THE INTIMITABLE WORKING COW DOG

A good cow dog can do the work of half a dozen good cowgirls. They show up to work every morning, are always on time, and never grumble when the labor is too hard.

MERILEE RAYNOR

They will trot alongside your horse day in and day out, never falling a pace behind. When the day is over, no matter what, they will always lick your face and let you know how much you mean to them.

DOG DAY AFTERNOON

For generations, these hard working dogs have been an essential feature on ranches and livestock operations across the world. Although differing in breed and purpose, these working dogs are absolutely necessary to the working ranchers that use them simultaneously as very skilled labor and a beloved companion.

For Laura Stimatze and Sonya Blomberg, cow dogs have always been close to their hearts. Both women are lifelong cow dog owners, breeders, and trainers and have specified their breeding to produce world class, unique Border Collies. These dogs are quick witted, physically talented and trained to a “t.”

Although still typically black, white, and athletic, their specific breeding of cow dogs is something of a marvel. Both women and their families have chosen to start with a base line of Border Collies known as the McCallum dogs. Named for their forefather, Tony McCallum, these specific cow dogs deviate greatly from their British counterparts. The McCallum line was specified in Australia to work cattle and emigrated to the United States in the 1980s. The traditional Border Collies can trace their lineage to British dogs specified to work sheep on the English countryside.

Besides their fundamentally different jobs, the McCallum dogsin Laura Stimatze’s and Sonya Blomberg’s packs have now been concentrated even greater through selective breeding, training, and the dedication of these breeders and their families.