Rex crouched low along the dusty ground. The 4-year-old border
collie’s alert blue eyes were pegged steadfast on three heifers
pacing in the corral.
Rex crouched low along the dusty ground. The 4-year-old border collie’s alert blue eyes were pegged steadfast on three heifers pacing in the corral.
Nearby, riding a chestnut-tanned horse, Hollister resident Julie Carreiro called to the dog. “Down. Hey. Watch. Watch. Lie Down. Come here! Come! Here!”
One nervous cow started to bolt in the wrong direction. Rex instantly shot toward it. The cow kicked hind hooves dangerously up, but Rex agilely jumped out of range.
With canine confidence, he assertively guided the big animal toward the back of the open trailer. The cow complied, entering the trailer, followed by another heifer.
Rex was one of more than 50 competitors at the two-day regional ranch dog trial held last weekend at the historic Paicines Ranch. Set among the golden hills just south of the San Benito County hamlet of Paicines, the event was one of seven in a series throughout California. Cowdogs from as far north as Red Bluff and as far south as San Diego came to demonstrate their skills in herding cattle.
The trials tested the dogs in a partnership with horse and human handler in navigating three cows through a labyrinth of corral gates, fenced chutes and alleys and a horse trailer. The maximum amount of time allowed for each dog to get through the course was 13 minutes.
Rex finished in 9 minutes, 9 seconds. With a smile on his canine face, he hopped into a black plastic tub of water to cool off. Carreiro started hosing down his black and white fur.
“I’ll tell you what,” she said. “This dog has so much heart. He’d literally die for you if you let him.”
Carreiro manages the Hollister Animal Shelter and found Rex when he was 10 months old. Someone brought him to the shelter because the dog kept chasing guinea hens around the barnyard. From years of breeding, border collies have an instinctive need to herd creatures around, she said.
“He wanted to work all the time,” she said. “He was such a pretty dog. I thought it’d be a shame to put him to sleep without giving him a chance with the cattle.”
Carreiro’s husband Jim raises cattle on county ranch land he leases. He finds the dogs are extremely useful in helping herd the livestock, she said.
For the last two years, she has competed with Rex as well as 3-year-old Koby, another border collie, in several ranch dog trials throughout coastal California.
“I’m really excited about my dogs,” she said. “They’re getting better and better as we go along.”
Dogs have been helping ranchers in California since the days of the Spanish land grants, said Chris Ketcham, manager at the Paicines Ranch. Their four-legged dexterity allows them to reach cattle in hard-to-reach areas such as steep canyons and river ravines.
“They find cattle in the hills,” Ketcham said. “You get a good dog, they’re hard to beat… The object here is to have low stress cattle herding. Instead of a lot of people whooping and hollering, it’s better to use one dog.”
Training for a cowdog can vary widely, he said. Some handlers start young dogs off by herding ducks or sheep. And some dogs naturally feel more courageous than others and are able to confidently maneuver through a herd of trotting beef, Ketcham said.
He gazed in the distance at Ellie, a 14-month-old border collie, as handler Merle Newton on horseback whistled to her to bring three heifers up a slope at the start of the course.
“Come Ellie, get her!” Newton called in a gentle voice “That’s a girl.”
Newton opened a gate and Ellie guided the three cows into the first corral.
“A lot of it is the handler, too,” Ketcham said. “He has to work with the horse as well as the dog and cows…. You have to get all four working in harmony in order for this to work.”
One ornery cow seemed to sass the dog along. Ellie snapped at its back heel for a second.
“That’ll do, Ellie,” Newton said in a casual tone.
The work for the cowdogs is not only hard, it can be dangerous. It’s rare, but sometimes dogs get hurt, especially if horned cattle lance at them. Mama cows with new-born calves can be especially dangerous because their natural instinct is to protect the young ones from what they think is a threat.
“Every now and then, the dogs get kicked and get hurt,” Ketcham said.
After successfully completing the course, Newton rested with his horse and Ellie by the plastic tub. While the morning sun hovered overhead, flies buzzed over manure on the hay-strewn ground.
The cowboy loves ranch dogs so much that for the last 20 years, he’s made his living training them at his Crystal Rose Cowdog College in Red Bluff. Last year, his ranch was the site for the National Championship competition for ranch dog finals.
Ellie did an exceptional job in getting the cattle through the corral maze on Sunday morning. After her soak in the plastic tub, a wet Ellie licked a reporter’s face to show her friendship.
“Every dog is different, they have a different personality and way of responding,” Newton said. “Ellie is the type of dog that you have to be her friend.”
A skilled cowdog has a natural love for herding cattle, Newton said, and Ellie has definitely demonstrated that early on.
“That’s what they live for,” he said. “I think they’re like people. Some of us have instincts or a natural desire to do things. It’s the same with dogs.”
A cooperative spirit also needs to develop in the partnership between dog, handler and horse in herding cattle, Newton said. Even at her young age, Ellie has shown great talent for the teamwork required for such a demanding job.
“She’s a very exceptional dog,” Newton said with obvious admiration. “They don’t come like her every day.”
Martin Cheek is a contributing writer.
