers the welfare of the animals. They need adequate space so they can calmly move away from the dog.

Flight distance changes in different situations. Cattle that are anxious have a broader flight distance than when they are calm. If cows become defensive or aggressive the handler needs to respond by placing the dog on the outside of the flight zone. The flight distance is also broader when the dog approaches from head on because of the wide angle of vision due to the cow’s eye placement. While cows can see to the rear of themselves without turning their heads, they do have a blind spot behind their rear end. You need to stay out of that blind spot. If the cow can’t see you she’s more likely to kick you.

Avoid sudden movements. Cows don’t like to be rushed. If a dog charges the group instead of approaching in an authoritative, deliberate manner, the animals may scatter or turn to face the dog (perceived threat). Defensive behavior is sometimes mistaken for aggression. Real aggression is not driven by fear.

Cowdogs

Cowdogs need to have courage. They also need to be tougher than the average sheepdog. Not harsher in their approach, but more determined in that they aren’t easily dissuaded from hard knocks that can come from working cattle. Close contact with cows is always potentially risky because of their size and strength. When a cow is standing still she can kick forward and out to the side with her hind legs. When a cow is moving forward she can kick backward. Not only can dogs get kicked, but they can get stepped on and gored as well. Grip is necessary in a good cowdog, but often overused. One of the misunderstandings many people often have about cowdogs is that they need to be aggressive and hard-hitting. Aggressive dogs aren’t necessarily more persuasive with stock than a dog with a deliberate, authoritative approach.

Cowdogs cannot be trained to low-heel (grip the heels), then duck low enough to avoid the resulting kick — any more than dogs with little or no natural eye can be made to use strong eye. Neither can they be taught to nip the heel of the cow’s weight-bearing leg. It is instinct, pure and mysterious.

HOF WTCH Las Rocosa Bonny Kyle RDX calculating a hit – the dog is looking to see which leg is carrying the weight to avoid being kicked. ©Copyright 2011 Hartnagle Archive

Cattle Trials

The role of a handler is to position the dog, which uses its instinct, experience, and training to cause the cows to move to the desired location. Working cattle in a quiet, relaxed way is an important part of good herdsmanship. Not only does it reduce the stress level of the animals, but it is also safer for dogs and their handlers. Once cattle become agitated they can take 20 to 30 minutes to settle down. Excitable animals will be more difficult to control. If cattle are rushed, they are also more likely to charge past a chute, an open gate or other obstacles on the trial course.

Las Rocosa L'oreal moving Corrientes at a good pace, a nice and easy walk - ©Copyright 2011 Hartnagle Archive

At trials, cows are exposed to abnormal physical and psychological demands. For example, they are often sorted into small holding pens, and shuffled around for the better part of a day. This creates a certain amount of stress in the animals which can make them more difficult to work with. The regular hierarchy of the herd is also broken up, further increasing anxiety. When the animals are stressed they can become unpredictable. An animal singled off from the herd may become agitated and charge, thus increasing the potential for injuries to dogs and their handler. Cows will do what you ask them to do, but you need to give them a chance to respond to initial pressure before adding more force.

Copyright © 2011 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Cattle Trivia – Do you know the difference between fedder and stocker cattle? Feeder cattle are generally heavy weight yearlings (steers or heifers) — fleshy cows over 600 pounds (272kg.) unless they are heifers being retained for breeding purposes), raised for meat on high concentrated diets. Stockers are lightweight, weaned calves in some type of foraging or grazing program to produce feeder cows. Copyright © 2011 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor. All Rights Reserved. http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Working Wild Bison: The Ultimate Challenge

Las Rocosa Rogue handling a lone bison bull

            Bison management problems had developed during the late 1970′s and 80′s in various national parks throughout the western United States. Part of the problem was tourist liability. Tourists don’t think of this huge, nonchalant creature as a wild animal. Lone bison bulls wander into campsites or along roadsides, drop their heads and graze. They aren’t easily spooked, which makes them appear docile and easy-going. Despite many warning signs along roadsides and in camp areas, people still walk right up to pet and photograph them. Each year, multiple incidents are reported where individuals are charged, escape, only to return to get gored and even killed.

            Park rangers had been trying to find an effective method of discouraging bison bulls from “setting up camp” near tourists to minimize potential problems. Reluctantly, rangers resorted to using thumper guns loaded with vials of water which produces a harmless sting to encourage the bison to move along. The effectiveness is minimal. The bulls might run fifty feet, maybe fifty yards before dropping their heads to continue grazing at their leisure.

            When a ton of bison wants to go from one place to another, he isn’t detoured by conventional fences. “A bison is a lot like the proverbial 500-pound gorilla — he eats anywhere he wants to,” says bison expert, Chris Madson.  A full grown buffalo bull is a powerful animal measuring five to six feet at the shoulder and nine to nine and a half feet long, weighing anywhere from 1,600 to 2,600 pounds. The cows are considerably smaller, weighing from 700 to 1,000 pounds.

            The American bison is not a true buffalo, but belongs to the same family, Bovidae. His horns fit over a bony core on his massive head and are never shed. The distinctive hump is a bony structure, formed by elongated dorsal vertebrae. It extends over the shoulders just behind the back of the neck, and tapers gradually back to the hips.

            Many other options had been considered for the program including using horses to haze the bison with. The shaggy monarch of the plains is deceptively fast and agile. He can outrun any horse during the first fifty yards. The bison can pump in large quantities of air, because his windpipe is four times larger than that of similar sized animals. Horses can’t compare when it comes to overall endurance. Even calves have astonishing strength and endurance.

            Bison can be unpredictable. One experienced buffalo rancher explained that you can push cattle with a horse, but you’re not going to push buffalo. They’ll wheel around and charge under a horse and throw them. In order to work buffalo with a horse you’ve got to have an athletic, fast, well-seasoned Quarter Horse. The horse has got to respect bison, but he can’t be afraid of them. Furthermore, the rider has got to be able to read bison to keep from getting in a storm.

            The next phase of the program was put into the works, using stock dogs. In 1987, we were asked to assist the Department of Interior in a bison control and management project. To learn how Australian Shepherds were used to work wild bison please visit:

http://lasrocosa.com/lasrocosahistory5.html

          Or you can refer to the book, Stockdog Savvy  by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor.

The Table of Contents:

Frontispiece: Just a Stockdog Story
Preface
Foreword by Ernie Hartnagle
Introduction
1 – HERDING DOGS
2 – WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A HERDING DOG
3 – PREPARING YOUR PUPPY
4 – LAYING THE FOUNDATION
5 – GETTING STARTED
6 – INTRODUCING A DOG TO STOCK
7 – MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR DOG’S TALENT
8 – DEVELOPING A USEFUL DOG
9 – THE OUTRUN
10 – DRIVING SKILLS
11 – BALANCE AND PENNING
12 – FOCUS ON SORTING
13 – BOUNDARY TRAINING FOR TENDING DOGS
14 – BASIC STOCKMANSHIP
15 – WORKING LARGE FLOCKS AND HERDS
16 – THE RANCH DOG
17– TRAINING ANIMALS
18 – POULTRY
19 – SHEEP
20 – GOATS
21 – CATTLE
22 – KEEPING LIVESTOCK
23 – THE TRIAL DOG
24 – TRIAL PROGRAMS
25 – WHAT JUDGES LOOK FOR
26 – OTHER ELEMENTS OF WORKING STOCKDOGS
Appendix -– BREED PROFILES

For more information please visit:

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Copyright © 2010 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Cowology – An Excerpt

“Working cattle effectively requires an understanding of bovine behavior*1.  Fifty years ago, the men and women who worked with stock still lived on the land. They were for the most part themselves a simple people familiar with the nature and behavior of animals. Today, most people come from urban, man-made environments. City people are often unfamiliar with farm animals and the land. Before the era of hobby herding, people acquired a dog to work their stock. Nowadays, people buy or lease stock to train their dog.

People who don’t have practical experience with livestock have a more difficult time reading them. Articles and books serve as a foundation of knowledge, but experiential learning is necessary for total comprehension.” – From Cowology, an article by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor

*1 - Understanding how bovine creatures act in a natural environment is fundamental to good stockmanship. Cows are herd animals. As herd animals, they graze and travel as a unit. Cows maintain visual contact with each other. They are also prey animals, so being in a group protects them from danger. Since being in a unit means safety, a cow singled off from the unit may become agitated and charge, thus increasing the potential for injuries to the dog and handler. They are most active in the early morning and evening.

            Cows are both herbivores and ruminants (along with sheep and goats). They digest their food in two stages. First, they eat raw plant matter and then regurgitate the partially digested fodder also known as cud. Then they chew their cud. Calves – Nurse milk from mother first 6 to 8 months. Under normal conditions they graze between four to nine hours a day (depending on nutritional needs, quantity and quality of the pasture and weather).  The remainder of the time they rest and ruminate. In a natural setting, cows lie down to sleep.

**2 – See: http://stockdogsavvy.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/cattle/

Copyright © 2009 – 2011 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor.

All Rights Reserved

Dogs in Canada, March 2011

            Comprehensive and fascinating – “Everything you ever wanted to know about training, working or trialing a stock dog of any breed” says the jacket, but even if you live in the city and don’t plan to work stock, this comprehensive volume is fascinating. From selection, through basic to advanced training, the authors cover all aspects of working dogs for a hobby, on the ranch, or for trial competition. Chapters on basic stockmanship cover selection and care of poultry, goats, sheep and cattle. Problem-solving and training tips throughout, first aid for the working dog, and an appendix profiling more than 60 herding breeds top off this invaluable book. – Dogs in Canada, March 2011

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

The Annual Wool Harvest

Wool is waterproof and durable. It is warm in winter and cool in summer. The annual wool harvest also known as sheep shearing is one aspect of wool production. Shearing usually takes place between April and June before the beginning of summer.*(1)

From the time the flock is herded into the corrals and until the wool is bagged and shipped for processing, there are many seemingly insignificant details, which, to one not familiar with wool production may seem unnecessary. For example, sheep need to be kept dry before shearing. Wet wool is harder to work with and damp wool can’t be bagged because it deteriorates. If rain or snow is in the forecast the flock is brought under cover the night (or day) before shearing. The floor is carefully swept prior to clipping the first sheep to keep the newly shorn fleeces free from debris that would devalue the wool.

While most shearers use machine (power driven) clippers, there are still a few who use hand-powered blades. Modern blade shears are similar to the ones used by shepherds for centuries. Experienced hand shearers can clip about 100 sheep per day (depending on the size and weight of the sheep and condition of the wool). Sheep pastured on grass are cleaner than sheep sheltered in dirt and sandy corrals.

They work swiftly, but carefully so they don't nick or cut the skin - Hartnagle Ranch

Hand Shearers are usually equipped with several pairs of blades and a wet stone, which are used to keep the edge of the blades sharp. The wool is not as sticky on warm days and is easier to clip. When wool grease collects over the blades they become gummy and less efficient. Shearers dip their blades in a container of water fastened to their shearing stands. Shearers cut from one side to the other in long sweeping motions so the fleece rolls off in one continuous blanket. They work swiftly, but carefully so they don’t nick or cut the skin.  Hand shearing usually leaves a thin layer of wool on the sheep which is helpful where they need protection from the elements in chilly weather and to prevent sunburn. Research has also shown sheep with a thin layer of wool sheep (no more than an inch) are more comfortable on hot days since wool fibers dissipate heat more rapidly than sheep with less wool.

It is also important to avoid making a second pass over the same place known as second cuts. Second cuts result in short fibers reducing the value of the clip. Once the fleece is shorn from the sheep, low-grade wool also known as tags which are small, loose scraps (from legs, belly and face) are gathered and placed in a specific bin or wool bag. The wool is usually skirted (separate the high quality wool from any underbelly or stained wool). Once the low-value wool is removed the rest of the fleece is neatly folded into a close-fitting bundle and tied with paper twine. The fleeces are tied to make it easier to separate the clip into length and the various grades (texture defined by diameter of wool fiber, not length). Paper twine is used instead of synthetic fibers because it will wash out of the wool, while poly fibers as found in plastic twine will not. Once embedded in the wool foreign substances can be costly to remove. The fleeces are then tramped into large wool bags suspended on a sacking rack. Wool bags minimize dust and dirt contamination until the fiber is processed.

They work from one side to the other in long sweeping motions so the fleece rolls off in one continuous blanket - Hartnagle Ranch

Keeping colors grouped - black and spotted sheep are sheared last. Their fleeces are put in a separate bin. Any dark fibers (gray, black or brown) that get mixed into the white fleeces have to be removed by hand. Otherwise, even a few black fibers can flaw white or pastel-colored fabric.

Large wool producers generally market their wool directly to wool mills. Other wool growers sell their wool through various coops. Smaller flock owners may sell through coops, niche markets or merchandise directly to hand spinners depending on the type of wool. For a number of years we sent our wool to Baron Woolen Mills in Utah where the raw wool was cleaned*(2), dyed, carded, spun, woven *(3) into beautiful blankets. Baron was renowned for their blankets since the 1800s.

Blankets from Baron Woolen Mills made of premium grade virgin American wool.

Following in the great western tradition of mountainmen and rendezvous, Baron offered its authentic reproductions of centuries old designs, as well as its own authentic western era trader blankets.

Styled after one of the most popular blankets of the early traders, the Yukon was Baron's highest quality, and most complex pattern to produce, requiring hand loading of the loom shuttles, in order to achieve the four different colored stripes.

Unfortunately, a large number of textile mills here in the United States including the Baron factory have closed or moved their facilities to foreign countries in recent years.

Notes:

*(1) – Some operations shear prior to their lambing season.

*(2) – Unwashed wool before scouring is known as grease wool.

*(3) - Only wool with good tensile strength (ability to withstand processing) can be used for blankets. Good tensile is directly related to the environment in which the sheep are raised, birthing, nutrition and wellness of the flock.

            Stockdog Savvy  is a practical and useful handbook for ranchers as well as the hobbyist. If you want to learn to train stockdogs for farm and ranch work in the real world or for competition, this is the bookfor you. Almost 300 pages illustrated with diagrams and how-to photographs galore!

            Stockdog Savvy  also gives trainers, clinicians and judges an overview of many different herding dogs and types of livestock. It is the quintessential guide to owning, training, trialing, working or caring for your stockdog.

            Additionally, people who don’t have access to livestock can teach all the basic herding commands through play training. Herding skills taught in a game format are fun activities to keep dogs in the city mentally and physically fit.

The Table of Contents:

Frontispiece: Just a Stockdog Story
Preface
Foreword by Ernie Hartnagle
Introduction
1 – HERDING DOGS
2 – WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A HERDING DOG
3 – PREPARING YOUR PUPPY
4 – LAYING THE FOUNDATION
5 – GETTING STARTED
6 – INTRODUCING A DOG TO STOCK
7 – MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR DOG’S TALENT
8 – DEVELOPING A USEFUL DOG
9 – THE OUTRUN
10 – DRIVING SKILLS
11 – BALANCE AND PENNING
12 – FOCUS ON SORTING
13 – BOUNDARY TRAINING FOR TENDING DOGS
14 – BASIC STOCKMANSHIP
15 – WORKING LARGE FLOCKS AND HERDS
16 – THE RANCH DOG
17– TRAINING ANIMALS
18 – POULTRY
19 – SHEEP
20 – GOATS
21 – CATTLE
22 – KEEPING LIVESTOCK
23 – THE TRIAL DOG
24 – TRIAL PROGRAMS
25 – WHAT JUDGES LOOK FOR
26 – OTHER ELEMENTS OF WORKING STOCKDOGS
Appendix -– BREED PROFILES

For more information please visit:

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Copyright © 2009 – 2010 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor.

All Rights Reserved.

International Sheep Dog News, March/April 2011

International Sheep Dog News - March/April 2011

 http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Borderlines, February/March 2011

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Ten Sheep To Clothe One Soldier

During World War II it took ten sheep to clothe one soldier. Copyright ©

            During the Second World War sheep numbered at more than 55 million head in North America*. Today, there are less than six million head. According to the American Sheep Industry Association: “Sheep are produced in all 50 states. However, the highest sheep-producing states are located west of the Mississippi River, where most of the larger sheep ranches reside. The eastern part of the country supports a greater number of smaller farm flock operations.”

*peaking at 56 million in  1942.

Trivia: Wool is one of the most flame-resistant of all textile fibers.

            If you want to learn more about sheep and training the dogs that work them please refer to the book, Stockdog Savvy  by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor illustrated with diagrams and photos galore!

The Table of Contents:

Frontispiece: Just a Stockdog Story
Preface
Foreword by Ernie Hartnagle
Introduction
1 – HERDING DOGS
2 – WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A HERDING DOG
3 – PREPARING YOUR PUPPY
4 – LAYING THE FOUNDATION
5 – GETTING STARTED
6 – INTRODUCING A DOG TO STOCK
7 – MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR DOG’S TALENT
8 – DEVELOPING A USEFUL DOG
9 – THE OUTRUN
10 – DRIVING SKILLS
11 – BALANCE AND PENNING
12 – FOCUS ON SORTING
13 – BOUNDARY TRAINING FOR TENDING DOGS
14 – BASIC STOCKMANSHIP
15 – WORKING LARGE FLOCKS AND HERDS
16 – THE RANCH DOG
17– TRAINING ANIMALS
18 – POULTRY
19 – SHEEP
20 – GOATS
21 – CATTLE
22 – KEEPING LIVESTOCK
23 – THE TRIAL DOG
24 – TRIAL PROGRAMS
25 – WHAT JUDGES LOOK FOR
26 – OTHER ELEMENTS OF WORKING STOCKDOGS
Appendix -– BREED PROFILES

For more information please visit:

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Copyright © 2009 – 2010 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor.

All Rights Reserved.

A Natural Training System

            Whether working with horses or stockdogs, pressure-and-release (also known as a conditioned response) is a training system – a natural method of teaching where the animal is taught to yield or move away from pressure when asked. The animal is rewarded with the immediate release of pressure. Correct timing is extremely important because it also communicates to the animal – the exact moment in time – he or she is performing appropriately. To learn more about handling and training stockdogs using natural methods, please refer to Stockdog Savvy by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor.

            Stockdog Savvy  is a practical and useful handbook for ranchers as well as the hobbyist. If you want to learn to train stockdogs for farm and ranch work in the real world or for competition, this is the book for you. Almost 300 pages illustrated with diagrams and how-to photographs galore!

            Stockdog Savvy  also gives trainers, clinicians and judges an overview of many different herding dogs and types of livestock. It is the quintessential guide to owning, training, trialing, working or caring for your stockdog.

Additionally, people who don’t have access to livestock can teach all the basic herding commands through play training. Herding skills taught in a game format are fun activities to keep dogs in the city mentally and physically fit.

The Table of Contents:

Frontispiece: Just a Stockdog Story
Preface
Foreword by Ernie Hartnagle
Introduction
1 – HERDING DOGS
2 – WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A HERDING DOG
3 – PREPARING YOUR PUPPY
4 – LAYING THE FOUNDATION
5 – GETTING STARTED
6 – INTRODUCING A DOG TO STOCK
7 – MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR DOG’S TALENT
8 – DEVELOPING A USEFUL DOG
9 – THE OUTRUN
10 – DRIVING SKILLS
11 – BALANCE AND PENNING
12 – FOCUS ON SORTING
13 – BOUNDARY TRAINING FOR TENDING DOGS
14 – BASIC STOCKMANSHIP
15 – WORKING LARGE FLOCKS AND HERDS
16 – THE RANCH DOG
17– TRAINING ANIMALS
18 – POULTRY
19 – SHEEP
20 – GOATS
21 – CATTLE
22 – KEEPING LIVESTOCK
23 – THE TRIAL DOG
24 – TRIAL PROGRAMS
25 – WHAT JUDGES LOOK FOR
26 – OTHER ELEMENTS OF WORKING STOCKDOGS
Appendix -– BREED PROFILES

For more information please visit:

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Copyright © 2009 – 2010 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor.

All Rights Reserved.

Stockdog Training

Introducing a pup to sheep – video footage from the 1989 Canine Training series Herding I, Herding II and Herding III :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNZN2c0bXqg&feature=player_embedded

            A well-trained stockdog is among the most disciplined of all working dogs. An Australian Cattle Dog driving steers acrossthe wide-open plains, a Kelpie jumping over the backs of tightly packed sheep in a sorting race to get them moving again , or a Border Collie rounding up a flock of ducks at a show are impressive sights – graceful, single-minded, and in complete control.

Herding dogs need jobs to do or they will become anxious and unhappy. When acquired as companions, herding dogs require skilled owners who understand how to draw out their best traits and satisfy their herding instincts. When acquired as true stockdogs for the farm or ranch or as competitive trial dogs, they require careful and consistent training.

Put a working dog in charge of a flock of sheep set out to pasture, have him drive a herd of cattle into pens, or let him excel at competitive events. Herding I, II and III provides tips for selecting a puppy, and delves deeply into the training necessary to prepare a dog for trial competitions or herding in the real world.

In addition, working with stockdogs can be useful and extremely satisfying. However without proper training they can be frustrating. The dog needs to be able to outmaneuver and rate livestock. In order to help your dog become a working partner the trainer needs to have a clear understanding of the behavior of animals — sheep, cattle, ducks, geese, goats, reindeer or turkeys —the way they think and move also known as stock savvy. It is important to keep in mind, no two dogs are alike. Each trainer must be flexible and willing to adapt or modify the teaching process to the individual dog’s unique ability in order to develop him to his highest potential. The techniques described in Herding I, Herding II and Herding III as well as Stockdog Savvy, the companion book are based on a lifetime of practical experiences. It was written to educate and equip owners with the knowledge and skills necessary to maximize their dog’s natural talent on different types of stock. The book outlines a methodology — teaching herding skills through play to working ranch dogs in the real world — for working successfully with all breeds of herding dogs.

            Stockdog Savvy  by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor is a practical and useful handbook for ranchers as well as the hobbyist. If you want to learn to train stockdogs for farm and ranch work in the real world or for competition, this is the book for you. Almost 300 pages illustrated with diagrams and how-to photographs galore!

Stockdog Savvy  also gives trainers, clinicians and judges an overview of many different herding dogs and types of livestock. It is the quintessential guide to owning, training, trialing, working or caring for your stockdog.

Additionally, people who don’t have access to livestock can teach all the basic herding commands through play training. Herding skills taught in a game format are fun activities to keep dogs in the city mentally and physically fit.

The Table of Contents:

Frontispiece: Just a Stockdog Story
Preface
Foreword by Ernie Hartnagle
Introduction
1 – HERDING DOGS
2 – WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A HERDING DOG
3 – PREPARING YOUR PUPPY
4 – LAYING THE FOUNDATION
5 – GETTING STARTED
6 – INTRODUCING A DOG TO STOCK
7 – MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR DOG’S TALENT
8 – DEVELOPING A USEFUL DOG
9 – THE OUTRUN
10 – DRIVING SKILLS
11 – BALANCE AND PENNING
12 – FOCUS ON SORTING
13 – BOUNDARY TRAINING FOR TENDING DOGS
14 – BASIC STOCKMANSHIP
15 – WORKING LARGE FLOCKS AND HERDS
16 – THE RANCH DOG
17– TRAINING ANIMALS
18 – POULTRY
19 – SHEEP
20 – GOATS
21 – CATTLE
22 – KEEPING LIVESTOCK
23 – THE TRIAL DOG
24 – TRIAL PROGRAMS
25 – WHAT JUDGES LOOK FOR
26 – OTHER ELEMENTS OF WORKING STOCKDOGS
Appendix -– BREED PROFILES

For more information please visit:

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Copyright © 2009 – 2010 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor.

All Rights Reserved.

Fall Roundup

Gathering strays during a clean up ride.

            Autumn is the time of the year when livestock is rounded up and gathered to be shipped to market.  Calves are collected and weaned and any that weren’t marked during the spring are now branded and tagged. Before snow falls, clean up rides are made to gather any strays left behind during the main gather. Finally, the bulls are gathered and moved to winter range or corralled in pastures where they are fed for the winter.

In Fisher Valley

            It is no different on the Taylor Ranch. One year, during the late fall with the threat of heavy snowfall, Joe Taylor and his father, Lester needed to move several hundred cows with calves and about 70 head of bulls from the high country down to a lower elevation. Normally, they wouldn’t have moved that many cows in such rough country with only two riders, but Joe’s brother, D. L. was in the hospital from a horseback riding accident.

Lester Taylor

            They considered going to town to see if they could hire an extra hand, but they decided inexperienced help would be more trouble than it would be worth. Joe and his father decided to go ahead and move the herd from the Bar A on the La Sal Mountains down to the Fisher Valley by themselves.

Joe Taylor riding down a ravine searching for cattle.

            They were headed north across a big open draw. Joe was working Taylor’s Whiskey. “Whiskey’s natural instinct was to go ahead of me,” said Joe.  “He worked the sides.  He would go up the right side of the herd and then come back around behind me and then head up the left side.”  Joe noticed Whiskey went back up the left side a second time.  He was half a mile away.  “He would disappear for ten to fifteen minutes at a time.  Then I could see him leave the herd and go straight west and run with his nose to the ground.  I really needed some help in the rear.  The calves were trying to cut back on me, but he was so far away from me – he couldn’t hear me yell at him.  I was pretty mad.  A little while later, I saw Whiskey bringing a 2,000 pound horned Hereford bull back to the herd at a dead run.  Not long after that, he brought back a huge polled Hereford bull.”

Joe Taylor overlooking the herd on a rise above Highway 128 enroute to winter grazing.

                Only when Joe came upon a rise was he able to see what was happening, “It’s a bull’s instinct to go off by himself,” he explained, “and how Whiskey knew to keep those bulls from escaping is not something you can train a dog to do.  It is instinct pure and mysterious.”  It is a perfect example of how farm and ranch dogs bred for the real world need to be able to think for themselves and take action accordingly.  It is also one of the reasons they are so highly valued.

D. L. Taylor and Oscar

            Another time, Joe and his brother were tracking a couple of wild young bulls through about eight inches of snow on the ground and followed them into the junipers and thickets.  “We had been chasing them long enough they were pretty tired.  Normally, I would have never gotten off my horse, but I had just won the Working Cow Horse class that spring and I didn’t want my mare to get hurt.  Wild cattle are usually afraid of you when you are on foot, so I got off and tied her up, but the next thing I knew, I was being charged by one of the bulls.  He was about 1500 to 1600 pounds.  I had no warning.  I grabbed the horns.  As he hit me, my hand slipped off the near horn.  He knocked me down and started mauling me.  All of a sudden I felt the pressure released, so I started crawling back towards my horse.

            “When I looked back, I saw Whiskey had grabbed him by the nose and Oscar (sired by Whiskey) had grabbed him by the ham and put him on the ground.”  When Joe was safely on horse, his brother told the dogs to let the bull go. “I was all covered in snow.  I don’t remember it, but D.L. told me he knew something was wrong because he heard me scream like a Comanche and came a riding.” While Joe had been butted, hooked and knocked down by cows running by, that was the only time he had ever been pinned down and mauled.  Taylor’s Whiskey and Oscar saved the day – they could be counted on to ward off an angry bull or mad mother cow.

Taylor's Oscar

            If you want to learn more about Australian Shepherds and stockdog training please visit:

http://www.lasrocosa.com/

Copyright © 2009 – 2010 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor.

All Rights Reserved.

A Fine Day – Herding in the City

by Marsha Dusek, Recommended Reading Editor for The Australian Shepherd Journal, September/October 2010:

A Fine Day

It was a cloudy cool day with temps near 42 degrees. As a light rain fell the sheep huddled in a comer of the small pen surrounded by pools of melting snow and areas of partially frozen sheep slush. Suddenly the peaceful scene was disturbed by the sound of an adolescent Aussie on a mission-Cutter and I had arrived for one of our early stock lessons.

The sheep huddled in a tighter cluster as the fearless Aussie pup slowly approached them on leash learning how to “walk-up” and “wait” and then turn away to walk “out” away from them. One ewe nervously glanced over her shoulder before making a short run for another corner of the pen, while her compatriots quickly joined her in their near-panic at the approach of the young stock dog in training. The bold Aussie boy held his wait, pivoting to follow them with his loose-eyed stare. Good dog. Then at last it was time to let the boy move the stock. Placed in a down stay, Cutter awaited my direction while keeping his eyes on the sheep and straining so hard to retain his self-control. And then what he had waited for came: “Cutter, get around” and he was off.

We moved the sheep from one end of the pen to the next, only to turn around and go back across again and again. Cutter performed like a pro-changing directions, “getting around,” and keeping his stock under control (despite the much slower learning capabilities of his handler). When we’d all had enough I told him to “wait” and he stopped in place keeping his eye on the stock but maintaining his distance, until I took his leash and told him “that will do.” He knew his job was done for the moment and left the pen willingly with me but to keep those woolies in mind. Good dog.

After some rest and discussion with our instructor, in we went again and once again moved the sheep like we knew what we were doing (well at least one of us did). Finally it was time to call it a day and once again he heard “that will do, Cut” with a firm pat and some loving praise. On the way to the car he strutted with a gleam in his eye-as if flaunting his superiority over the silly sheep. Once in his crate he waited until we were all settled into the car and on the road, before he stretched out on his fleece bed, sighed with satisfaction, and fell off to sleep, surely to dream of the next time he would get to work stock. In the front passenger seat, I too drifted off to share his dreams of sheep and dogs and doing what you were born to do.

It had indeed been a fine day for a young Aussie dog and his handler.

Now for the Review:

I wrote this [A Fine Day] about five years ago, though it feels like yesterday when I reread it. As a result of that day my dreams no longer centered solely on agility but also on stock and the incredible teamwork it required between dog and handler. This breed was bred to work, and what could be better than to be doing what he was born to do?

Not having lessons close by, however, I tried to learn however I could. I bought every book I could find on training your dog for stock work but somehow while understanding the theory; I still became a confused mess when sheep were running one way and my dog another. The success we seemed to have in those early lessons turned into confusion and doubt. Instructors had me shadow them, gave me directions through earphones, and just yelled at me but there has always been way too much going on during the lesson for it all to sink in. I feel like I can teach Cutter just about anything, but herding seemed to be so complex with everything going on at once that I found myself at a loss. Then a change in job meant I could no longer afford the time to drive to lessons a couple hours away and our stock dreams became just that for awhile.

But this year, after a two year break from stock and lots of time watching advanced dogs work I decided it was time to try again. So you can imagine how excited I was about a new book coming out, titled Stockdog Savvy, by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor (Alpine Publications 2010). I couldn’t wait to get my copy and I wasn’t disappointed.

Reading this book reminds me of my first year away at college. Despite having always been a good student, during finals I finally opened a textbook from one of my core classes and suddenly all of those lectures made so much more sense to me! Oh, if only I had done the reading throughout the semester!

             Stockdog Savvy is like that textbook I was so tardy in reading-it makes what you are doing out in the sheep pen so much clearer. Yes, your instructor can be telling you all of this during the lesson, but your brain can only process so much info when the sheep are moving, the dog is moving, and you are trying to make sense of it all at once. It doesn’t take the place of an instructor (though in some cases it might have to), but gives you a valuable reference away from the stock to read and reread until it really sinks into your brain. The book is written in such a practical and straightforward manner that I found metaphorical light bulbs coming on over my head with every chapter.

This is also an easy book to read. The authors have managed to find the perfect balance of information, instruction, inspiration and problem-solving. The book is neither too long nor too short-what you need to know is right there clear and simple.

First we are given a nice overview of herding dogs in general and what to look for when choosing one of your own. There are two chapters devoted to preparing your pup and laying a good solid foundation of basic commands, including games to teach flanking commands, walk ups, steady, skit ‘em, and others. These games are great for teaching the handler as well, so “go bye” and “way to me” are second nature before you’re even near your stock! And speaking of the handler, there’s a chapter just for you as well, with all those common terms and concepts that can seem so foreign to a newbie handler.

What follows is some of the clearest and most practical chapters on training your stock dog that I have come across. There are chapters on starting a new dog, making the most of your dog’s talent, outruns, driving skills, balance and penning, sorting and boundary training. Each chapter provides descriptions, training tips, and common problems and solutions. Along the way there are also spotlights on selected handlers and their dogs which are often inspiring.

The authors also provide chapters about stock savvy understanding the livestock and how they think, react, and move, as well as basic husbandry and overviews of the primary stock you will encounter. In addition there is a nice chapter dedicated to the care of your stock dog including diet, stamina, grooming and common problems and injuries.

Some of you may never keep stock of your own and be primarily focused on trialing and titles. Well, the authors have you covered! There are chapters on trial dogs, programs, and even what judges are looking for in the arena. So whether your Aussies have driven you to becoming a weekend herder, a hobby farmer, or you have them to help run your working ranch, there is something for you in this book.

While writing this, I took a break to work Cutter on our ducks. While we don’t have the space for sheep, we have managed a few ducks in our yard. As usual we went into the pen with a plan to work and then a few other things came up which we had not planned for. After coming back in I grabbed my copy of Stockdog Savvy and looked at what we should have done in all those surprise situations. It made me realize just how much this book has become my go-to resource, especially since we can’t get to real stock lessons on a regular basis right now.

Enjoy!

Stockdog Savvy

The Table of Contents:

Frontispiece: Just a Stockdog Story
Preface
Foreword by Ernie Hartnagle
Introduction
1 – HERDING DOGS
2 – WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A HERDING DOG
3 – PREPARING YOUR PUPPY
4 – LAYING THE FOUNDATION
5 – GETTING STARTED
6 – INTRODUCING A DOG TO STOCK
7 – MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR DOG’S TALENT
8 – DEVELOPING A USEFUL DOG
9 – THE OUTRUN
10 – DRIVING SKILLS
11 – BALANCE AND PENNING
12 – FOCUS ON SORTING
13 – BOUNDARY TRAINING FOR TENDING DOGS
14 – BASIC STOCKMANSHIP
15 – WORKING LARGE FLOCKS AND HERDS
16 – THE RANCH DOG
17– TRAINING ANIMALS
18 – POULTRY
19 – SHEEP
20 – GOATS
21 – CATTLE
22 – KEEPING LIVESTOCK
23 – THE TRIAL DOG
24 – TRIAL PROGRAMS
25 – WHAT JUDGES LOOK FOR
26 – OTHER ELEMENTS OF WORKING STOCKDOGS
Appendix -– BREED PROFILES

For more information please visit:

http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html

Copyright © 2009 – 2010 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor.

All Rights Reserved.