I'm Miquel Adrover, from Es Cau
I'm a shepherd, and this is Estella, a Mallorcan Ca de Bestiar
I wake up around 6:30, and the first thing I do
is have a glass of chocolate milk and a few tablets
because I've got a dodgy heart
Before I know it, it's 7:30
and then after feeding the sheep
I head off to check in on the pregnant ones
I put on my boots and head out with a dog that I trust
Usually I take Estella, the Ca de Bestiar
because I think that they're better
than a Border Collie as a sheepdog
They work in a different way
They don't spring up and down like a Border Collie
The sheep won't confront a Ca de Bestiar
With a Border Collie, they often do
There's a lot of work to be done with a Ca de Bestiar
to get them to become working dogs
and many circumstances that aren't the fault of the dog
There are many factors against them
There are Border Collies that are very easy to train
Some even say that some of them are born trained
This isn't true, but it's certain that there are dogs
that are bred for herding, and of course
for a long time they've carried this gene
and it shows
This is what they should've done with the Ca de Bestiar
I feel guilty that the breed won't last as a sheepdog
but if you want to compete
if you want to sign up for certain competitions
you can't do that with a Ca de Bestiar
And it's a matter of selection, mainly selection and training
You have to change the way of training
There's lots of work to do, lots
But here on Mallorca, there are only a few people
that know how to manage dogs, very few
There's not a big sheepdog culture here
I know people who've had sheep all their lives,
and they don't know how to handle a dog
A dog is a tool, a very good and handy working tool
If anyone asked me if I wanted to swap a dog for a person
I wouldn't do it
If I were told you have to have 600 sheep, which is what I have
without a dog, and we'll pay for someone, whomever you want
I'd say thank you very much, I'm not interested
It's not possible, anyway
I move around 300 sheep, and I don't get out of my truck
I really am inside the truck
This is priceless