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Dogs may be man's best friend, but in 2021 many forget that most dogs were originally bred and trained for specific jobs. Just like the plethora of jobs for humans on a small farm like ours, we have several roles that dogs fill. In this post I'd like to introduce a member of our "doggy staff:" Jessie.
Today our farm has a group of energetic pups that consist of four Livestock Guardian Dogs and three Herding Dogs. Each of these awesome pups is essential to our daily work and a genuine part of our family. It's amazing to watch them do the jobs that they love and were bred to do!
A dog with a great personality, Jessie is just shy of 2 years old and came to us from a large cattle ranch in South Dakota. She loves belly rubs, hanging out in the stream, and playing fetch But Jessie would rather herd animals than anything else in the world!
Jessie plays a number of roles on the farm. She's our resident cattle-moving expert and dabbles in sheep, goats, and even pigs sometimes. Her list of duties includes helping us move cattle to fresh pasture, loading livestock into paddocks for health checks, herdong animals for transport, and making the whole crew smile!
Since she's been here, Jessie has fun with everyone. While she primarily works with me (Farmer Kris) and her senior co-worker Beca the Border Collie, Jessie also happily works for the whole family. Jessie's always on the job; I can't tell you how many times she saved the day when the crew isn't around and an animal got out!
Jessie has proven time and again that she's a hard-working bundle of energy. At the end of her workday, one might think Jessie would be worn out, but not so! She always has energy and a desire to play fetch in the yard with our little boys before settling down for some well-earned relaxation.
Jessie is a specific mix of herding dogs that was crossed/developed over many years on a cattle ranch in Texas. Now these mixed dogs are bred together to maintain consistent traits. The original mix was Border Collie for their intense herding instinct and intelligence; Catahoula Leopard Dog for the ability to trail and find cattle, and for their toughness and slick hair coat; Kelpie for endurance, herding instinct, and short hair; and Australian Shepherd.
Stay tuned for more dog bios from Karl Family Farms!
