Sapphire Tiger cost his new owner $26,000 at a working dog auction in southern New South Wales last month, but his trainer says he is worth every cent.
“No matter what you put in front of him, whether it was cattle, sheep in the paddock, sheep in the yards, goats, he worked them all to a very high level,” Josh Everingham said.
“If you were to buy a pup, you need to reserve at least three years until you can get them up to that stage, and that’s spending two or three times a day … working them.”
The black and tan kelpie is focused on the job of mustering the sheep. (Supplied: Coverdale Media)
Sapphire Tiger is one of 53 dogs sold at the Jerilderie Working Dog Auction, with the average price of $9,500 up by more than $2,000 from last year.
Auction coordinator Warwick Doolan said that, when prices for livestock were high, people were prepared to pay more for dogs to muster them.
“The shortage of reliable labour in the agricultural sector also has a lot to do with that,” he said.
Josh Everingham says repetition and consistency are key when training working dogs. (Supplied: Coverdale Media)
“Cattle can be tricky to work without a large amount of staff or a team of good working dogs.”
Trained dogs at the Jerilderie auction averaged more than $11,600, double the average of $5,750 for dogs still learning.
Jake Lebrocque, Â Nick Gray, Josh Everingham with Sapphire Tiger and Warwick Doolan at the Jerilderie auction. (Supplied: Josh Everingham)
Doing the work of five people
Muster Dogs alumni Marlene Brewer said it was “almost impossible to find labour” for her cattle operation near Bingara, in northern NSW.
Marlene Brewer says the bond between trainer and dog is important. (Supplied: Muster Dogs)
Ms Brewer said she relied on star border collie Hudson and a team of dogs.
“A working dog is the quiet workhorse behind any livestock enterprise,” she said.
“Three of my dogs easily replace three to five people and it takes very little to keep them happy to turn up each day.”
Marlene Brewer relies on her dogs for her cattle operation. (Supplied: Amy Brewer)
She said Muster Dogs, which is shown on ABC TV, had shone a light on the role of working dogs in rural industries.
“The thing that Muster Dogs was able to bring to showing people is that bond you create with your working dog, it is the thing that makes … managing any livestock much more successful,” Ms Brewer said.
“I think the concept of building a team of working dogs is the difference that is going to make things in a livestock enterprise more profitable.”
This year also saw the first working dog sale for the New England regions of Walcha and Nowendoc, and organiser Maddie Davidson hopes it will become a regular event.
Maddie and Jack Davidson with their sale dog, Davidsons Winnie. (Supplied: Kate Connors Photography)
“My husband and I have working dogs and we’ve seen an increase in dog sales … we like to be able to see a dog, pat it, touch it and see it work,” Ms Davidson said.
“I think people are starting to realise you can rely on your dogs to turn up every day for work … they are quickly replacing humans [on the farm].”
The top-priced dog at the inaugural auction sold for $11,000.
Joker shows his style in the sheep race. (Supplied: Kate Connors Photography)
Mr Doolan said the Jerilderie sale had been run by a team of volunteers for 21 years, raising more than $500,000 for local charities in that time.
“From small things, like helping children in times of hardship go on a school camp or buy some school shoes or books … right up to major projects,” he said.
Sapphire Tiger has been praised for his ability to work with all livestock. (Supplied: Coverdale Media)
Mr Doolan said more than 300 people attended the auction this year, but Sapphire Tiger was oblivious to the fuss.
“Loudspeakers, auctioneers walking around the ring, hundreds of people, loud noises and I don’t think Tiger knew,” he said.Â
“He just knew that he had seven or eight sheep he needed to get around the arena and that’s what he focused on.”