Spirit Summer 2020 Edition 31
“I always say don’t breed for color or show. Breed for workability,” Popp said. “I would rather have the ugliest dog in the county as long as it works.” A typical day for Blue includes training in the morning and then working in the field in the afternoon, as he helps Popp’s neighbors gather cattle. Popp is an agronomist by trade and called cattle-dog training his hobby. It’s one that began after he got bucked off a horse while team roping and broke a few ribs.
guy up in Wellfleet say, ‘Why don’t you get a dog, because you like to compete.’ So I got into dogs and here I am.”
He owns seven dogs and also trains canines for other people. In addition, he works with students at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in cattle-dog training along with Eddie Merritt and Bill Stone.
About eight students are typically out at his ranch each afternoon or evening working with dogs.
On a recent afternoon, Joli Brown was working her year-and-a- half-old female border collie, Lou, in Popp’s corral.
“With my job, I’ve got to be there every day,” Popp said. “I had a
Popp said the earliest that dogs can begin training is around 10 months old. He watched from outside the corral as Brown gave commands to Lou. The dog was more than willing to please.
“I really love working with the students,” Popp said. “ I see what they are doing and the progress they are making.
“I can also see the mistakes I’m making. If I make a mistake in the way I’m training, I see it through (the students) because they are doing the same thing.”
Kelly Popp gives his border collie, Blue, a break between training sessions on Popp’s ranch in rural Cutis. Popp has been working cattle dogs for nine years. Photo by Tim Johnsons
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