Cattle dog

[Aussie Whip 3,822]

One thing is most will bare their teeth first if you get too close to the owner, it's not a bluff. Most will bite then back off, not a full blown attack like a bandog or similar. I really don't think they suit most city environments with the lawsuits these days.

[byron 1,093]

13 hours ago, northern lad said:

My son in law got a kelpie about 18 month ago..totally wrong dog for him but he wouldn't listen..it can't be left on its own in the house for 10 mins without it destroying the place..suspicious of everybody as others have said and its guarding is through the roof...they had to prize it off his mates arm one night as the dickhead jumped out from behind a hedge...For the last 6 months the dog has been losing weight,constant upset stomach no matter what food its on,after spending a couple of grand on scans,bloods,shit samples etc etc it turns out the dog is allergic to protein..never heard of this before..its now on a really low protein science diet and seems well..apparently its not uncommon in kelpie,anyone else shed any light on this?

Stress??

[sandymere 8,260]

14 hours ago, northern lad said:

My son in law got a kelpie about 18 month ago..totally wrong dog for him but he wouldn't listen..it can't be left on its own in the house for 10 mins without it destroying the place..suspicious of everybody as others have said and its guarding is through the roof...they had to prize it off his mates arm one night as the dickhead jumped out from behind a hedge...For the last 6 months the dog has been losing weight,constant upset stomach no matter what food its on,after spending a couple of grand on scans,bloods,shit samples etc etc it turns out the dog is allergic to protein..never heard of this before..its now on a really low protein science diet and seems well..apparently its not uncommon in kelpie,anyone else shed any light on this?

Pretty much all dietary allergies are to a protein, its usually specific to one protein IE lamb, beef, chicken etc, the problem is  finding which one as most completes have a mix of different ingredients. The leading anti allergy diets tend to use "novel" proteins like feathers etc that the body won't have met before so they don't cause an allergic reaction.

Having said that as Byron notes above "stress" is one of the biggest causes of stomach upsets and often gets lost in the quest for a cause leading to random allergies being blamed without a definitive diagnosis. As you say, sounds like the wrong dog for the place.

[northern lad 2,292]

1 hour ago, sandymere said:

Pretty much all dietary allergies are to a protein, its usually specific to one protein IE lamb, beef, chicken etc, the problem is  finding which one as most completes have a mix of different ingredients. The leading anti allergy diets tend to use "novel" proteins like feathers etc that the body won't have met before so they don't cause an allergic reaction.

Having said that as Byron notes above "stress" is one of the biggest causes of stomach upsets and often gets lost in the quest for a cause leading to random allergies being blamed without a definitive diagnosis. As you say, sounds like the wrong dog for the place.

First thing I thought was stress..the dog gets exercise but not enough imo..nor mental stimulation...I told them to put it on chicken and rice first,this made her worse...I'd be confident in the diagnosis now as the dog recovered as soon as it went on this science diet stuff,it's tinned and a special mixer..think it costs them about 25 quid a week to feed it..the dogs an absolute pain in the arse tbh,at worst a liability...

[OldPhil 5,347]

Hi Northern Lad,.yeah,..Kelpies and Cattle Dogs are completely different in many ways, but amazingly similar in others..

Both types have been purpose bred to fullfil a specialist task, in their native country..

I think it is a missnomer to confuse these herding types with the average Border Collie,....facts are, they are,..different...

Problems can sometimes occur, when folk simply get one, because they fancy one,...obviously, its a free country and a man must always do as he wants,...its no business of anyone else..

In saying this,..I do owe a great debt to certain canines types, and it is sad  to see lads contemplating lurcher breeding programes, kinda willy nilly,..and without giving much thought as to where all the surplus pups, will inevitably end up..

Over the years I have handled (and bred) a few hybrids from these antipodean herding dogs, and I have also been priviledged to meet hundreds of my fellow lurcher enthusiasts throughout the UK, and it has always been patiently obvious to me that , by and large,..the pastoral composite lurchers, created from such unique animals, sure don't suit everyone

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by OldPhil

[Leo Sayer 1,697]

19 hours ago, C.green said:

Spoke to kens mate going to pop over and have a look at him cheers for input fellers

Deffo be a interesting cross over your white bitch Charlie ! Keep us posted 

[northern lad 2,292]

1 hour ago, OldPhil said:

Hi Northern Lad,.yeah,..Kelpies and Cattle Dogs are completely different in many ways, but amazingly similar in others..

Both types have been purpose bred to fullfil a specialist task, in their native country..

I think it is a missnomer to confuse these herding types with the average Border Collie,....facts are, they are,..different...

Problems can sometimes occur when folk simply get one, because they fancy one,...obviously, its a free country and a man must always do as he wants,...its no business of anyone else..

In saying this,..I do owe a great debt to certain canines types, and it is sad to see lads contemplating lurcher breeding programes, kinda willy nilly,..and without giving much thought as to where all the surplus pups, will inevitably end up..

Over the years I have handled (and bred) a few hybrids from these antipodean herding dogs, and I have also been priviledged to meet hundreds of my fellow lurcher enthusiasts throughout the UK, and it has always been patiently obvious to me that , by and large,..the pastoral composite lurchers, created from such unique animals, sure don't suit everyone

 

You've hit the nail on the head Phil..he got her because his mate has one and tbf it is a well behaved/mannered dog..it goes to work with him every day and can wander/hunt till its hearts content on the fields surrounding his workshop..my son in law fancied one and thought it would be fine with a half hour walk in the morning and half an hour with a ball thrower in the evening when he got home from work..being left in the house with his elderly parents in-between.It was only ever going to end badly but he wouldn't listen..The dogs fine if his parents are home,but if they need to nip out there's carnage..They were all at a wedding recently and asked me to feed it and let her out during the day,I thought I'd take out for a few hours mooch at the same time,I've known this dog from 8 weeks old,not a prayer was it letting me in the house...wrong dog /wrong owner..shouldve got a fecking pug..

[Black neck 15,161]

4 hours ago, OldPhil said:

Hi Northern Lad,.yeah,..Kelpies and Cattle Dogs are completely different in many ways, but amazingly similar in others..

Both types have been purpose bred to fullfil a specialist task, in their native country..

I think it is a missnomer to confuse these herding types with the average Border Collie,....facts are, they are,..different...

Problems can sometimes occur, when folk simply get one, because they fancy one,...obviously, its a free country and a man must always do as he wants,...its no business of anyone else..

In saying this,..I do owe a great debt to certain canines types, and it is sad  to see lads contemplating lurcher breeding programes, kinda willy nilly,..and without giving much thought as to where all the surplus pups, will inevitably end up..

Over the years I have handled (and bred) a few hybrids from these antipodean herding dogs, and I have also been priviledged to meet hundreds of my fellow lurcher enthusiasts throughout the UK, and it has always been patiently obvious to me that , by and large,..the pastoral composite lurchers, created from such unique animals, sure don't suit everyone

 

 

Even worse is people breeding things as a mere scientific experiment 

[Blackmag 5,862]

5 hours ago, OldPhil said:

Hi Northern Lad,.yeah,..Kelpies and Cattle Dogs are completely different in many ways, but amazingly similar in others..

Both types have been purpose bred to fullfil a specialist task, in their native country..

I think it is a missnomer to confuse these herding types with the average Border Collie,....facts are, they are,..different...

Problems can sometimes occur, when folk simply get one, because they fancy one,...obviously, its a free country and a man must always do as he wants,...its no business of anyone else..

In saying this,..I do owe a great debt to certain canines types, and it is sad  to see lads contemplating lurcher breeding programes, kinda willy nilly,..and without giving much thought as to where all the surplus pups, will inevitably end up..

Over the years I have handled (and bred) a few hybrids from these antipodean herding dogs, and I have also been priviledged to meet hundreds of my fellow lurcher enthusiasts throughout the UK, and it has always been patiently obvious to me that , by and large,..the pastoral composite lurchers, created from such unique animals, sure don't suit everyone

 

 

 

Totally agree Phil you have to be a certain type of handler and be of a certain  mindset that can tune in to them not many can truth be told I can't and few have enough graft theses days to for fill there needs but they excel in  the right hands and are a pleasure to watch 

[Aussie Whip 3,822]

12 hours ago, sandymere said:

Having said that as Byron notes above "stress" is one of the biggest causes of stomach upsets

I believe stress causes a great range of illnesses in all creatures, including humans.

[DogOfWar 0]

Any pics of your bitch C green?? What x is she??

[C.green 3,203]

No pics of her im afraid feller shes abit too ugly for the camera and as for folks worrying about surplus and graft im sure it will be fine theres a fair bit of thought going into it and quite a specific couple tasks in mind if it doesnt work out ill be first to say so and try another route 

Edited January 7, 2023 by C.green

[toolebox 1,384]

On 02/01/2023 at 10:19, Aussie Whip said:

What worries me is their burst in popularity with a cartoon called Bluey. People are breeding them everywhere over here as pets and some are just that now. Every kid wants one and the original temperament is getting lost or the good ones end up in pounds being too full on for most families.

Every family wants a pup, until it becomes a dog.

[Neal 1,784]

The main thing which had always previously put me off cattle dogs was that the vast majority of those imported into the U.K. were imported because they were 'pedigree' cattle dogs i.e. it was a looks only thing with no recourse to their working ability or temperament. As a result, all the early ones I saw were barrel chested and with questionable temperaments. 

However I've seen a few over the last few years which have had a racier build and all the people I've asked about them said theirs were from imported working blood (though that could be 'working' in the same way that many people in the U.K. claim their rough/smooth/beardie/border or sheltie collie is from 'working' lines.)

I met a nice one in Dartmoor last autumn and the girl who had it said it was extremely agile but iffy with strangers and needed huge amounts of mental stimulation and had no off button. Conversely, while walking my kelpies around the local forest before xmas, I got talking to a woman with a working cocker who asked about my kelpies as her daughter has a cattle dog. She said that, although it was very hectic for the first twelve to eighteen months, it's now very laid back and easy going and is, so far, no problem with other dogs.

The other thing which puts me off is that they're roughly three times the price of a working kelpie.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Neal

[Sammyballer 146]

19 hours ago, C.green said:

No pics of her im afraid feller shes abit too ugly for the camera and as for folks worrying about surplus and graft im sure it will be fine theres a fair bit of thought going into it and quite a specific couple tasks in mind if it doesnt work out ill be first to say so and try another route 

There will be another route you’ll have it under 12 months it will be a true prospect for a while then poof it shall be gone and on to the next project