We have a heeler we rescued from the streets....

[EggSighted4Life]

preferably one with cattle or sheep.

A job can be anything you teach them to do.

Frisbee is a great job! My heeler doesn't appreciate as Frisbee as much as tennis... but his worn k9 teeth demand it.

Old dogs can be taught new tricks... including protecting chickens instead of killing them! Chasing prey is what comes natural to them... until they are taught the difference and have expectation set for them. I'm not a big Ceaser Millan fan... but exercise, discipline, affection... IS an effective tool for training. REAL exercise, not a walk at human pace. We even play hide and seek.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I just will never trust her again around my chicken. Once a flock killer always a flock killer. I do love her enough to have spent crazy money vetting her. I just have no plans to keep her.

 

[Zinjifrah]

I have a heeler with his tail in tact and I must say.. part of the reason they docked the tail on Queensland heelers was to hide their true heritage back in the day... is my understanding. You know many people think the bent tail on cats is a break... it's actually a sign of inbreeding. IMHO... there is MORE to this practice than meets the eye... in it's origin... and people ignorantly follow suit instead of looking at the actual function.

No way NO HOW is a heeler gonna get his tail stepped on by a cow! What kind of dog lazes around sleeping while a giant target towers over it? Excuses is what that is.

Dogs use their tails for balance like a rudder. When he runs and jumps the tail pumps to help him get height. When he lands it circles around like a parasol to help slow him down. When running and switching courses you can see the tail go in the opposite direction for counter balance. Without his tail my boy would look like an average cattle dog. With his tail... he is one of the cutest! It shows of his color has rings like a lemur, makes him resemble a fox, and is sooo expressive of his personality.

The amount of brush a dog keeps in their tail is relative to the kind of fur they have. I see chow dogs keep the whole forest... but my heeler, NOT a single bur or sticker after going through the same area. There are reasons different coats have different textures.

Nena is cute! My boy is also a red heeler who protects his chickens. His dad was a red and his mom was a blue both with docked tails... but fortunately their owner has some sense.

Heelers are a special breed. I probably won't have any more due to their demanding need for a job. But well socialized and trained, very loving and devoted, obedient dogs!

I had a lab/border collie mix who got his tail stepped on by a horse. My horse, specifically... and it was entirely deliberate. He was being an ass, barking at them when they were trying to eat, then got distracted and looked the other way... she immediately snuck over and planted a hoof on his tail. And stood there, while all four of his legs went into hyper-drive trying to get away, and going nowhere.

His tail wasn't broken, but his ego was badly bruised when she let him go. And he deserved every bit of it. Unfortunately, someone poisoned him recently.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Unfortunately, someone poisoned him recently.

Great story, until the end.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful memory and experience... guess I'm not very familiar with sneaky and full of their own personality other animals that are part of the herding factor in many instances.

I just will never trust her again around my chicken. Once a flock killer always a flock killer. I do love her enough to have spent crazy money vetting her. I just have no plans to keep her.

Ya, I'm sure I would feel the same way. And I was definitely thinking I still wouldn't trust her either. So awesome that you have been kind and good to her!

Also, when thinking about it... meant to say sorry for your loss.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I had a lab/border collie mix who got his tail stepped on by a horse. My horse, specifically... and it was entirely deliberate. He was being an ass, barking at them when they were trying to eat, then got distracted and looked the other way... she immediately snuck over and planted a hoof on his tail. And stood there, while all four of his legs went into hyper-drive trying to get away, and going nowhere.

His tail wasn't broken, but his ego was badly bruised when she let him go. And he deserved every bit of it. Unfortunately, someone poisoned him recently.

That is so sad to hear someone poisoned your horses ass of a dog. He sounds like he was a wonderful animal.

 

[Zinjifrah]

That is so sad to hear someone poisoned your horses ass of a dog. He sounds like he was a wonderful animal.

He was a work in progress. He was almost a year old when I ended up with him... the man who owned him before that let him run loose all over the area, never trained him at all, and moved out of the house he was renting in the middle of the night - without paying his rent, and without taking his dog. A woman in the area was going to adopt him, but needed to wait until she moved. I offered to keep him until she did so, which was supposed to be one week... the day she was supposed to take him, I got a 4 a.m. text saying she didn't want him any more. So.. I ended up with a fourth dog. He promptly got a crash course in obedience and house-dog manners, his shots, castrated, and micro-chipped. Unfortunately, NOT eating everything he could get in his mouth wasn't something I'd managed to teach him before someone went around the area tossing poisoned meat out.

 

[AllenK RGV]

He was a work in progress. He was almost a year old when I ended up with him... the man who owned him before that let him run loose all over the area, never trained him at all, and moved out of the house he was renting in the middle of the night - without paying his rent, and without taking his dog. A woman in the area was going to adopt him, but needed to wait until she moved. I offered to keep him until she did so, which was supposed to be one week... the day she was supposed to take him, I got a 4 a.m. text saying she didn't want him any more. So.. I ended up with a fourth dog. He promptly got a crash course in obedience and house-dog manners, his shots, castrated, and micro-chipped. Unfortunately, NOT eating everything he could get in his mouth wasn't something I'd managed to teach him before someone went around the area tossing poisoned meat out.

View attachment 1484514

Nothing personal but we have one of these dogs. We call her Cookie. I will take a photo. Ours seems to have more nose freckles. She is an absolute sweetheart. I would never trade her for the world.

 

[AllenK RGV]

He was a work in progress. He was almost a year old when I ended up with him... the man who owned him before that let him run loose all over the area, never trained him at all, and moved out of the house he was renting in the middle of the night - without paying his rent, and without taking his dog. A woman in the area was going to adopt him, but needed to wait until she moved. I offered to keep him until she did so, which was supposed to be one week... the day she was supposed to take him, I got a 4 a.m. text saying she didn't want him any more. So.. I ended up with a fourth dog. He promptly got a crash course in obedience and house-dog manners, his shots, castrated, and micro-chipped. Unfortunately, NOT eating everything he could get in his mouth wasn't something I'd managed to teach him before someone went around the area tossing poisoned meat out.

View attachment 1484514

What a pretty little guy! You are so lucky.

 

[AllenK RGV]

The Coy heeler we are keeping. It is just the red we want to find a loving home for.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Also these giant cicadas are horrid. I have to listen to them all day long. Regardless this dog is so loyal I cant even take a shower without her in the room. I dream of the day I can shower by myself again. Like a big boy!