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Sheep farmer and (currently injured) Goorambat footy player Tom Marriott didn’t have a great use for a dog until he took over the running of the family prime lamb-producing property Yarallah near Benalla from his sister Hannah two years ago. Now his kelpie more than pays her way, even if she didn’t quite work out as planned.

Leitchville farmer Elliot Fehring relies on meremmas to protect the free-range, organic chooks and on pets for companionship.

Rochester’s Des Church competes in working sheep dog trials with kelpies Viscan Blue Boy and Elshamar Ivy.

Training dogs is part of life for Glenaroua quarter horse breeder and former cutting rider Mark McMahon.

Dorper farmer David Jamieson got a sheep dog even before he began his sheep breeding venture at Strathbogie. They are learning the best way to work together by attending training clinics, but David’s partner Helen Peters has found food to be an equally successful obedience cue when it comes to the family’s two dogs.

Keagan Betts is starting a career in training working dogs and he’s only 11.

Some people hesitate to take on a ‘second-hand’ dog, but Wahring crop and Angus cattle farmer Phil Deane found a perfect match with his blue cattledog Penny. She’s a bit of a princess and has selective deafness — but as far as he’s concerned you can’t buy her kind of loyalty: where you find Phil there’s always one grey shadow in the background.

Axle, the Huntaway, has set the bar high on his Invergordon farm.

Farm dogs follow the action

Ian Betts has two faithful farm dogs who are sometimes under siege from two cats.