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I finally got to go home and find photos of my old cattledawgs. (Sorry about the picture quality, they're photos of photos.) I had a pretty  upbringing and stock dogs of all sorts featured predominantly.  My childhood cattledawg was Mick. He was a good dog.  A drat good dog. (Obligatory: My parents were drunk when this photo was taken. They were normally more responsible. Do not let your fatass kid sit on the cattledog, it is a great way to get the fatass kid hilariously mauled.) The grey thing in the first photo is a "German Coolie" - coolie, like the racist term, not collie. She kind of looked like a kelpie / Aussie shepherd cross? I've only ever seen a couple of "German coolies" and they were all around my area, so I don't know if it's a vaguely-defined-and-accepted mutt breed like the Bull Arab, or if the "breed" is localised entirely to the region where I grew up. Have any other ausgoons heard of these things?    Our next cattledog was Joe, a ridiculous animal and one of the best dogs I've ever met. He is pictured here with Bongo, a "miniature fox terrier" (definition: black and white small pointy outback mutt creature). Joe loved other dogs, loved kids, hated galahs, had a strong herding drive balanced out by his total incompetence, and was the most destructive little bastard as a puppy oh my god you have no idea he ate everything. Which brings us to my real reason for this post: baby photos.  OH GOD BONGO RUN WHILE YOU STILL CAN (Note: Their relationship was defined in the three hours or so that Joe was still the smaller one, and the terrier remained the boss for the rest of his life. It was great.)   And my favourite photo ever taken of anything:  
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Oct 6, 2013 10:35
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Avshalom posted:The grey thing in the first photo is a "German Coolie" - coolie, like the racist term, not collie. She kind of looked like a kelpie / Aussie shepherd cross? I've only ever seen a couple of "German coolies" and they were all around my area, so I don't know if it's a vaguely-defined-and-accepted mutt breed like the Bull Arab, or if the "breed" is localised entirely to the region where I grew up. Have any other ausgoons heard of these things? Koolies/coolies (I usually see it spelt with a K but whatevs) are a thing, although not in the recognised-by-the-ANKC sense. They seem like pretty intense working dogs. Probably derived from breeding a bunch of kelpies, border collies, etc. together and using whatever worked best. Can't say I've seen people outside Australia talk about them so they're probably not common overseas. 6-Ethyl Bearcat fucked around with this message at 12:03 on Oct 8, 2013 |
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Oct 8, 2013 12:00
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Koolies aren't very common outside of Australia, but you do see them cropping up more and more in dog sport circles in North America. They're pretty killer at agility & disc. They seem to have all of my favourite traits of an Australian Shepherd without all the baggage that comes along with it. They're fun, loud, drivey and athletic (whereas you see more and more Aussies who are squat, lazy and obstinate). Merle/merle breeding is considered to be standard, unfortunately. Breeders claim that they don't see many/any homozygous merle puppies. It's possible MM pups are reabsorbed in the womb. I've also heard it posited that you see fewer deaf/blind koolies due to the dogs not having much pattern white on them -- they're mostly self merle. Though my guess is that culling takes a dominant role in managing the issue. Speaking of Aussies, here's an Aussie photodump. I took her to the park yesterday to toss a ball around, it rained, then the sun came out. Rainbow(s)! This is Cohen looking kind of shaggy & greasy. I think it's probably time to bathe her. She's shedding like a motherfucker right now.  throwtheballthrowtheballthrowitthrowit  Rainbow!!!   So pretty. So class.  BAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL  bark for ball  jump for ball  Then foot stall.  Note the sweatpants & ugly boots. Because I too am class.
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Oct 8, 2013 14:36
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Those photos are awesome. I can't wait to get some drivey nut of a dog that wants to play fetch forever. I've found that when petsitting drivier dogs who want to Do A Thing for hours I really enjoy it. Daisy's not really into fetch (and frisbees scare her), but she does love to train. Because food.
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Oct 8, 2013 14:51
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Skizzles posted:Those photos are awesome. I can't wait to get some drivey nut of a dog that wants to play fetch forever. I've found that when petsitting drivier dogs who want to Do A Thing for hours I really enjoy it. Daisy's not really into fetch (and frisbees scare her), but she does love to train. Because food. The funny thing is that she's really not that nuts for fetch. She gets bored, slows down then leaves to go explore if I just mindlessly throw a ball. She's better if I hype her up with self control/arousal games. I also reward retrieves with a piece of kibble. So she'll work hard, but her play drive pales in comparison to a lot of other dogs. Her food drive on the other hand...
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Oct 8, 2013 14:59
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Oh, that's kool ( ); I never realised they were actually a Thing. The ones I knew were all about the same age, so I just assumed somebody's kelpie had hopped a fence one night and they were trying to make the most of what they ended up with by giving them a funky name. In my limited experience, they were a lot harder to handle than cattledogs - which have a reputation, but are generally pretty chill once they're past the hellish teenager stage as long as they have a job to do, a ute to sit on, and a person to follow around endlessly all day.Speaking of which, every single cattledog I've known has shown affection by sitting on people's feet. It's the best. They're the best.
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Oct 8, 2013 23:57
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Avshalom posted:Speaking of which, every single cattledog I've known has shown affection by sitting on people's feet. It's the best. They're the best. This right here is the truth. 
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Oct 9, 2013 00:32
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a life less posted:The funny thing is that she's really not that nuts for fetch. She gets bored, slows down then leaves to go explore if I just mindlessly throw a ball. She's better if I hype her up with self control/arousal games. I also reward retrieves with a piece of kibble. So she'll work hard, but her play drive pales in comparison to a lot of other dogs. Her food drive on the other hand... I would be fine with that too. There's a tricolor border collie boarding at work who is... insane. He is just straight up ball drive 24/7. I have never once walked by his kennel and seen him sleeping. If I walk by, he starts spinning in circles super fast. If I take him out to the yard, he spins a few times as we walk and is constantly in "WHERE'S THE BALL?" mode. I have not witnessed him exit "WHERE'S THE BALL?" mode at any point. Even when I was hunkered down cleaning the kennel next to his I would periodically hear him pick up his ball and drop it in hopes that it would lure me over to throw it for him. THAT would be too much for me. Yeesh. Cool dog, but goddamn.
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Oct 9, 2013 01:42
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This is Rodger, a three year old Male Cattle Dog X (Kelpie? I think), We have had three cattle dogs in the past, two stumpys and a normal one. We started looking a month or so ago for a new dog (currently only have a 12 yr old female Cairn X) and it had to be a cattle dog. We saw him on the adoptapet website, unfortunately he was in Maitland and us in Sydney's West and decided it was too far (did you know the RSPCA is willing to move pets closer to potential owners if you request?). I looked on Sunday as saw he had been moved to 15 minutes drive from me, and called up and went to see him the next day. On Tuesday we took out existing dog out there to see if they'd get along, and they did . He was delivered today by the RSPCA.Avshalom posted:snip I grew up with Cattle Dogs too - they always seemed to get a bad rap on TV (I distinctly remember Burkes Backyard saying avoid with children). Didn't stop mum and dad leaving a cattle dog in my room until I fell asleep  . Regarding the 'German Koolie' a quick google of the 'Australian Koolie' leads me to believe they are the same dog.
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Nov 21, 2013 13:01
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This thread is awesome. I'm picking up my English Shepherd in January. I can't wait! Not my first working dog (we raised Champ Malamutes decades ago) but my first herding dog. This thread will help
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Nov 21, 2013 17:25
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FrankenVader posted:This thread is awesome. English Shepherds interest me. I'd love to hear about your breeder and why you opted for the breed.
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Nov 21, 2013 17:30
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a life less posted:English Shepherds interest me. I'd love to hear about your breeder and why you opted for the breed. I opted for the breed after meeting one - the smartest dog I ever met. Essentially, a Border Collie with a much bigger off switch. Also, I wanted a smart dog that would be adoptive of my cats and generally protective of the home...mostly though, I want a Frisbee catching machine and a partner to keep me active into my 50's. The Breeder is from a small farm in Arkansas....not looking forward to THAT drive.
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Nov 22, 2013 16:58
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FrankenVader posted:I opted for the breed after meeting one - the smartest dog I ever met. Essentially, a Border Collie with a much bigger off switch. Also, I wanted a smart dog that would be adoptive of my cats and generally protective of the home...mostly though, I want a Frisbee catching machine and a partner to keep me active into my 50's. How do you feel they differ from Australian Shepherds? (Besides the tail... )
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Nov 22, 2013 18:07
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Where in Arkansas? I grew up in AR and I'd be shocked if a decent breeder existed anywhere within that state.
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Nov 22, 2013 20:56
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go_banana posted:I grew up with Cattle Dogs too - they always seemed to get a bad rap on TV (I distinctly remember Burkes Backyard saying avoid with children). Didn't stop mum and dad leaving a cattle dog in my room until I fell asleep I dunno, I think it depends on the dog and the children. Personally I would never leave my cattledog alone with a small kid, not because he's aggressive but because he plays really rough and bites when he plays. He also chases people and tries to herd them if they're running around too close to him. I could see that being a recipe for disaster and potentially traumatizing a kid (I was terrified of dogs when I was a kid because our next door neighbor's big goofy lab kept knocking me over as a toddler and the fear didn't really go away until I was a teenager). Even if your kid is cool with roughhousing with the dog, then what if they have a friend over and the friend got bit? I love wrestling with Max but sometimes he bites pretty hard. He's never broken the skin but it definitely leaves a mark. Cattledogs would be great for older kids to run around and wrestle with, but I wouldn't have one with a little kid. On the flip side, my cattledog/australian shepherd mix is amazing with little kids but he also did not inherit the "must tackle then bite everything" gene from his cattledog half.
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Nov 22, 2013 21:31
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My BC pup be gettin' huge. OCD surgery in five days 
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Nov 22, 2013 22:36
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Fraction posted:My BC/GSD/Leghound mix be gettin' huge. FTFY.
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Nov 22, 2013 23:49
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:I dunno, I think it depends on the dog and the children. Personally I would never leave my cattledog alone with a small kid, not because he's aggressive but because he plays really rough and bites when he plays. He also chases people and tries to herd them if they're running around too close to him. I could see that being a recipe for disaster and potentially traumatizing a kid (I was terrified of dogs when I was a kid because our next door neighbor's big goofy lab kept knocking me over as a toddler and the fear didn't really go away until I was a teenager). Even if your kid is cool with roughhousing with the dog, then what if they have a friend over and the friend got bit? I love wrestling with Max but sometimes he bites pretty hard. He's never broken the skin but it definitely leaves a mark. Cattledogs would be great for older kids to run around and wrestle with, but I wouldn't have one with a little kid. That said, my cattledogs were my wonderful friends. One of my earliest memories (I was about four?) is of getting frustrated on a camping trip because I wanted to swim across a creek, but every time I got past the shallows, the old cattledog would dutifully trundle after me and tow me back to shore. I couldn't outswim him, and I gave up after I'd been retrieved half a dozen times. He was happy then. He'd rescued me!
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Nov 23, 2013 00:34
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Another reason cattledogs sometimes don't make good family dogs is that they seem to pick one person as "theirs", so if the dog decides to be BFFs with one kid and completely ignore the other someone's feelings are going to get hurt. I know when I was growing up if my parents had relented to my ceaseless begging for a dog and finally got one and it bonded with my sister/mom/dad instead of me I would have been so upset. My fiancé and I have decided that while Max is still around kids aren't going to be in the picture. We know he won't deliberately hurt the kid, but there are too many "what ifs" with a mouthy physical dog who's never interacted with kids before. Also it's a good response to the nosy "when are you planning on having kids?!" people (who then come back with "well just get rid of the dog!!"  )
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Nov 23, 2013 00:47
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a life less posted:How do you feel they differ from Australian Shepherds? (Besides the tail... ) I wouldn't classify Aussies on the whole as being particularly bright dogs. The ones I've met have similar drive to a border collie, without the scary smart component.
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Nov 23, 2013 02:13
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Engineer Lenk posted:I wouldn't classify Aussies on the whole as being particularly bright dogs. The ones I've met have similar drive to a border collie, without the scary smart component.  
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Nov 23, 2013 02:45
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I snapped a photo of Cohen sort of free stacked a few days ago. It's interesting to see how she's matured over the years. They're not exactly great shots of proper stacks, but it's still interesting to compare them. I used to fret about how butt-high she was. It's only in the last year or so that she seems to have balanced out a bit. I still think she's a bit wonky in her rear end, and her body is a bit too long, but she's a balanced, sporty little dog. A few days ago. 4 years old.  3 years old  2 years old  1 year old  I don't know much about structure and how it affects movement, but she's a good mover with a nice extended trot, but I think she could use a bit more extension in her rear. As a result her movement is very up-and-down. But her gait is balanced and seems quite effortless. a life less fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Nov 29, 2013 |
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Nov 29, 2013 03:16
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Can someone tell me a story about shelties? Are they insane yappy herdy 100%-zooming-always longhaired balls of neurotic energy that need to run fifteen thousand miles a day to be happy? (I assume this is pretty much always the case when they come puppy-sized, but are adult dogs like this too?) And no, I am not dawg-shopping but would like to get one in the future. I just like to think ahead sometimes and try to work out which breed would be a good match for us (also agility might be fun)
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Nov 29, 2013 08:16
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Tamarillo posted:Can someone tell me a story about shelties? Are they insane yappy herdy 100%-zooming-always longhaired balls of neurotic energy that need to run fifteen thousand miles a day to be happy? (I assume this is pretty much always the case when they come puppy-sized, but are adult dogs like this too?) Shelties are a weird breed. They really run the gamut between crazy high energy yappers to sweet docile couch potatoes. Unfortunately in my experience the breed has a lot of fear issues. If I were to get one, I'd be very careful with the lines from which the dog comes, and even then that's not a guarantee. I have a friend who had an amazing, drivey, high energy sheltie. When it came time to get another dog she went back to the same breeder who was renowned for producing nice dogs and got the pick puppy from the litter, expecting it to turn out similar to her last dog. The pup grew up into a fearful dog who can barely function in unfamiliar areas. It was not the sports dog she was hoping for. If you look for a calmer dog with a solid temperament, you could probably find what you're looking for. And there's a reason why the highest levels of worldwide agility competition is dominated by shelties. Those would be the dogs who probably need more exercise and attention than you're looking to provide.
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Nov 29, 2013 13:37
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So as evidenced in the "New Puppy/Owner" thread, my fiance and I went through with getting an ACD. This is Reggie: He'll eventually be a farm dog up in Vermont, but for now he's just pupping it up with us in Boston. This is her first dog of any sort, and my first puppy that I've raised on my own, so it's a little daunting, but he has already proven himself a fine and upstanding little dude. After a few modifications to my behavior, he's taken to house training like a champ. I've never seen a dog take to crate training like this one. It's day four of having him home, and he's already volunteering to go into his crate for naps. Obligitory LAND SHARK pic:  He managed to come home the day a snow storm hit New England, and then we had another one today. Unfortunately, the weather meant that the breeder wasn't able to introduce the pups to the outdoors like he normally likes to. He's up in Maine, and it's been down in the single digits and negatives there over the past few weeks, so aside from a few quick trips out to see what that "snow" stuff was, the pups were hanging out in their nice, warm whelping room. So when we got home, house breaking was complicated by a pup that took one look at ice and snow and said "gently caress this noise, I'll be on your feet if you need me."  Then we got him a coat, and now he's all about traipsing around in the snow, rolling little snowballs with his nose, and then eating them before I can tell him to spit them out. I've been carrying him to areas where road salt isn't, but it still worries me. He gives no fucks.  Inside, he's the most snuggly little fellow we could have asked for. He's certainly imprinted on me the most, since I've been home with him the past few days, but he's perfectly happy to wander over to anyone who calls his name and get some pats and belly rubs.  He's headed up to Vermont with me on Thursday, and I'm sure the farm will be a whole new world of smells. I've been advised to get some Musher's Secret on his feet, and we'll be building him a little playpen in the distillery we're working on so he can hang out with us out of harm's way. I'm probably going to hold off a few weeks before taking him around to introduce him to the cows that he'll be learning to herd in about six months.
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Dec 18, 2013 05:02
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Please tell me where in Vermont so that I may come snuggle him. He is a handsome cattledag.
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Dec 18, 2013 05:08
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We're up by Cabot, so halfway between Montpelier and St. J on Rte 2. We've got a small farm that we're working on rehabilitating into a state where it can produce fruits, grains, and sugar crops (beets, sugarbush, sorghum, etc) that we can feed into the distillery we're building. It had been a working farm back before WWI, but it was largely abandoned in an agricultural sense in the 20's, so what had been fields have become spruce and fir forests. Most of the stones had been removed, so rehab involves taking down the spruce/fir trees, and then pulling the stumps, dividing the land into paddocks, and turning livestock out on the cleared land in rotations to re-enrich the soil. We usually start with pigs for a few months, and they do a spectacular job of clearing out small brush and tilling the soil to a point where grasses can take hold. After a season of going fallow, we can start rotating the cows across the pastures, and they just poo poo all over the place and really do a great job of turning pasture land into future fields. In addition, we usually have some sort of meat birds that we do during the summer as well, and while they don't really add much in terms of fertility, they do a great job of keeping insect pests down. We're planning on doing Runner Ducks this coming spring, so Reggie will get to practice herding both ducks and cows. If you feel like coming by, just send me a PM!
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Dec 18, 2013 06:18
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Landsharks, eh?   
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Dec 18, 2013 10:15
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Apparently the more Reggie likes someone, the more he wants to chew on them. Strangers? Sure, they can pet and cuddle all they want and he is happy just to be loved. My fiance? She gets to pet him, and sit him in her lap and cuddle a little until he gets nippy, then she sets him down. Me? All teeth, all the time. The good news is that he re-directs those chews really easily if there is some toy handy for me to shove in his mouth instead of my hand. I think I'm going to start carrying a backup nylabone in my pocket for those occasions. edit: That's not entirely true. Once he's good and tired, he will climb into my lap and cuddle until he falls asleep. I'm just the designated roughhousing expert for playtime. Weltlich fucked around with this message at 15:02 on Dec 18, 2013 |
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Dec 18, 2013 14:52
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Awww, its just how cattledogs show love 
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Dec 18, 2013 15:55
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Fraction posted:Landsharks, eh? I'm assuming that your dog is good with the whole "soft mouth" talent. Any tips for teaching that. Or have you developed wood-like hands like some sort of Tibetan monk? Instead of punching hot sand, you just get gnawed on.
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Dec 18, 2013 16:44
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Weltlich posted:I'm assuming that your dog is good with the whole "soft mouth" talent. Any tips for teaching that. Or have you developed wood-like hands like some sort of Tibetan monk? Instead of punching hot sand, you just get gnawed on. Yelping when she put her teeth too hard on my skin, but letting her lightly chew my fingers as a pup. She's pretty good if I'm bare armed, but if I wear a hoodie (like in the pics) she sometimes catches my skin thinking it's clothes 
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Dec 18, 2013 18:03
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Weltlich posted:We're up by Cabot, so halfway between Montpelier and St. J on Rte 2. I'm down in Norwich, so that's over an hour from me. Occasionally we take trips up to Burlington to see boyfriend's sister. Maybe some day. Want to see dat cattledag herd ducks. 
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Dec 18, 2013 18:22
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Weltlich posted:Apparently the more Reggie likes someone, the more he wants to chew on them. Strangers? Sure, they can pet and cuddle all they want and he is happy just to be loved. My fiance? She gets to pet him, and sit him in her lap and cuddle a little until he gets nippy, then she sets him down. Me? All teeth, all the time. The good news is that he re-directs those chews really easily if there is some toy handy for me to shove in his mouth instead of my hand. I think I'm going to start carrying a backup nylabone in my pocket for those occasions. My fiancé and I get the poo poo chomped out of us by our cattledog but he won't chomp on our friends when they come to visit. It's just how they show they love you Cattledogs usually tend to like one person the best and hang out with them more than other people in the house so Reggie will probably be your little hairy shadow for the foreseeable future. Whenever I get up and move around the house I have both dogs following me around like a couple of ducklings no matter how many other people may be in the house.
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Dec 19, 2013 02:27
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Herdin' dogs 
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Dec 19, 2013 22:27
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hurdlin' herdin' dog
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Dec 20, 2013 00:06
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I got AssassinPrincess to do a custom drawing for my sister as a Christmas present.
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Dec 20, 2013 03:55
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Thanks to reading this thread before bed I dreamt I found a litter of abandoned border collie pups and took them home with me, and then suddenly lots o' dawgs came pouring out of the neighbor's apartments. I also dreamed that one got mouthy with me, and woke up to actual bite marks, but that was likely me rolling over on my chihuahua and him expressing his displeasure at having my fat rear end flop down on top of him. I love all these dogs, and would kill for an ACD, but alas, I do not have the time/energy/space to devote to a dog that smart/energetic. I have every intention of when I retire getting about 20-something acres and a small herd of sheep, and then I will have my ACD and he can herd the sheep and be adorable and i'll have lots of nice wool and mutton to eat.
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Dec 21, 2013 15:17
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Meet my Australian Shepherd rescues! On the left: Zoe. She's about 1 year old now. She was left at a shelter, covered in mud and shaking. We heard about her through a rescue group, and drove to Kentucky (from Georgia) to pick her up. She's probably the fastest dog I've ever seen, and has pinned (but not killed) squirrels in our yard with regularity. On the right: Kaiser! His mother is a full-blooded Aussie, we think he's mixed with a rottweiler based on his intelligence, temperament, and looks. We rescued him at around 8 weeks old (though we thought he was older.) He works sheep with me very regularly, and has a strong knack for working with stock and trail/blood scenting. Kaiser learns as fast as I can teach him. He's about 10 months old, now, we think. We're working with Zoe and stock as well... we're trying to build her confidence up a bit more, as she is still very uncertain in places outside of the home. Kaiser helps her out though - he is entirely fearless, assertive, and always wants pets from humans or play from other dogs.
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Dec 26, 2013 22:54
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Fine dogs, and thorough. What kind of working style does Kaiser have? Is he mostly a driver, or will he fetch the sheep as well?
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Dec 26, 2013 23:38
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