Tbar and few others who run cattle what kind of dogs do you use and why? I usually use boarder collies but as my little girl gracefully ages into retirement this winter I think I am going to go with a straight up McNab. There supoda be cat like on there feet and have more stanima that a boarder collie. McNabs and supposedly they are easier to train and will go to the head better so we shall see I got my name down for a new pup. I think I ll go with tradition and name her babe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McNab_(dog)

 

i liked having blue heelers...

brett

 

I used have blue healers or the best I ever had was a blue healer/ austrailian shepard mix

 

This is my experience not that its worth anything. I grew up with border collies and always thought when I get big I'm going to have something different. So I did "before I start I would like to clarify I do not put up with crap dogs I do my best to drive the best ride the best and use only the best dogs no matter what the breed its just a little problem I have my wife calls it being **** I think if you surround your self with the best you will seldom be made a fool" with that being said I have tried several different dogs Aussies....Heelers.....Catahoulas.... yellow black mouth Kerrs I even tried a great piranese (sp?) when I say I tried them I didnt just have one dog for a week I would research and find pups out of proven working stock and then raise them giving each of them a fair chance.They all have strong points and are not bad dogs I dont want to offend anyone. There is nothing wrong with having working loving any of these other dogs. BUT no dog alive is as smart as a border collie and for me personally there is no better rounded stock dog if you take your time and dont hurry it is possible to find a big boned aggressive border collie and that seems to be most folks gripe with them in the first place is that they arent aggressive enough or are timid. A border collie is bred to want to go to the front and they have no desire to drive cattle instead they want to balance off of you and keep the herd between them and you. This is the reason I have bought dogs back in the past, from people who swear they understand how the dogs work and promising that he will use the commands I have shown him only to call me in a week and tell me that he cant get along with the dog and that said dog is always in the gate at the front of the herd. For me border collies are the only way to go. I have however heard great things about Mcnabs and would like to try one I also havent had a chance to try one of Charlie Trayers "hangin tree" dogs. The type of aggressive big boned traveling dogs I'm talking about can be found here

http://goemmerlandlivestock.com/dogs/index.htm

The dog I have now is out of a male that came from Goemmers they got their start from Glen Guttridge who has been imorting Border Collies from Whales for twenty years or so. Glen is from Austrailia and lives near Gainsville TX now, he raises dogs and horses puts on clinics to help folks understand both. Goemmers also have purebred Mcnabbs if that is still your fancy.

This is nothing but the ranting opinionof a silly **** man and was not intended to be this long or hurt any ones feelings. I hope this will shed some light on your new quest for the perfect dog. Just a thought if you have a border collie now and you have kept her long enough for her to be old enough to retire I'd say the proof is in the pudding. Get another Border collie and carry it with you and let the new pup run with grandma so he can glean as much as possible from her before she is gone.

I'm really quitting this time If you get the Mcnabb let me know how you get along.

 

I don't know anyting about cow dogs, but Once a Rancher was brought into my ER with his thumb tore off. Loose dally and a tight glove. You know.
When his horse put on the brakes, and flipped the calf on the other end of the rope, the rope tightened on his thumb and popped it off. I had to sew the remaining skin over the joint and try to make a working nub out of it.
I asked the cowboys with him did they bring in the thumb, so I could at least try to sew it back on? "No" they said, "his cowdog ran over and gobbled it right up, it went down before anyone could get off a horse."
I said, "well, if it was only a matter of a few seconds, you coulda slit him open and gotten the thumb,and rinsed it off with canteen water."
"Oh no", the cowboy who lost his thumb said. "I couldn't do that, that's my best dog!"

 

I think I would trade old shep for a finger.

 

Well I got a deposit down for a red female mcnab so we shall see if there worth there food

 

Dc We`ll Nead Pictures As Soon As You Get Her!

 

No way I could take a knife to my dog for an already removed finger! I know it is sad...

 

Yup I will do for sure its going to be like a year wait thought because this lady freaked when I asked he she had pups all the time she was like I dont have them just to have them I breed my dogs when there is a need and deposits are made. Her name will be Reata.

 

Not even I would slice open MY dog for a friend/co-workers finger...