Goodbye Tag...

CH Sterling Silvers LilRedRodeo HIC

June 25, 1997 to October 16, 2009

Tag was my first registered ACD. I had owned cattledogs for about 7 years already when I got her, and was hooked on the breed. I knew I wanted a red female, badly. When I moved back to California from Texas, I learned that her breeder, Jimmy Wharton still had a pup available . I jumped at the chance to own her. I knew both of her parents, and she reminded me so much of her dam Dancer (CH Terrvic N Tuf E Nufs Dancer) I was honored to have such a dog. She was the mom of our Zen babies- Shoney (who we lost earlier this year), Cuda, Willow, Nova, Dakota, Paris and Wazee- and was a good grandma to Silver and Darwin who were her usual cohorts. She was far from being a "good dog" many times, the Wednesday after she finished her CH I came home from work to find her with her lip torn vertically 1/3 of the way up to the top from fighting through the fence. She unfortunately did have a body count and we had to keep small animals safe from her. But she loved all people always, no matter what age. She earned her name from her habit of running up full blast and tapping with both front paws, Tag you're it! She did this til the end. It was 2 weeks ago when her hind end sagged as she tagged the door for me to open it that I knew her time was near. Last Wednesday she completely turned down food for the first time in her life, and wouldn't even steal any of the various toys that the dogs shared. Thursday evening I knew she was done. Friday I came home during the day from work to check on her and call the vet to make arrangements for her on Saturday. She had waited for me, and passed away within minutes of me getting home on Friday.

RIP Tag. We love you (even if you were the Queen Bad Dog), you will always be the first.

OKC Dog Show

This weekend we braved the hottest day of the year for Ducky's return to the ring (second show ever).

Saturday he showed his heart out and despite his sloppy handler and her wardrode failures- yes that's plural! he gained his first point going WD.

We have much work to do, hopefully we'll be shining bright for the specialty this fall!

(if only he showed like he poses for the camera!)

Only the Good.

Shoney

CH White River Sydney's A'Blaze

August 6, 2000 to February 15, 2009

Shoney loved everyone, and you couldn't help but love our golden girl back. She is sorely missed.

Stockhands Starchaser At White River

Edie is our newest addition.

Bred by Pam Pruett of Stockhand ACDs
by CH Mystar Lookout Redzabout
out of CH Stockhands Spirit Chaser
born 3/26/08

They are like potato chips, you can't have just one.

Adding a new dog to your family is an important decision, and a little research will go a long way towards a healthy and enjoyable future for all.

Cattledogs are very smart and get bored easily. Most sources will list them as an active breed, but the key is that they need to be active*mentally*. A bored cattledog will get into trouble from the beginning. They problem solve, and may even become serious escape artists. Even as a puppy, they can do some serious damage to your furniture, your vehicle, and your yard if left to their own devices (personal casualties include 3 couches, lost count of how many garden hoses, and 1 gear shift boot). Constant supervision and crate training are key in the development of your pup. Your cattlekid will need lots of human socialization to be all that they can be. Yeah, this may sound like an Army ad, but it's still true. An unsocialized cattledog may be timid and scared, or confused and aggressive in challenging situations- this is a huge liability in these days where our right to own dogs are starting to be challenged.With the proper socialization, you'll be rewarded more than you can imagine with a dog that is steady and trustworthy in public situations.

HEALTH CONCERNS

There are some health issues you may not yet be aware of. Cattledogs are prone to a few genetic disorders.
Most commonly:
Ears- Deafness BAER
Eyes- PRA Optigen Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF)
Hips- Hip Dysplasia Pennhip Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)

If you are looking for a purebred cattledog, you should make sure the breeder of any pups you are interested in has investigated the above problems. They should be able to provide you with documention proving the eye, ear, and hip status of the parents from the appropriate organization (OFA, Pennhip, CERF, and BAER), and in the case of deafness- individual testing per puppy should have been performed before each pup is ready to go to it's new home.These are not the only health problems known to ACDs, but they are the common ones that we have the instruments to minimize.

WHY AKC...

The American Kennel Club is the only registry in the USA that requires all ACDs registered through them traces their pedigree back to purebredAustralian Cattle Dogs recognized in their home country of Australia. If not registered through the AKC, then there's no guarantee that a puppy is purebred. One reason people prefer or ask for a purebred dogother than showing or breeding is predictability. With a purebred dog you have a good idea that a particular dog will look, or act a certain way as they mature. Without proof of an individual's ancestry there's no telling that the pup who looks like an ACD at 7 weeks old will grow up to look like the breed they are supposed to represent. Anyone with internet access can start up their own registry. For ACDs in the USA, the AKC or a dog registered with both the AKC and UKC is the only way to guarantee you have a true blue (or red) ACD.
Can An American Kennel Club Registration Save A Herding Breed? A must read article by Esther Ekman.

RESCUE

If a companion is the most important thing to you, and you do not have the desire to ever breed your dog or show in conformation, then please consider a rescue. There are always many, many ACDs in shelters and foster organizations all over the US due to irresponsible breeding and other unfortunate events. It is even possible to find puppies in shelters, if you have your heart set on a young dog. Rescue dogs can compete in most AKC performance events such as Agility or Herding with an ILP registration.

TAILS!!!

They stay. Australian Cattle Dogs come with tails, they are born with them and they use them. The reason some people choose to dock or amputate ACD's tails is due to confusion. Confusion as to what breed they have. Much of the confusion started early on in California when someone confused ACDs and Australian Shepherds at a rodeo.There is another breed, similiar to ACDs and in fact an early ACD ancestor, that comes tail impaired- the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog. But currently very few purebred Stumpies are in the USA. Refer to the link to Esther's article above, she said it better than I ever could.Hopefully you'll find this information useful, I tried to include as many links as possible. Remember, buying a puppy is for a lifetime- do your homework for both of you!