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Cow Dog Stories
Buddy, A Cowdog With Courage
A true story
Buddy stood
anxiously by Sandi’s side. He wanted so badly to jump into
the battle, but he wouldn’t go against his master's will. He
knew he could do something to help the cowboy. He whined and
fidgeted about as he watched the old cow ram the cowboy’s
horse up against the fence.
The old cow was
only protecting her baby. She had no way of knowing the
cowboy was only trying to help her. He just wanted to open
the gate in the corner of the corral so she and her baby
could go out into the green pasture. There is nothing
stronger and more ferocious than a mother when she thinks
someone is trying to harm her baby.
Buddy actually
barked when he saw the cow lift the horse clear off the
ground with her head. A bark from Buddy as with most Border
Collies is a rare thing. Sandi feared for the safety of her
partner but when she saw the cow lift the horse and heard
the bark, she released Buddy into action. Sandi loved her
dog, but it looked like it was a matter of life and death.
If that old cow ever got the cowboy on the ground, he could
wind up pushing up daisies.
 Buddy’s
claim to fame was his nose swings. He would catch a cow or
bull by the nose and hang on until they changed their mind.
When the bovine gave up and stopped, he would drop off and
let them go peacefully. This old girl had no intention of
giving up and the fight was on. She had met her match in
Buddy - he never gave up in his life!
Buddy’s attack
gave a grateful cowboy and a grateful horse a chance to get
the gate open. The cow now focused on the dog instead of the
horse and didn’t notice her chance for freedom. She just
kept on fighting Buddy. She got him down on the ground at
the base of a tree and was working him over pretty good.
Buddy being Buddy still never let go.
Once the cowboy
got the gate open, he had the opportunity to return the
favor. He took his rope from the saddle horn and roped the
baby’s back feet. When the cow heard her baby cry and saw it
being dragged out of the gate she ran to the rescue. Buddy
released his nose hold and she followed her baby out the
gate. The cowboy dropped the rope and ran a safe distance
away. The calf stepped out of the lope and followed its mama
off to greener pastures.
Both horse and
rider were unscathed by the whole thing. However, Sandi knew
Buddy was hurt because she had never before heard him cry.
In the heat of the battle she had heard him give a little
yelp. A close examination by the vet revealed only a broken
toe. Buddy would live to do many more heroic acts.
Buddy lived to
ripe old age and in spite of his courage and determination
that broken toe would be the only injury he ever sustained.
Butch & Jake: A true story in the life of a cowdog.
 Butch lifted his ears and tipped his head side to side,
listening for the distant cow bells. He was waiting for a
word from his master. All Jake had to say was “OK! Butch”
and he would be gone. Butch had to travel through some of
the roughest country in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
That part of the country was steep and brushy, but this area
was made even more difficult by deep crevices created by the
huge water cannons use by the gold miners. They called it
Hydraulic mining - A process by which water pressure was
used to erode the soil form the mountain side in order to
get the gold out. The Hydraulic mining left straight drop
offs 100 feet or more. Impossible for man or beast to cross.
Butch and Jake had learned the country and were able to work
around the roughest parts. Butch had never failed to bring
back cattle. Jake would always wait near the place from
where Butch was sent, sometimes as much as 2 hours before
the sound of clanging cow bells grew near. It was always a
sigh of relief when his partner showed up with cattle.
Jake stood nervously checking his watch. Butch had been gone
well over 2 hours and still no cattle. Jake knew if he left
his post he would be letting his partner down. After 3 hours
he decided to take action. He rode to the nearest phone and
called his wife. By the time she showed up with the pickup it
was almost sundown and still no Butch. They drove the old
logging and mining roads calling from the windows and
honking the horn.
After several hours they finally gave up and headed home
without their beloved partner. Fear had overtaken them. They
thought of all the possible things that Butch could have run
into, everything from falling off a cliff to wild animals.
If he was still alive and hurt his chances of surviving the
night in the mountains would be slim.
 As the tears rolled down their cheeks the pickup truck
rounded a corner, and there in the road the head lights
shown a herd of about 30 cows being herded down the road
toward home by one little red and white Border Collie. Their
tears turned to tears of joy as they called Butch into the
cab of the truck with them. Among all the dog kisses and
wagging tail they noticed something on the truck seat. The
cab light revealed bloody dog prints. Butch had worn his
pads completely off on the rough rocky ground, yet he never
quit his job. When Jake wasn’t where he had left him Butch
decided to take the cattle all the way home - a distance of
10 or more miles!
The next day Jake was able to follow the cow tracks back to
where Butch had picked them up. Butch had to take the cattle
several miles around to get them past one of those huge
crevices left by the miners.
Watch for more stories coming soon!
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