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The Australian

WORKING

STOCK DOG Magazine

CATTLE TRIALLING

CA PART 2: Which dogs should be tested?

Alternative Therapies for Working Dogs

THE WAY WE WERE: Steve Weyman

Beginner’s Guide:

December 2020

RRP $10.00 (incl. GST)

Issue 14

A DOG’SLIFE:

SWAN SPUD

From the Editor As always, we rely on your support with subscriptions, Here in New South Wales it has been a remarkable season,

newsagent purchases and advertising to keep the magazine

with green as far as the eye can see. Certainly, a fantastic

in print.

change after several years of drought – The biggest issue currently is purchasing enough stock to stay on top of

We are looking forward to some improvements in 2021,

pasture!

including recurring subscriptions and a new website to make it easier to find what you are looking for.

The Corona Virus pandemic has continued with a second wave wreaking havoc in Victoria; however, we appear to

From everyone at the Australian Working Stock Dog

be over the worst of it with restrictions easing. Hopefully

Magazine we wish you an incredibly Happy Christmas and

in 2021 we will be able to resume trialling without too

New Year, with hopefully far fewer obstacles than we saw

many issues, with several bigger trials starting the planning

in 2020!

process including the Australian Yard Championships to be held in Armidale in April and the National Three Sheep Trial to be held in March in Hall, ACT.

The magazine is going well with some fantastic contributors coming on board to supply articles – Massive thank you to everyone who gets involved! www.facebook.com/WorkingStockDogMagazine

All material in this magazine is protected by copyright laws and may not be reproduced in part or full without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher and contributors does / do not accept liability for any opinions or techniques described within The Australian Working Stock Dog Magazine. Printed in Australia by Bluestar Pty Ltd.

Publisher and Editor: Lauren Vest Email: lauren@stockdogs.com.au Phone: 0431299186 Mail: 5246 Southwell Road, Wallaroo NSW 2618

Design Director: Kasie LoSurdo Chief Designer: Annette Ross Copy Editor: Luci Canning Advertising Designer: Kerri Hill Contributors: Jamie and Mani Sturrock, Patsy Trevor, Mark Pelley, Megan Rutherford, Ken Sykes, Angie Snell, Deb Maxwell, Sally Purbrick-Illek, Dr. Lauryn Stewart, Joanne Flavel, Nan Lloyd, Shadows Farm Photography, H Harold Photos, Joel Davis, Ryan Johnston, Wagga Yard Dog Club, Lauren Vest. Front Cover Credit: Mani Sturrock Advertising, Articles & Stories Email: lauren@stockdogs.com.au

www.stockdogs.com.au

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2020

On the Cover

A Dog’s Life: Swan Spud

26.

The Way We Were: Steve Weyman

46.

CA Part Two: When to Test

50.

A Beginner’s Guide: Cattle Trialling

54.

Alternative Therapies

Photo Essay

The Way We Were

Beginner’s Cattle Trialling

CA Kelpie Ataxias Testing

54 Alternative Therapies

8. Swan Spud 8

A Dogs Life: Swan Spud

Rising Star: Will Cox

Stockman Profile: Adam Wrobel

Canine Snake Avoidance

The Way We Were: Steve Weyman

Photo Essay: Megan Rutherford

The Training Pen: Ken Sykes

Tribute To Floss

CA Part Two: When to Test

Beginners Guide To Cattle Trialling

Alternative Therapies

Vet Check: Working Your Dog in the Heat

SA State Championship

WA State Yard and Utility Trial

Wallumbilla 2020: QLD Championships

Wagga Working Dog Auction

Geurie Golden Collar Auction

WA State Arena Championship

Breeders Directory

www.stockdogs.com.au AWSDM

A DOG’S LIFE

Story Lauren Vest, Photos Danny Ruben & Peri Chappell

Swan Spud

Article and photos Jamie and Mani Sturrock

here are 22 dog kennels at our home, Putta Putta, Dulacca. They have grown in number over the years, and they are not always full. For the last 13 years, the same kennel on the left-hand side, at the end has been occupied by Swan Spud. Top dog, foundation sire and undisputed heavyweight champion of the Craiglea Kennels. Many talented dogs have come and gone over the years, some of which are still here and close to retirement. But none will be worthy of that ‘Top’ kennel in Spud’s lifetime. I am currently 36 years old. Which means I have had Spud for just over a third of my life, three quarters of my working career, longer than any job I’ve held, home I’ve lived in, and longer than my wife and two sons. Many will not understand the significance of this, after all he is ‘just a dog’. Spud has been by my side, at work and play, for a significant part of my life and I doubt I will ever forget the impact he has made on me as a stockman, trainer, competitor, breeder and in more recent years as a teacher. Spud was born in 2007, bred by the late Jack and Elaine Swan, of Swan Droughtmaster fame. Jack and Elaine bred plenty of good working dogs, and Elaine was a competitive cattle dog

AWSDM www.stockdogs.com.au

Article and Photos by Jamie and Mani Sturrock

trialler. I picked Spud up when he was nine weeks old. I had a bit of luck go my way, as Elaine was trying to pick the best of the litter for herself and had narrowed it down to two. Worst case, I was going to get one of the better pups in the litter. Elaine demonstrated my pup on some sheep, and both parents on a small mob of cattle. I had no idea working dogs of this calibre existed! I will be forever in debt to my mate, Isaac Hotz for organizing for me to acquire Spud. Spud wasn’t my first dog, but he might as well have been. I often get asked why I only own Border Collies, and my answer is simple. Spud was special from day one, I decided way back then that if this is what Border Collies are like, from now on I’m a Border Collie man! Looking back, knowing what I know now, I spent the first few years of Spud’s life doing everything I could to ruin him! I had no idea what I was doing, so I took him straight to work. He was a very keen, early starting pup. The more he handled, the more I threw at him. I vividly recall roaring up the wing of a decent sized mob of steers, with a five month old Spud trying to get to the lead, yelling at him to ‘get hold of him, get hold of him!’ I fully expected him to block them

A DOG’S LIFE Swan Spud

Being a smaller feedlot, we did a lot pen riding on our own, particularly on the weekend shifts. If I needed a beast from a pen, I would open the gate, and have Spud block that gate. I would select the beast on foot or horse, and call Spud from the gate when appropriate. If we ended up with a couple of extras, Spud would run around and block the laneway, and we would sort the cattle in the lane until we had only the required animal left. It was unbelievable how good he was at understanding which animal I wanted and which I didn’t. I really regret not getting video footage of Spud doing this in his prime. Spud was doing this kind of work from a very young age and doing it well. He was a very natural worker, had pretty decent formal command, but most importantly we had a bond! He always seemed to understand what I was asking him to do, no matter how challenging. I believe this was the secret to our almost instant success in the trial ring.

on his own at that age, and he gave it a red-hot go. Fortunately, not long after that, I attended a Greg Prince school with Spud, followed by another one twelve months later. This was a big turning point for us. One of my biggest challenges early in my ‘career’ with dogs, was that I never had anyone close by to help me with my training or show me how to use dogs properly in my work. Because of this, I would spend a large percentage of my fortnightly wages on DVD’s and books on dog training, mainly from overseas. I had a new one turning up in the mail every fortnight. Every time I discovered a new technique, poor Spud was the guinea pig. Often, I’d be training him a certain way for a while, then a new DVD would turn up, and that afternoon we were doing something new and totally contradictory to what we had been doing! It was a miracle he turned out any good at all! I never realised at the time, how spoiled I was to have the amount and type of work I had for Spud in his early years. This played a large part in how good he became. I worked in a 3,000 head feedlot, which ran a backgrounding operation on 11,500 acres. We also ran up to 1,000 Boer Cross Goats and 500 Dorper Ewes. This gave us access to a wide variety of stock work and plenty of it! We would work in the feedlot, pen riding, acclimating cattle and moving pens. In the paddock, mustering cattle, goats and sheep. We were turning over up to 15,000 cattle each year, and Spud saw every one of them. He was equally as talented on cattle, sheep and goats. He could back a sheep race and was fearless on cows and calves. One of Spud’s specialties was cutting out cattle in the feedlot.

I was starting to think I had a good dog and wanted to find out if anyone else thought so too. The obvious choice was to give cattle dog trialling a go. Again, I am grateful to Isaac for encouraging me to start trialling. Spud and I debuted together at Killarney in 2010, our first trial. I travelled there with Mani and we knew nobody! The Open competition was first. I was very nervous, but we got out there and belted our cattle around for a full course. One of the first full courses of the morning amongst many retirements. I thought I was very clever until I received my score which was in the low eighties. I had a lot to learn about the rules and subtleties of trialling. I found out that there was a bit more to it than just completing the course! We made the Novice final that day, but no placings. Nonetheless, I was hooked! Our second trial was at Widgee not long after. We won the Novice. I was very proud and couldn’t believe how well we had gone at only our second outing! Spud’s third trial was at the Roma show. We won the Open! Three events after debuting together, my one and only dog was an Open dog. We were having so much fun, I went to as many trials as I could get to in the months following. Despite being a two-year-old dog, with a beginner handler, competing in only the Open competition, Spud hardly ever came home without a place. I had no idea it was happening at the time, but this consistency was proving very valuable in the Dog of the Year points, and to my amazement this resulted in Spud winning the 2011 Australian Working Cattle Dog of the Year. To do this in our very first year of cattle dog trialling is one of the proudest achievements of my life. But more importantly, it is testament to Spud’s natural ability much more than mine as a handler.