Animal Health Australia wants cattle dogs used to the minimum

THE iconic Aussie cattle dog has been brought to heel, under new animal welfare rules that could see farmers jailed for cruelty.

THE iconic Aussie cattle dog has been brought to heel, under new animal welfare rules that could see farmers jailed for cruelty.

Animal Health Australia (AHA) has told sheep and cattle farmers the use of dogs and electric prods "should be limited to the minimum necessary''.

Sheep dogs with a habit of biting must be muzzled - as well as cattle dogs rounding up calves. The AHA wants public feedback on its plans for the first national animal welfare standards for cattle and sheep.

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Farmers would be fined and possibly even jailed for deliberate cruelty, under the proposed rules to come into force next year.

Livestock must be given adequate nutrition, water, space and "social contact'' with other animals.

Cattle Council animal health and welfare adviser Justin Toohey yesterday said stressed cattle produced tougher meat.

"The drover's dogs are part of the family but there has been a trend to move away from dogs for cattle,'' he said."It's not such a big issue mustering in open paddocks, but in yards the dogs can go a bit ballistic.

"You can get dogs biting the hocks and I've seen dogs swing on the tail and bite off the brush.''

AHA spokesman Kevin de Witte said dogs biting sheep and cattle was "always an issue''.

"Essentially we're using a predatory species to herd a prey species,'' he said.

"If you've ever seen a sheep dog trial it's a beautiful thing to see, but dogs that are not under control and bite or bark constantly are no longer really acceptable.''

Sheepmeat Council chief executive Ron Cullen said a good sheepdog was "worth a couple of good men''.

"The dog uses its eye and its bark, and knows how to stand and push,'' he said.

Working Kelpie Council vice-president Barbara Cooper said few farmers used the Australian cattle dog, a mix of collie, dingo and ``a dash of dalmatian''.

"The cattle dog is a severe biter,'' she said."He was developed when the sheep were wild, and was a necessary part of the pioneering situation.

"But now the cattle are handled regularly and don't require a severe biting job, so most of the livestock management is kelpies or border collies.''

The AHA is a non-profit company set up by the federal, state and territory governments, and farming and animal welfare groups. Its proposed guidelines state that cattle and sheep must be kept safe from extreme weather, drought, fires, floods, disease, injury and predation.

Farmers must not fire metal pellets at cows during mustering, and must not use electric prodders "in an unreasonable manner''.

"A person in charge must have a dog under effective control at all times during the handling of cattle (and) ensure a dog is muzzled when moving calves less than 30 days old that are without cows,'' the guidelines state.

"A person in charge of a dog that habitually bites sheep must muzzle the dog while working sheep.''