Dogs make Otago farmer's day

Cam Bain, of Moa Flat, has enjoyed early success in the dog trialling circuit this season. Photo / Alice Scott

Moa Flat farmer Cam Bain says he is always working to perfect his dog training skills, mostly out of necessity: "Chasing a mob of lambs around on foot sucks."

The dog trial circuit has only just begun, but already Mr Bain has qualified for the South Island and New Zealand dog trial championships with his huntaway dog Brax.

Mr Bain, 35, farms a sheep and beef property with wife Mandy and 3-year-old daughter Harper at Moa Flat.

He said working the farm with good dogs made the day enjoyable and brought an element of satisfaction.

"They just become an extension of you. It's a really rewarding occupation, on a good day, that is," he said.

Mr Bain did not come from a dog trialling background, and it was through trial and error that he had learnt "a thing or two".

He had enjoyed some success at a regional level.

"I have been very lucky over the years through work and dog trials to get advice from some good people."

Until recently, Mr Bain would spend an hour or so each night giving the dogs "a tong up", but that had fallen by the wayside as life became busier.

With a young family, "there never seems to be enough hours in the day", he said.

He liked to breed his own working dogs but was also partial to taking the odd puppy from friends when he knew the progeny "go all right".

There was always a puppy or three around for Harper to play with; it was the early pup stage that was most important.

"Getting them socialised and confident but also with a couple of manners, a bit like parenting I suppose."

Mr Bain felt dog training and trialling was becoming an "old fellas' sport", which disappointed him.

"There's so many benefits to being part of a collie club. The friendships you make and the lessons you can learn from those that know a thing or two."

He had noted an increase in young shepherds preferring to purchase a dog already trained, rather than train one themselves.

"They just don't seem to want to put the time in to train a dog," he said.

"But a good farm dog isn't cheap. There's nothing quite like the feeling of seeing a dog make progress after training it yourself."

It would be good to see some more young people getting involved in the sport, he said.