new cow dog

jimmyp

New member
I am picking up a pup this weekend to use as a cow/stock dog on our farm. Knowing that he will get used on stock but also have a lot of down time I was thinking id like to try and consider him as a potential decoy dog. However, i don't know much about decoy dogs other than what I have seen in videos, and Im not sure the kind of dog it takes.

What is have seen is that it probably takes a dog with some smarts, and some balls, but not necessarily an aggressive dog. My pup is going to be 1/2 catahoula ,3/8 American bulldog, and 1/8th Blackmouth cur. and primarily bred to hit a cow in the snout. Baying and catching would be his main job on the farm, and I assume he will have a lot of bite/fight in him.

In my mind it seemed like a good idea to try and use him as a decoy dog, but the more i read I feel like everything else i will ask him to do would be counter productive to decoying.

Thoughts?

thanks
Jim
 
I think the vast difference in yote hunting and farm work will register with him. Given his desire to please, and to be with you, he may look at the hunting trip as "recess" from the work grind.

After he sniffs a dead yote, you may have a hard time getting him back to working barnyard cows! Breaking him of chasing a yote into the next state may be the challenge.
 
From what I have seen out of similarly bred dogs, you should have no trouble getting him to do a variety of things. He will want to please you and bond with you above all. Good luck with him.
 
I have a Cur/Collie cross that is working pretty good on the coyotes. She has a lot of desire to work cattle, which is a no, no for me. She is very high energy and will chase one hard but not very far. I dont let mine anywhere near a cow so I dont know how it would work doing both. I bet they would figure it out though. The herding instinct is neat to watch. She will crouch down and crawl on her belly like she is sneaking up on them. Also she likes to try to get around them like she is driving them back to me. Sound like a pretty good cross you are talking about. Prolly work fine, only one way to find out.
 
I don't think you will have a problem. The best all around dog I have ever had was mountain cur border collie with a splash of bulldog and airdale. Her was extremely valuable on my trapline and worked cows like no other. Mine was with me all the time and would do anything I asked
 
I mess with my dogs on cattle. I have never had an issue with them bothering them when hunting. This Hereford bull got in with a bunch of brangus bull and we helped get him separated. They are by no means top notch cow dogs but they sort of know what is going on.







 
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