DOG FOOD GUIDE
Working dogs are ‘amazing animals and elite athletes,’ Marlborough vet Stuart Burrough says.
Caring for their mates Working dogs are best mates to many farmers, indispensable to all, Gerard Hutching writes.
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ecent decades have seen a sea change in attitudes to caring for what Marlborough vet Stuart Burrough describes as “amazing animals and elite athletes”. Where once farmers might have fed their dogs throwaway lamb offcuts, and left them in kennels at the mercy of the elements, a rising tide of awareness is setting new standards for their care. Practice manager at Atkinson and Associates in the northern King Country town of Piopio, Cathryn Christie, confirms a shift in attitude from her observations over the last 10 years. “It wasn't uncommon 10 years ago to see very thin farm dogs that were not regularly wormed, they weren't fed enough and it was poor quality food sometimes. They got injured regularly and didn't last very long. There are still dogs like that out there but they're the exception to the rule when you see them these days.”
Country-Wide
December 2020
A dog’s working lifespan varies, depending on the terrain. On steep hill country five to seven years is maximum, after which it might be sold to someone with an easier farm. Christie knows a number of nine-year-olds still working and are valuable parts of the team. Financial self-interest is one of the chief drivers of the transformation. Central Otago station manager Chris McDonald points out a well-trained dog can be worth anything between $8-$10,000 and therefore any measures that extend the working life of their second most valuable asset (after a vehicle) are welcome. McDonald has six dogs for the Patearoa 20,000 stock unit farm, and he treats them like part of the family. He says most farmers are caring, some appreciate them more than others. “It depends on your upbringing, if you come from an environment where people treat their dogs well, so will you.” He says some dogs get a good pat during
Marlborough vet Stuart Burrough.
the day at some stage. Some people hardly pat a dog at all, it's just a tool to them. “For my own situation, care hasn’t changed a lot, I’ve always kept them well housed and well fed.” McDonald says some farmers buy a dog and trade them, others will have them from pups to when they die. In the past a dog might get old and it would be put down but now a lot of people value what the dog has done within their lifetime. Continues
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