Selling record-breaking dogs runs in family

David Parker kept up the family tradition when he sold one of his dogs for a record $10,200 at the Gore dog sales last week. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery

Ettrick farm manager David Parker followed in his father Alan's footsteps when he sold his three-year-old heading dog Glen for a record $10,200 at the sheep and cattle dog sale at Charlton sale yards, Gore, on July 24.

Parker said his mother Molly had a newspaper clipping of his late father breaking the sale yard's record in 2004, selling a dog for $4200.

He thought that might have been a New Zealand record for the time as well.

''I was shaking when it got to $10,000, and after that I was a bit numb and dumbfounded when it got to $10,200,'' Parker said.

''It definitely was a sale record for Gore.

''I was talking to Ross McKee, of PGG Wrightsons, who said as far as he was aware, it was a record for them.''

David Parker's father Alan (nickname Reg) Parker, of Teviot, topped the Gore dog sales in 2004, selling a dog for $4200, which was a record at that time. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery

PGGW sheep and beef representative for Gore, Ross McKee, said his company was calling it ''A New Zealand record''.

''At $10,200, he [Glen] is in a league of his own,'' McKee said.

Glen was bought by sheep, beef and venison farmer Richard Tucker, of Becks.

Tucker said he had been happy to pay the price for Glen as he was only three years old.

''He will have plenty of days of work left in him,'' Tucker said.

''If you want a good dog you have to buy it.

''It is a sellers' market.''

After Glen was handed over to Tucker, the first thing he did was to lift his leg on his new owner's gumboot.

Richard Tucker (left), bought heading dog Glen for $10,200 from his breeder David Parker during the recent sheep and cattle dog sale at Charlton sale yards, Gore. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara.

Glen had done a season's muster, was bomb-proof and had no bad habits.

''Glen was a nice-natured dog,'' Parker said. ''He is easy to work with and eager to please, and always wanted to work.''

He has been breeding his own farm dogs since the 1970s although he does not have a stud.

However, he has a reputation for producing top working dogs.

''People buy them because they don't have to train them as I have done all that.''

He spends about 10 minutes a day training his pups.

''I don't like doing too much as they become bored with it.

He sold a full brother to Glen for $6000 at the yards last year.

He runs five of his own bred dogs for stock work, and has another five-month-old pup called Clint, as in Eastwood, which he said had potential.

He breeds for quality and to improve his line.

He uses bitches from his own bloodline, and mates with dogs from Beaumont Station's Richard Hore.

Parker said each dog had a different character, and two dogs were never the same.

''They train me as well, that is the challenge of working with them.''