10/20/06 Smokey and Spike II

Smokey and Spike II Yesterday, I described a put together team assigned to make a fall roundup. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back in one minute to tell you how it all worked out. The team that started the fall gather that year was myself and two dogs  Smokey, the tough, quiet no nonsense blue heeler worker and Spike, an Australian Shepard plenty of brain power and herding instinct, but possibly lacking in enforcement qualities. Spike was pretty good at keeping a small group of gentle cows moving along if I was moving another bunch and Smokey had the toughness to bring cattle out of the brush whenever the cows tried that trick. But when the two dogs worked together it sure broke the routine and became entertaining. If a group of particularly surly tempered cows had to be moved, I would tell both dogs to get after it and the charge was one. Spike was just a bit faster than Smokey and would be right in the lead coaxing Smokey on but would always falter just enough right at the cows to let Smokey take the brunt of the work while barking enough to tell Smokey what a great job he was doing. I didn't think Smokey noticed, but the next time we were loping along to cover more ground the two dogs went around sagebrush on opposite sides and crashed into one another. I don't know if Smokey planned it, but it was just like he was saying  you're a pretty good cheerleader, how are you in a dogfight? Well, Spike did hold his own until I got them apart and on our way again. It went that way for the rest of the roundup  Spike cheering Smokey on to move bad cows and Smokey using the sagebrush trick to get back at Spike, but we did get all the cows. I'm Jeff Keane.