Cow Dog Bred To Stop, Herd Cattle

Cow Dog Bred To Stop Herd Cattle LIVESTOCK Beef If you’re going to have a dog why not have one that can work and hang out with you? For team ropers and people who work cattle Marvin Pierce recommends Hangin’ Tree Cow Dogs The breed was developed by Gary Erickson over a couple of decades specifically with ranchers in mind “The breed is unique because it will stop cattle and bring them to you ” Pierce says noting most cow dog breeds can do one of the tasks but not both With their innate herding instinct and proper training the dogs track and find cattle herd them and move them to where desired The shorthaired medium-sized dogs 35 to 65 lbs also instinctively hit both the heads and heels of cattle To achieve fearlessness along with loyalty and intelligence Erickson started with four breeds The Catahoula Leopard traits include a slick coat to easily shed dirt and burrs and the ability to trail find and hold cattle The Australian Shepherd added courage and the ability to hold cattle The Kelpie added herding instinct and short hair along with endurance Finally the Border Collie has an intense herding desire and is easy to train and handle Erickson named the breed after his ranch’s brand Hangin’ Tree The breed has become an important part of Pierce’s lifestyle He initially purchased dogs from Erickson for team roping and working cattle on his Oregon ranch Now he raises and trains the dogs and puts on cow dog demonstrations He’s written books and made videos about training and working with them “The biggest thing is you have to learn how to train them People who don’t know how can ruin a good dog ” Pierce says One of the most important things to do is to keep them from getting hurt By instinct an 8-week-old pup will try to fight a goat for example The typical price for registered pups is about $650 Older dogs with some training start at $2 000 Pierce has sold Hangin’ Tree Cow Dogs to customers in Canada and the Deep South so they can thrive in a variety of weather conditions Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Marvin Pierce Pierce’s Cow Dogs P O Box 911 Newberg Ore 97132 ph 503 476-4247 or 503 628-6049; piercescowdogs@gmail com; www piercescowdogs com

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