Working Dog Training

Working Dog Training Sessions are a great investment for your farm to ensure that you and your dog are working at optimum efficiency.

Community Participation - LP021-043

The issue

Unfortunately Working Dogs do not come with a manual, that is why whenever the opportunity arises Western Murray Land Improvement Group (WMLIG) organise these workshops for our community. Working Dog Training Sessions are a great investment for your farm to ensure that you and your dog are working at optimum efficiency.

The solution

WMLIG partnered with the Rural Financial Counselling Services to invite Geoff McDougall from the Hay Working Dog Club to deliver three Working Dog Training Days in Moulamein, Cobramunga and Deniliquin. The training sessions were single day events with a maximum of 15 attendees per day. Participants brought their own dogs to work with the sheep that our hosts provided. Dogs and their owners started in the yards with three to four sheep to build the confidence of both the owner and the dog, teach them a series of commands, as well as using a rake as an extension of their arm to train the dogs to go left or right around the mob. Finally the day concluded with training dogs to go through a sheep race with sheep and build the confidence of the dog to got over the top of sheep.

The impact

Overall there was really positive feedback from each of the sessions, with the general consensus that these type of events should be held regularly.

Author: Nick Dillon

Key facts

  • 3 workshops conducted
  • 45 attendees
  • Train accordingly to your dog's temperament

Project Partners