Sam Clark with his 6-month-old Idaho shag, Buddy. The pup is known for his stamina in handling livestock.

Curious about a new comical-looking breed of cow dog she had heard about, Susie Morton bought her first Idaho shag three decades ago.

Judging from their appearance, it was hard to take them seriously. With their frazzled hair coat, they looked like they had a mishap with an electric fence. Their origins sounded like an accident, too.

“They’re a cross of Airedale, border collie and Australian shepherd and usually weigh about 40 pounds,” said Morton, 55, one of the first breeders in central Idaho. “Whatever people think about their appearance, they’re really faithful and tough. If they get kicked or beat up, they go right back at it.”

After buying her first Idaho shag from a breeder in southern Idaho and working cattle, she was impressed.

“When she had pups, I kept some and started breeding,” Morton said. “They’re becoming really popular, so more people have started breeding them.”

For decades she relied on her Idaho shags while working for livestock associations in the Challis, Pahsimeroi and Lost River Valley areas.

“They can go all day,” said Morton, who lives south of Mackay and manages a ranch. “They can be hard-headed, so you just learn to deal with it. Early on, you have to make sure they know who the boss is. They really have a lot of personality.”

Whenever she checks cattle, her shags, Monte, Henry, Mary, and Shorty accompany her.

Although rancher Sam Clark grew up in the Lost River Valley, he never worked cattle with an Idaho shag until six months ago.

“I bought my first one from a friend in Malta and wouldn’t have any other breed now,” said Clark, who moved to the Raft River Valley in southeastern Idaho several years ago.

Working cattle, he said his six-month-old shag, Buddy, “goes all day, won’t back down, and rides on the back of my horse. At home, he’s protective of our daughter Payzlee.”

In eastern Idaho, Bill Fuchs, who owns the Henry’s Fork Ranch, a cattle and guest ranch near Chester, became a convert about seven years ago.

He and his son Tanner, 24, bought one and liked how she worked livestock so much they began breeding shags.

Their small size may cause livestock not to take them seriously at first.

“If a cow doesn’t respect Marley or looks at her the wrong way, she lets them inch closer to her for a sniff, then she grabs their nose,” Bill said. “It’s her way of telling a cow to respect her space.”

“It’s amazing how many people are looking for that specific breed,” Bill said.

At a recent branding in the Leadore area, most cowboys had an Idaho shag.

“That’s the breed they prefer there,” Bill said.

Dr. Andy Clifton, a veterinarian in nearby Salmon, said the scruffy dogs in her area are known as the Pahsimeroi fuzzy. She said the dogs are intelligent, protective of family, have stamina, and want to please their owner.

“They’re tough and have an instinct to work cows all day, yet they can come home and play ball with the kids in the evening,” she said.

Cowboys are loyal to the breed, Clifton said.

“Once they start seeing how they work, that’s the only breed of dog they want.”

Photo by Dianna Troyer

Sam Clark’s 6-month-old Idaho shag, Buddy, is renowned for his stamina in the Raft River Valley of southeastern Idaho.