'They're just happy to get to go to work': $15,500 dog the newest family member
Some say it takes 1000 wet saddle blankets to make a decent stock horse, so what does it take to train up a stock dog that will be your ever-loyal right hand?
Pat McMahon, who is a beef producer, finisher and meat retailer from Killarney, east of Warwick, Qld, says it is regular work.
"Regular, consistent work, it's a real art, you know," he said.
"I take my hat off to people who train dogs and get them to do things, as Tony Overton has got these dogs doing. It's a real talent."
Mr McMahon outlaid $15,500 for a black and tan kelpie, Gwydir Fire, trained by Mr Overton, Walcha, at the recent Colin Say and Company working dog sale at Glencoe after he purchased one from Mr Overton last year.
"We run a meat wholesale business, a cattle breeding and backgrounding operation, and we custom feedlot and use other feedlots for the meat wholesale business that we run," he said.
The business supplies butchers on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Darling Downs. He buys cattle from Warwick and Dalby saleyards and direct from growers and breeders. He then takes them to Killarney and prepares them for the feedlot.
"You need a good dog to help you quieten and move the cattle around in a quiet, sensible process," he said.
"As you can imagine, there's a lot of cattle from a lot of different places and and we're putting them all together.
"We like to get them thinking properly and get them quiet and handled."
Mr McMahon said the wholesale meat business was a family-run operation involving his brother John, and two of his sons, Scott and Craig.
They also runs about 200 breeding cows, and there are many, many stock moves happening on a weekly basis.
"We've got a lot of cattle handling going on, and I find good dogs are absolutely invaluable.
"I do two cattle sales a week, Tuesday and Wednesday, and then I go to feedlots and other people's properties buying cattle on Thursday.
"So that's a big part of my week where I don't necessarily get to work the dogs a lot, so they have to be right and ready to go when I'm back home and needing to do work.
"I've always been a horseman, but since the boys have worked cattle and stock with dogs, I've come around.
"I bought a dog from Tony Overton last year, and I was very happy with him, happy with the way that the dog bonded with us and settled into our program and what we do."
Mr McMahon said his new purchase had only been at its new home for a few days but had already settled in.
When it comes choice of dog type, Mr McMahon said he liked either Kelpies and Border Collies.
"I do like Kelpies. I like to look at them. I like the way that they travel, but they don't have to be Kelpies. We just like good dogs, and I think they're a good investment," he said.
"Every day, they're pleased to see you. They're pleased to come to work. They don't ring up and say, I can't come to work today. They're just too happy to get to go to work. I find them invaluable in our operation."
The 14th Annual Colin Say and Company working stock dog auction, cleared 38 of 41 dogs to a $15,500 top to average $6427.
