YOU'VE heard of homing pigeons - now a Seymour grazier, Brian Leahy, has a dog with similar instincts.
Kuta was one of three dogs stolen from his property, earlier this week - but the animal found its way home, just after midnight this morning.
Mr Leahy, who is also Victorian Yard Utility Farm Dog Association president, said the big black and tan kelpie appeared to have walked home.
"He's always been quite good at slipping his head out of the collar," Mr Leahy said.
"He's turned up at one o'clock in the morning; I've heard a chain rattling and flew out of the house - thinking I was getting robbed again - and there he is , looking at me.
"I'm rapt, by the look of things, he has walked a fair distance," he said.
Mr Leahy said it might mean the dogs were being held at a property in, or around, Seymour, which was 25kms away.
"At least I know they are not in NSW, so we are getting there."
Seymour police estimated the value of the three dogs at $14,000.
The three animals are Kuta, a black and tan dog, with a white crest on his chest, Jodie, a red and tan bitch and Gus, another black and tan dog.
He said one of the dogs was going to be used for breeding, while he intended to sell one of the others.
"I put so much time and effort into it, I feel I've had a bit of a kick in the guts. - I am lost without the dogs," Mr Leahy said.
"People don't want to spent time with pups any more, they don't want to train them, they want to get working, properly trained dogs.
"I don't have a trained dog on the property, which has put me in a difficult situation, as I run quite a lot of stock," he said.
He said he ran 2,500 sheep and about 400 cattle, at his Glenlyon property.
"Someone knew they were there, as they were 400m off the road; they came in specifically to steal the dogs," Mr Leahy said.
"Are we meant to put a padlock over their cage every time we put them in at night?" he said.
The dogs were micro chipped and Mr Leahy said he had notified all the members of the Yard Dog Association, so selling them would be very difficult.
Seymour police Senior Constable Jennifer Horgan appealed for any witnesses to call her, or Crimestoppers.
"We've spoken to him and suggested he lists the microchips as stolen," Senior Constable Horgan said.
"We are hoping the dogs turn up, or someone hears something, and we can get them back to him," she said.
Anyone with information should call Seymour police on 57350200
