THE barking of kelpies and border collies punctuated the weekday quiet of the McNamara Reserve with farmers and dog owners converging for the free 'Let's Talk – Working Dogs' training day organized by the Australian Red Cross.
A fenced ring had been set up next to the headquarters of the Ovens Valley Canine Club (OVCC), with dogs and their owners given the opportunity to round up sheep under the tutelage of sheepdog trainer Gary White.
Internationally renowned Gary White, hails from Nyngan in New South Wales, and spent the event covering mustering, droving, drafting, and backlining skills, all presented in a comprehensive method of training dogs from puppy stage to fully trained workers.
"He's got a nice gentle attitude," OVCC lead trainer Kathy Volkmer said.
"He uses body language and emphasises body language a lot, which is what we try to incorporate in our training as well."
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Cattle breeder Libbe Paton brought one–year–old kelpie Rusty to the day, but she hadn't yet been in the ring with him.
She is hoping to train Rusty to muster cattle on her farm in the Mitta Valley, which can fluctuate from 100 to 300 acres in size.
"Most of the time I'm there by myself shifting the cattle," she said.
"When you're trying to get them into the yards to do drenching or cattle health or get them preg–tested – any of that stock movement I just need some help."
But the day was not only for the education of dog owners, it was also to promote friendship and resilience amongst farmers and rural families to strengthen communities in the wake of bushfires, COVID–19 and the recent floods.
"We bring people off the land for a really nice day out and get connected again," Red Cross recovery and resilience team leader Jessica Davison said.
"We find that communities that have come together with things like this, where there's been nice connections made, are often a lot more resilient in the face of future emergencies and disasters."
The day was organised by the Australian Red Cross in association with Gateway Health, with catering provided by the OVCC.
The Australian Red Cross had also organised similar working dog training days at Cudgewa and Barnawatha in late October.
