Drones recruited for working dog course

At Muresk Institute over the past three weeks acclaimed dog trainer, "Working Dog Whisperer" Ben Page has used a camera-equipped drone as a teaching tool in his latest courses.

Assistant Chris Mayfield, South Bunbury, flew the drone over a circular yard filming each session from above as students took turns with their dogs working a small mob of sheep.

"We show the students the film later and point out what they did right and where they went wrong," Mr Page said.

"The overhead view makes it very simple to show students exactly where they ended up in the wrong position in relation to the sheep or their dog, to maintain full control and why.

"They can see for themselves when they are standing too far back from the sheep and allowing the dog to take control of the situation by running between them and the sheep.''

Mr Page, who runs the only nationally accredited working dog training courses, said it was the first time a drone had been used in this way in dog training.

His Muresk courses can be used as an accredited module towards a Certificate III in Agriculture.

The innovations impressed students attended an intermediate course for those who had previously completed Mr Page's fundamentals course, and two fundamentals courses held at Muresk this month.

Former WAMMCO chairman Dawson Bradford, Popanyinning, attended one of the fundamentals courses.

He wrote in Mr Page's comments book that he had worked with livestock for more than 60 years but still found the course informative.

"You are doing the sheep industry of WA a great service," Mr Bradford wrote.

"It has made me realise all of the stockmen on our farm need to do this course ASAP."

After completing a fundamentals course, Bruce Rock farmer Carl Fuchsbichler wrote that his father had taught him everything he knew about working stock with dogs, but after the course he realised "dad was wrong".

The 18 people who completed last week's course ranged in age from their early-20s to mid-60s and in stock handling experience from novice to farmers who had spent most of their life working with dogs and sheep or cattle.

Mother and daughter students Jess and Karyn Buller, Darkan, were examples of the breadth of experience on the course.

Jess, 24, said she had no previous stock handling experience but was working with sheep insemination company BreedTech and wanted to learn.

She borrowed 14-month-old border collie Indie from her employer for the course.

Mum Karyn said she had trained and trialled dogs in competition for 20 years.

"I just want to go back to basics with him," she said of Chas, her 15mo kelpie.

"I'm also treating this as a sort of refresher course for me."

Courtney Pyle, Mt Barker, said Norbert, her 10mo koolie, would be working sheep and cattle on the farm.

"We've got five other dogs on the property and none are properly trained so Norbert is the trail blazer," Ms Pyle said.

Mr Page and wife Lyn run the Working Dog Centre and registered collie and kelpie studs near Melrose in South Australia's Mid North.

Farmers bring their dogs from northern and central NSW and Victoria's Western District to attend schools which Mr Page claims are as much about training owners as their dogs.

He and his wife made their first trip to WA to run courses last year and had to add a third after the two planned course is sold out quickly.

The two fundamentals courses this month sold out and Mr Page will be back at Muresk to run two more fundamentals courses, on July 7-10 and 13-16, which are already half full.

He is planning to return to run more courses in September, but they will not be opened for bookings while there are vacancies on the July courses.

p More information: www.workingdogcentre.com, and see Farm Weekly next week for more pictures of the working dog training course at Muresk.