Working cattle dogs

Man, I wish I had a litter so I could sell you one of my ACDs. I'm partial of course, but I think they are great farm dogs. In general, they are exceedingly loyal, tough, protective, love to ride anywhere, are relatively easy to train and are very smart. Most of them don't work on the same level as a border collie for example, but they still can get the job done. They work well, protect the farm and its people, love routine, are territorial and, again, very loyal. I feel these qualities make them a good all-around farm dog. 

If you do decide to get an ACD, here are my suggestions:
1. Buy from a breeder who knows what a real ACD should look like. Tons of breeders out there will say their stock is registered, but when you did deeper, you find they are not AKC registered, but a "hardship registry". This means, for a fee, they can "register" anything they want as an ACD. AKC is the only closed stud book for ACDs in this country. Don't let a breeder try to fool you with this BS. Having said that, I don't particularly love the smaller, finer built ACD the AKC promotes these days. I don't think they meet breed standard at all. Most back yard breeders have even less of an idea what an ACD should really look like. Again, don't be fooled by rare color, blue eyes are normal BS. 

2. Buy from someone who's dogs actually work on a daily basis. I personally have no time for breeders that say their stock work daily, and can only show them catching a frisbee. That's a great trick, mine don't even know what a frisbee is. Mine do, however, live in the barn, not on my couch lol! 

3. Buy from someone who only breeds a litter once a year or every couple years. Typically, those that crank out litters routinely, are not doing it to raise the best working dogs they can, they are doing it for money. That's fine, but not a program I personally want a dog out of. I also prefer to see ACDs go to working homes, not the city life. I'm really not impressed by how well an ACD can litter train and behave at the dog park, then hold down the couch later. I want a dog that can and will work. 

I had a Blue Heeler, Buster, who I used when I had trouble getting one to move where I needed it to be. Otherwise, feed would always motivate the cows to the directed pen. There was always one in the bunch that would run everywhere else but where she was supposed to go. I really hate messing with this kind of cow.

But Buster would get after that azz, and she would gladly go where she could get relief. I wish I had of been a better trainer with Buster as he surely did enjoy working cattle. Such a loyal, overly smart dog he was. It was the owner that fell short of his duties. These dogs treat humans like they do cattle. They have the minds to think way ahead of time and they study the cows to control them. They also study our habits and know what we are about to do too. Sometimes having a smarter dog than the owner can be humiliating.

He sounds a lot like our Heeler Jip she could have been a real good dog but her owners have held her potential back by not knowing how to work with her. She has picked up on driving them out of the feeding lot and can help get them in the barn. She has a stubborn streak too though if she wasn’t highly food motivated she would be impossible to deal with at times. She will actually argue with my wife. Wife will tell her no and Jip will respond with a half bark half growl sound and it goes back and forth until Jip finally gives up and huffs at her and walks away. She was pretty much my wife’s dog until I started taking her out to feed cattle and she has bonded equally with me now. She had a litter of pups about a year and a half ago by my Border Collie. I always say that the 2 we kept got the best and worst traits of both of them. They will come easily on command but have the quirks of both parents especially the BC part