Pure bred kelpie Flow knows how to work like a dog, but the question is whether she is Australia’s fastest hardest working canine.
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The six-year-old black and tan beauty from Fingal will be put to the test in the 2017 Cobber Challenge, which measures the speed and endurance of working dogs from around the country.
Bradley McDonald entered Flow and thinks she is in “with a good chance”.
“She’s my best dog. She’s probably the fittest she’s ever been,” Mr McDonald said.
“She works the paddock and is a really good all-round dog,” he said.
Flow spends her days working with Mr McDonald at a Fingal Valley farm he contracts for.
“I bought her when she was 12 months old. She hadn’t seen a sheep then so I trained her to work with sheep and cattle,” Mr McDonald said.
“She loves being out and about and being with me,” he said.
When Flow is not working on properties she is also Mr McDonald’s main breeding dog for Ben Lomond Kelpies, where she shares canine quarters with five other adult kelpies and a pup.
Flow also spends her down time with the McDonald family.
“She comes fishing with me and loves going to the beach,” Mr McDonald said.
Flow’s mettle as a working dog will be tested via a collar fitted with GPS tracking technology for three weeks between August 28 and September 17.
Other Tasmanian entrants include kelpie Tilly, who was nominated by Cressy farmer Don Turner; Angel, nominated by Alexander Gregory from Ross; and Ace, who was nominated by Tim Hall at Cressy.
Organised by Ridley dog food, the Cobber Challenge tracks and scores running distance, duration and the top speed for dogs in each state.
Some dogs in the 2016 competition ran more than 50 kilometres each day.
Nominations are open until Sunday at www.cobberchallenge.com.au