Muster Dogs School Puts Farm Skills in Farmers' Hands

A livestock school in Condobolin filled all 25 places, and more than 10 people were waiting to get in. Farmers and livestock handlers travelled from New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland to learn from Neil McDonald, a head trainer on the ABC television series Muster Dogs. The school gave practical instruction to people who work with animals every day. Its reach went well beyond the local district.

A school beyond the dog work

Condobolin and Districts Landcare coordinator Tasha Hurley said the school booked out quickly. She called it “a bit of a little life school secretly hidden under a dog school,” saying the lessons also helped landholders build confidence and understand how to manage themselves.

Some people in the room considered themselves tough or experienced. They tried the lessons, laughed with McDonald and acknowledged their usual methods might not be the most efficient. The point wasn’t to preserve anyone’s status as the expert; it was to give handlers a chance to reconsider how they worked.

Inquiries came from Phillip Island in Victoria, rural South Australia and northern Queensland. Demand exceeded the 25 available places, though the article doesn’t say whether more sessions will be offered.

Ann-Estelle Zimmerman, a German national who moved to Australia seven years ago without speaking English, said working with cattle and dogs helped develop her love of the land. “It's a weird feeling of freedom,” she said. “The ability to teach your dog right and to then see the dog working cattle or any livestock correctly, just makes you proud.”

Zimmerman said she wanted her dogs to love her and stay with her, and that she loved them and gave them everything she could. She attended after hearing McDonald was holding the school. “Muster Dogs is obviously a huge thing,” she said, describing seeing him on television as like seeing a celebrity. But meeting him at 7 o'clock in the morning brought the famous trainer back down to ordinary scale: “everyone, we are all the same, we all started somewhere.”

Back to basics, not panic

McDonald said handlers can react with “nerves and panic and anxiety” when dogs chase sheep toward a fence. He told them to slow down, lower their shoulders and walk calmly. “If the dog's chasing sheep into a fence and everything's looking a bit wild and wonderful, just get the person to slow down, drop their shoulders, walk nice and calmly, then all of a sudden the whole situation changes.”

He also stressed recall and walking properly on a lead, noting that some accomplished dogs still didn’t come when called. Small, practical moments matter to the relationship between handler and animal. “You watch people in the city ... they're not walking their dog, the dog's walking them.”

For a dog walking ahead on a tight lead, McDonald advised a quick movement or jerk on the lead rope to get its attention, then releasing pressure once the dog looked at the handler. “The minute it looks at you, you've got to take the pressure off the rope so that the dog feels pressure when it's not paying attention and relief when it does.” He also advised patting the dog when it looked at its owner and stopping when it looked away: “Patting a dog when it's not looking at [you] is rewarding it for not paying attention.”

Practice at home

Condobolin property manager Jarrod Roberts said he planned to return to basic training with his dog, Millie, focusing on walking on a lead, listening and general behaviour. “Her ears aren't really turned on,” he said.

Zimmerman said she sometimes doubted herself and gave up. The school taught her to be patient, give the dog time and build the bond. Dogs at the school ranged from puppies to seniors, and most were kelpies. No grand institution can do that daily work for a handler. For those who attended, the lesson starts with attention, practice and a relationship built close to the ground.