By Haley Robison
They say dog is a man’s best friend, and they aren’t wrong. But unlike most family dogs, the ranch dog has a job. The ranch dog is like another hired hand. Young farmers and ranchers, like ourselves, can use all the extra help we can get.
Foxy is our blue heeler/border collie. She has been by my husband’s side since the day we got her. Day in and day out Foxy has worked with Max, even before we were ranching on our own. Foxy was right there with him. While she may not always get things right, she is usually extremely helpful when it comes to cow work. Foxy is an expert in pushing cows up the chute, blocking the gaps in gates when we need to drive through, moving cattle, sorting bulls, and so much more. She does get a little shy when it comes to sorting fresh pairs, thought, after being rolled by an angry momma cow or two. The help she has provided us is priceless. Having small children, sometimes mean it is solely up to my husband to move some cows or pull bulls, but that job becomes a little less daunting when he knows he will have Foxy with him to be the second person.
Being a ranch dog, I was a little bit worried about how Foxy would be around kids. She didn’t have much experience with children, and heelers are often known to be a little more aggressive, but ever since we brought home Little Max, Foxy has been right there to keep an eye on him. She tolerates every tail pull, being chased with a rope when he pretends she’s a cow, and even puts up with being Little Max’s “horse.” Not that she hasn’t set her boundaries with him, but she has become such a softy ever since Max was born. Little Max now claims Foxy as, “His dog not dad’s!” She even started sleeping in Little Max’s bed every night. My husband often sends me pictures when I am gone with the boys, and it’s always of Foxy nestled into Max’s bed, missing her little partner in crime.
I believe ranchers hold a different kind of love and respect for their working dogs. We appreciate their determination and talent. We love them like family, but at the same time respect that they are animals. We respect their purpose in life, just like we respect the purpose of our livestock. We love our Foxy girl!
Haley is the NDFB Southwest Field Representative. This post first appeared on the My NDFB Life blog and is the perfect post for #nationaldogday