n today's highly mechanized and technological­ In this article, which covers many of the topics present­ ly advanced age, opportunities to witness cattle ed at the AKC Advanced Institute on Herding Breeds, we and sheep ranchers husband their stock from will discuss the specialized function of cattle-driving dogs If"iiiiiii... range and farm to market are rare. Even the old and how these breeds were developed for this essential Western movies, glorifying the cowboy life on work. Although terrain, geography and economics gave the range, gave but a poor representation of the true task rise to distinctly different styles of dogs, the common job involved. In fact, today's most visible testimony to the of herding bovines dictated fundamental similarities in hardy men and their herding dogs who provide the leg­ structure and mentality in the four breeds. work that gets food to our tables are the IS-ounce beef­ Whether it is the Aust•·alian Cattle Dog driving range steaks and racks of lamb sizzling on the barbecue. cows thousands of miles across the dusty outback, or the 38 A KC GAZETTE l11 this. tl1e first h1stalln1ent o£ a three-part series 011 the AI((~ Advan<:ed lnstit'Llte on l-lerdi11g Breeds. we tal{e a11 up-<:lose loolt at the [orm a11d f'Lln<:tion of <:attle-driving dogs. By lllttis Davern Bouvier des Flandres and the two Welsh Corgis moving Cardigan were developed with both terrain and economics dairy cows from barn to pasture, cattle-herding dogs must in mind. Farmers who owned and used them were often have the physical aptitude and mental attitude to control stretched to make ends meet, so a small dog that wouJd their charges and guard their owner's prope•·ty and family. take up less room and food was regarded as an asset. The Pembroke dates back to the I Oth century. It is The Pembroke and commonly believed that its ancestors, early Spitz-type breeds such as the Schipperke and Pomeranian, had been Cardigan Welsh Corgis brought to Wales by Flemish weavers who founded the The smallest cattle movers in the Herding Group are b1·eed. Aptly named Corgi, or "dwarf dog," by its Welsh the two Corgis from Wales. Both the Pembroke and the owners, the name Pembroke was added later to distin- JANUARY 2000 39 guish the breed from a similar dog in the Cardiganshire The Pemhroke Wellh Corgi, bottom Left, and region of Wales, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. the Cardigan Weub In true Welsh tradition, an early legend regarding Corgi, top Left, both have Pembrokes claimed that they were the mounts of the fairy watchful expre.J<Jiolt<l. folk and that they slipped away from their farms at night The Pemhroke'.l bead iJ to play with the elves. The marks of the "fairy saddle" can known for i& foxirze.J<J, still be seen in the coat over the shoulders. In reality, this intelligent, happy little dog duced the Dachshund. was a great asset to Welsh Used for guarding and farme•·s, driving intruding beating out game, the cattle and other unwanted Cardigan's uses were animals from unfenced many and varied. Its lands, controlling vermin in greatest achievement the barn and protecting the came much later, how­ home from intruders. ever, when on the Although crossings with unfenced "common" the neighboring Cardigan land used for grazing by many crofters, or tenant farm­ Welsh Corgi were recorded ers, it would drive its owner's cattle to the available pas­ early on, the Pembroke was ture by nipping at their heels. The crofters often called recognized in the 1920s as a upon their dogs to clear "his" ground of his neighbors' purebred dog and, in 1934, stock and, with a speed remarkable for such short legs, the Corgis were classified as the Cardigan would respond. Although there was a lack distinct breeds. From the of record keeping in the breed's formative years, there 1950s onward, the Pembroke's association with the British was a rigid policy of selective breeding that is unsur­ royal family, the appearance of a Corgi family on the cover passed today. The original Cardigan Welsh Corgis had to of the FannJoumaL and the breed's fame on the television be proficient workers; there could be no excuses. film LittLe Dog Lo.Jt, skyrocketed its popularity in the United In order to fulfill the farmers' needs, both Welsh Corgis States. Subsequently, the illustrations ofTasha Tudor have had to be sturdy and bold, with tremendous stamina, a sen­ gladdened the hearts of children and parents alike. sible and dependable disposition, and a strong guarding The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is one of the oldest breeds instinct. These attributes continue to make them ideal and in the British Isles, arriving with the Celts at about 1200 valued companions today in rural and urban homes alike. B. C. It is a member of the same canine family that pro- Despite their Low stature and comparatively small size De.~pite their <Jhort­ in relation to legge<J <Jtature, the the other cattle Weuh Corgi.! are herders, the same more than capahle attitude required ofhandling cattle to move this stock <JeJ•e~·al time.~ their pervades the very <Jize. Both hreeUd marrow of the are .Jl:ur(}y tllld Corgis. And what hof(), with <Jtamina, a sight to see <leJt<lihilitJJ and a when the big dog guardill!J i11<Jtinct. in a Little package takes on the likes of an Angus Bull! As herd­ ing trainer and judge Carol Delsman has remarked, "It is not the size of the dog, it's the size of the heart that gets the job done." There are a number of differences between the two Corgis. The Cardigan is a , heavier-boned, longer and ·:., somewhat higher-stationed ·;g~:tkc'.:·:~ • dog with an undecked tail. ·, Its ears are large and round- i,it;,/;$.f:;:r:~&~i'c-x ed at the tip, and its head is strong. The most unusual structural part is the front ' legs, which are slightly ' bowed, acting as a special­ l ized shock absorber to 40 AKC GAZETTE enable this front-wheel-drive dog to work at high speed acres, demanded a dog of unusual endurance, coupled with over rough ground without breaking down. intelligence and courage to control the recalcitrant stock The Pembroke, on the other hand, is shorter-bodied and and make independent decisions regarding their welfare. lighter boned, with straighter legs. The ears are not as What emerged was a strong, compact, symmetrically rounded and the whole impression of the head is foxy. The built working dog with the appearance of substance, tail is docked as short as possible. Both breeds require free power, balance and hard muscular condition, as well as and smooth movement, covering ground efficiently . Their agili ty and endurance. The head was strong and broad, weather-resistant double coats - the Pembroke's is a little with only a sli ght stop and the foreface well-filled beneath finer textured - were designed to deal with the inclement the eyes. Carol Delsman, who uses Cattle Dogs for stock weather of theiJ· native land. Like their talle•· peers, the work on her ranch, cannot emphasize enough the critical Welsh Corgis exhibit a remarkable int·elligence and loyalty need for that flll to absorb the shock of a steers kick so to their owners. They too need to be used and be useful, to that the dog can come out of the fray intact. achieve their full potential and reAect their heritage. With a powerful jaw, strongly built muzzle and a scissors bite, this breed is designed to nip cattle efficiently. The heavily muscled neck, carried low to protect the throat from 'fhe Australian Cattle Doq kicks, presents a picture of power and determination. On The Australian Cattle Dog, known as the AuCaDo, is a the range, away from immediate medical help, the fate of a peerless drover of cantankerous range cattle that spend stricken working dog is often not a happy one. The need for thei •· lives away from humans and civilization. In the early 1800s, Australian cattlemen tried crossing traditional herding breeds, most of which specialized -·- .. The Atutralimz Cattle Dog t".:! a hm·'Qy breeu with the .Jlrength mUJ .Jtn mina to with.JtatW in working sheep, with the native long-ot".:!tance uroving dingo, a wi ld dog with natural anu the attituue to hardiness and exceptional skill take on even the nw.Jt at driving prey. There was little cnlltnlzkerotu cattle. doubt that the resulting dogs With well-placeJ eye.~ could work cattle well, but they anu a powerful muzzle were found to be difficult to con­ anujaw, the Cattle trol and severe biters. In the 1840s, a settler named Dog hM a wioe range ofvi.Jwn mzo an ahility Thomas Hall crossed blue-merle to !Up the heel.! ofitJ smooth Collies with dingoes, pro­ a strong broad skull, deep muzzle and good underjaw natu­ chnrge.~ to move them. ducing dogs that worked so well rally becomes of paramount importance. they were in great demand by cattlemen. In 1902, Robert Always awa1·e of the nature of the stock their dogs had Kaleski, a breeder and exhibitor of what was then known to manage, early breeders put great importance on eye as the Queensland heeler or blue heeler, drew up the first placement and size. Well-set-apart, the Cattle Dog's eyes standard for the Australian Cattle Dog, which was later give it the necessa•y wide range of vision for its work. recognized by the Kennel Club of New South Wales.