The Australian Cattle Dog
"The main requirements in any dogs for working cattle are that they should be steady, game, faithful, enduring, and intelligent."
From: 1860 C.E. To: 1903 C.E.
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
“Cattle-Dogs” by Robert Kaleski, from the Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales, Aug. 1903.
In travelling about this country handling stock no observant person can fail to be struck, both on practical and humanitarian grounds, with the amount of suffering entailed on our dumb animals by the use of bad dogs, either cattle or sheep. Confining myself, in this article, to remarks on the former, how often will it be noticed of anyone handling cattle, especially in the old settled districts, that instead of one well-bred good-working dog handling them without noise or trouble, the drover will have about half a dozen mongrels which worry and harass the unfortunate creatures almost to madness, and necessitate a constant flow of blasphemy and whip-work from the frenzied drover to get the mob to its destination….
As we have not yet reached the Golden Age when we can dispense with dogs in handling cattle, the next best thing is to use dogs that will work them with the least trouble and suffering. It is with that object in view that I am writing this article. As I have been breeding and working cattle-dogs since I was 9 years of age, in different parts of the State, and have had some pretty tough times handling different classes of cattle in rough places--Burragorang Valley, for example--I can speak with some little experience on the subject.
Whilst to my mind there is nothing so objectionable as the sight of cattle being knocked about by bad dogs, so there is nothing prettier than to see a couple of good ones steering, with almost superhuman sagacity, a big mob through wild difficult country.
Requirements of a Good Dog
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, because 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 not, you will find he has cleared out with some stranger that has taken his fancy just when you wanted him particularly; and if you have left him to watch your saddle or gear in your absence that will have gone too. 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 heart-breaking task teaching a stupid pup…
Varieties
The varieties of cattle-dogs I am acquainted with in New South Wales are as under, placed in order of merit, as I have found them to work:
The merlin or blue heeler, erroneously known as the Smithfield
The Welsh heeler or merle, erroneously known as the German collie
The red bob-tail, often called by drovers Timmins’ breed
The black bob-tail, apparently the old English cur-dog
Mongrels and crosses, generally the bull or fox terrier or dingo crossed with the collie
The black sheep-dog called the barb I have also seen used, but they can only work cattle as they would sheep, and I would not be bothered with them myself, as cattle and horses require to be worked with a dog that can bite.
The Merlin or Blue Heeler
This breed was first made, as far as I can ascertain, by a Mr. Hall or Wall of Muswellbrook, about forty years ago. He imported the blue-gray Welsh merle for working cattle, but, finding they were unsuitable on account of barking too much, crossed them with the dingo and founded the present variety, which, by selection and careful breeding, became a distinct breed and throws true to type. After having tried all varieties, about ten years ago I took up this breed as the best of the lot, and in company with a few more enthusiasts have been breeding them ever since...
Advantages of the Merlins or Blue Heelers
Are very hardy, faithful, and good workers, no trouble to break, and always eager for work in any weather or any distance. I have never been able to knock one up. Very clean, quick biters, nearly silent, and can be readily changed from one class of cattle to another. Will stand more punishment than any dog I know, and do not hunt like the collie cross; splendid yard dogs and companions, and great fighters, and very intelligent and biddable.
I may here state, to save inquiries, that I do not sell pups, preferring to save the cream of each litter only, rear them myself, and give them to reliable drovers, with the provision that I am to have their services at the stud any time I want it. By this means I am enabled to breed from none but the best workers. My fellow breeders and myself never part with a bitch pup under any circumstances whatever, only occasionally exchanging one amongst ourselves.
Finding the strain is beginning to run out a little in shape and head, we are now crossing with a pet dingo of mine to get these points back again, and though we will get a little too much red in at first, we think the increased vigour and shape will more than repay us. I have had a good deal of experience with the dingo cross, and find it is all right if sufficient care be exercised in the selection. Any person who has a good strain of cattle dogs which are running out can get the use of my dingo gratis, so long as they send suitable bitches. The accompanying photographs, taken by the artist, will give some idea of the dogs…
In conclusion, I would like it clearly understood that because I have emphasized the fact that a cattle dog should be a quiet, clean biter, I do not mean that he should rip a beast from hock to heel, or any such barbarity, not that he should bite at any time without occasion. At the same time, as every cattleman knows, a bite in the foot (at the right time)is worth a hundred lost beasts in the bush.
Kaleski, Robert. “Cattle-Dogs.” Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales. Vol 14, Issue 2. Aug, 1903.
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