Hey, friend! Welcome back to another post! Today, we’re exploring a couple of questions that were posed to me a few months ago:
What role did dogs play in the American West? What kind of dogs were most common in the West? Do dogs have a role in rodeo?
These questions stumped me… I made a quick note in my phone and continued chatting with my lunch date. (See ‘quick note’ below LOL)
I went home and thought about the questions for awhile. I wanted to frame this post in a way that made sense. Once I decided, I couldn’t wait to dig into the sources and find some answers.
I’ve spent my free time exploring the history of dogs in the American West and their role in rodeo over the past few months and here’s what I have learned.
What kind of dogs were most common in the West?
The commonality of certain dog breeds have shifted over the past couple of centuries. Cattle dog breeds seem to be the easiest to trace in Western history and I’m not sure ‘easiest’ is the best word here, but I think you get the point.
According to Western Horseman, the following six breeds are the most common livestock dogs.
Australian Cattle Dog: These dogs are 17-20 inches tall and weigh 35-50 pounds. They are blue or red dogs. They are energetic, loyal, intelligent, and work hard.
Australian Kelpie: These dogs are 17-20 inches tall and weigh 30-40 pounds. Their color can vary from black, black and tan, red, red and tan, chocolate, smoke blue, or fawn. They are energetic, alert and have an active, amenable disposition.
Australian Shepherd: These dogs are 18-23 inches tall and weigh 40-65 pounds. Their coats are blue or red merle, black, red, or triple-color. They are attentive, trainable, intelligent, and have a strong herding instinct.
Black-Mouth Cur: These dogs are 16-24 inches tall and weigh 40-80 pounds. They have a yellow, brindle, or reddish-brown coat. They possess a good-nature, but can be rugged and will always work hard.
Border Collies: These dogs are 18-22 inches tall and weigh 30-55 pounds. They are typically black and white or red and white in color. They are loyal, focused, intelligent and very energetic.
Catahoula: These dogs are 20-24 inches tall and weigh 35-110 pounds! The have black, brindle, yellow, or black/red merle coat. They are loyal, independent, agile, and work hard.
I hope you enjoyed this quick rundown of cattle dogs. Now, on to the next part of the question – the one I know you’ve all been waiting for!
What role do dogs have in rodeo?
Dogs HAVE played a role in the rodeo arena and are mostly used for entertainment purpose! I spent some time in newspaper databases and the Dickinson Research Center at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum looking for more information on their various roles. Let me be the first to tell you that I was NOT disappointed by what I found!
From the cutest dog tricks to cowboy monkeys riding herding dogs, you’ll have to keep reading to see what else I found in the archives…
Buster Ivory & Junie Bug
Buster and Junie Bug showed off their tricks for photographer DeVere Helfirch in April 1966 at the Red Bluff Rodeo in California. Sadly, I couldn’t find more information about these photos, but I thought they were cute and wanted to include them!
Tiny Cowboy Monkeys & Herding Dogs
Arguably, the most interesting photos I stumbled across happen to be of the tiny capuchin monkeys dressed like tiny cowboys riding herding dogs.
I first saw the cowboy monkeys in the newspaper database and when I tried to search the DRC database nothing pulled and I was pretty disappointed… but then I was researching something completely unrelated and happened to find a cowboy monkey picture that wasn’t tagged and I was so excited! Then I was able to try some other key words and wound up finding a few more photos.
The history of this act isn’t quite clear and there doesn’t appear to be any research on the topic.
In the rodeo arena, the entertainers would train monkeys to ride herding dogs in the arena. They would dress the monkeys in miniature cowboy clothes and hats. Now, the dogs were trained to follow a pattern so the monkey wasn’t actually controlling the dog. The pair had to round the sheep up into the pens like real cowboys.
From a quick search in the DRC, the earliest photo I have found is from 1963 of C.D. Ferguson, Calamity Jane (the monkey), and a border collie. The most recent photos in the DRC are from the 1980s.
The monkey and dog rodeo act still takes place today in certain sports venues as entertainment, but receives a lot of pushback from various animal rights groups.
Dogs Attending Rodeos
There were several photos of rodeo athletes and their families pictured with dogs in the archive. I loved seeing these photos because the groups would get creative with their poses and such!
I also love that this still happens today! I see lots of cute puppies when I go to rodeos and they’re so sweet!
Concluding Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading about the history of dogs in the American West and the role they played and continue to play in rodeo.
I must extend a ‘thank you’ to the person who asked me these questions. I love it when people ask me something that I don’t know the answer to! It gives me an opportunity to go research a new topic that I probably would never have thought about otherwise…
Speaking of – if you have a question or topic relating to the history of the American West – feel free to send a message on my contact page and I’ll try to point you in the direction to find answers.
That’s all I have for today, friends – I’ll talk to y’all soon!
Sources
Websites
Ross Hecox. “Cow Dog Cool: 6 Common Stock Dog Breeds.” Western Horseman. December 13, 2021.
Denis Flaim. “Australian Shepherd History: Behind the Breed.” American Kennel Club. May 8, 2023.
Christopher Koeppel. “Precontact American Dogs.”
Brian K. Trembath. “Monkeys Riding Dogs – A Glorious Rodeo Tradition.” January 15, 2015.
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