Average length of a working dogs 'career'??

Bleating Lamb

Was just looking through an old farm diary there and worked out that our current sheep dog is 6 years of age.
Like we all say time flies....I would have said he was around 4!....got me to thinking what age our last dog was when he started to slow down,become deaf and gradually have to be retired/replaced...would say he was around 10 so wouldn't that be seventy in human years?
Current dog showing no signs of wear and tear.
What age on avg do people find the sheep or cattle dog runs out of steam?

jomoloney

current dog is 11, gone a little slow and heavy,

have a year old bitch, which is very unsteady but should come good in time

Bodacious

ive a 12 year old American bull dog x Staffordshire bull dog and she is deaf as a coot .. when her time comes I cant wait to get a proper collie bitch that can actually do something.... I so need a dog to eliminate the running to and fro when moving cows as they are so quiet that when you go to turn another one to get her moving others just stop for a rest.. even an average dog would be mighty

funny man

10 years would be the run of them around here, and a year under each foot before they would be in their prime.

rliston

My sheepdog is 15 since october. She was a great worker when we were in dairy, and knew the daily routine so well that she'd be waiting at the field to bring in the cows!
She hasn't had much work in the last few years as we'd only a few dry cattle so she was able to keep up. I've increased numbers this year and she struggled to keep going some days, heading for the comfort of the jeep after an hour or two moving cattle. She's also gone fairly deaf now so struggles slightly to follow my directions in the field but will work away by herself if she knows I'm moving the cattle! I've been putting off getting another all year but I'll have to do something in the spring.