English Shepherd
Background and History
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When it comes to handling bad cattle in timber, one good dog can accomplish
more than four or five of the best cowhands that ever straddled a saddle.
Here a Trinity River cowman tells about his
BRAG DOG
By Terry Sanders
April 1957 True West. Reprinted with permission.
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I’m a cowdog man. Don’t get me wrong; I love a good horse. I’ll drive hundreds of miles to a calf-roping or a cow-cutting contest and enjoy every minute of it. But when it comes to getting cattle in the pen, any old plug horse will do as long as I have a pair of good cowdogs.
Reckon I’m a cowdog man by inheritance. My grandfather, Bruce Coates, and my uncles, Ray and Little Bruce, ran longhorns in the Trinity River bottom south of Kerens, Texas, for years. They had learned early in the game that the best cowhorse in the world can’t keep up with a wild cow in the postoak timber. That is, not if the rider wants to stay on his mount.
Cowdogs were essential to my grandfather and my uncles. They kept “find dogs” to locate and trail wild cattle, “drive dogs” to herd them, and “ketch dogs” to catch and throw the rough ones.
Little Bruce tells of the time old Jackfire, a hound-shepherd cross, jumped a renegade steer on a hillside near the Cottonwood Thicket. The steer, a fat, brown longhorn about ten years old, headed for the bottom with Jackfire and a couple of half-grown pups close behind.
All afternoon the struggle went on, with the steer trying to lose the dogs in the tangle of mud, poison oak and tallow weed. Finally, just before dark, the dogs brought him out on Bird Prairie where one of the boys got a rope on him.
Bruce had a pit bulldog that he used as a “ketch dog.” Bruce and Ray were trying to up-grade their cattle with good bulls about that time, and they had a Durham bull that was bad about breaking into cornfields.
One day this bull jumped a field near the house. Bruce whistled for Brownie and walked out to the edge of the field. He pointed the bull out to the dog, and Brownie took off. The bull bolted just as the dog got to him, so Brownie didn’t have a chance to grab his nose. He jumped for the bull and fastened onto the root of his tail.
The old bull lit out down the corn middle with the dog swinging out behind him like a flag. As Bruce tells it, “Brownie’s hold started slipping, and he slid down that tail an inch at a time – and that old bull bawled twice for every inch he slid! That bull got plumb educated right then and there. After that, ten cowboys couldn’t have put him back in that field again.”
I always loved to hear the tales about “find dogs” and “ketch dogs,” but the yarns that appealed to me most were the ones about the English Shepherds that Bruce and Ray kept to drive cattle. They had four or five of these wonderful shepherds most of the time; shaggy black-and-tan or black-and-white dogs, with broad, short heads and more brains than most men.
When the boys moved a herd cross-country, they always took along two or three of the shepherds. If a steer broke away from the bunch, the cowboys just kept riding. One or more of the dogs would heel the steer before he got far. Usually, heeling was all that was necessary to bring him back into the herd; but if he kept going, the dogs stayed with him, nipping his hind legs every step he took. That gets to be mighty discouraging to a steer after a spell, and he soon decides that the safest place to be is right back in the middle of the herd.
One spring, a flash flood caught a sizeable bunch of the Coates’ cattle in the river bottom. Instead of heading for the hills, they climbed up on the first knoll they came to, and stood there bawling while the water got deeper and deeper.
Little Bruce hauled a rowboat to the edge of the water in a wagon. He put three English Shepherds in it and rowed around until he located the cattle. Then he threw the dogs into the water and started for shore. The dogs swam from cow to cow, nipping tails, hips, backs, anything they could get hold of. One old cow started after the boat, and soon the whole bunch was swimming for safety. The dogs stayed behind them until every one was ashore.
Finally the open range was fenced and plowed, planted in cotton and corn. When people quit raising cattle they no longer needed cowdogs; so, by the time I came along, the great English Shepherds were only a memory in my territory.
Then, nearly twenty years ago, the country began to change again. The land was too worn out from row-cropping to make much cotton or corn, and the price of cattle began to edge upward. Men in overalls became a rarity on the street; instead, one saw cowboys in blue jeans and big hats. We were living in cow-country once more.
Like just about everybody else in the area, I bought a little bunch of cattle. That’s when the trouble started! Seemed like it didn’t make a bit of difference how gentle a cow was; when I turned her into the pasture, she got real independent. After a few days in the blackjack and postoak thickets, the gentlest cow decided that she could dodge a rider indefinitely – and she generally could.
Figuring that faster horses was the answer, I got quarter horses. They helped a lot when we had cattle in the open, but weren’t worth a damn at getting cows out of the woods.
At this point, I would have given my eye-teeth for a pair of English Shepherds like granddad had told me about, but I didn’t know where to find them. The American Kennel Club didn’t register any such breeds. None of the dog magazines mentioned them.
Then, one lucky day, I spotted an advertisement in a farm magazine. Tom Stodghill, of Quinlan, Texas, was advertising “Genuine, old-fashioned, black-and-tan English Shepherds.”
I had a letter in the mail before dark, and it wasn’t many days until the expressman set a dog crate on my back steps. I opened the crate door, and out ambled a gawky three-months-old black-and-tan pup. I didn’t know it at the time, but that lanky pup was to become my “brag dog.”
I named him Pepper Joe. When he was five months old I took him to the pasture for the first time. Carrol Thompson and I were going to catch a couple of horses and ride over the place, and I thought it would be a good time to introduce Joe to some livestock.
As soon as we located the horses, we saw that something was wrong. They were milling around in a corner of the pasture; when they saw us, they headed for the woods. One of my best colts was limping badly. She had been in the wire, and the smell of blood had excited the others.
I wanted to catch the colt, for it was worm season; but couldn’t get close to her. We followed the horses into the woods on foot, trailing as best we could by the occasional hoofprint or splash of blood on the leaves.
Within a few minutes we noticed that Joe had his nose to the ground, trailing the colt. He stuck to the trail and forty-five minutes before we caught up with the horses and got them into a corner. Without Joe, it would have taken us hours.
Soon after that I sold my cattle, so Joe didn’t have a chance to work until he was a year old. Joe Baxter and his dad had a bunch of cattle in a pasture near Baszette, and I went out one morning with Baxter to pen them. We were both riding green-broke colts, and we carried Joe and a six-month-old pup called Yap.
The corral was in the worst possible place – on tope of a hill, with no fence or wing leading up to it. Baxter told me he had one blue roan cow that had been in this pasture two years. They had never been able to pen her in this corral.
We left the dogs in the pickup and rode until we found the cattle – about thirty-five head. The blue cow was with them. We moved the bunch along slow and got them up to the corral without much trouble. Getting them into the pen was a different story! That cussed blue cow broke away every time we tried to force her through the gate, as the colts just couldn’t handle fast enough to put her in.
After about two hours hard work, he had all the cows except eight in the pen. It looked as though we’d have to get older horses to put those in, so Baxter finally agreed to let me try my untrained dogs.
We opened the end-gate and let them out. I pointed to the cow and yelled, and Joe and the pup built to her. They carried her around the corral and in the gate as though they had done it a thousand times. The minute they got to the gate, they stopped and picked out another cow. They made nine trips around that corral and put in eight cows – all in about ten minutes. The blue cow went in just like the rest.
That was about four years ago. The old blue cow didn’t go into the corral again until about two months ago, when Joe Bob Ivey, my partner, carried Heeler, our young stud, and Fannie, one of our brood females, out to Baxter’s pasture and penned her again.
It didn’t take long for news of my dogs to get around. Pretty soon, any of my friends who had wild cattle to pen wanted to use them. Just about any old bunch-quitter that will ignore a man on a horse will head for the middle of the herd after he has been heeled a time or two; so the dogs built quite a reputation. I took Joe out, sometimes by himself, sometimes with another dog, and he always penned the cattle without any trouble.
That is, he didn’t have any trouble until the Brahma bull got into the Bain pasture.
Bob Bain was riding fence one morning, when he noticed that a big, black Brahma bull had jumped into his pasture. The Bains raise whiteface cattle, so Bob figured he’d better get the bull out of there. He eased up toward and bull and waved his rope. The bull stood there and pawed. Bob moved in a little closer and the bull charged.
The colt whirled, but he didn’t quite make it. The bull caught him square in the side, and set him over about six feet. He lit running and got safely away.
That afternoon, Bob and I went back to the pasture with four dogs: Joe, a heeling little female named Coon, and the two best seven-month pups I ever owned, Black Gal and Patsy. Ellis Rhynes had been using the pups every day. They were lean as hounds and in top shape. Coon had been sick, so we knew she wouldn’t be able to work long. Joe had been lying around the yard in town, and was fat and soft.
When we reached the pasture, we found that two more Brahma bulls had joined the first one. We set the dogs on the newcomers, and they put them out of the pasture in a hurry. Bob and I started congratulating each other; it looked like the job was about over.
We rode up as close to the black bull as we dared, and told the dogs to take him. They went at his hind legs, the way they were bred to do, and the old bull launched a kick that sent Black Gal flying through the air. That big, black devil stood in one spot and kicked every few seconds, whether there was a dog heeling him or not. It didn’t take much of that business to teach the dogs to stay away from the back end of that bull, and figure out new tactics.
Coon and the pups started working on the bull’s sides, and Joe started cutting his nose. He’d work in a tight little figure-eight, and every time he got to the middle of the figure, he cut the bull’s nose. The bull nearly got him with a horn a dozen times, but Joe was so agile he always managed to escape.
The dogs worked steadily for about fifteen minutes, pulled off for a short rest in the creek, and went back at the bull. They kept it up forty-five minutes this time, and the bull hadn’t moved ten yards. The pups were still in fair shape, but Coon was completely played out and Joe was slowing up more and more. I was afraid one of the dogs would get killed if they kept at it, so I called them off.
Bob had a twelve-gauge shotgun with him. He loaded it with birdshot, aimed at the bull and let fly from a distance of about fifteen yards. The bull grunted and moved a step as the shot hit him, but he didn’t run. Bob shot seven more times and still and bull didn’t move. We gave up.
Early the next morning, we went to the pasture on a wild hog hunt. We didn’t intend to bother the bull, but when the old cuss saw the dogs he moved fast. He headed for the back fence at a high trot and jumped it with plenty to spare. The last we saw of him, he was still going.
That’s the only bull I’ve ever seen that a dog couldn’t move. Most of them just can’t stand to have a dog heel them.
A couple of years ago we bought a Santa Gertrudis bull. He was fairly gentle to handle, but was bad about jumping out of the pasture. Ellis was handling our cattle, and – as Patsy and Black Gal had died – I had given him one of Joe’s pups out of Coon. Ellis named her Cooney-Jo. She had been a pretty pup, but a bad attack of worms had stunted her. She was thin as a rail and didn’t weigh over twenty pounds.
The Santa Gertrudis bull jumped out that day, and I told Ellis I’d go get the horses, so we could put him back in the pasture. Ellis lit a cigarette and said without cracking a smile, “Jus’ sit still. My cowdog’ll put that bull back in.”
Well, it seemed silly to send that scrawny little pup after the bull, but I kept my mouth shut and sat down to watch. Man, it was a pretty sight! Cooney-Jo slipped in behind the bull and nipped his heel. She dropped to the ground when he kicked, his hoof went right over her head. She heeled him a second time. He gave up and jumped back into our pasture.
Another of Joe’s pups in owned by Jack Dove of Kent, Washington. She goes for the milk cows each morning and evening. It’s a mile to the back side of Jack’s pasture, and she has been making the trip alone since she was just a few months old.
Jim Bob and I have sold Joe’s pups into just about every cattle state in the nation. All of them carried a money-back guarantee and not one has ever been returned as unsatisfactory, although we have had to replace a few pups by other sires.
But it’s not just because Joe is an outstanding sire of cowdogs that I think so highly of him. There are other sires that are probably as good – Tom Stodghill’s Bozo and Bodhark; Ernest Hestand’s Solomon, to name three. Those dogs are top sires in any company.
There are better working dogs than Joe, too. Bob Bain has a pup named Amigo that is a more vicious heeler; he has been replacing two cowboys since he was nine months old. Our own junior stud, Heeler, works cattle as quietly and efficiently as a Border Collie works sheep; he’s going to be a better worker than Joe.
No, the thing that rates Joe ace-high with me is his savvy. He always seems to know instinctively to do the right thing at the right time. Like the first time we took him wild hog hunting.
The river bottom near Rural Shade is full of wild hogs that are descended from domestic breeds. Most of the time they stay in the bottom and live on acorns and roots, but in the late summer they sometimes raid the cornfields on the edge of the bottom.
The summer Joe was two years old the wild hogs were particularly destructive. Their cornfield raiding got so bad that Bob, Ellis, and I decided to catch us some hogs. Ellis had a pair of hounds, Happy and Blue, that were experienced hogdogs. I took Joe along just to see what he would do.
We were walking through bloodweeds neck deep, when the hounds jumped a drove of hogs. Joe had been following us – probably wondering where the cows were – but when Happy opened up, Joe went right to him.
A couple of minutes later we heard a hog-dog fight that was a whang-dilly! When we got through the weeds, the scrap was all over. The hounds were standing by, baying, and Joe was sitting on the ground with his teeth fastened in the ear of a young boar. He had never caught anything before. I didn’t know how he knew he was supposed to catch the hog – he just knew. That’s the kind of dog he is.
Joe is a battle-scarred old veteran now. His muzzle is getting gray, and it tugs at your heart a little to see him growing old. He isn’t as active as he used to be and one front leg is getting a little stiff. I write this from an air base in Labrador, but my wife, who loves Joe even more than I do, feeds and spoils him. Sometimes Jim Bob Ivey or Sidney Westbrook work him a bit to keep him limbered up. He’s slowed down, sure, but he still has that keen instinct for doing the right thing at the right time.
On October 14, 1953, my two small boys, Bruce and Kent, were playing in the pasture. Joe was lying nearby, watching them. A horse wandered near. He had been mean dispositioned as a stallion, but had seemed gentle since he had been gelded, so my wife didn’t drive him away.
The horse looked at the boys a second or two, then backed his ears and charged. My wife ran to head him off, but she was too far away to reach him in time. Joe took off at the same instant and, lame leg and all, turned that horse just before he reached the boys.
I’ve raised and trained many a cowdog since the day I saw Pepper Joe for the first time. I intend to raise plenty more. But there’ll always be a special place in my heart for one. Pepper Joe will always be my Brag Dog.
MEET THE BREEDERS:
MITCHELL AND SHIRLEY ONEY
© 1995 by Vivian Flynt
TRANSCRIPT FROM AN INTERVIEW BY VIVIAN FLYNT
CONDUCTED FEBRUARY 19, 1995,
ON THE ONEY FARM OUTSIDE GREENWICH, OHIO
Q. Are you the one who got the two of you raising English Shepherds, Mitch?
A. (Mitch) Yes. We had an old English Shepherd. She got to be about 12 years old and we started looking around for a replacement for her. We just couldn’t find any. So we ended up getting a pair out of Texas.
Yes. We had an old English Shepherd. She got to be about 12 years old and we started looking around for a replacement for her. We just couldn’t find any. So we ended up getting a pair out of Texas.Q. When was this?
A. (Mitch) In 1982. From that pair I littered 12 pups. Pups just sold right away, so we just have gone on from there. We didn’t intend to get into it nearly as big as we are, but one thing just led to another.
In 1982. From that pair I littered 12 pups. Pups just sold right away, so we just have gone on from there. We didn’t intend to get into it nearly as big as we are, but one thing just led to another.Q. How many dogs do you have now?
A. (Mitch) Fourteen adult dogs. I remember English Shepherds back when I was a kid 50 years ago.
Fourteen adult dogs. I remember English Shepherds back when I was a kid 50 years ago.Q. Did you have one as a boy?
A. (Mitch) No, but they were in the area and we had dogs that I’m sure were mixtures of the English Shepherds and something else. But I can remember the black & tans being in the area back then, and there were more of them around than there are now. By far.
No, but they were in the area and we had dogs that I’m sure were mixtures of the English Shepherds and something else. But I can remember the black & tans being in the area back then, and there were more of them around than there are now. By far.Q. Shirley, did you have English Shepherds before you met Mitch?
A. (Shirley) No, not until we got together. I never heard of an English Shepherd before we got our first old dog, Lady.
No, not until we got together. I never heard of an English Shepherd before we got our first old dog, Lady.Q. Was Lady your original female?
A. (Shirley) Yes. We had her spayed because we weren’t going to raise puppies.
Yes. We had her spayed because we weren’t going to raise puppies.A. (Mitch)She lived to be 15-1/2.
She lived to be 15-1/2.Q. Who did you get your pair from in Texas?
A. (Mitch)From Tom Stodghill. I think there needs to be a lot of credit given to Tom Stodghill and Ed Emanuel. I think had it not been for those two old gentlemen, the English Shepherd breed would just about have disappeared. But they kept it going, and they were way up in their 80s. Those two people deserve a lot of credit for keeping it going.
From Tom Stodghill. I think there needs to be a lot of credit given to Tom Stodghill and Ed Emanuel. I think had it not been for those two old gentlemen, the English Shepherd breed would just about have disappeared. But they kept it going, and they were way up in their 80s. Those two people deserve a lot of credit for keeping it going.Q. Yes, they both established registries, didn’t they?
A. (Mitch)Yes, yes. Prior to that, you could see these dogs on the farms. That’s where you saw them. Because everyone up and down the road had livestock, whereas now they don’t. Between here and the next five or six miles going north, especially, you don’t see any livestock. The Mennonites, they all have livestock, but they’re the only ones in this area.
Yes, yes. Prior to that, you could see these dogs on the farms. That’s where you saw them. Because everyone up and down the road had livestock, whereas now they don’t. Between here and the next five or six miles going north, especially, you don’t see any livestock. The Mennonites, they all have livestock, but they’re the only ones in this area.Q. The farmers used their dogs to work stock?
A. (Mitch)Yes, plus they were family dogs. Just all-purpose, all-round dogs. If you wanted a hunting dog at night, that’s what you used it for at night. Bring the cows in in the daytime.
Yes, plus they were family dogs. Just all-purpose, all-round dogs. If you wanted a hunting dog at night, that’s what you used it for at night. Bring the cows in in the daytime.Q. Guard the house? Play with the kids?
A. (Mitch)Yes, good farming dogs. They keep woodchucks and wild animals away.
Yes, good farming dogs. They keep woodchucks and wild animals away.Q. So, do any of the dogs you have now go back to that original pair from Stodghill?
A. (Mitch)Yes, a lot of them do. Butch does. We got several dogs from Stodghill – four or five – then we got the one, Amy, from Rozene Snitker out of Texas also. Then we brought new blood in from different kennels all over the country, and tried to get something new in once in a while.
Yes, a lot of them do. Butch does. We got several dogs from Stodghill – four or five – then we got the one, Amy, from Rozene Snitker out of Texas also. Then we brought new blood in from different kennels all over the country, and tried to get something new in once in a while.Q. Have you always stayed with the black & tans?
A. (Mitch)All except for the dog that we got from Darron Wilson, Saluda Sue, which is a cross between a black & tan and a black & white. Darron’s Buddy was a black & white – an excellent dog. He crossed him with his black & tan, and we got the best black & tan out of the litter. As good as you can get crossing a black & tan and a black & white, which usually doesn’t work. But in this case it worked fairly well.
All except for the dog that we got from Darron Wilson, Saluda Sue, which is a cross between a black & tan and a black & white. Darron’s Buddy was a black & white – an excellent dog. He crossed him with his black & tan, and we got the best black & tan out of the litter. As good as you can get crossing a black & tan and a black & white, which usually doesn’t work. But in this case it worked fairly well.Q. Did you find any throwbacks when you used that dog later?
A. (Mitch)Yes, occasionally we’ll get a tricolor dog. What I call a tricolor. Most of your black & tans, you’ll see a little white on. But occasionally we’ll get what I call a tricolor. When you first look at that dog you see a black & white, but then when you examine him a little closer you’ll see tan dots above the eyes, tan on the muzzle, tan on the legs. To me, that’s a true old-fashioned tricolor English Shepherd. But what you usually get when you cross a black & white with a black & tan is a solid black dog. We lucked out. We were just lucky to get this. It’s made a good cross for us, and we’ll get some good pups out of this cross going back to Butch then.
Yes, occasionally we’ll get a tricolor dog. What I call a tricolor. Most of your black & tans, you’ll see a little white on. But occasionally we’ll get what I call a tricolor. When you first look at that dog you see a black & white, but then when you examine him a little closer you’ll see tan dots above the eyes, tan on the muzzle, tan on the legs. To me, that’s a true old-fashioned tricolor English Shepherd. But what you usually get when you cross a black & white with a black & tan is a solid black dog. We lucked out. We were just lucky to get this. It’s made a good cross for us, and we’ll get some good pups out of this cross going back to Butch then.Q. I’ve noticed that there’s a large range in size in English Shepherds. Do you have any idea why that is?
A. (Mitch)Oh, I guess that’s just personal preference. Some people will breed the big dogs to the big dogs, and other people will have a smaller line and that’s what you come up with – a smaller dog. But I personally like the bigger dog. Everybody doesn’t, but I do.
Oh, I guess that’s just personal preference. Some people will breed the big dogs to the big dogs, and other people will have a smaller line and that’s what you come up with – a smaller dog. But I personally like the bigger dog. Everybody doesn’t, but I do.A. (Shirley)I know this is true, because people will call in and, especially if they’ve had an English Shepherd before, they’ll ask about the size of dog and whatever they had before is what they’re interested in. If they’ve had larger dogs before, they want a larger size Shepherd. Or if they’ve had a smaller size English Shepherd, they say, “I don’t want one of those large English Shepherds.” They’ll want a small one or a medium.
I know this is true, because people will call in and, especially if they’ve had an English Shepherd before, they’ll ask about the size of dog and whatever they had before is what they’re interested in. If they’ve had larger dogs before, they want a larger size Shepherd. Or if they’ve had a smaller size English Shepherd, they say, “I don’t want one of those large English Shepherds.” They’ll want a small one or a medium.Q. I’ve had a lot of English Shepherd breeders tell me that they get contacts from people who had English Shepherds when they were children. Interest in the breed seems to be reviving.
A. (Mitch)Well, unless I can get somebody to help with the kennel here, we’re not going to start anymore. We’re both getting close to retirement age.
Well, unless I can get somebody to help with the kennel here, we’re not going to start anymore. We’re both getting close to retirement age. Q. So you think you’ll retire from raising dogs, too?
A. (Mitch)I don’t ever want to be without an English Shepherd. I’ll always want maybe two or three dogs around. But I won’t be actively breeding them. I’ll leave that to somebody else. You know, you can get somebody to come in and take care of three dogs, if you’re equipped well. But when you’re breeding and raising pups, that requires a lot of care. It’s hard to get away.
I don’t ever want to be without an English Shepherd. I’ll always want maybe two or three dogs around. But I won’t be actively breeding them. I’ll leave that to somebody else. You know, you can get somebody to come in and take care of three dogs, if you’re equipped well. But when you’re breeding and raising pups, that requires a lot of care. It’s hard to get away.A. (Shirley)You know, in our set up we are in a routine. We go out in the morning and take care of them before we go to work, and then Mitch takes care of them when he comes home from work at night. We never have to clean runs.
You know, in our set up we are in a routine. We go out in the morning and take care of them before we go to work, and then Mitch takes care of them when he comes home from work at night. We never have to clean runs.Q. So they are very neat.
A. (Shirley)They are. They’re clean…
They are. They’re clean…A. (Mitch)(Interrupting) They’ll tell you what the weather’s like, though.
(Interrupting) They’ll tell you what the weather’s like, though.Q. What do you mean by that?
A. (Mitch)Why if there’s a storm coming, like extended bad weather, they know this. They can predict a thunderstorm coming an hour before we ever know it. If you watch, you see them pacing. I don’t know how they do it, but they do it. They know.
Why if there’s a storm coming, like extended bad weather, they know this. They can predict a thunderstorm coming an hour before we ever know it. If you watch, you see them pacing. I don’t know how they do it, but they do it. They know.A. (Shirley)Like when it’s real cold weather, they chow down their dog food real fast, and they go right back in their doghouses.
Like when it’s real cold weather, they chow down their dog food real fast, and they go right back in their doghouses.A. (Mitch)Let them out of the kennel, out in the dog yard, and they’re right back in in just a few minutes – ready to eat again! Now if it’s mild like today, you let them out and you’ll have to call them back.
Let them out of the kennel, out in the dog yard, and they’re right back in in just a few minutes – ready to eat again! Now if it’s mild like today, you let them out and you’ll have to call them back.A. (Shirley)(Laughing) They’re out there playing… but in the thunderstorms, Butch and Sharkey will not come out of their doghouses.
(Laughing) They’re out there playing… but in the thunderstorms, Butch and Sharkey will not come out of their doghouses.Q. Are most of your dogs sold as companions?
A. (Mitch) We sell probably 85 to 90 percent as companion dogs, and probably the other 10 percent as working dogs of some kind – maybe as stockdogs, maybe as agility dogs, or some other kind of sport. Flyball. One lady even trained a dog she got from us in Schutzhund. So few people in this area have livestock they really don’t have the need for a working dog.
We sell probably 85 to 90 percent as companion dogs, and probably the other 10 percent as working dogs of some kind – maybe as stockdogs, maybe as agility dogs, or some other kind of sport. Flyball. One lady even trained a dog she got from us in Schutzhund. So few people in this area have livestock they really don’t have the need for a working dog.Q. So most of your stockdogs go out West?
A. (Mitch)Yes, there and southeastern Ohio – we’ve sent a lot of dogs there over the years.
Yes, there and southeastern Ohio – we’ve sent a lot of dogs there over the years.Q. You were telling me before we started that two of your English Shepherds are watching 2,400 head of cattle.
A. (Shirley)This man in Montana got two dogs. A father and son, and they raise 2,400 head of cattle and those dogs work them. We’ve sold a lot of dogs just from people going in and seeing those two dogs work!
This man in Montana got two dogs. A father and son, and they raise 2,400 head of cattle and those dogs work them. We’ve sold a lot of dogs just from people going in and seeing those two dogs work!A. (Mitch)The family got three dogs, actually. Remember the little girl got a pup also.
The family got three dogs, actually. Remember the little girl got a pup also.A. (Shirley)Her dog took the 4-H project at the Montana State Fair. She wrote me a letter. A lot of these people write back and say they were really impressed with the way those dogs worked. They’ll order and say, “I’ll wait until you have one.” It’s tricky trying to ship a puppy to Montana in January. I don’t think I want to try that anymore! I’ll say, “You’ll have to wait until Spring.”
Her dog took the 4-H project at the Montana State Fair. She wrote me a letter. A lot of these people write back and say they were really impressed with the way those dogs worked. They’ll order and say, “I’ll wait until you have one.” It’s tricky trying to ship a puppy to Montana in January. I don’t think I want to try that anymore! I’ll say, “You’ll have to wait until Spring.”A. (Mitch)I’m not worried about the pups, because we raise ours right out in the barn here. And if it goes to 20 below, which it has, and we’ve had small pups out in the barn, they’re fine. If you have them protected, in a good enclosed area, they do fine.
I’m not worried about the pups, because we raise ours right out in the barn here. And if it goes to 20 below, which it has, and we’ve had small pups out in the barn, they’re fine. If you have them protected, in a good enclosed area, they do fine. But I can understand the airlines’ position – if somebody wants to ship a Mexican Hairless, you know, it couldn’t take it. But ours are used to it. That’s why I don’t like how some people, when the females are due, will bring them in the house. Personally, I think that’s a mistake. I think if you fix your facilities up, they’re fine. In other words, if you have a female in the house and she has a litter of 10 pups, pretty soon that becomes a problem. You’re going to have to move them out anyhow, and I think it’s more of a shock to do that than it is to have them out there in the first place.
Q. I’ve heard that the whole key is that they stay dry.
A. (Mitch)That’s number one. On the whelping box we have a heater under the floor, and the floor stays warm. When the puppy drops to the floor – that’s the critical time. After it’s dry, we shut the heater off and turn the light on.
That’s number one. On the whelping box we have a heater under the floor, and the floor stays warm. When the puppy drops to the floor – that’s the critical time. After it’s dry, we shut the heater off and turn the light on.Q. A heat lamp?
A. (Mitch)Actually, it’s just a regular lightbulb. We leave that burning until the pups are 8 weeks old. I don’t like to put a pup in an old, dark corner and leave it. That’s a good way to make it shy. You need a lighted area and – Shirley gets credit for this, she starts handling them immediately. She’s better at that than I am. She handles them, talks to them, and it makes a lot of difference whether they’re shy or not.
Actually, it’s just a regular lightbulb. We leave that burning until the pups are 8 weeks old. I don’t like to put a pup in an old, dark corner and leave it. That’s a good way to make it shy. You need a lighted area and – Shirley gets credit for this, she starts handling them immediately. She’s better at that than I am. She handles them, talks to them, and it makes a lot of difference whether they’re shy or not.A. (Shirley)We been lucky. All my females are gentle. I usually give them a day before I start handling the puppies. I’ve never experienced one that would growl.
We been lucky. All my females are gentle. I usually give them a day before I start handling the puppies. I’ve never experienced one that would growl.Q. Who do you register your dogs with?
A. (Mitch)We use all three registries. We use the Animal Research Foundation, the United Kennel Club, and the International English Shepherd Registry. We have some of the dog registered with all three, which you just about need if you have dogs you’re going to use for stud service. You have to be compatible with the female that’s brought in.
We use all three registries. We use the Animal Research Foundation, the United Kennel Club, and the International English Shepherd Registry. We have some of the dog registered with all three, which you just about need if you have dogs you’re going to use for stud service. You have to be compatible with the female that’s brought in.Q. Do you have many females brought in?
A. (Mitch)No, not a lot. It’s not something we actively pursue. If somebody has one and they want to try raising a litter of pups, we’ll try to accommodate them. Fact is, we have an older couple down from Sycamore, Ohio, who are in their 80s and wanted to raise a litter of pups.
No, not a lot. It’s not something we actively pursue. If somebody has one and they want to try raising a litter of pups, we’ll try to accommodate them. Fact is, we have an older couple down from Sycamore, Ohio, who are in their 80s and wanted to raise a litter of pups.A. (Shirley)They brought the female a year ago, and they brought her too late. They brought her back again this year, and I guess we got her in time – because she had her litter of pups.
They brought the female a year ago, and they brought her too late. They brought her back again this year, and I guess we got her in time – because she had her litter of pups.A. (Mitch)We get a pup for the stud service in that case. I’ll do that if it’s a good female and one I like – I’ll take one pup for the stud service.
We get a pup for the stud service in that case. I’ll do that if it’s a good female and one I like – I’ll take one pup for the stud service.A. (Shirley)They brought their female into the house to have her puppies, though. They’ll be house puppies!
They brought their female into the house to have her puppies, though. They’ll be house puppies!A. (Mitch)Like I said, I don’t want to start anymore pups at this time. So I will probably sell her. Should be about six weeks now.
Like I said, I don’t want to start anymore pups at this time. So I will probably sell her. Should be about six weeks now.Q. You say you’re not starting any young stock now?
A. (Mitch)No, we have three males and two young females that we started. That’s enough.
No, we have three males and two young females that we started. That’s enough.Q. How old are they?
A. (Mitch)The males will be two years old this summer, and the females will be a year old this summer.
The males will be two years old this summer, and the females will be a year old this summer.Q. And how old are your older males, Butch and Toby?
A. (Shirley)Butch and Sam are 10, and Toby is 8, I think. Butch just sired a litter of pups – I shipped them in January. Sam, we haven’t had too much luck with him recently, or Toby. Whether they’re too old, I don’t know. I met a man who had a female from us. He had a 12-year-old male, and he was able to breed a litter of pups from him.
Butch and Sam are 10, and Toby is 8, I think. Butch just sired a litter of pups – I shipped them in January. Sam, we haven’t had too much luck with him recently, or Toby. Whether they’re too old, I don’t know. I met a man who had a female from us. He had a 12-year-old male, and he was able to breed a litter of pups from him.Q. Do you have anything to say in closing?
A. (Mitch)Well, our biggest reason for getting into raising English Shepherds was to get some dogs back in the area. We feel we have accomplished a little bit of something there.
Well, our biggest reason for getting into raising English Shepherds was to get some dogs back in the area. We feel we have accomplished a little bit of something there.Q. Thank you very much.
Oney’s English Shepherds, as of time of interview:
Dog’s NameSexWhelpedSire and Dam
SexWhelpedSire and DamOney’s SamM10-30-84Bruce x Coco
M10-30-84Bruce x CocoOney’s ButchM12-14-84Duke x Princess
M12-14-84Duke x PrincessOney’s AmyF05-28-86Double RR Stryker x Double RR Rose
F05-28-86Double RR Stryker x Double RR RoseOney’s TobyM08-11-86Nick x Mike
M08-11-86Nick x MikeOney’s BabeF01-07-88Oney’s Toby x Oney’s Meg
F01-07-88Oney’s Toby x Oney’s MegOney’s CricketF06-24-89Oney’s Butch x Oney’s Amy
F06-24-89Oney’s Butch x Oney’s AmyOney’s Saluda SueF06-27-89Humma’s Buddy Allen x
F06-27-89Humma’s Buddy Allen x Wilson’s Jessica’s Tara
Oney’s DollyF08-25-91Oney’s Butch x Oney’s Dixie
F08-25-91Oney’s Butch x Oney’s DixieOney’s RuffM03-27-93Yoder’s Fritz Duke x Hopkins’ Ruffian II
M03-27-93Yoder’s Fritz Duke x Hopkins’ Ruffian IIOney’s NickM06-23-93Oney’s Butch x Oney’s Saluda Sue
M06-23-93Oney’s Butch x Oney’s Saluda SueOney’s SmokeM07-05-93Oney’s Butch x Oney’s Babe
M07-05-93Oney’s Butch x Oney’s BabeOney’s MandyF07-07-94Oney’s Ruff x Oney’s Cricket
F07-07-94Oney’s Ruff x Oney’s CricketOney’s SharkeyF07-11-94Sutherland’s Chap x Oney’s Saluda Sue
F07-11-94Sutherland’s Chap x Oney’s Saluda SueOney’s JillF01-21-95Oney’s Ruff x Shellhouse’s Trixy
F01-21-95Oney’s Ruff x Shellhouse’s TrixyPostscript: The Oneys are no longer breeding English Shepherds –– they stopped after Mitch had a triple bypass and a hip replacement. Mitch is now retired from his meat inspector job. Shirley is still working at the school. They sold the family farm outside Greenwich and moved into town. Of the English Shepherds listed above, four are still living: Ruff (who Shirley says still acts like a pup), Mandy, Sharkey, and Jill.
