Oh, and speaking of working dogs ... they really shouldn't be kept cooped up in suburban backyards, where they can get bored and become destructive.
This bloke's on the right track: he's set up a business that recognises the dogs' herding instincts and works with them to calm them down.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-29/sheep-herding-for-city-dogs/100131872
George Carlin
bub said:
The truth for most of us dog owners:
“What do dogs do on their day off?; Can't lie around – that's their job!”
George Carlin
Not these! Check out the videos on both stories.
(Hopefully the ABC one isn't geoblocked.)
If that dog will be put to work herding a flock, I suppose you could look at the cost of an individual in that flock as part of that dog's value. If not the dog, how many humans (perhaps on horses) would be needed to for that work. I'm not a farmer but I wonder at the math & practicality of spending big money for a smart and capable dog. Stud fees, too?
bikefixed said:
If that dog will be put to work herding a flock, I suppose you could look at the cost of an individual in that flock as part of that dog's value. If not the dog, how many humans (perhaps on horses) would be needed to for that work. I'm not a farmer but I wonder at the math & practicality of spending big money for a smart and capable dog. Stud fees, too?
A good working dog delivers a five-fold return on investment, according to a research study done a few years ago.
Pretty amazing dog. When you consider the price for a seeing eye partnership (human/dog) is around $70K, it's not that outrageous. My friend is on her second dog guide, and they are amazing.
https://www.seeingeye.org/assets/pdfs/the-seeing-eye-by-the-numbers.pdf
Scully's cousin raised Pugs and was a judge in A.K.A. for Pugs.
Her last Pug was "Lord Morley, and about 10 other names attached to Lord Morley. Morley was going to be her swan song for the A.K.C. Westminster dog show.
Pat died and we went through her belongings as being the geographically closest to her. Among our findings was a Lloyds of London policy on Morley for $1 million.
Soon after, Lord Morley was found to have a defect in his eye which made him ineligible for competition. Oh Well.
But it was interesting to find a dog that was worth more than I am.
Actually my cousin was on the board of the AKC and though she was qualified to judge all breeds she personally favored pugs
I’ve seen German Shepherds trained as personal protection dogs listed for $50-60k. Great Eastern European working line pedigree. Considering it costs like $5-6k just to bring one of those over here from a breeder known for working K-9’s etc, it’s not too far fetched considering the amount of work that would go into developing a highly trained personal protection dog.
Also, presumably, many of the people who buy them are wealthy and looking for personal protection for their loved ones.
Can’t say I know anything about the price of sheep, but I guess a herding dog is responsible for a herd, not a particular sheep.
I’m being adopted by an Aussie working dog (citified, currently, and part-dingo) - I’ve known her less than a week but she’s decided I’m part of her pack therefore her responsibility. When her Dad and I are talking, she’ll sit on my right foot to keep me in one place until he’s ready to move on. She makes sure to face in the direction of possible threats and keeps her ears and eyes alert just in case.
She’s gorgeous.
joanne said:
I’m being adopted by an Aussie working dog (citified, currently, and part-dingo) - I’ve known her less than a week but she’s decided I’m part of her pack therefore her responsibility. When her Dad and I are talking, she’ll sit on my right foot to keep me in one place until he’s ready to move on. She makes sure to face in the direction of possible threats and keeps her ears and eyes alert just in case.
She’s gorgeous.
This evening when we got home, John had just arrived before us. (We saw his car lights turn off as we drove up) As I closed my car door, Roxy came bounding along the garden path straight up to me, ignoring D!, made sure I tickled her ears then started back up the path, rushed back up to me and ‘hugged’ me with her front paws on my shoulders! She laughed in my face and skipped to her front door asking me to open it for her. What a clever canine!!
(nearly knocked me off my feet!!!)
joanne said:
(nearly knocked me off my feet!!!)
They'll do that. You need to anticipate it, or you will be bowled over.
Renovated apartment in Bloomfield
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Ye gods! (Actually, Ye dogs! might be a better way of putting it.)
Somebody has paid US$27,000 (not a misprint!) for a dog!
Mind you, it's a specially bred working dog, and some of those are worth their weight in gold, so maybe the price paid is not far off the mark.
The cash has broken the world record price offered at an auction of working dogs held in Australia over the weekend.
Now dogs will always need some financial outlay from their owners, whether it's in the form of food, vet charges, breeders' charges or pound fees but as a pet, their emotional value to their owners is priceless.
Still, US$27,000 is a lot of dog...
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jun/15/kelpie-fetches-world-breaking-35200-at-australian-working-dog-auction