Savannah is a typical cattle dog bitch. She has the drive and energy to insist that Roper and Dallas yield to her. She can be so very frustrating at times, but is absolutely the most endearing dog I have ever owned. I am totally in love with this little red head stinker. In retrospect, I probably would have changed her name to Lucy cause she usually has some 'splainin' to do. However, Savannah was named for a little girl who was with the rescue person when she was removed from Animal Control. The name was so pretty that I kept it.
Savannah has the typical Australian Cattle Dog brains, she is a thinking dog and learns quickly. The only time that I see her being reactive is when she is stimulated by activities such as our going outside to do yard work. She tends to get hyper-stimulated and that is when she is most likely to start a fight with one of the boys. I believe that a LOT of this is just due to her age. She is now somewhere around two years old and I expect some maturing as time progresses. Hopefully that is not completely wishful thinking or dreaming. haha
One thing that I have not experienced with any of my cattle dogs is a destructive behavior. My dogs do not destroy property. Why? Because I keep them under foot. They share my space during the day OR they are in their vari-kennel crates if I am away from the house. Crating is very effective for training a nice dog that does not destroy or mess the house. As a matter of fact, while I am working on this page I have four dogs at my feet. It can get crowded in here.
My dogs are city dogs and they have a small yard by comparison to many dogs, but they DO NOT NEED a large yard. What a cattle dog needs most is to be an active and interactive part of your life. Share your life and home with them and they will be the most loyal and affectionate dog you can imagine or dream of.
A puppy can be quite a challenge as they are extremely active and use their teeth a LOT. These guys are bred to heel cattle and in the absence of cattle they will heel the human. You will see a link on my Guide page to Mark's Abbotts FAQ's and that link provide a great deal of wise training advice specifically written by cattle dog people. Again, the puppy will be much less destructive if you keep him underfoot or kenneled depending on the circumstances.
What I like about the cattle dog is their confidence and the willingness to come back for more. Heck, they were bred to take a kick and go back to work. I like that. If you want a submissive dog, you likely won't like most cattle dogs.
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UPDATE JULY 2005 - I witnessed Savannah having a seizure in May. She is now on potassium bromide and thus far no more seizures. Our vet suspects that her unexplained aggression issues are related to the seizure activity somehow. Savannah has been much less volatile since being on her medication. We all feel badly that this was not discovered before the damage was done to Dallas, but are relieved that it has been discovered and is being treated. |
