In an inspiring turn of events, Bear the kelpie, once the last of his litter to find a home, has emerged as a champion in a prestigious working dog competition. Over the course of two weeks, Bear clocked an impressive 570 kilometers, solidifying his status as a top-performing farm dog.
Tom Perkins, Bear’s owner and a farmer in Dirranbandi, Queensland, was searching for a capable working dog when he encountered Bear, a robust and lively puppy. “He was the last one left, a pretty big lump of pup,” Perkins recalled, noting how Bear followed him intently as he assessed other dogs at a breeding stud. “I said I’d take him, and the rest is history. He’s shone right through.”
Bear’s journey from the last pick of the litter to champion was marked by an undeniable bond between him and Perkins. The recent Cobber Challenge, which tests working dogs from across Australia, provided the perfect backdrop for Bear to showcase his abilities. The competition lasted 14 days, utilizing GPS collars to meticulously track each dog’s distance, speed, and working hours while managing livestock.
Coinciding with the challenge, Perkins needed to muster and drench 4,500 ewes on his family farm, allowing Bear to demonstrate his exceptional skills. Throughout the competition, Bear covered 570 kilometers, including a grueling nine-and-a-half-hour workday at an average speed of approximately 13 km/h.
Perkins praised Bear’s laid-back yet diligent demeanor, stating, “When it’s on, it’s on. Some pups want to work flat out all the time, but he’s not like that.” Bear’s temperament not only makes him a capable worker but also allows him to enjoy downtime when the job is complete.
With a pack of 10 working dogs that he treats as family, Perkins emphasizes that these dogs thrive on instinct-driven herding rather than the comforts of domestic pets. “Dogs get the job done and love doing it, all with smiles on their faces,” he explained. “You open their kennel at four in the morning, and they’re just as keen to go as they were the day before.”
The Cobber Challenge also highlighted other remarkable competitors, including Tasmanian kelpie Nell, who, alongside owner Brad McDonald, took second place after covering 360 kilometers. Third place went to Rip, another kelpie, who survived an illness that claimed the rest of his litter, partnered with owner Ben Coster from Yass, New South Wales.
As interest in working dogs surges, they are increasingly recognized as valuable assets in the agricultural sector, especially amid labor shortages. In 2022, a one-year-old kelpie named Eve sold for a record-breaking price of $49,000, praised for her calm demeanor.
Perkins views the rising demand for working dogs as a positive development for rural Australia. “There’s often a lot of bad news coming out of the bush to urban areas, and more often that’s due to miscommunication or misunderstanding,” he remarked.
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