Gypsy is the matriarch. She is a Smithfield, a mongrel breed ‘type’ popular in Tasmania. She has been (is) a sweet natured dog. Given to me for my birthday 12 years ago, as a working dog. She has been (still is) a handy farm dog, but lacks the finesse for three sheep trialing which is my main interest.
Scout is a Border Collie Kelpie cross. Not sure what happened to the Border Collie bit as he is very Kelpie. Wild, indefatigable and selectively deaf when being asked to slow down. I have run Scout in a few farmers trials but have given up (for now anyway) as he is just too wild. If we have big mobs of sheep to move however, or a creek to cross, scout is the dog for the task.
Louis (Freeway Louis) is a 4y.o. Border Collie. He is the first pup we got specifically for trialing. Not everything went to plan though. At about 4 months old we noticed he was a bit lame. Diagnosis was osteochondritis. An operation and about $4,000 later the poor little fellow was stuck in a crate for months of rehab. He coped with it better than we did and he continues to be a loving, patient dog and oh so smart. I put about two years of effort into Lou, and although he showed amazing promise he just never seemed to give me his all. He would cast but and lift but then stall and be so far off his sheep they wouldn’t move.
Pete is our latest arrival and a wonderful dog. He is a Border Collie and already a successful trial dog. More importantly he is just as happy workin three sheep or three hundred. More about Pete soon.