Side Notes
Cowdog enthusiasts gather for Cowdog Days '09.
Hangin' Tree Cowdog enthusiasts gathered Nov. 6-8 at Tammy's Cowdogs near Lohman, Mo., for a weekend filled with working cattle dogs. "Cowdog Days '09" kicked off with a cowdog production sale followed by two days of cowdog and handler schooling. The three-day event was hosted by Tammy Goldammer-Stuart.
Tammy Goldammer-Stuart works Bandit — a son of Bert, the foundation of her Hangin' Tree Cowdog program — during a training session at Cowdog Days '09.
The production sale drew buyers from several Midwestern states, as well as West Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Trained, or "started," cowdogs and a litter of 6-month-old pups were offered for sale. The started cowdogs were demonstrated by working independently to gather cows, yearlings and weaning heifers from drylot pens. The pups, along with their sire, Bert, and dam, Hawk, gathered 30 weanling heifers from one lot and brought the calves to the working corrals. All the cowdogs were demonstrated without the use of electronic collars.
The high-selling started cowdogs were Tammy's Cowdogs Reba, a March 16, 2008, blue merle female selling for $3,500 and Tammy's Cowdogs Spook, an Aug. 21, 2007, black tuxedo-chested female selling for $3,500.
The high-selling pup was Tammy's Cowdogs Claire, a May 4, 2009, blue merle female selling for $1,800.
The following day, participants from five states took part in the cowdog and handler school. The school had a limited enrollment to ensure as much one-on-one instruction time between Tammy, participant and cowdog. The course covered basic principles of training, including building a relationship with the cowdog and a variety of commands. Following the basic schooling, Tammy worked with each cowdog to assess its level of working skills. Participants and owners were able to watch training tips and techniques. They were then able to apply the lessons with one-on-one training with their cowdog. Each cowdog and owner received several work sessions during both days.
Orlin Thomas, a participant from Missouri, commented, "Everything exceeded my expectations. I learned so much, and [her] passion for good working cowdogs is contagious to say the least."
Plans are already in place for another Cowdog Days event in May 2010.
"People were really interested in getting to watch the cowdogs work in various real-world settings before buying a cowdog. And, the folks enjoyed listening and getting hands-on training during the school. I am looking forward to having another cowdog production sale and school next spring," Tammy concluded.
Tammy Goldammer-Stuart runs a retained ownership commercial cow-calf operation made up of Angus and Simmental-cross cattle. For more information, contact Tammy at 573-782-4912.
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