The first of a two-part story.

Blood cards? Check.
Bucking bred cattle roaming the range? Check.
The means to gather ‘em with ease and efficiency? Uh, not so much.

If this is your problem, it’s time to throw up your hands and come along…

Every ABBI breeder has gotten downright frustrated with these independent bucking cattle at one time or another. They have a mind of their own. There’s always one that wants to buck the system. They line out and one keeps cutting back. Then there’s that one cow that seems to always have PMS. She goes in all right, but then it’s every man for himself. A 4-wheeler, a man on foot or a single guy horseback is no match for these scenarios—but man’s best friend is always ready, itching to get it done.

Buckers exhibit the same behavior that all herd animals do. Getting them where needed with as little strain as possible is important. The best way to do this is to harness the natural instincts of prey and predator. Dogs represent the predator; cows the prey. The only difference from the wild is the human controlling the environment.

By using dogs to gather, herd and push cattle, the natural drive of a predator stimulates the natural behavior of a prey, including flight and grouping. Merely having dogs present makes the worst mother cow locate and move her calf to the safety of the herd. When cattle are moved, it’s for a specific purpose that benefits them. However, the human can have a hard time relaying this. Luckily, dogs and cattle speak their own natural predator-prey language. The objective is to get quick results without injury to the cattle. The benefits for the cattle are things like vaccinations, worming, weaning, preg-checking or ABBI bloodwork.

Dogs put less stress on cattle than people many times. A horse or 4-wheeler is not a predator and doesn’t stimulate a survival response. Once one breaks and someone has to retrieve it, the person holding the herd will find the rest beginning to face them. Once they face, it’s all over but the crying. Cattle have to be re-gathered and then they’re wiser and the gig is up.

Horsemen and ATVs are not as quick and agile as a dog. When challenged by horse and rider or ATV, an animal breaking from the herd won’t give up until complete exhaustion. Utilizing a dog’s natural predator instinct on one animal encourages them to seek refuge in the herd. ABBI breeders are finding themselves in challenging situations with cattle that can’t be caught or penned. The new penalties for not registering cattle in their birth year is something that will increase the need for dogs in these situations. Breeders are selecting cattle that don’t want to be dominated on purpose. In these cases, dogs seem like a great option.

There are many types of working dogs. Understanding various breeds before buying the first “cow-dog” you come across is recommended. If you’re not a dog-man and have big country and bad buckers, this two-part article will cover some of the best our industry has. If you’re looking for a companion and friend as much as a dog that can throw his weight around in the corrals, our industry is teeming with breeders who call their dog “best friend” and “hired-hand.”

Let’s start with dogs that are best at getting the less extreme working jobs done.