The Top Three Reasons I Wouldn't be Without a Working Dog
by Carla Amonson
(Evansburg AB)
In our world there are two varieties of working dogs, dogs to move the sheep and dogs that guard the sheep.
The Top Three Reasons I Wouldn't be Without a Working Dog:
Guardian Dogs:
1. I like my sheep and have no interest in having them eaten by coyotes or terrorized and killed by the neighbors' dog.
2. Our sheep are worth valuable dollars that my guardian dogs are guarding, religiously, 24/7, rain or shine.
3. The dogs allow us to work off farm jobs, feed and winter our sheep in large pastures without having to lock them in confined areas to keep predators out. This means that we can farm in a manner that is more environmentally sustainable, and keep up a farming lifestyle that we enjoy while we can go to work everyday without worrying.
What more could a person ask for?
Sheep herding Dogs:
We breed and train border collies and use them on our farm to move the sheep. With the breeds of sheep that we raise this would never be possible with out the dogs. They are much wilder than wool sheep and hard to handle.
The dogs allow us to be able to handle them in a low stress manner that is a benefit to us and the sheep. It also saves a pile of time!
