Does your dog have what it takes to be crowned Australia's hardest working dog?
Dog owners can put their best friends to the test by nominating them for the 2019 Cobber Working Dog Challenge.
Two dogs from each Australian state will be selected to compete in the fourth annual Cobber Challenge.
Each of the 12 competing dogs will wear a GPS collar to track how hard they work over a three week period up to September 1.
The competitors will be scored based on distance, speed and duration of work per day.
Their data will be uploaded daily so people can follow the performance of individual dogs, as well as the best performing state.
Points will be calculated based on this information to crown the 2019 Cobber Challenge champion.
Boof, a Kelpie that works on a mixed farm in south-west Victoria, took out the title last year.
Then six-years-old, Boof had a late dash of activity to edge out the competition in the last days of the 2018 Cobber Challenge.
Boof ran over 630 kilometres over three weeks at an average of 10.62km/hr, totals that surprised owner Henry Lawrence.
"I knew he'd do a lot, but in the last week, when work picked up, he piled on the kilometres," Mr Lawrence said.
"One morning when we were shifting a mob, he covered around 40km, and then another time he clocked almost 70km for the day."
He said it was fortunate Boof was picked to compete last year because Boof has been forced to slow down in recent months.
"Boof broke his leg," Mr Lawrence said.
"He was trodden on by a bull, but X-rays show it's healing well.
"Boof will go into a more casual, part-time role in the team when he's recovered.
"He's earned it."
Mr Lawrence works with three other dogs and one of Boof's daughters, Grace, may become top dog if she can fill her father's paw prints.
"Boof's a pretty great dog - he can work a mob of sheep through a mob of cattle or vice versa or go 'round them both if I want, he just seems to know what I'm after so it's pretty special," Mr Lawrence said.
Ridley group marketing manager Ian Moore said everyone involved in making Cobber was looking forward to seeing the entries.
"The Cobber Challenge celebrates Australian working dogs that are tough, resilient, smart and dedicated," Mr Moore said.
"Working dogs are essential members of farming teams thanks to their natural instincts to herd and work hard.
"Farmers tell me a good dog can do the work of at least two or three people."
Click here to nominate your working dog before Sunday July 7.
