Selecting A Started Dog

First, remember that everyone works dogs and cattle differently, so each individual started dog will have its own tendencies and behaviors in the field, and their own responsiveness to your commands.

However, here are some characteristics we look for that may be helpful:

• A dog that will get to the front of cattle and stop them (if you can stop the cattle, you can control them).
• A dog that can work both the head and heel of cattle.
• A dog that is not timid. Real world situations can get loud, confusing, potentially dangerous, and very fluid.

Under these conditions you don’t want a dog that will run and hide. Also, a timid dog may be more likely to bite if it thinks it is being cornered (for whatever reason).

Working the head…

Working the heels…