For The Love Of A Good Dog: How To Train A Cowdog Part II

*Click HERE to read Part I of How To Train A Cowdog

Ben starts his dogs on ducks before he ever introduces them to cattle. “Ducks stay herded very well and that helps those pups play off of their instincts. Don’t use chickens!” he warns with a laugh. “If you have access to them, I like to move on to sheep before I start my pups on yearling cattle. You just want to make sure and set it up so that they don’t get hurt. Graduate slowly and build that dog’s confidence up.”

For the Love of a Good Dog: How to Train a Cowdog Part 1

Horses, people and dogs all have something in common: no matter how low key it is, they are in the process of being trained. The way you halter your horse, allow people to talk to you or load your dog up in the pickup: you’re training. An uncomfortable thought from my point of view when it comes to dogs. Like I mentioned last month, the most useful thing I could offer my dog Tiff when we were moving cattle, were super helpful commands like “Plug that hole!’ or “Get back dammit!”

So when it came time to write this article, I went running with my proverbial tail between my legs, to the guys who have been using dogs to help them get the job done for years. Jon Griggs of Elko, NV and Ben Hay of Bakersfield, CA kindly offered their advice and experience to those of us who are interested in starting their own cowdog, but lack the knowledge.

When I first met Ben, he was working at the 25 Ranch, outside of Battle Mountain, NV. Today, Ben is cowboying at the Simon-Newman Ranch outside of Gustine, CA and is closely shadowed by a pack of dogs that he trained himself.

One of Ben's pups, getting to go to "work" in the pickup!

“We always had dogs growing up on the ranch, so it was natural for me to start using them,” Ben remembers. “Starting a dog is a lot like starting a horse, you need to work with them every day. When I start my weaner pups, I like them to know that I’m the alpha in the relationship, that they’re a dog. I don’t want him in the house or in bed with me. He’s a dog, not a person.”

Behind me there’s a thud as my dog jumps down from her comfy spot on my bed. Oops.

For Jon Griggs, using dogs was natural as well. “When I was a kid, we always used dogs and I always liked them. Never really got to do much professionally with them until I came to Maggie Creek, and Jeff Hanson had dogs and he kind of got me started. That was 20 years ago. When you’re just getting started, you’d want to know what your goals are with what you’re going to do with your dog. A guy in Florida is going to need to get different things accomplished with his dog than a guy in Nevada. Decide what you want to do with your dog, then pick the right breed. Try and pick a pup from parents that do what you want it to do. For me, that’s a border collie. I strayed away a little bit, but I’m heading back to them as fast as I can.”

Some of Jon's dogs, eager and ready to get started with the day!

Ben prefers Bordie Collies as well. “They just want to be with you more, and I don’t like to have to hold my dog’s hand every step of the way. I’d rather have him want to hang around me. If you don’t get along with a dog, don’t drive yourself and him crazy. Get rid of him and try a different breed. It’s personal preference and what works for one person won’t work for another.”

“‘Come here’ is the first command I teach a pup when I start working with him. “ says Ben. “I spend about 15 minutes at the end of every day, with my pup on a long line and we work on “stop,” or “lay down.” I like to use ‘stop’ because at some point working cattle they’re going to get really excited, so if you can get them to stop and focus, you can help them learn to think under pressure.”

Jon uses the same principle when he starts his pups, but he uses a different command: “I like to use a dog’s name as opposed to a ‘come here’ because at some point you may want to work multiple dogs together. If you use their name you can call one separate from the other.”

The thought of working more than one dog at a time personally makes me want to have a panic attack, but I can see how having that ability would be desirable, especially to someone working by themselves. 

Jon uses three basic commands on his dogs: a recall command, “out” and “down.”

“You can teach them that ‘out’ word with a show stick. You don’t have to wack ‘em with it but just kind of poke them to make them move away from you and then release the pressure. I just keep working on it till if I said that word 5 times, my dogs would be out of sight. The ‘down’ command works like a ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ for me. It’s really handy if you can put a cord on your pup and use it to teach him ‘down.’ You can step over that cord so it’s between your boot heel and the ground, and when you say down, you pull the cord so it helps him lay down. If you use that to teach them down, I think it’s a little bit better than using your hands. I don’t want them to think they’re in trouble.”

Check back to read about starting your pup on livestock, and what bad habits to avoid when working.

*First published in the Nevada Rancher. Like them on Facebook or call 866) 644-5011 for a free copy. 

For The Love Of A Good Dog: What Makes A Good Cow Dog?

Tiff was an accident between my sister’s purebred Border Collie bitch, and my dad’s 8-month-old Blue Heeler mutt. I’m pretty sure that she was the best dog in the entire world, but then again everyone has that one special dog that will claim the title of “favorite.” Tiff wasn’t exactly into working cows, although she didn’t mind as long as we were doing it together. After a particularly hot day spent moving tired pairs to forest allotment, Tiff started working for me like she was a veteran cow dog, heading instinctively to where I needed help the most. It was almost as if my wishing sent her straight there. I always felt somewhat insecure around other cowboys when I’d ask Tiff to work, because she wasn’t professionally “trained” and since I didn’t know the proper commands I’d just holler helpful things like, “Tiff plug that hole!!!”

When I first started thinking about writing this article, there were two sets of people that I instantly knew I had to talk to: Matt Mori from Winnemucca, NV and Jim and Julie Dunlap from Maxwell, CA. The reason being, these three cowboys are outside every day: they’re frequently alone and short-handed. The country they cover makes it imperative to have at least one good cow dog, preferably more. There are many cowboys that use dogs, but don’t really like them. They’re a tool, much like a saddle or a bit. But for Jim, Julie and Matt, their dogs are partners, someone that not only makes the job easier but is also a friend.

The overwhelming consensus from all three cowboys is that a good dog doesn’t necessarily live to work cattle, but is sharp and has enough of a connection with you personally that they want to work, just to please you.

Despite his repeated insistence that he is not a dog trainer, Matt kindly agreed to answer some of my questions about what makes a good dog, a good dog. He’s had two that have stood out above the rest, but his absolute favorite was a Border Collie pup named Freddy. Freddy was apparently very slow to mature but once he did, it happened all at once. “He wouldn’t work just to work, he just wanted to do what I wanted to do. He’d cowboy with me, and then go trap and hunt mountain lions with me. He had a lot of range, you could send him a long, long ways. He had this habit, if we were moving baby calves he wouldn’t bite very hard, just hard enough. But then if he had to turn a big cow, he was tough enough that he could draw blood. He was smart about how much to give them.”

According to Matt, you can get better and more work out of a dog that likes you rather than one with a whole bunch of natural talent (breeding).

Julie Dunlap agrees, “My favorite dog was a red Border Collie named Joe who just recently died. He was my favorite because he was very smart, I’m pretty sure he could read my mind. He always seemed to know just where I wanted him to be.” Inside I performed a small, triumphant dance as I considered Tiff’s seemingly clairvoyant abilities. So, maybe she hadn’t been that unusual. Julie continued, “Joe was a good tracker, he could find cattle that I couldn’t even see. He was very loyal and refused to let anyone else pet him. For me, a good dog is one that will think for itself. I prefer to give my dogs a little more freedom so they aren’t as dependent on me.”

Jim Dunlap echoes his wife’s sentiments when he starts talking about his favorite dog, a white Border Collie called Rush. “I love dogs and am a big advocate for using good dogs. I got Rush from a guy that was going to knock him in the head because he couldn’t sell white pups. He was smart and tough and I still have pups from him 20 years later. Dad and I were sorting a bunch of steers and heifers that had gotten mixed. We were holding them in a corner out in the field, and I had a couple of dogs so I was holding the big bunch and dad was working off the heifers. The bunch got pretty stirred up and a steer got away from me. I sent Rush to stop him and the steer ran right over him and got in with the heifers. I had to stay with the main bunch, but assumed Rush would hold that group and maybe bring them all back to the main herd. When I got a chance to look back, Rush had the steer cut out and was bringing only him back to me. I don’t know how he did it, be he sure did.”

Well Jim, maybe it was all because of your love of a good dog.

 *First published in the Nevada Rancher. Like them on Facebook or call (866) 644-5011 for a free copy. 

The Dying Art of Feeding With A Team

It’s cold enough outside that those lacking facial hair can feel the sting of “fresh” air on their cheeks like needles pricking a finger. Mornings with a new layer of powder seem still, snow crunches under pac boots and the dog’s excited romping is louder than usual. It used to be that the cowboy or rancher would head towards the wrangle pen instead of the machinery shed, catch and harness the gentle (hopefully) giants and begin the chore of feeding cattle with a team. Today, more often than not, early morning silence is broken by the sounds of a tractor coughing to life and the skill of feeding with a team is now a dying art.

Feeding with a team is a lot of work. Instead of climbing into a tractor cab and turning a key, horses must be caught, harnessed and hitched. Hay must be loaded, fed and then the process is reversed when the team is unhitched and put away. Cold air can make the most broke horse act green and even a “small” wreck can result in hours of wasted time, destroyed fences and of course, possible decapitation for the person feeding/driving.

There are some folks left that still use horses instead of machinery though, and necessity seems to be the driving force behind that decision. Husband/wife team Trevor and Emily Fuhriman are such a pair and cowboy together out of Grouse Creek, Utah. They started using a team because their tractor and equipment were on their last leg and replacing all of the machinery needed wasn’t a possibility. Thankfully, both are handy with horses and according to Emily, getting the day’s work completed while working their teams provides a pleasing challenge. “We love it. In our mind, hooking our teams to feed is getting our feeding AND our training done for the day. Our big horses can earn their dinner and become more valuable to sell in the future.”

Photo by Emily Fuhriman

Becky and Rolly Lisle are another cowboy couple whose decision to use a team to feed instead of a tractor, was made for them by charming Mother Nature herself. Their first married winter was spent snowed into remote Charleston, NV, a place not known for its mild weather.  “The winters that we spent in Charleston, we had to use a team because the snow was too deep for pick-ups to get the job done, and we didn’t have a good tractor.” 30F below and four feet of snow is an excellent recipe for getting a team stuck, something Becky experienced first hand. “I actually managed to get the team stuck, but we just had to unhook them from the sleigh and take them around to the back and hook them to pull it out. There’s no motorized vehicle that can get itself unstuck like that.”

Photo by Becky Lisle

Obviously, utilizing actual horsepower instead of an engine is hard work. But for those who continue to use their teams, the rewards are worth it all. “It is a dying art.” Says Emily. “Not many people know how to harness and hook a team and get them broke enough to work. We love being able to use our horses like they used to in the past. Basically that’s why we continue to use them.”

Before you decide that the romance of gentle giant’s hooves stomping out a rhythm in packed snow and the jingle of harnesses is actually a siren call to your heart and you run out and buy a team, remember a few things. Using a team can be one of the most dangerous things you do with horses. If and when you get in a wreck, not only do you have to worry about the safety of your animals and equipment, but there’s always the possibility of getting run over by your own wagon pulled by your own horses. Which just adds insult to injury. Be ready for a serious commitment and learn the ins and outs from someone who knows what they’re doing.

 *First published in The Nevada Rancher. Like them on Facebook or call (866) 644-5011 for a free copy. 

Shades of Grey

I am drinking beer while writing an article for March’s issue of the Nevada Rancher.

I have a side of rawhide soaking in the bathtub, which means that when Adrian goes for her nightly soak in the tub, I’m probably going to get my ears boxed.

My poor little Roo dog has a bad back and is currently sitting in my lap feeling poorly, and I can’t fix it.

I found my favorite braiding fid that I thought was lost forever in the move and I have some callouses finally starting to form where the rawhide strings rub up against my fingers.

The ground is parched and thirsty and every horse, cow and tree I pass looks miserable and ready to dry up. We need rain.

Life is never black and white, wonderful or terrible. It tends to be a shade of grey…and that’s all right.

Happy Hump Day, peeps! 

xo xo Liz

Lyme Disease In the Great Basin

This winter has been unseasonably warm for Nevada and California, and with warm weather comes ticks. I was bit sometime in March, when there were a few warm days sprinkled throughout a month of cold and snow. I hope you learn from my rather painful experiences and protect yourself, family and friends from Lyme!

Lyme Disease in the Great Basin

Lyme disease is the fastest growing infectious disease in the United States. It is also one of the most misunderstood diseases and the lack of education available to the public is chilling, particularly since Lyme has no prejudices and only one target audience: outdoorsmen. Ranchers, hunters and buckaroos all stand the possibility of contracting Lyme due to their profession. While Great Basin buckaroos may have only trod on their high heeled underslungs from their horse to the hitching rail in the 70’s, the cowboys of today are expected to do a great deal more of than the shadow riders of yesteryear. Outfits big and small expect their riders to fix fence, fight fires, irrigate, and maybe even feed the bottle calves. All of these normal activities of the cowboy bring him or her constantly in contact with ticks, and therefore more vulnerable to contract Lyme.

Take me for example. Seven years ago I was 19 years old and newly hired onto a small family ranch in Elko County. It was mostly cold with a few warm days sprinkled throughout the beginning of calving season like a gift from the gods. I had several bummer calves whose resistance to learning how to suck from a rubber teat insured that I spent time every day hanging onto them. Not long after my bottle calves took up residence in my horse trailer, a red “bulls-eye” rash appeared on my chest. The bulls eye rash is known as the hallmark of Lyme disease but only appears in 50% of cases. I had never even heard of Lyme and when a doctor diagnosed me with ringworm from working with livestock, I thought nothing of it and happily went back to work. What followed were the worst and most difficult 17 months of my life, but being completely unaware of the symptoms of Lyme and being affectionately known as “hard-headed,” I ignored my worsening symptoms until my body completely shut down, and I could no longer pretend that something wasn’t wrong. It is my hope that through my experience you can protect yourself, family and friends from a potentially life threatening and for sure, life-altering encounter with Lyme disease. 

Symptoms

I had extremely classic symptoms of Lyme when I started a new cowboy job in Tuscarora. I caused myself (and probably my employers!) a lot of frustration and had I been aware of what they meant, I could have avoided the last 5 years of fighting for my life. Here are symptoms you need to pay attention to and follow up on immediately if you start displaying any of these.

Flu-Like Symptoms – Fever, chills, joint and muscle pain and catching multiple viral and bacterial infections. It also displays itself as the common cold.

Bulls Eye Rash - According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), only 50% of people who have Lyme will get a “bulls-eye” rash. Many people will get several and they can appear to be very faint. Mine was misdiagnosed as ring worm and to me it just looked like one red ring inside another.

Intense Fatigue - No matter how much sleep you get, you can’t seem to stay awake. Towards the end I couldn’t drive from Elko to Tuscarora without pulling over for a 30-minute nap.

Seeing Double – If you haven’t returned from a bender in town and you’re seeing double, you could have Lyme. I remember riding up to heel a calf to doctor and almost falling off my horse because I could see two calves.

Muscle Weakness – All of a sudden you become incredibly weak. At one point I could barely lift my saddle onto my horse.

Dizziness – Loping circles becomes a terrifying chore and you find yourself accidently walking into walls whether you’re blonde or not.

Blacking Out – You start passing out frequently and for no apparent reason.

Swollen Lymph Nodes

 Prevention Techniques

Conduct thorough and frequent tick checks. If you find a tick imbedded in you, SAVE THE TICK! You can send it to IGeneX Labs (800-832-3200) to be tested for Lyme, which will help you receive proper treatment if it is infected. Use an EPA-approved insect repellent. The best repellent is plain old fly-spray. Apply on your boots and jeans. You can catch Lyme disease from tick spit alone. They don’t have to be imbedded in you. Whenever you come in contact with ticks, wash your hands. For reliable, updated information on Lyme disease, go to www.Lyme.org

*First published in The Nevada Rancher. Like them on Facebook and tell 'em I sent you! 

xo xo Liz