Learning Giving

My folks started their family in a part of the Sandhills of Nebraska in Grant County. The closest town of any size was Ogallala and it was basically 68 miles away. We traveled a sand trail or road from the cook house to the “main road”. The main road was a one-lane oil strip that ran N & S. On the N end of the oil strip was Hwy 2 and Whitman. On the S end was a highway that ran from Tryon to Arthur then on S to Ogallala. The drive on that one-lane oil road was the most beautiful drive. And it still is the most beautiful drive in my memories. Tall, lofty, choppy hills. Winding flatter areas that snaked along the edges of some sub-irrigated wet meadows which led to more ascents and descents of those huge sandy hills that laid from the NW to the SE. Hills built and formed by the blowing prevailing winds chasing the sand into mounds. With time some grasses took a hold then the winds blew again to cover the grasses with more blowing, drifting and piling sands. Sands as light as dust. My mom referred to the sand and the hills as “hell” on many occasions. My dad referred to the hills as “a gift from God”. On a few occasions, my mom would take my brother and I to Ogallala on Sundays so that we could go to church. There was a Lutheran church in Ogallala. We always sat in the back at the end of a row. Sometimes we would get there on time. But a lot of the time we were late. Sometimes we would leave early. Sometimes we would leave after greeting the pastor after the service. Before we would leave town my mom would take us to a store. She would give my brother and I a nickel, a dime or once in awhile a quarter. I cannot tell you the joy that those nickels, dimes and quarters brought to me. She gave us that money with love and we knew that what she gave us was all she had. It truly was all she had. I bought the same thing every time. The little chocolate balls colored green, yellow, orange and brown that came in a little clear plastic wrapped tube. The money I had left was given to mom and when we’d get home she would put the money in my black Angus bull piggy bank. My mom always got herself a Cherry Mash. My brother would get the little packages of licorice nibs. We’d get back in the car for our nearly 2 hour journey N to home. The key to the joys of that candy gift was to make it last all the way home and maybe even have some left to share with dad. My dad loved chocolate too. Those days of “giving” from my mom have stuck with me my entire life. The pure, simple joy of a nickel, a dime or the occasional quarter. Love in a piece of metal that gave more than 68 miles of sheer joy. The joy of sucking on each individual chocolate ball. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the entire world could see how much greater life could be if everyone took up the gift of giving…giving without expecting or demanding something in return? Now today, the cowdog processing crew and I are going to be giving some cows some range cubes, taking out their CIDRs, giving them some Lutalyse, and returning on Tuesday to give those range sisters some Protege Profit swimmers. We hope those swimmers give some range sister eggs some company and hook up to make babies to be seen in the fall of 2015. Remember, what I do today is what I will receive in a year. Take up the notion of giving…giving without taking. It really is a good thing.
Happy Saturday!

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Move on Bud

Updates from FB (12/10/2014, 5 AM) are below the original post.

Hangin’ Tree Cowdogs…
At an event held recently at/near Las Vegas was some sort of dog competition. Some fella with a Hangin’ Tree Cowdog was there. Another fella was there with a dog of another breed and a conversation ensued. The Hangin’ Tree guy began to run me into the dirt and told the fella with the other breed of dog that, “her dogs are crap and they cannot be registered…so they are crap.” lol… I have been very clear that “I personally do not want” my Hangin’ Tree cowdogs in the Trayer club. I’ve written openly about “my decision” to not be a part of that “dog club”. Buying a “retiring from the cowdog business” set of cowdogs was nothing short of a joke and a conglomeration of lies from the seller(s). Via DNA testing, I was able to salvage good things and sort off bad things and unravel lots of issues in the breeding of the dogs I purchased. They certainly were not from a 3 or 4-way crossbreeding program. My website home or Welcome Page is clear about my decisions, my blog has a category for other postings relating to the purchase of Trayers’ Cowdogs. And, if one needs more information, you can google the public court records of Cole County Missouri and find the results of litigation that clearly put a stop to the fella’s madness. I know, I know, he also says to folks that he drove it in my ask on the lawsuit and that he “won”…well, he lost. And lastly, do not think for a minute that I am the only person in 20 years that got a dose of untruthfulness. The antics of the last two meetings of the cowdog club pretty much spoke/and continue to speak for themselves…in as much as the minutes posted are not in any way, shape or form true to what really occurred. Talking smack about me is fine Chuck. I own a cattle operation with certain needs and am determined to live a clean life. You best just let it go. You are hurting no one but yourself. ~Just Sayin’

~~From FB…
Ken Fox I agree. Stand your ground. It’s a poor man that runs down the competition.
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Glenda Snyder Ericsson I used to joke with Choc, it’s a dog eat dog world in the Cowdog world. I know when I hear a breeder running another breeder down, I’m turned off by that.
And I do not register my dogs in that association either.
19 hrs • Like • 4
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Tia K Farley Your friends support you!!!
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Paul Brady Tammy, I sure appreciate your straight talk. Always enjoy reading your post.
19 hrs • Like • 2
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Paul Brady Glenda Ericsson I have good memories of Choc. I hope you are doing well.
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Erin Gonzalez What an ass, him. Tammy, people are insanely jealous of what they cannot have, do, make, or produce. I would bet the farm if he were to get a free breed or Hangin’ Tree puppy on the down low; he’d be on it like white on rice.
18 hrs • Like • 4
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Lisa Bedell Do I need to punch somebody in the nose?
18 hrs • Like • 4
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Geri Smith-Cyphers Unbelievable
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Kristina Farnsworth I only hope that someday I can say I have a Tammy’s Cowdogs dog!
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Erin Gonzalez Ha! LOL, me too!
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Heath Curry My Grandfather used to say that a man would lie to you quicker about a dog or a horse than anything else ! stand up for what you believe in !
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Steve Krutzfeldt You probably don’t recall but I called you some years back about a dog in Montana (solid red cowdog) I saw on a ranch on a flatbed with your name on his collar. I said then and say now that was an impressive dog in presence and build and one any true dog man or woman would be proud to have. The fellow bought him at auction and I could see it would not be a fit……(dog would have gotten frustrated eventually and not done well) I believe you found another buyer or bought him back which was a testament to your character. You might recall the dogs name? I had a new catahoula x at the time who is now 4 and very good at what he does. Kind regards. Steve
15 hrs • Like • 3
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Tammy’s Cowdogs Cowdog Luke was in MT. Luke had more on the ball than the new owner. He worked with Luke here at the sale and I told him to take him, use him and if he could not get up to speed with Luke that I wanted him back. I bought Luke back. And I do recall visiting with you Steve Krutzfeldt. Thanks for the note. Luke and Levi were in the same litter.
14 hrs • Edited • Like • 4
Ashlee Janda Dickey We have some of Tammy’s Cowdogs “crap” and they are awesome!!
14 hrs • Like • 4
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Nicole Beaufils Results talk
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Gwen Shepperson Some people would rather focus on the dogs and improving the breed, and others I would swear live only for the drama, drama, drama. You just gotta hope Karma drives a big ol diesel teuck!
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Suzanne Fairchild I’m with Gwen!!!
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Matt Carter You go girl and I know your cow dogs are the best because they eat the best damn maple syrup around
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Heath Curry Hey do you know anyone that gathers sheep and goats with heelers
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Sd Cattle Friend Page Congratz, you must have some pretty good dogs to have gotten in this guys head that bad.
10 hrs • Like • 1
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Debby Goodwin I am with Lisa Bedell…just give me a name. And I thinkSuzanne Fairchild might be in the mood too
10 hrs • Like • 2
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Linda Prentiss Way to go Tammy’s Cowdogs girl!!!! Stand up for yourself in a man’s world and you’re my sis!!!!
8 hrs • Like
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Tammy’s Cowdogs lol…Yes, before Luke made it back to me he got caught up in a “prostitution ring” and sired at least 2 litters of pups. The folks involved in “stealing Luke’s virginity”? The transporter, the guy that had bought Luke, and 2 HT “breeders” …you cannot pinpoint the masterminds who used Luke to breed some bitches “before” he was delivered back to me “after more than 30 days with the hauler”. I was assured Luke was fine, happy, being well-cared for…over 30 days to deliver my Luke back to me. But, 2 ranchers who bought pups from 2 HT people contacted me when their pups were about a year old and inquired about Luke and if I had Luke because they wanted more pups out of Luke. That is when I started putting 2 & 2 together and could then confirm my suspicions. Both the ranchers were willing to take their cowdogs to get DNA samples and we sent the samples off and sure enough…both pups were sired by Luke. 100% matches. So. There is the “honesty” factor in the HT world/club. Thieves, throat cutters…jealous people. They are not worth spit to me. But they damn sure like using my cowdogs for stud service. Oh..and by the way…they “registered those litters” and “registered their cowdogs”…from my Luke – a not registered cowdog. Honesty does not exist with that bunch. Well, maybe it takes on a “whole new flavor”. Period.

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Tribute to Bert

In August 2002, I purchased my first Hangin’ Tree Cowdog. He was just a pup, but ready to work. I named him Bert and for the next four years, he and I completed all the ranch work ourselves. When we started our journey together, neither knew that a mere 14 months later, he would save my life. How do you ever repay a cowdog for such an enormous gesture? In the time after that, I came to realize the only thanks he wanted was the chance to work with me, beside me, day-in and day-out. Bert was larger than life. He was smart. He was athletic. He was loyal.

In every cattle working situation, he knew what to do without instruction. I could simply point out a sick calf in the wean lot and he’d quietly and respectfully take the calf to the corral and ease it up the alley to the chute. When we’d finish working a set of cows, he knew to gather them up and what gate to head them to to go out to pasture. I could leave him at a gate, go feed, come back and he’d still be at the gate, waiting for my return. If a cow’s calf was hidden in the timber, I could tell Bert to “find the baby” and he’d put his nose to the ground, search until he found it, return to me and take me back to the calf. He simply had the ability to size up any situation and apply the right pressure and make everything work. We’d get done working cattle and you could tell him, “Bert, thanks for your help” and he would look at me with a big smile – as if to say, “You are welcome, now come on let’s go”. We’d be driving down the road and he’d take his right paw and pull my arm so that I’d rub his neck. Or take his head and bump under my elbow and say, “Hey, rub my back.” And, he loved taking his pups out and mentoring them. His mate for life was Hawk and he truly loved her. They were an amazing pair and produced some tremendous offspring. Bert was majestic—more than any other animal I have ever known.

On September 6, 2010, after an accident on the ranch and the gallant efforts of the University of Missouri Vet School, I lost Bert. Tammy’s Cowdogs exists today because of Bert. He is the foundation of my cowdog program and the model all my cowdogs must live up to. He took more than eight of my years with him. I will forever be grateful for the joy and loyalty he brought to my life. Words will never be able to describe how much Hawk and I will miss him

-from the Welcome Page of the website of Tammy’s Cowdogs “Tribute to Bert”

Today, Sep. 05, 2014, the rural route mail lady stops. She’s got a box from Idaho. I can hardly sign the card. Scott Jason Hall, his wife Betty, and Bret Bret N Melanie Haskett? I cannot put words to the remarkable pendant. Scott, your are gifted my friend…the itsy bitsy engraving on the gold, the silver engraving of Bert…I am speechless. Betty, the rein chains are, “Some kind of wonderful.” Bret, your rawhide braiding of the romal reins is, “Perfectly completes this gifted piece.” Bert, 4 years ago today we sat out in the grass at the Univ. of MO vet hospital and took in our last conversation of how much we loved each other. And 15 hrs. later a blood clot to your lungs ended your life. I got the call around 9:30 AM to hurry to your side there were problems. I tried to get there Bert, I did. But, I drove home on the 6th of September with a dog in a box…heartbroken. My life has not been the same since. I will take you with me when I leave here to meet up with you again.

~I love you Bert.

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~~Tammy’s Hangin’ Tree Cowdogs in Louisiana~~

Ms. Ducchess’s girls Paisley and Ink sold at my Hangin’ Tree Cowdog Production Sale last Friday. Here they are in S Louisiana at their new home! Girls, “Get a drink!” Paisley just dives right in. These two pups are great gals and really good workers at nearly 10 months of age. They are on a cow/calf operation way down S. And have great folks as their new owners. ~Tammy is Happy!

PS – when Paisley and Ink shed out and get rid of their baby hair, I suspect they will look like their older sister Cash and be very smooth haired with a medium hair length. Sure, the Hangin’ Tree is to be slick and short haired. But when the original Hangin’ Tree breeders failed to adhere to their own criteria in their matings…well, then you get gene expression that kind of lets the cat out of the bag on their use of outside crossbred dogs. These pups’ dad is Oscar and was in the “retirement sale” purchases. That story is here on my blog in the category “Trayers’ Cowdogs”. It is immaterial now…water done passed under the bridge. But “yo genes can catch ya.”

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~~cowdogdays14…Is a Wrap~~

Weather? Perfect
Folks? Perfect
Cowdog pup performances? Not perfect but fun.
Overall for 3 days? Perfect
Pups 9-9.5 months old. Ranged from $1,500 to $2,600.
Used 30 head of fall calves. Pups are a powerful, smart, gutsy, brave set of pups. Demonstrated them bringing cattle, getting ahead, redirecting the right/left, having them stop working, come, show their patience in the alleys with cattle, some basic sorting, then had them bring cattle to the alley and up/out the chute. Just very, very basic work. Pups did a good job of tracking and moving the calves and holding them to the gate to load up the alley. Had to e-collar Henry to slow him down and help his “whoa”. That in itself was a very educational moment for all to see that very light collar use can be so beneficial for the pup and the cattle. New homes include – Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.

On a side note…Rulo stole the show. That little guy is like the “do all, down in the trenches guy”. Small in stature but mighty as a grinding it out work-a-holic. Mr. Steady. Rulo heads, heels, barks very little, but knows a frequent bark will move the cattle. He just really keeps his mouth shut and does his job. He is pleasant to be around and is not a smarty around other cowdogs. Rulo loves life. There was a young man that has been coming here for a few years. A really nice person, going to college in W Oklahoma, polite, admirable. I asked him which pup he enjoyed watching the most and he said Rulo. I just scratched Rulo from the sale and gave Rulo to this young fella. They will make a good pairing and get a lot done. I like “good” people.

Rulo – 32# Male. Son of Levi.

Rulo – 32# Male. Son of Levi.

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~~Hangin’ Tree Cowdog Production Sale…Tomorrow Noon~~

Registration sheet done? Check
Cowdog pup bid sheets done? Check
School notes done? Check

Do not rely on me checking email, FB messages/posts, blog questions. If you have a cowdog sale question from now until noon tomorrow…best try my cell phone 573.659.5971. Leave me a message and I will try to call you back before the demos start at noon.
Thank you for the interest in my cowdog pups that are in this year’s production sale. They are a powerful, smart, gutsy, brave set of pups. I will be demonstrating their skills for bringing cattle, getting ahead, redirecting the right/left, having them stop working, come, show their patience in the alleys with cattle, some basic sorting, then have them bring cattle to the alley and up/out the chute. That’s the plan. Hopefully, there will be some mistakes so that as a viewer you can see how we work through errors. The weather is going to be perfect. Little watering of the ground in the corrals to lay the dust and we should be good to go. I will be using 30 late October/November calves that are basically mid-5’s and 6 wts…27 heifers and 3 steers. The 3 steers will be used for the sorting demos. The pups in this sale are 9.5 months of age. The pups are all grandbabies to “Bert” and Hawk. Bert’s tribute story is on my website Home Page.

-PS…even ole Cowdog Levi will be on the grounds strolling around. He ate non-soaked solid dry dogfood tonight for the 1st time since Dec. 18, 2013. He is a walking miracle.

Bert sure loved Hawk and all the babies they made. The pups in this sale are all grandbabies of Bert.

Daddy Bert

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Added Henry’s Video Clip

If you scroll down to the post of about “cowdogdays14” that has the pup’s pictures…scroll to the end and you will find Henry’s video clip from Wed. May 14th.
#hangintreecowdogsforsale Hangin’ Tree Cowdogs for Sale

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Cowdog Production Sale…Weather Info

UPDATED…Thurs. AM. Saturday’s rain chance is out. It – the rain – is here today. Light rain. Lows to be upper 30’s next few nights, highs 60’s to lo 70’s.

This Friday-Sunday, looks like the Hi/Lo will be upper 60’s-low 70’s. And nights of 50 or so. 20% chance of rain Sat. Wind from the N…so bring a jacket. But since 2009, this will be the most perfect weather we have had for the cowdog demos & sale. It’s been near 100 or over 100+dry+dusty=miserable…to cold+pouring rain+slick as snot=miserable. I guess scrubbing skunked up cowdogs for several hours yesterday was for a reason. I should not have sent them on ahead to get a drink at the branch. The skunk was about 4 foot long by the time I got there…ready for the Bar-B.
If you scroll down in the posts here, you will find the photos of all the cowdogs in the sale this Friday. Sale info is also posted below in the posts for “cowdogdays14”.
Go Hangin’ Tree Cowdogs at Tammy’s Cowdogs.

Ducchess and pups on 1st day to the pasture to check things out.

Females (l-r) Chatterbox, Ink, Della, Paisley

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cowdogdays14…Hangin’ Tree Cowdog Production Sale

REFERENCE ONLY Cowdogs.
These are some of the cowdogs that I took along to check pastures the other day. Levi (Bert x Hawk) and Hawk were along for the traveling too. Levi is the cowdog that had the accident on December 18, 2013. His story of recovery is here on my blog. Levi is the sire of the pups in the sale – Lyle, Rulo.

Bandit (Bert x Hawk) – 53# Male.

Sly (Bert x Hawk) – 60# Male.

Bandit (l), Sly (r)

Liza (Bert x Hawk) – 46# Female.

Tom (Ducchess x Oscar) – 57# Male…2 year old. Ducchess is a Bert x Hawk.

Cash (Ducchess x Oscar) – 43# Female. Cash, Tom, Dick, Harry, Martin are littermates.

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cowdogdays14…Pups in Sale May 16, 2014

Updates will be added to the end…see below.

I got started on weighing cowdogs and pups today. The following pictures are of Ducchess and Oscar’s pups that will be in the sale. I raised Ducchess. She is a Bert x Hawk daughter out of my 1st litter of pups ever raised. Ducchess was born in August 2006. Oscar is a cowdog I purchased from Charlie Trayer when Mr. Trayer announced he was retiring from the cowdog business and “selling out” (purchase date 01/08/2008). Oscar’s parentage is questionable in regard to who the actual parents are. While he is a registered Hangin’ Tree Cowdog his papers indicate one dam and sire and his DNA tests do not support his parentage. This is based on having siblings and parents of the same sire and/or dam combination and the relationships should be verified via the DNA tests. I have used the DNA tests instead of the registration papers for building my own Hangin’ Tree Cowdog breeding program. Ducchess is also a registered cowdog. The litter information from my cowdog breeding program is no longer shared with the Hangin’ Tree cowdog clubs or associations. I closed my breeding program so that my pedigree information could no longer be used for pups or cowdogs that I did not raise. The DNA results and genetic profiles of my cowdog breeding program are proprietary information belonging solely to Tammy’s Cowdogs. The Ducchess and Oscar mating is a repeat mating and the pups in this sale represent the second litter. There are 8 pups and 7 are being worked with for the sale. Bugsy (female) is healing from having a pin, plate and screws put into a hind leg after receiving a blow from a horse. Ducchess’s pups were born on August 1, 2013.

The cowdog pups in the sale, their pictures and their weights are shown below.

There are two male pups (Lyle and Rulo) out of a litter sired by Levi. Levi is a Bert x Hawk son. Levi is the cowdog that is healing up from a face demolishing accident that occurred on December 18, 2013. Levi will not be in the mature cowdog demonstrations for the sale. He is still in the healing process and he will be on the grounds for viewing.

I will post updates in a few days. Today, the cowdog pups spent their 1st day in the corral with some weaned calves. We worked on bringing the calves, get back and redirecting the pups on come by and away to me. The pups have not been taught permanent downs at this point. They have been taught to tie and be on a tie line for hours at a time. They have gone to check pastures, cattle and water. The longest trips they have made have been 10 miles at a time. Generally, they go along for 6-8 miles. The weather here has not been hot yet so they will not be hardened to heat by the time the sale is held. The key thing to remember with these cowdog pups is, “They are still pups.” While they are completely interested in cattle, they are heading and heeling but are not being pressed to stop cattle. Today, they were allowed to work with cattle in the corrals for 15 to 20 minutes. They have a basic understanding of “that’ll do”. They come when called. And a couple of them like to sneak back to the cattle to continue to work…typical youngsters. Chatterbox did take a pretty hard kick to the mouth and all it did was make her angry and she heeled the steer again.

Please note that in the females, Ink and Paisley have medium length hair. One would think that with serious breeders breeding for specific requirements of short or slick hair that after nearly 30 years of breeding with “that hair requirement” then all litters would be short and slick haired progeny. Well, to accomplish accuracy in breeding one has to be totally and completely honest in their breeding practices. One finds that there are foundation Hangin’ Tree cowdogs that may not exactly be accurate in their pedigree recordings. It is, what it is. The cowdogs I purchased were to have been solid, foundation cowdogs. The medium length haircoats have only occurred on female pups. The desire to work cattle is not phased by the haircoat length but just be aware that they are not slick or strictly short haired. These pups maternal grandmother Sage was not a short or slick haired cowdog either. She had wavy fine hair that was a couple of inches long. Sage’s son Shorty has the same hair length as his mother but his hair is straighter versus wavy. His hair is also a soft, fine texture.

I will also post some photos of “Reference Cowdogs”. I weighed several of my regular work crew today. I think it will be helpful for you to see their photos and weights too.

Update 05/02/2014. Added Rulo’s photos. Rulo is smaller framed. He is short in his stride and will not be the fastest cowdog to get out and get ahead of cattle breaking and running. He won’t get there first, but he gets there. He is fearless and heads and heels cattle. Patient, methodical and barks only periodically to effectively move cattle. He spent his 1st day in the corral yesterday working for about 45 minutes to move calves, worked on redirection, and worked on get back. Just basically let him work. He is going to be an excellent short distance cowdog, a drag or flank cowdog and a great close confinement worker. Well mannered, easy to be around. He’s just smaller framed. Had to chuckle at him…he doesn’t have to bend down or turn himself sideways to get in/out of the pens. He just goes right under or through the fences. The pluses to being shorter! His dam/mother is a registered cowdog I bought from Charlie Trayer 01/08/2008. She was also small framed and short in her stride. Rulo and Lyle are from the same litter – born August 2013. I shot about 35 minutes of video of him and am trying to shorten up a few seconds for a clip. I’m not a technical wizard with videos. I’ll try to add the clips to a post.

Females (l-r) Chatterbox, Ink, Della, Paisley

Females (l-r) Chatterbox, Ink, Della, Paisley

Chatterbox – 39# female.

Chatterbox – 39# female.

Ink – 36# female.

Ink – 36# female.

Della – 35# female.

Della – 35# female.

Paisley – 35# female.

Paisley – 35# female.

Henry – 32# male.

Henry – 32# male.

Lou – 43# male.

Lou – 43# male.

Ike – 39# male.

Ike – 39# male.

Lyle – 42# male. Son of Levi.

Lyle – 42# male. Son of Levi.

Rulo – 32# Male. Son of Levi.

Rulo – 32# Male. Son of Levi.

Rulo…

Henry…

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