This site is a celebration of the Australian working dog through words, photos and video. The Australian Kelpie, Cattle dog (Heeler) and the Border Collie are the back bone of the Australian grazing industry. These dogs along with other herding breeds also excel at sheep and cattle trials and are of course great family pets and companions.
LATEST
Red Dog's Audition
Even someone as talented as Red Dog needs to show just what they can do.
Casting Training
With good control established and following various exercises designed to keep distance and balance off the sheep Gus is ready to try a cast in a slightly larger yard.
Dog Trial
The Luddenham Show is always worth a visit, be it for the horse events, the bush poetry or the dog trials. This is an old fashioned country show that survives on the outskirts of Sydney despite the encroachment of suburbia.
We pick up one of the dog trials at the first obstacle. The sheep this day were extremely skittish and difficult. About 80% of them raced off before the dogs were able to complete their cast.
Red Dog
A new Australian film based on the legendary true story of the Red Dog, a charismatic kelpie hitchhiker, who united a disparate local community while roaming the West Australian outback during the 1970s in search of his long lost master.
Red Dog is based on the novel of the same name by Louis De Bernièresand and is Directed by Kriv Stenders. It was filmed in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and in parts of South Australia.
Red Dog is played by Australian Kelpie "Koko".
The film will be released by Village Roadshow on April 21.
LINK to the trailer for the film
Creamy and Henry
From ABC Local Radio (Australia), Richard Vidler interviews legendary Agricultural Show announcer Angus Lane. Angus tells us the moving story of Creamy and Henry Ashcroft who were competing in the three sheep trial at the Royal Show in Brisbane.
The full story can be found at LINK
Born to Work
Noonbarra Gus a working kelpie has been known to work anything from sheep to water spouting from a hose to...... well when he's really bored flies.
It's been a few weeks since Gus has seen sheep. Outside it is 43c (109F) and he has been allowed inside to enjoy the comfort of the airconditioning. Always willing to work Gus decides a fly will do to practice his skills on.
Mustering at Winona
Nick Seis and his two working kelpies muster 350 sheep and their lambs then herd them along the lanes of their property Winona just outside the historic gold rush town of Gulgong in the Central West of New South Wales.
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Droving Alone - worth his weight in beer
Mike was the best dog Darcy Martin ever owned, now we know why. They say a good working dog is worth at least 3 men, but when its hot in Queensland he's worth his weight in beer.
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Learning to Cast
Casting is not just important for trial work, it is an essential skill to aquire for gathering sheep in paddock work on the farm as well. Here is Noonbarra Gus who has graduated from working in smaller yards and has moved to a slightly bigger paddock before he tackles an even larger one.
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Wonderful Dog Story
Colin Seis' family have been farming "Winona" in the Gulgong area in the Central West of New South Wales since the gold rush days of the 1860's. In 1949 they started a fine merino wool stud and in 1974 began to seriously breed working kelpies. They now export kelpies all over the world. Years of traditional farming techniques began to take their toll on the the land and Colin began to experiment with more sustainable methods in the 1980's. From this came "Pasture Cropping" a no till method that not only regenerates the native grasslands but is cheaper, more efficient and carbon friendly.
In 1979 they lost nearly everything in a major bush fire. Here is Colin's story about a special dog Trixie.
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Best of the Web
The best of working dogs on the web. That is the best that we have found. There is so much out there some of it good, some of it great and well, some of it not so great. We want to filter the wheat from the chaff.
Here is what we have found.
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The Sheep Arrive
Dogs New South Wales takes delivery of 75 young sheep. Darcy Martin and his dogs Holly and Sam move the sheep from the truck into the main arena at Erskine Park.
Holly and Sam are eventually joined by Noonbarra Gus and Bring'em Darb. The objective here is to settle them in after their long journey and let them have a drink.
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ABOUT US
The working dog, the stock dog, the herding dog call it what you will these are dogs that are born to work.
This site is currently under construction. It is our intention that it become a useful resource for people who use working dogs. Not just farmers but also those who enjoy competing in sheep and cattle trials. Also city people who have discovered that the working dog makes a wonderful pet.
Bookmark this page now and watch it grow.
Make sure you visit our Facebook page as well.
In the mean time follow the link below to see some videos of dogs at work.
BILL RUSSO
