17 minute read
AuctionsPlus 2022 Sale Roundup
Interfaced Working Dog Sale 2022 Roundup
Rapidly rising input costs and ongoing labour shortage across Australia in recent years has seen a sustained rise in demand, and price, for well-trained working dogs. There is no doubt that “good” working dogs are of high economic value and represent an excellent return on investment. With distance seemingly no hurdle for producers willing to secure skilled working dogs, the involvement of AuctionsPlus to interface working dog auctions continues to play a pivotal role in allowing vendors to gain exposure to a national audience of keen buyers.
By Teeah Bungey, AuctionsPlus
October 2022 saw the Australian working dog record broken once again, with “Capree Eve”. Offered by Chris Stapleton in the Capree Poll Merino & Invitational Working Dog sale and selling for $49,000, Eve smashed the previous record set in 2021 by $13,800. As demand and the awareness of the value of working dogs continues to rise, new sales have been introduced across the country, with AuctionsPlus interfacing working dog sales which stretch from Queensland to Western Australia. To date in 2022, a total of ten working dog sales have been interfaced with the AuctionsPlus platform – up from eight in 2021.
The Jerilderie Working Dog Auction
Interfaced with AuctionsPlus for the fifth-year, utilising both video and audio streaming, the annual Jerilderie working dog auction held on 26th February 2022 saw a total of 59 dogs catalogued. With 50 dogs selling, the sale reached an average of $10,580 – an increase of $580 from 2021 results. Lot 36 “Harry” topped the sale selling for $25,700. Strong online activity saw 1,209 users enter the auction, with 71 active online bidders placing 355 bids – securing 25 lots online. Successful online buyers came from across the country, with purchases hailing from Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and NSW.
Lot 36 – “Harry” (Source: Brad Pellow, Supplied AuctionsPlus Catalogue)
Central West QLD Working Dog Auction
In a first for working dog sales in Queensland, the Central West Working Dog auction held on 7th May, 2022 attracted an audience spanning across six states by interfacing with live video and audio streaming on AuctionsPlus. A total of 27 dogs were catalogued in the sale, ranging in age from three months to five-years-old, seeing a total of 24 dogs sold to a $4,374 average. Lot 12 “Jack” returned top price of the sale, with the two-anda-half-year-old Border Collie selling for $16,000 to an online buyer from Queensland. Consistent online activity throughout the sale saw a total of 527 users enter the auction, with 31 users located across six different states placing a total of 113 online bids across 22 lots – resulting in 12 lots selling online. Most online purchases resulted in dogs remaining in Queensland, while several headed across the border to NSW.
Lot 16 – “Hazeldell Kimmy” (Source: Kahlee O’Leary, Supplied AuctionsPlus Catalogue)
Lot 8 – “Stoneycreek Tucker” (Source: James & Audra Rayner, Supplied AuctionsPlus Catalogue)
Lot 40 – “Mardi Judy” (Source: Lucy Sellers, Supplied AuctionsPlus Catalogue)
Casterton Working Dog Auction
Off the back of an online only sale held on AuctionsPlus in 2021, the annual Casterton Working Dog Auction held on 12th June 2022, returned to a physical sale interfaced with AuctionsPlus utilising both video and audio streaming. A total of 49 working dogs were on offer, ranging in age from 15 weeks, to five-years-old. Strong competition throughout the sale saw 46 dogs sell to a $8,850 average – up $1,194 on last year. Topping the sale at $27,000 was Lot 16 “Hazeldell Kimmy” a two-year-eight-month-old black and tan kelpie bitch. Online activity saw a total of 7,110 users enter the auction, with 174 bidders placing a total of 2,009 online bids across 48 lots – resulting in 19 lots selling online. Online purchases saw buyers from Tasmania, NSW, SA and Victoria securing lots.
Forbes working Dog Auction
Following a successful sale last year, the annual Forbes working dog auction took place on 16th July, 2022, utilising the AuctionsPlus audio and video livestreaming. Offering 48 dogs across the catalogue, ranging in age from three-months to four-years-11-months-old, 40 dogs sold to average $6,124. Lot 8 “Stoneycreek Tucker” returned top price with the one-year-nine-month-old bitch selling for $21,500. Online competition saw 60% of the offering sold online with 3,657 users logging in to watch the auction. 90 bidders placed a total of 380 online bids across 46 lots, resulting in 24 lots selling online to buyers from Queensland, Victoria and NSW.
Nutrien Wagga Wagga Working Dog Auction
Utilising AuctionsPlus since 2019, the annual Wagga Working Dog Club auction took place on 13th August, 2022. Utilising pre-bidding in the week leading up to the physical auction, along with live video and audio streaming on sale day, the 2022 auction saw a total of 48 dogs offered - ranging in age from three-months to four-years-old. Competition from buyers both online and at the sale saw 37 dogs sell to an average of $7,028, with two-year-old bitch “Mardi Judy” (Lot 40) topping the sale at $18,000. 3,301 users logged in to watch the action on sale day, with 76 bidders placing 473 bids across 45 lots resulting in 22 lots (59%) selling to online buyers from Queensland, Tasmania, SA, Victoria and NSW.
WA Sheep Expo Working Dog Auction
Another first for working dog sales on AuctionsPlus this year was the inaugural WA Sheep Expo working dog auction, which took place on 19th August, 2022. The 17-dog offering ranged in age from 19-weeks to four-years-old, was open for pre-bidding in the week leading up to the physical sale, with the auction utilising live audio streaming on sale day. Averaging $5,083 for the 12 dogs sold, the $15,900 top price went to three-year-old brown and tan bitch “Shimmy Downs Tanner” (Lot 17). Online activity was dominated by intra-state buyers. 1,195 users logged in throughout the sale, with 8 active bidders placing 32 bids across 9 lots resulting in 4 lots selling online, with all lots remaining in WA.
Lot 17 – “Shimmy Downs Tanner” (Source: James Carr, Supplied AuctionsPlus Catalogue)
Hayes & CO 1st Annual Working Dog Sale
The inaugural Hayes & Co working dog auction held on 21st August, 2022, was another sale utilising AuctionsPlus’ interfaced sale package in 2022. With pre-bidding available online in the week leading up to the sale, in addition to live video and audio streaming on sale day, the 28-dog catalogue ranged in age from four-months to five-years-old. 27 dogs sold at a $5,163 average, with two-year-old Border Collie bitch “Buckol Betty” (Lot 12) returning the $12,500 top price. Interstate online activity was strong, with 1,965 users logging in throughout the sale, seeing 64 active bidders placing 512 bids across 26 lots – resulting in 6 lots selling to online buyers in Queensland, Victoria, and NSW.
Lot 12 – “Buckol Betty” (Source: Buckol Working Dogs, Supplied AuctionsPlus Catalogue)
Lucindale Working Dog Auction
In its second year, the Lucindale working dog auction held on 26th September was run in conjunction with AuctionsPlus, offering prebidding in the week leading up to the sale, along with live video and audio streaming on sale day. The offering consisted of 43 kelpies which ranged in age from 5 ½ years to 4-months-old, selling to a $6,675 average. Lot 12 - four-year-four-month-old dog “Mulga” topped the sale selling for $15,500 to an online buyer from Victoria. Online activity saw 503 users log in to watch the pre-work and sale action, with 28 active bidders from Victoria, NSW, Tasmania, Queensland, and SA placing bids on 60% of the offering, resulting in 10 dogs (33%) selling to online buyers.
Lot 12 – “Mulga” (Source: Wayne Gelven, Supplied AuctionsPlus Catalogue)
Geurie Golden Collar Working Dog Sale
Running as an online only sale for the second year in a row, the annual Geurie Golden Collar working dog sale took place on AuctionsPlus. Pre-bidding was open during the week prior to the sale. The 41 dog offering saw the Border Collie breed account for 88% of the sale, while ages ranged from threemonths-old to eight-years. Demand for the 27 dogs sold was strong, seeing the average reach $7,938 – up $1,549 on last year, while the $21,500 top price was returned by six-year-old Border Collie bitch “Bells Willow” (Lot 2). A total of 4,169 users connected to the sale across the week, with buyers from across the country active throughout the sale. A total of 98 bidders competed for the offering, resulting in dogs heading as far north as Queensland and as south as Victoria.
Lot 2 – “Bells Willow” (Source: Jamie Sturrock, Supplied AuctionsPlus Catalogue)
Lot 62 – “Capree Eve” (Source: Chris Stapleton, Supplied AuctionsPlus Catalogue)
Following the success of last years mixed commodity sale, vendor Chris Stapleton again offered both Poll Merino rams and working dogs in the one sale. The 2022 sale achieved the new record for working dogs, hitting an impressive $49,000 - surpassing the previous record set in 2021 by $13,800. Held on the 20th October 2022, the sale offered pre-bidding for the working dogs in the week leading up to sale day, along with live audio streaming of the physical auction. Selling to a 100% clearance, the 10 working dogs on offer averaged $12,525 – up by $2,275 on last year. Strong online competition saw 19 bidders from Queensland, Tasmania and NSW placing 60 bids on 90% of the working dog offering - resulting in three dogs selling to online buyers, including the top priced record breaking Lot 62 “Capree Eve.”
Minne Logan
Not only is the Minnie Logan the most beautiful piece of jewellery but it is also a fully functional working dog whistle.
I am Catherin McMillan a portrait artist from the South Coast of NSW. Having grown up in a farming family and living in the middle of dairy farming country, I’m captivated by rural life. I love nothing more than depicting the people on the land be it at work or at leisure. Denim and dust are my passion. From dogs working bulls in a yard to stockmen and their dogs bringing a mob of cattle home at the end of the day. This is one of my paintings, ‘Stand Off’. You can view more of my work on my website www.animalarthouse.com. Open for commissions.
Avenpart Kelpies export another Australian bred Kelpie to the USA
Article by Riverina Grazier | Photos Provided by Mary McCrabb
Locally bred Avenpart Wildfire (pictured), at 12 weeks old, is jet setting across the globe, landing in Los Angeles, USA to meet her devoted new owners, and then off to Virginia. Wildfire’s owners already have a bitch from Avenpart that they cherish, by the name of Mirage. Mirage is one of the premier kelpie agility dogs in America and is also adept at herding sheep. Another pup travelled with Wildfire, to head off to Brisbane, and another five pups will be transported to locations across NSW. Mary McCrabb is the principal of Avenpart Kelpie Stud, Wanganella and has been breeding and training Kelpies since 1962, winning many sheep, yard and utility trials, culminating in winning the Victorian Utility Trial Championships in 2000. In 1982, Mary McCrabb was contracted to train all dogs and Dingoes for the movie Dusty. She worked with 15 dogs and two Dingoes, including the title character, a purebred Avenpart Kelpie. Since 1962, Avenpart dogs have been used for mustering, yard work, and shed work all around the globe, with persistent demand for these hard working and talented dogs. Within the Avenpart bloodline, precise emphasis is placed on natural working ability from an early age, as well as temperament and conformation. Given that Avenpart Kelpies are used all around the world, certain strains within the Stud focus on different traits to meet the client’s needs, be it “eye”, bark or aptitude for cattle work. Avenpart Kelpies have experienced great success in countries where climatic conditions vary greatly to their native Australia.
These hardy dogs have adapted well to their working environments and can be found mustering reindeer in the ice-capped fields of Norway, to unloading export wethers off the boats in Saudi Arabia. There are many locations in the world to which Avenpart dogs have been exported. These include America, Kuwait, Norway, Sweden, South Korea, Mexico, Iran, England, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, Holland, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan, Finland, Denmark, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, and every state of Australia. In 1996, Avenpart was the first stud to pioneer the export of Kelpie semen, in response to strict UK import laws. At the time, all dogs for export had to remain in rabies quarantine for six months before they could enter the UK.
“I was worried that working dogs would be going mad in quarantine; staying in cages for six months,” Mary said. “To speed up the process and avoid traumatising the dogs, we started exporting their semen instead.” Today, semen is still exported to clients around the world, resulting in the most recent litter of pups in Holland, and another soon to be born in Canada.
Mary does train the dogs before they depart in certain cases, having trained and then sent two to South Korea, and started off 10 dogs before they flew off to Russia. But owners these days prefer to train, break and bond with the dogs themselves. “Most orders for dogs are from repeat clients who will contact us when their dogs are advancing in age, and put their names down for another.
“It fosters a long-term relationship with clients, which we truly value,” Mary said. Avenpart Kelpie Stud was founded in 1962, and is based on the famous Scanlon, Glenville, and Karrawarra bloodlines. Both the superlative reviews on their Avenpart website and repeat business from delighted clients speak volumes as to the pedigree and quality of the lines. “Ken and I would not have progressed so far with our Avenel Merino Stud without our dogs. They are invaluable for their labour and hard work; we have been very lucky.” Luck appears to have very little to do with it, with hard work and immense skill playing the primary role.
Founded in 1962, and is based on the famous Scanlon, Glenville, and Karrawarra bloodlines. Since then, Avenpart dogs have been used for mustering, yard work, and shed work all around the globe, with constant demand for these hard working and talented dogs. Pups available in the new year.
Mary and Ken McCrabb Avenel, Wanganella NSW 2710 Phone: (03) 5884 7548 Mobile: 0438 847 548 Email: kmmccrabb@bigpond.com
Collapse in the Paddock - a less common cause
You are out mustering and suddenly your best dog doesn’t seem quite right. She is a bit out of it, she wobbles and then collapses. You wonder what could have gone wrong. Has she overheated or been bitten by a snake? You take her straight to the vet and neither of these things are the problem. They find that her major problem is that her blood glucose level is really low and she is given the diagnosis of exertional hypoglycaemia. Low blood sugar is one of the less common causes of collapse in dogs. However, it can be seen in working breeds after several hours of hard work. In most cases the best, most committed dogs are affected as their drive to work is so strong that they just keep going despite their body starting to fatigue. They don’t collapse because of overheating, especially if it is cool and there is access to water. Their cardiovascular system doesn’t give up on them as they are so fit. They collapse because their body runs out of fuel.
There are mechanisms in place to ensure that blood glucose levels remain within a narrow, normal range. When a meal is eaten, glucose is absorbed from the intestinal tract into the blood stream. Glucose is utilised and the excess is stored in the liver as glycogen. This glycogen is called upon and converted back to glucose when required. Glucose is also produced by the body from amino acids in muscle and from the breakdown of fat tissue but this results in a slower rise in blood sugar levels. In exertional hypoglycaemia there is an over use of circulating glucose due to the intense workload, followed by a depletion of the glycogen stores, with the slower glucose production systems not kicking in in time. 52 AWSDM
Article and Photos by Dr Emily Thompson
The brain is the organ that has the highest requirement for glucose. As a result early signs can be a change in behaviour and altered vision. This can then progress to a wobbly gait, and muscle trembling. In the paddock these signs are often missed with collapse and seizures being the first signs seen. Exertional hypoglycaemia isn’t the only cause of collapse, so, how do you know what to do? Getting them to a vet clinic is a priority but sometimes there are a few things that can be done first that may increase their chance of a good outcome. If the dog is working hard and it’s a warm day, wet them to guard against overheating. Snake bites can happen any time of the year but are more common in warmer weather. Look for other signs that might suggest a snake bite - bleeding, swelling, drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, paralysis and or difficulty breathing. If this is the case there is nothing to be done in the paddock as the timely administration of anti-venom is what is going to save the dog. With exertional hypoglycaemia they often regain consciousness as the body manages to increase blood glucose levels. They are still a bit shaky but tend not to be panting or feel very hot like a solely overheated dog nor would they show any of the other signs of snake envenomation. If some food can be given to these dogs, they tend to eat ravenously which results in normalisation of their blood glucose levels. They often make a miraculous recovery. Once at the vet clinic, several basic tests are run to determine the cause of collapse. A drop of blood on a glucose monitor showing a low blood glucose will quickly lead to the diagnosis of hypoglycaemia.
If the dog is conscious enough to eat, this will work, if not, an intravenous infusion of glucose is given. A collapsed dog will wake up within seconds of injection and the dog will be heading home that day and back to work within days. If a severely affected dog doesn’t get treatment it could die.
In a lot of cases blood glucose can drop really low in the paddock and we don’t even realise due to the body’s amazing regulatory system. Even though this is the case there are steps that can be taken to prevent hypoglycaemia from occurring. Working dogs are inherently lean due their breed and their activity levels. Ensuring that these dogs aren’t too lean means that they have sufficient reserve. Maintaining them so that the ribs aren’t visible but that there is no coverage over them is optimal for health and fitness. Also consider adapting the size of their feed based on the amount of activity they have done. If you anticipate working your dog pretty hard and they are getting close to 24 hours since they were last fed, consider giving them a feed earlier in the day. Exertional hypoglycaemia whilst not the most common cause of collapse in the paddock is definitely something worth considering. It often happens without us realising due to the body’s ability to compensate but if it is severe and a rapid diagnosis is achieved there is an easy, effective treatment. This condition is readily preventable which ensures that you keep your best dogs working hard and doing what they do best!
