THE CATTLE DOG.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4951, 4 February 1937, Page 3

THE CATTLE DOG.

HIS POLYGLOT ANCESTRY. BLEND OE DINGO AND OTHER BREEDS. The Merlin or blue heeler, sometimes wrongly called the Smithfield, Welsh Merles, also erroneously called German collies, the red bobtail, known by drovers as Timmin's breed, the black bob-tail or old English cuidog, bullterriers, foxterriers, and various breeds of rough haired terriers all, crossed with the dingo, have played their part in the production of a working dog peculiar to Australian conditions. The result, in general appearance, is that of a small thick-set dingo, but with better expression. The polyglot ancestry is responsible for all shades of blue, red, and tan mottling, and a tail that is either like that of a dingo—not too long and with plenty of brush—or, as illustrated, a natural stumpy tail, reflecting the bob-tail influence for which the old Queensland Kennel Club framed a standard in 1918. Although after possibly half a century of evolution the Australian cattle do*g has never received the imprimatur of the Kennel Club, England, as a recognised or classified breed of fixed type, as far back as 1897, Mr Robert Kaleski, of Thorn Hill, Liverpool, New South Wales, drew up a standard to prevent judges of that time giving awards for cattle and sheep dogs without reason, as was often done. This standard has been amended and added to, but the framework remains. It was trenchantly criticised and benefited in certain details by the late C. L. Turner in 1922, when the Sheep Dog and Cattle Dog Club of Australia was formed under the presidency of Mr James Moore, who, for many years prior and since) did a vast amount of good in helping to bring about a reasonable degree of uniformity. Last year I visited my old friend and contemporary scribe, C. Court-Rice, in Sydney. He is still hale and hearty although approaching the four score mark. Thirty years ago he dealt kindly with the original standard, supplying several omissions which were only superficially dealt with. ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES. The main requirements in any dogs for working cattle are that they should be steady, game, faithful, enduring, and intelligent. Steady, because the best worker in the world is useless and very often dangerous if headstrong and unwilling to obey orders, especially when working cattle through broken country. Game, be cause a cow-hearted dog, on being kicked or severely handled, will slink off into the scrub and leave his owner to work the cattle himself. Faithful, because if he is not you will find he has cleared out with some stranger that has taken his fancy just when you wanted him particularly. Enduring, because a dog that knocks up easily is only a nuisance, and you are better without him. Intelligent, because a dog has to learn a lot to be a good worker, and it is a heartbreaking task teaching a stupid pup. As with sheep dogs it is necessary to suit dogs to the class of cattle and breed with that object. Pounds may be knocked off the value of dairy cattle by the, use of a savage dog accustomed perhaps to working wild station stock. For wild cattle a very hard, severe, and silent biter on the big side is needed. These dogs should not be worked on horses if possible, as they make confirmed kickers of

them. For handling horses, working bullocks, dairy cows, and quiet cattle of any sort, a medium-sized dog, with just a little voice, and who rather nips than chops is the best. Cunning eld cows, however, will make the sweetest tempered dog chop them, as they are adept at edging out of a mob or making through the broken pannels in a fence.

Springing heifers, and calves are best suited with a very easy, steady dog, which will only nip under great provocation, and will come off instantly when whistled or called. Nothing makes young stock knock up more easily when tired than a dog perpetually following them and heeling them. In trucking and yarding, a dog with plenty of voice is essential. Acknowledgements are due to Mr R. Kaleski, whose. large revised book, “Barkers and Biters,” is a most able treatise dealing with the history attributes and training of Australian cattle dogs and Kelpies.