Many thanks for the well wishes and prayers concerning my Ranch Dog, Sheila. She is recovering from the surgery quite well. In fact, she might be playing it up just a bit while she waits for targets to hit the mail box.

How many cow-dogs you know that have a bed, a bed with their name on it?

I can understand a good dog having such a bed.

Cat - no. Dogs - yes! :D

Agree there. Ever heard of a cat dragging someone from a burning building? Didn't think so. A good dog is the one of the best friends you will ever have.

Cats suck!!! I would get a bed like that for my year old german shepard, but she would destroy it in about 6 and a half minutes

When we had a working ranch with 70 mama cows, Sheila was lead dog of a pack of healers and border collies. When it was a day to work cattle, my hands, horses, trucks, and trailers would be out front at the crack of dawn. We would have a good mesquite fire going in the front yard and feral hog and fresh tortillas roasting for both dog and man. Man, those where special mornings.

Anyway, the dogs tuned up for the days events by going out and finding every yard cat and then herding them to the front porch. The dogs would be near the fire awaiting the verbal command to get to work. Sheila would take the order, you only address the Alpah Dog, and her orders went out to her charges while dust flew as they pursued the work with much gusto! In short order there would be a pasel of pissed off yard cats spitting and swatting at anything that got near! If one tried treeing, to bad, those dogs would get'em anyway. After that the jitters of the fresh day of heavy work were gone. A reward of some feral hog was in order and then the work started! I love a good work dog!

By the way... you fellow Aussies have developed a heck of a dog in that Kelpie... my hat is off to you! What a worker and a friend. I don't know how common they are there but a pup of working stock will cost you $2500 along our Gulf coast! An alpha dog 2 to 3 years old with demonstrated leadship skills will bring a 1000 bucks more! They are a hand full when they are young and you must be the kind of person that never lays a hand or harsh word on them or you can forget any performance as they will always hold it against you.

I have a friend that has an unbelievable alpha male that I don't like working with. Any mistake on your part is going to be met with a harsh bark or worse... bite depending on the error. He works you to death!

One day, my neighbor and I dropped 1/4 mile of fence and put a new one up. His place was extremely overgrazed and my pasture was in excellent condition. I knew his 80 head of cattle would be like locust. As his cows where heavy with calf, I used only Sheila. In a long day, she kept those 80 head at bay and not one crossed the line. She was **** near dead at dark but one happy dog for a days work well done!

RanchDog,

Now you could write an Outdoor Experience for GB huh?

Dave :D

they are a fine dog indead I got a black and white pure breed ***** smartest dog i have ever owned, and a mind all of her own. only draw back is she is a fine working dog works the yards and trucks paddocks and sheering sheds but wont do a damed thing if I wash her.

I gave her a bath after she rolled all in the bottom deck of the truck once when I got to Goulburn sale yards I had to un load four deck of sheep by me self while she watched.

punishment for the bath...


****ed dog!

That's funny Aussie. Mine loves a bath. If I mention getting into the tub... you better go look because she will be sitting in it! I think she really likes the blow dryer and brushing out. She sits there like... "Oh yeah, I'm the queen"... while you're working away on her.

The most frustrating experience I ever had was one fine spring day we were gathering our cattle for spring shots and the dogs where about 50 yards out of the pens, she went crazy and turned all the cattle out and headed them back into the thickest torn brush you've ever seen. Left my border collies and healers looking at each other in a cloud of dust. For a day and night she kept at an opposite corner of the ranch from me and my hands. We would more here... and she would move there. It was if the cattle where on her wave-length because I could see her in the distance just leading.

I called my old friend who knows these dogs and asked "what's up now?" He replied, "Nothing... she just graduated!" At the end of day two she came it tired, hungry and thirsty... and penned 85 head of cattle all by herself. Just led them right in with a little follow up police work. My big Border Collie, Chip, was pretty resentful and struck out and she danged near killed him I've never seen anything like it. The wolf had arrived! Poor ole Chip never got over it and ended up having a heat stroke later that summer trying to out do her. Chip recovered but just never could get back in the fight. He's doing fine but was adopted by a fine family and is their loving pet.