The Cattle Dogs with no Jobs

 

Clearly, I love my dogs dearly. I mean it when I say they are my family. I utilize training to make their world as big as possible, and give them every opportunity to enjoy their lives to the fullest. All that aside, I often wonder if I did the right thing by giving working breed dogs a pet lifestyle. Sure, my dogs compete in sports, run, hike, and have tons of unique experiences. But is this enough for a dog that was bred to work a demanding, outdoor job from dawn to dusk? The cattle dog of today is a mix of herding breeds, dalmatian, and dingoes, all of which contribute to their work ethic, energy level, and herding instincts. It was incredible to see both Chief and Chickie come home at 8 weeks old already herding anything that moved with great agility and ease.

Chickie on her best behavior in puppy class

I chose to bring cattle dogs into my life because I truly see a lot of their traits in myself. I have a hard time sitting still, I love being active outdoors, and typically enjoy a challenge. Chief has proven all of these standard breed traits to be accurate and is truly the perfect fit for me. On the flip side (also similar to myself…) cattle dogs can be reactive as they try to control movement in any given environment. They are protective and loyal sometimes to a fault. If not provided with a proper outlet and ample training, these behaviors can be expressed in inappropriate ways. At just nine weeks old, Chickie didn’t realize our feet were an extension of our whole self and would bite us as we walked. This was funny in the moment, but wouldn’t be if she was doing it to a stranger, especially a child or someone afraid of dogs.

Chief getting his Canine Good Citizen title (CGC)

Chief is the first dog I participated in dog sports with. Every sport we try is brand new to both of us. The unknown is always a scary place to be in, and we have put ourselves there plenty of times over the last two years. Every time I worry about trying something new with Chief, I remember that he thrives on new challenges and any opportunity to be physically active. I show up for him whenever the opportunity presents itself. This is my way of giving him a working life, even though I am fully aware that the “jobs” he has are not real jobs.

Chief interacting with livestock at a farm training clinic

In final reflection, I do feel that based on my level of effort and dedication to my dogs that they are in the right home. It is hard to see cattle dogs that are unfulfilled now that I know their potential. Often I see owners complaining about their cattle dogs’ incessant reactivity, trouble making, or other negative traits that are likely coming to light due to lack of fulfillment and proper exercise. Shelters are becoming overrun with cattle dogs that families found out are far different than Bluey and Bingo. One of my purposes as a cattle dog owner is to advocate for the breed and show the reality of having these incredible dogs in your life. If you fulfill your heeler, they will give you the world. I hope Chief and Chickie feel properly compensated for how much of a positive impact they have had on my life. It may not be full of livestock and true hard work, but I think they are sufficiently happy with what I have to offer for them.

Chickie learning how to settle

Can we change “socialization” to stabilization?

 

A popular buzz word in the dog community is socialization. Everyone talks about it, but outside of professional training or owners that have undergone extensive training with their dog, almost no one can properly define it. I find this word to be highly misleading and am here to offer a replacement option.

When I think of socialization, the first thing that comes to mind is a night out with friends or family. Socializing for humans is being around others, holding conversation, enjoying time spent together, and forming relationships. Socializing makes me think of people who are outgoing and approachable. When you are told to socialize your dog, wouldn’t you assume to do so in the same way that humans do?

Waiting patiently at the vet

Socializing a dog typically includes building their confidence in different environments, introducing them to new activities, and emphasizing a neutral approach to people and other dogs. As you can see, there is a vast contrast between a social person and a social dog. Here is my thought- let’s rename this training process for dogs to “stabilizing”. Socialization for a dog ultimately leads to a stable dog. This is the kind of dog you can bring anywhere, who will try almost anything, and can apply solid obedience in any setting. A stable dog is not trying to greet every person and dog they see, because they value their relationship with their handler. Personally, my goal for any dog that I train is to help them become as stable as possible.

Chickie meeting the Tractor Supply chicks

My theory for why socialization has gone so askew in dog training has to do with anthropomorphism. Something I do not subscribe to is the humanization of dog behavior. I see this as a major pitfall in dog training, as this practice typically leads to close minded approaches to behavior modification. If dog owners approach socializing their dog in the same way they choose to socialize, you can see how that could lead to a dog with decreased handler focus and overstimulation in novel environments.

First puppy class

I have found that training my dogs to be stable and neutral allows them to have much more freedom. They can join me in public settings where there are other people and dogs and their training allows them to stay focused and under threshold. No… this does not apply to Vinny. Chief’s training was a HUGE undertaking to get to a point where he could be considered stable. He went through many different phases, from being too excited about seeing other dogs to being over protective of me and reacting to create space. (Quick reminder that what you perceive on social media isn’t always reality. Many people are surprised to find out that Chief was fairly reactive for a while and required a lot of training to regain stability).

Training at Lowe’s

I will admit that I did not understand socialization when I brought Chief home. I cringe thinking of the time I brought baby Chief to a brewery and allowed a dog at the table next door to get in his face as Chief was trying to settle while we ate. I allowed anyone who asked to pet him to shower him with affection. I allowed him to greet other dogs on leash because he “just wanted to say hi”. All of this fueled reactivity and required months of training to build back his handler focus. I essentially had to reorder his priorities and make myself his number one focus.

Park training on a busy day

I am approaching Chickie’s socialization completely different. I am placing emphasis on building our relationship and her confidence. She is already fairly comfortable in new environments, settles extremely well in her crate and pen, is excelling in basic obedience, and even has decent recall. She is only meeting dogs that she will have a long term relationship with, and their play is kept to short sessions. I advocate for her space in public settings to increase her focus and above all protect her physically. She comes to dog sport events to observe and immerse herself in chaotic environments.

The bottom line- I will be shifting my mindset to stabilizing rather than socializing. A stable dog can be difficult to achieve but should be a goal for anyone who wants a “go everywhere” kind of dog. My dogs and I have thrived as a team since adjusting my approach. I hope this resonates with some of you!

Chickie comes home

Since the day Chief came home, I started training immediately. I was so anxious to do “all the things”. Every month he aged I felt excited to be closer to working towards our goals. The puppy days flew by and suddenly we were competing in sports, hiking big trails, and running miles together. I am so proud of the dog he has become and cherish the companionship he shows me everyday.

Chickie’s first day home, she loved the snow!

I enjoyed raising him so much that I started to think about adding another high energy dog to our family. Our breeder had a litter and I forced myself to ignore the pictures she was posting of all of the adorable puppies. When the puppies turned six weeks old, she posted updated photos of all of them on facebook. My husband texted me “So…are we getting one of these puppies?” and that was all of the instigation I needed to inquire about the litter. I texted with the breeder who told me the puppies were great personalities but likely lower drive than Chief.  I replied “drive can be built” and we set a plan to meet the puppy she thought would be the best fit for us.

I was set on the fact that if we met the puppy and she wasn’t the right fit for us, we would leave and wait for the right puppy to come along. When we arrived, the little red girl “Solo” was brought in to meet us. As soon as her paws touched the ground, she sprinted around the room as fast as she could, jumping over obstacles in her way and quickly crawling under and around furniture like a pro. I immediately knew she was the right match for Chief. Solo came home with us, slept silently in her crate the entire car ride, and was officially part of our family.

It took us almost three days to name her. We spent some time with family and friends that weekend, and everyone had their own idea of what would suit her. Top contenders were Scottie, Tango, and Tess but every name had a reason to not use it. Monday morning I woke up extra early to spend time with her before work. All weekend, I had been carrying around Oma’s Pride freeze dried chicken chunks to reward her for going potty outside and giving me her attention to build good habits from the start. I would call our nameless puppy by saying “Chickie Chickie Chickie!” to let her know she was going to get a chicken treat if she came to me. That Monday morning I called her using that phrase, and as she ran to me I realized that was her favorite word, and a great name for her! When my husband woke up and I told him my idea it was then decided, her name was Chickie.

Chief and Vinny were skeptical at first (as they should have been) but accepted her very quickly. Chief was fairly neutral to her until one day she realized she was fun to spar with. Vinny is very defensive of his house and space, but loves playing outside. He has great dog play manners, and taught her some great social skills during their wild play sessions. It is so sweet to watch their bonds form and feel like we made the right choice bringing her into all of our lives.

Chickie will be given as much time as she needs to learn, grow, and just be a puppy. Currently, she joins us on short neighborhood walks (or rides in her stroller, I have no shame), goes where we go to get used to our lifestyle, and is in a puppy class where she is learning to be neutral around other dogs as well as some basic skills. Hopefully she will grow up to enjoy dog sports and running. I do not expect her to be Chief #2. She is going to be given her own life, and I hope she loves it and lives it to her fullest.

Our Story: It all started with Vinny

 

 

    Although this blog will be about Chief, our story all starts with my rescue dog Vinny. Vinny is a 4-ish year old German Shepherd mix. He had an extremely difficult and abusive life before coming into mine, and with this baggage came extreme behavior issues. He is an excessively sweet dog to the few people in his inner circle, but otherwise he is reactive and aggressive with a (unsuccessful) bite history. Vinny forced me to seek extensive personalized training. Through my experience with Vinny, I realized how rewarding dog training is and became obsessed with the process of improving dogs’ behavior and quality of life. 

    Vinny and I were failed by many trainers before finding our way to My Dog’s Mind in Hampton, New Hampshire. Here, we were welcomed warmly and taken very seriously. We had a standing private training session with the owner on a weekly basis, and improved greatly. The family that owns My Dog’s Mind has a red heeler named Rio, who is from a 2021 A-Line Australian Cattle Dogs litter. Our trainer knew I was considering adding a second dog to our family, and heard that one of Rio’s siblings had yet to find a home. I reached out to A-Line that same day, and the breeder Jackie let me know that the dog had been placed in a show home. She took my information for future litters.

 

    Fast forward to summer of 2022, I am in Boston visiting my sister, scrolling on Facebook while waiting for a beer. I see A-Line’s litter announcement of the “Snow White” litter, and immediately feel compelled to reach out about the puppy named “Happy”. Jackie responded that puppies are not chosen for specific homes until the family meets the puppies and they are assessed for appropriateness of placement. A few weeks later, Jackie called to ask if I wanted to come meet the puppies to potentially take one home. Let’s add some detail to this story- this call came two months before my wedding. I hung up the phone, walked down the hall to where my fiancé (now husband) was sitting, and nervously asked if I could get one of the puppies. He said “sure” (best guy ever) and that was that.

 

A few weeks later, we traveled to New Bedford, Massachussetts to meet the puppies. They were WILD. We spent about an hour getting to know each of them and trying to decide which would best fit our goals. When we were about to leave, my husband noticed that we hadn’t spent any time with the one puppy that was sleeping soundly under a cabinet the entire time we were there. I pulled him out and we played with him for a few minutes. He was friendly, energetic, and fearless. Turns out, this puppy was Happy.

In the car, we sat in silence for a few minutes. I asked my husband which puppy he liked while trying to think of an answer myself. He immediately said “I want Happy”. To this day, I still can’t believe that Chief was the original puppy I chose from the litter photos, as well as my husband’s first choice. He was truly meant to be ours! A week later, we returned to pick up Chief and our story begins.