Border collie working dog sells to strong price at auction

David Lee, Edenhope, travelled to the Jerilderie Working Dog Auction in February with his dog, Harvey.

He bought Harvey as a five-month-old pup from breeder Peta Bauer.

Mr Lee, who works as a livestock contractor, said Harvey worked hundreds of thousands of sheep and cattle before trying his paw at yard dog trials.

"For some reason he really took to me," he said.

"He just wanted to work, there was never one day that he ever quit on me or didn't want to go to work.

"Even if he was on two legs and sore he'd still be turning up to go to work.

"He would try, and try, and try."

Mr Lee said it was the first time he had sold a dog at a sale and did have some concerns about where Harvey would end up.

"We like to sell them privately for the simple fact that we know where they're going to go, and I've got more of a chance of setting the people's personality to the dog," he said.

"You can have the best dog in the world but if he goes to someone that hasn't got a similar personality, they just don't seem to get along.

"Luckily he went to some really nice people."

He had been offered $10,000 for Harvey in the lead up to the auction.

Harvey was bought by Rowena Munro, NSW, who plans to use him on her family's property where they run both a commercial Merino flock and a Border Leicester stud.

She was drawn to Harvey's natural working ability and said she planned to breed from him.

Mr Lee said it was a hard sale.

"Once it hit the reserve and it kept going, basically I felt a bit numb really," he said.

"And then I had to give my dog to a girl that was leading them to the back to the tie ups, and we weren't allowed to go there once the dog was sold.

"I'm not one to cry much but gee I got a big apple in my throat and I had to duck off for 10 minutes and get myself together."

Mr Lee said he first became involved with Border Collies after working on a Queensland property that had a team.

He then spent six months in England with dog trainers who favoured the breed.

He is currently breeding Kelpies, but hoped to start breeding Border Collies again.

The best working dogs had good temperaments and a strong work ethic, he said.

He said Border Collies could sometimes be underrated as a working dog.

"I just know a lot of people that are running Kelpies for paddock dogs but they'd probably be a lot better off with a nice feeling Border Collie," he said.

"It doesn't matter what sort of dog or how it's bred, a good dog is a good dog."