Dogs are not only man’s best friend but also an integral part of farming teams.
Two-year-old kelpie Rex, owned by Jandre Slabbert, Digby, is taking part in a competition to find Australia’s hardest working dog.
He is one of eight dogs throughout the country that will be fitted with a GPS collar, to track and assess their movements over a three-week period.
The Cobber Challenge will begin on November 21, and will track each dog’s distance travelled, duration, and top speed.
Mr Slabbert oversees the sheep operation on his family friend’s property, Ardgartan, where they run about 20,000 breeding ewes, and said Rex is an invaluable member of the team.
“He’s a utility dog, he musters sheep in the paddocks, moves them from paddock to paddock, and gets them into yards for weaning or shearing,” Mr Slabbert said.
“When I first started, I was using a motorbike to get these jobs done, and I would come home at the end of the day with really bad headaches.”
He said Rex has helped make his life so much easier.
“I don’t think you could do this job without a good working dog.”
Mr Slabbert said a dog trainer who helped train Rex at the start of the year recommended they enter into the Cobber Challenge.
“I’m just really interested to see how far a dog travels in a day.”
He said he did a trial with the GPS collar last week, and was really impressed with Rex’s results.
“He’d done just under 40kms on a Friday afternoon, and it wasn’t even that laborious in comparison to most days,” he said.
With a lot of work coming up, Mr Slabbert said Rex would do very well.
“We’re weaning at the moment, so he’ll be in yards over the next couple of weeks,” he said.
“He’ll be back out moving mobs around in paddocks, and getting lambs on to fresh pasture.”
He said it had taken a bit of time to get Rex up to scratch.
“When I first got him, he was really timid, and I could get him to work with other dogs but not by himself.”
He said it’s important to suit the dog’s training to its temperament.
“If it’s a timid dog, you’ve got to be more gentle, and lower your voice, and not be so intimidating.
“I was trying to work out how I could best use Rex, and once I figured that out, mine and Rex’s confidence both built up.”
Victoria has another entry in animal nutrition company Ridley’s competition – three-and-a-half-year-old kelpie Larry, owned by Damien Clifford, Woorndoo. NSW, South Australia and Queensland each have two entries too.
