BUSINESS | DOGS
Fine-tuning our elite farm athletes Muff and her dogs Fri and Juno.
Annabelle Latz Shell, Chloe, Lou, Coco, Fi, Juno, Tilly, Ziggy, Lass and Tane love running the rolling country of Kaituna Ridges, the 960-hectare steep sheep and beef property in northern Marlborough, which they call home. Day-in day-out they work the land, helping their owners Muff and Paul Newton run their 4500 predominantly Romney ewes, and 200 head of cattle – historically Angus but getting more into the Hereford side of things.
‘We put a lot of effort into ensuring all other stock on the farm have dedicated animal welfare systems, so it makes sense to do the same for our dogs.’
There is also a farm tourism business involving sheep dog demonstrations, and the organisation of the local and centre championships for dog-trialling competitions this upcoming season. The Newtons are entering their second year with Working Paws – a
Country-Wide December 2017
marketable tool designed for farmers to assess and monitor the overall health of their dogs; a crucial cog of most farming businesses. Muff says the farm visits and assessments really changed the relationship they have with their vet, who they work closely with to maximise the form of their dogs and prevent illness and injuries, rather than only work with in times of strife. “This is really a bit of a mind change for farmers; preventing rather than waiting for issues,” Muff says. These canines may not know it, but they have something big in common with the All Blacks; they are all elite athletes. Marlborough-based veterinarian Stuart Burrough is the developer of Working Paws and director of The Vet Company and The Vet Centre Marlborough. A huge advocate for quality working dog nutrition and health, Burrough likes to use the All Blacks analogy. “You wouldn’t expect the All Blacks to perform without excellent nutrition, so neither should your working dogs,” he says. The loyal heading dog and huntaway will start working as a one-year-old, and a successful career will span nearly a decade, with these hard workers running up to 30km a day at busy times of the year. With the right care and nutrition,
Paul and Chloe.
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