| Australian Cattle Dogs |
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| Debbie is the adult girl in the picture and she is the great great granddaughter of Berrilyn Blue Debutant, the direct descendant of a Berrilyn bitch, (pet name Blue) given to my husband some 40 or more years previously by Hilton Sinclair of Berrilyn Kennels. He would breed from the bitch and keep a bitch puppy, when Blue died she was replaced by one of the pups from her daughter. All these dogs have top temprements. |
| My daughter and now our granddaughter the dogs instinctively protect. I had to laugh when one wouldnt even let hubby pick up the nappy discarded by brat child because the dog thought he was pinching her property. In our books a cattledog that stands over and bosses a child is not a good cattledog. I had a lady once ask if breeding a litter from her bitch might help get her to accept the new baby, She could not leave the room or the dog would growl at the newborn baby. I advised her to not breed from her as it could make her worse and never leave her unattended with the child, if the dog was mine I would have got rid of it. |
| I am double disgusted with the so many people whose first request is how savage are the parents. A good Cattledog is not "savage" it is the ultimate family dog. A good dog will only go into protection mode if a member of the family is under threat. I found as a child this also included fellow family members. In the event of us kids fighting and someone began to cry, the dog would push over the agressor and prevent them access to the one crying. If its not like that then I dont consider it a good cattledog. The other trait of course is they challenge any stranger who attempts to enter or remove property. A problem with the breed is in many instances today, because so many many people grow up not knowing cattledogs as kids, the dog is smarter than the owner and ends up training the owner much to the owners frustration. For instance if a cattledog kills a chook and you rouse on it, another breed would think "gee that made him/her angry, better no do that again". The cattledog thinks "gee better make sure next time they dont see me do it" You have to convince these guys you have eyes in the back of your head. Another common problem is the washing, they cant resist it, yet the solution is simple. Stand watch at a convenient window then when the dog begins jumping at the washing run out screaming like a banshee going off your nut. (Dont worry about the neighbours reaction, its the dogs reaction that counts) It will be frozen in shock and confusion if your reaction is sufficient. Then tell it "bad dog" and dissappear into the house again. DONT EVER LEAVE THE WASHING ON THE LINE WITH THE DOG IN THE YARD IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GUARD IT. (but stay out of sight so the dog does not know your watching) otherwise the results if its ripped are your fault. Only takes a few sessions for the dog to pick up the message and never do it again. Ditto for chooks. |