Working Dogs - Farm To Fork Wyoming 

We had a border collie mix. That dog was our pet not a farm dog but it’s been THE ABSOLUTE smartest dog we’ve ever had. Both my husband and I are convinced she understood English. You could spell words, use different tones and purposely try to trick her but she’d always figure it out. When our daughter was born we had to keep an eye out on the dog bc she would herd our daughter into a corner or part of a room and “hold” her there. She lived to be just shy of 17 yo. I still miss Mollie. She was one of a kind and hell of a great. Ty for a great show. ❤️

This is how dogs should live.....you can see that they love what they're doing....

My brother has a border collie and 3 kids and he uses the collie to round up the kiddos... its really efficient and really adorable to see. He just says get the kids and the collie heads downstairs and literally pushes them in the direction of the stairs and they've learned not to fight it because he is really persistent lol

Border Collies come responsible creatures at 17th months. The olden days in Scotland, Border Collies that had reached that age would be allowed to take herds out of sight of the Master, and the Master knew that this dog would take care of the sheep and bring them back at a certain time, every time. Border Collies are the most amazing dogs in the world! They understand as much language as you can teach them. At some point they start putting words together and can respond to something they have never heard before. At some point, perhaps 7 months, they realize that everything has a name. Not only do they herd but females (I've never had a male) make great sitters for old people, and can alert them to get up and move around instead of wasting away. If you take a border collie on a family vacation, she will want to sit in the front seat and will watch carefully where you are going. If you go to the same place regularly, your border collie will remember all the turns and stops, etc, and will get excited when getting closer. My last Border Collie who died last week after 15 fantastically good years, was a sitter for my mother for her first four years. After a while, during the 17th month of her life, I asked her to tell me when we got close to the last turn to my mother's street, and she did that exactly for the rest of the 4 years. Once I was listening to a radio program that I became emerged in and I missed her barking and when I missed the turn, she stood up in her seat and put her paws on my fight leg and looked into my eyes and I could see she was saying, You are so dumb, you missed the turn! When you see a working Border Collie it looks like that is all that they do. But like you and me, that is their job and when off, they can amaze and cause wonderment. My Cait worked in so many ways, not just keeping up with my mother's health but also by being on the lookout for small animals that needed help. A lizard trapped in a flower vase that I could never hear, Cait could hear and fetch me, then point to where the noise was. My favorite time was when she came to get me to take me to free a young opossum from a recycling bin. AS I freed the opossum, Cait watched like a mother dog. When I put the baby into the fork of a tree, Cait came and looked at the baby until it moved on. She wanted to see the job through. And Cait learned people's names and remembered them forever! I bragged about her to other people and Cait looked so embarrassed and pleaded with me to stop. You know your dog, your dog knows you and you work out a way to communicate that is simply wondrous. You come to think of your dog, Border Collie or not, as a person, and with a Border Collie at least, you come to respect them because they have to be free enough to still be her own person. And then there is the Border Collie stare. Many a dog over the years have run out to attack Cait and I but Cait would turn and give them those super hero stare. Every dog that came out to attack us went away crying without a fight. And we would walk maybe 30 feet or so and Cait would turn and look at me with a smile on her face and tail wagging, saying, "We sure showed them, didn't we?" I could go on and on, but this is the best companion you could ever have. (Except all others)

I live in Wyoming. We are proud of our ranchers. These dogs are wonderful. They aren't pets. Working dogs are a ranchers best friend. I love how well this documentary was made. This is how it is in Wyoming. Many of my friends are rancher owners. Thank you for sharing this video.

Working dogs are happiest dogs on earth. They got their taste of “self realization.”

Love seeing this getting some play. I grew up in Wyoming and worked on a ranch for 5 years. Neither one of my parents are ranchers, so I started working on a ranch totally "green". (Still one of the best jobs I have ever had. I mean, look at that landscape.) I mostly did irrigation, fence repair, haying, etc and didn't work with the cattle that much directly because I wasn't familiar with horses and all of that. Not a cowboy. But occasionally I would help move a herd from one pasture to the other. And if it was some one off thing, we mostly just used ATV's and maybe only one or two guys on a horse, if any, just because saddling up a horse is a hassle for a quick thing. Then one day they asked me to help move a larger herd a large distance and they saddled up a horse for me. I was absolutely blown away at the work the dogs did. They did more than 2 guys on horses as far as keeping the herd together. I am not exaggerating. Really put that in your mind. Watching an animal do more work for humans than a human can is a miracle. And to this day, they were the most fulfilled and mentally healthy dogs I have ever seen. I'll say it again in a different way. Yes, dogs are lovely companions and their value is immeasurable. But on that day their value was measurable and I realized they deserved a higher hourly rate than me. That's a crazy notion, isn't it? The horses too. They knew what to do better than me. I nearly never needed to direct my horse to do anything. She knew exactly what the goal was. I'm so lucky to have seen animals and humans just instinctively thinking and working together, like true co-workers.

For almost thirty years I've raised English Springer Spaniels for bird hunting. Everything from doves to geese, and they have absolutely been the best companions one could ask for. Dogs are truly one of the best things God gave us.

There is an amazing amount of animal wisdom in the commentaries here. These folks really know about working with dogs, cattle, sheep and predators. Their knowledge is rare. It deserves respect.

I admire the respect they have for their dogs, it's a good thing for animals

Many of these dogs in this video look like Great Pyrenees. This breed knows their job (and flock) anywhere. I know a guy who owns one in Manhattan's East Village. He repairs heating systems and takes him to work every day. When he emerges from his apartment each morning, he tells the dog, "go find the car" (which can be parked anywhere on the block or its vicinity). The dog heads to it and finds the car (or "sheep") every time, regardless of where it is parked. The man and dog live in the front-facing, ground floor apartment--the bldg. owner believes the huge dog keeps robbers away. The dog also LOVES women--goes up to them on the sidewalk. He's quite the character.

More like this. Not just the dogs, who are amazing, but the folks in this piece are holding up more than their share off the sky

My maternal grandfather raised Scottish Blackface sheep in Ireland. He kept Border Collies. His favorite was a female named "Jess". He talked about her all the time. It seems she was the one who really ran the farm and kept everyone from the sheep to the geese and chickens to the other collies in line and good order.

Fabulous information. Thank you. Such respect for and use of what they do by nature. No sugar coating. Well done.

There’s no way I could be a cameraman on a documentary like this I would spend my whole day playing with the dogs instead of running my camera 😂

Very interesting. In France also, sheep and cattle go to the mountains in the summertime, it's been done for centuries. While they're up there the shepherds make cheese that has a higher quality than the cheese made in the valley, because up there the grass is better.

I once heard a Native American legend of how when God was separating humans from animals, the dog jumped across the growing divide to stay with the humans. God bless the dogs.

These dogs are Scottish border collies , they are the most intelligent dog there is, if an American owns a truck that breaks down he might ring his friend to discuss what went wrong and to work out what to do next, whilst he’s doing that his collie will be looking round the cab to mind the instruction Manuel. They are wonderful animals.

I just have 8 horses 5 cows and 48 goats and an Australian Shepherd who controls the whole show.

I see some very happy dogs there ... love it

Great video! For those who might think this is an abuse of the dogs, stop that thinking. These dogs love (for lack of a better word) doing this! They live for it. If you have, for a pet, one of these breeds or a mix of them, know that you have to give your dog a job (or jobs) that will make up for what they were bred to do. When I say job, it can be something as simple as catching a frisbee and bringing it back to you...multiple times on end. I have an Australian Shepard and Lab mix. This is a working and sport dog mix that needs something to do almost every day. Games are a job for these pets, My dog loves simple fetch (ball, stick, kong toy), keep away of a toy from my other dog, catching a frisbee, and hide and seek of his toys to keep him happy...he would do this all day and never tire of it ( I even have to insist the dog takes a break and get a drink now and then). My spouse also walks the dog for an hour each day. Keep your dog busy with a "job" and you will have a happy and well-behaved companion.

My bff found a great pyrenees sitting alongside the road last winter. It was super cold that night so she said, "if you want help, get in." He got in her 4-door Ford & took up the back seat. She started calling him Sasquatch & called another friend to contact the animal shelters in the area. We're abt an hr. south of Canada. Finally found a guy looking for his dog. Turns out the guy sold his flock. But in reality it was the dog's flock & he went out every day looking for them. The guy was planning on finding another job for his dog. 🙂

As a trainer of dogs from age 6 , I'm in my 60s now , I totally admire all working canines. Some things you just can't teach . They get it or they don't. A good way they learn , is from others. My current best friend was a barn hunter . But she will protect me with her last breath. I am almost completely blind now and she knows that I am needing her help . Thanks for sharing this story. I HATE puppy mills! Be careful where you get a new family member! My girl , got it , she knew exactly what to do!

What a great program.

Great program. Very well executed.

Wonderful, educational documentary...Thanks for this

Thanks for sharing these magnificent videos that show amazing landscapes, grazing animals and the alchemy by which ranchers coexist and work with their dogs. We need more stuff like this on social media in my opinion. Thanks for sharing - Chris from NC

Love this. We have a guard cat on the farm, she’s more akin to the brown dogs where she roams. One day a red-fox got into the hen-house and ate many of the hens (the goats in the paddock next to the hens were ignored since they have full horns). The next day my wife was riding the trail and saw the cat stalking in the woods, thinking she was getting a squirrel or chipmunk, but instead saw the red Fox standing at alert since my wife was on horseback. Then while she was filming we saw Pippi full on frontal-assault to the fox and just tore into its face (the Fox never returned since it probably figured any small animal crazy enough to frontal attack a fox must be too dangerous); presumably she was defending her hunting grounds. The only apex predator she wouldn’t attack was when we had a bobcat attack (left that to the dog to intimidate)

I grew up in Nebraska and my family are farmers there… Guardian dogs live in a way we can learn from - Eager to work ! They are an integral part of the farm family… And the cats rule over the barns and make sure the rodent population stays in check… Man and animals living in symbiosis -how it should be I love it!❤️

Absolutely fantastic video! So much respect for the people who raise, train, and use these extraordinary animals!

I can’t imagine life without dogs in any capacity.

Good program. Good to see animals used and bred correctly.

We have done to our dogs, the same thing that we have done to a couple generations of our children. They are now too pretty and too far removed from the land and its animals. When the lights go out around the world for whatever reason our younger people will starve with their cell phone or laptop. I see kids walk past their dogs when they return home, with no understanding. When I or my wife come into the house after being gone, we are greeted at the back door by Betty and Bovie. They always get a good scratching and kind words. This is a great video that lots of people should see. Especially those that think their food comes from a grocery store across town.

Great program! Wonderful people and dogs! ThankQ!

I'm watching this amazing documentary and wondering what has happened to so many of us; Obsessed by fashion, Facebook and Twitter. We are in danger of losing an essential part of our natures. These ranchers seem so content. As content as their dogs obviously are!

dogs are at their most awesome when they are working.

What a good show...Thanks to the ranchers and to the guys and girls that made this.

Sending love to Wyoming. I am from Scotland, had a fantastic trip to Eaton’s Ranch. Loved Sheridan. Lovely people. Didn’t want to come back.

Great video! I've loved working dogs since I was a child. Understanding the mentality of.your animal is how to get the most out of it. Great content!

Enjoyed watching this video so much. Even tho I live in Illinois and own a spaniel I feel strongly that herding and sporting dogs need a job. My spaniels job is keeping the squirrels and raccoons away from the bird feeders. He takes this very seriously and is praised every time he completes his task. It's important to him.

Used both guardian dogs and working Border Collies here in upstate NY since moving here from Philly PA area in 1989!! Grazed up to 600 ewes who with their lambs totaled 1200 to 1400 in the summer. Grazed large properties of grass, bedding down at night in movable electric fencing... Had Great Pyrs and Abash guardians--3 dogs for 300 ewes. My BCs were used for all moving, carroling and penning. Finally got too old to do it alone, but loved every minute of it!!!

I live in the south of France and herds of sheep and or goats are kept by dogs and the sheperd; it's always a big pleasure to see them roam about in the Cévennes , Lozère or in the plains.

The pure instincts these working breeds have even without training is astonishing, there is a ranching You Tube channel I watch and they have a German Shepherd that was just supposed to be a pet, no training at all but he works those cattle great, like a slower moving relaxed border collie, rarely making a mistake.

Always blown away by border collies

Beautiful, gorgeous dogs. God bless them and the people who take care of them.

Thanks, what a great film. I live in Central Asia and regularly see CAO's. It is great to see them being used in the US.

Hello there Henry Wilson here in Lancashire England. It's very interesting lissoning to your way of life with your dog's. Of course we have a lot to do with the collie Sean has how they are from the north east of England. All bread from one strain.

This makes me want to move to Wyoming!

We LOVE working dogs. They are intuitive, intelligent, loyal, protective, and fierce if necessary.

I love the fact that the subtitles describe the sheep bleating as "sheep baaing" that's adorable

When I was growing up, we had an amazing border collie named Duke. Dad always said that Duke was worth 3 or 4 cowboys on horseback. We could tell him "Bring 'em in" and he would go out and round up the whole herd and bring them to the gate. Even though he was a registered border collie, he probably wouldn't have been considered AKC correct, since he was white with a black patch over about a 3rd of his face. He lived to be about 13 or 14, before he died.

This is the REAL agility for dogs. I really like rancher's life. Unfortunately here in Italy there aren't ranch. However there are amazing place in the nature that are perfect for our stockdogs

I love seeing the Akbash used on this side of the pond. They are serious protectors!

When i was a sophomore in University I lived in basement suite near Campus , the owners upstairs had a border collie. She would sit on the porch in the morning, waiting for me to leave, but then she would never let me leave the yard, herding me back to my doorstep. It turned into a game of wits and and athleticism, and she had me sussed, despite my use of shrubs, tables and other tactics such as leaving earlier or later. She was otherwise loving and affectionate to me, but when it came to me leaving the yard she was the boss of me.

19:25-19:40 great use of slow-mo with the bearded collie. Might be a tough working dog, but that was adorable. This was a great little documentary. Seeing the different breeds & how they use them was interesting.

BRAVO! WONDERFUL!

It's really sad that there are no young people participating in this documentary. Makes me think there are very few young farmers going into this, and that's just sad. It looks like such a fulfilling job. Then again, I remember when I was a child there used to be a shepherd who came into town with his flock once in a while, but he has disappeared long ago as well...

Beautiful to see these dogs and ranchers treating their herds with respect. This is sadly so rare. Most cattle never see the light of day on a regular basis, nor do they get to graze and eat grass as they were meant to.

Its so beautiful to watch something that has been going on since biblical days. Indeed dogs are so helpful to share labor with farmers.

Great video. Thank you. PBS rocks

Wonderful - absolutely love to see working dogs happy & loved in their work - we lose connection with nature at our peril - thank you for this... 👍👍🐾🦘👍 Inspirational.

Love the working dogs

Great show! I love watching working dogs work.

One of the most enjoyable and informative videos I've watched. Superb !!

so interested video so many animals there. love animals.

first doggo was a high drive BC, best decision ever. loves to do a job and does it 100%

What an interesting video. Love seeing working dogs doing what they were bred for.

Very nice documentary, great information! Of course, beautiful dogs. 😃

These dogs love to work unlike some people in the US.

Love all these youtube experts who know it all and need to tell these ranchers what they are doing wrong.

The sheer magic of a border collie at work. One of the finest breeds out there, ever.

Great show!

My Rottweiler goes to work with me every day, she's clocked over 100k miles traveling. When I exposed her to goats, her herding instinct took over, originally Dover dog's, these instincts don't disappear.

My husband grew up with sheep in Romania. For the night their dogs had collar's and spine belts, made out of bull's hid, covered with spikes, to protect their necks and spine to withstand bear attacks. He said before the night, dogs would come like kids for the candy, to be dressed with that armor.

This is how humans are supposed to be living. Look at how good and pure these people are and how symbiotic their relationship is with all the animals and nature in general. Everyone has a purpose and is needed. It breaks my heart seeing all these lost souls living in huge dehumanizing cities with filth and corruption everywhere, no one is happy or fulfilled. I want to be somewhere like that, where there is life and companionship, I know its hard work, but its more rewarding than anything a concrete jungle has to offer.

so cool, thank you Wyoming PBS

PBS always has amazing footage! Appreciate the facts at the end re: food supply. That was in my mind in light of this slow down in distribution (COVID19 context).

I can’t believe there’s so many of our Aussie dogs in America. I understand they are great working dogs 🐕

God looked down upon man, And saw he easily became lonely, afraid, anxious, and worrisome. God took pity upon man, And gave him the dog.

I adopted a heeler mix from an Amish farm. This helped me understand his personality better. He’s a handful as a pet.

I wish any of my bosses were half as smart as one of those dogs .

top marks to all the farmers,dogs and the livestock

It's cool living this wy. as the people dogs and sheep move on for however long the wild predators can re inhabit the land that they'd previously been pushed out of. That seems like such a good way to do things.Loved this video. Also love what they were saying about dog breeding. It's fascinating.

Beautiful scenery and educational. Well done.

You could get your pack thick spiked collars to protect them from wolf bites. Beautiful conclusion to this story, moving the animals like they were in the past. That it how we give back to the land, and the animals we raise to feed our people. The land needs animals moved over it to keep a healthy ecosystem. we’ve centralized our meat and plant production through “modernization” and that creates a sickly run off that poisons,. instead of the natural cycle that used to occur in the old system.

Excellent film , Dogs doing what they are born to do. Not just for looks and vanity.

This is the coolest shit I’ve ever seen. My dog and I loved watching it!

Awww...Lani ...that border reminds me of Lander Lily...Love to Tony and Andre, please...xo

Nature called this year our two Blue Heelers back to the big sky our two queens Sofia and Soraja !

Kudos, Wyoming PBS

The Sivas Kangal from Turkey is the best dog in open ranges to look after sheep and protect them against wolves as they have done for thousands of years.

I found this video very interesting thanks. I understand your position on breeding

Great documentary. I wish we could make this video more prolific viewed . 😁👍

Hubby and I owned two border collies. They were indoor/outdoor dogs and we were their jobs. Love them!!

Had a cow that would give one of my dogs a bath ! They were best friends!

this channel it's really a good channel

Man's Best Friend! One for Cat: "We use Central Asian Abchurkas, from Central Asia. LOL. WAY smaller scale, I have 300,000 plus rainbow trout and my 2 1/2 year black lab has her eyes always to the skies, chasing Herons, Ospreys and Eagles. She'll never be a duck hunter, (Because she'd bark at them too), but she has a great nose for pheasants. Great video!

Very interesting video.It must be wonderful working with those lovely animals. I don't think it could get any better than that.

Cross up a standard collie and German Shepard if you want a good barker/droving dog that won't wear itself out. They're whip smart and leggy and cover a lot of ground well. Good old Aussie Cattle dogs and the various crosses are good too. Surprised they weren't using them.

Beautiful working dogs.