sister attacked by cow

TedH71 · #41 03/09/09, 10:25 AM

Cur dogs are not like your typical herding breeds. They CAN handle calving cows. They know how but the main key is to make sure the dog is well-trained and over a year old before being allowed to work cows. Basically the other dogs teach the puppy how to deal with the cows. What they do is they pick on the cows/bulls and make them so mad they want to kill the dog but they quickly learn they can't because the dogs will pack up on the mad cow and teach the cow to respect the dogs fast. Guaranteed. There are very few cur dogs in Canada but trust me, they know how to deal with mad cows. When they're baying up the cows, the cows charge the dogs and the dogs retreat and go back to working the cows. Their main job is to keep the cows bunched up so you can move them from behind (the dogs are like a living fence in a sense and the cows KNOW it). They can be taught to push cattle into a chute like your typical herding breeds but you would have to teach them one dog at a time and only run one dog on the chutes.

Many people are confused about catahoula working style. They have seen usually Border Collie, Australian Shepard or Kelpie that "eye" cattle, tend to approach in a low-to-the ground position, and often fixing attention on a smaller group of the stock. Catahoulas belong to loose-eyed breeds, they work with an upright posture and are able to balance larger groups of the stock. Many people do not understand why catahoulas keep circling the cattle, never letting the cattle go anywhere. The true catahoulas (however, there are also various mixbreed dogs that lost partly their working abilities) do not move cattle. If a cow leaves the herd, catahoulas will run ahead of her to stop her. This is the only time they should ever bite, then only on the end of the cow's nose. The characteristic component of their working style is barking at (i.e. baying) the cattle and it is exploited also for wild hog baying. Barking could irritate us, the owners, but it is very useful and valuable when it is necessary to locate dogs and the herd in brush or timber or in a rough terrain. Catahoulas are the most efficient when it is necessary to find the cattle and to pressure them to form a herd, then hold it at bay until handlers arrive. One story says that in the evening cattlemen sent two or three catahoulas to find the cattle and in the morning they arrived back to the gathered herd. Their work was just to call dogs off the herd to move it.

I am posting examples of working catahoulas to emphasize that I am trying to say that those dogs can do it:

sister attacked by cow - Cattle

Mare Owner · #42 03/09/09, 11:40 AM

PJ, I hope your sister recovers quickly!

My husband has raised cattle for over 40 years and still once in a while he'll get in a bad position. Three times his latest english bulldog has saved him, grabbing onto the cows nose and hanging on, or just chasing them off so he can escape. As long as we have cattle we'll have a bulldog, she's worth her weight in gold.

TedH71 · #43 03/09/09, 01:01 PM

Mare,

Has your dad ever considered an Amerrican Bulldog? They are more atheltic than their English counterparts and serve a good job being guard dogs.

randiliana · #44 03/09/09, 05:11 PM

Most people have no need for a dog like that (cur dog) I know we certainly don't. We are not working range cattle that haven't been handled, nor are most people on these boards. I can see where these types of dogs have their place, and still don't think that is in the calving pen. A good dog is worth it's weight in gold, but you have to know where to use him. I don't need a dog that can drag a cow down, in fact, that is about the last thing I want a dog to do. I want him to work the cattle, and move them along, and he needs to know how to bring the herd quitters back, but that is it. We are running rather quiet cattle that for the most part are not looking for a way out, nor are they interested in injuring a human. Motherly instinct is one thing, but mostly that is something that we simply have to pay attention to and be aware of our surroundings. Is it really worth having one of these dogs for a herd of under 20 cattle that are kept on a small parcel of land?? Or, for that matter for a herd of 100-200 head of cattle that are used to being handled, and moved around?

Gregg Alexander · #45 03/09/09, 05:55 PM

Great pictures of them cat dogs at work. They are natural cow dogs, no fear .

vg60 · #46 03/09/09, 06:10 PM

Copperhead46, your sister is in my thoughts and prayers.

I don't come here often as a lot of what I think has been ridiculed.

We have 4 separate pastures than I can access easily from from one side or the other. I feed cubes in 2 troughs that are on the fence line, I don't have to be in the pasture when feeding cubes or hay. I bust a bag into 6 separate 5 gallon buckets. I can then dump the buckets easily over the fence into the troughs and the cows are fed.

When I feed hay I feed squares...same thing bust the bale and throw it over the fence line.

I'm not afraid of any of our cows, but caution is always the word with me.

I really hope your sister pulls through this.

TedH71 · #47 03/09/09, 07:06 PM

Cur dogs can be worked on quiet cattle that are dog broke. Actually that is what is most desired, a quiet herd which makes herding and moving them a breeze. There is no need for a dog that will bring down a bull though unless you work rough cattle but those dogs can and will work quiet cattle. Not sure if they're appropriate for small herds tho. A more loose eyed dog may be desired in those type of situations. Lots of people see them working and think they wont work quiet cattle when it's the opposite..they can work anything but I wouldn't recommend them on sheep tho...too quick and sometimes too much dog for the sheep.

copperhead46 · #48 03/09/09, 07:38 PM

Once again, I just can't tell you all how much your good thoughts and prayers are appreciated. I told Sis and she sends her thanks. She is doing better, got the stitches out today, and she has turned a lovely shade of green and yellow. No concussion, (thank you Lord) and is feeling better. Her jaw is still giving her fits but I know it will get better, she talks like she's been wired shut !! She said yesterday that the memory has come back and she remembers what happened...........earlier that day they had checked the cattle and saw the new baby. The cow charged their dog when she went into the pasture and chased her out. Later when they were feeding she remembers the dog standing right by her right side and thats where the cow hit. The dog got out of the way, Darla couldn't see the cow coming (hoodie) and so she caught the attack, that was meant for the dog. Just more stuff that we have to be prepared for and always stay alert...............Thanks again, everyone...............you've all been just great.
Oh, VG60, , I think that sounds like a great set up, I have been pinned in amongst the cows at feeding time, trying to put a bucket of cubes in the feeder. I take my 4 wheeler out there now and pull up beside it and dump them that way.
P.J.

TedH71 · #49 03/12/09, 11:34 PM

Blackmouth curs working cattle:

Breed instinct test on catahoulas working sheep and cattle in another country...

Florida Cracker cur dogs working cattle:

Blue lacy working cattle:

50calray · #50 03/14/09, 01:16 AM

wow...I'm sorry to hear about your sister and glad it wasn't worse.

It's really easy to become complacent around cattle due to their docile nature. But I tend to treat everything with a healthy respect.