Herding
Where FORM Follows FUNCTION!
We were tired of seeing Australian Cattle Dogs winning in the Breed ring that for many generations hadn't been on stock, let alone SEEN stock. Although we understand that not every dog is meant work on a farm, we wanted to prove the importance of keeping that instinct alive and present in the Australian Cattle Dog Breed. So in 2017, I took 2 Cattle dogs who'd never been on a herding trial course, never seen dog broke stock, and I had never seen a dog trial/course before. Together, we entered sheep and cattle trials 1 day at the National Specialty. Above you see photos of my girl that gained a title off sheep and cattle in ONE day. The judges were so impressed, that after the course was completed, they asked for the dog to continue working in the arena and prove this breed's ability!
Here you will see the perfect example of why we do NOT dock tails. When herding, the dogs use their tails for balance and steering, just as a dolphin uses it's tail in the ocean. This need far outweighs the risk of injuring a tail.