Zoetis

ABC’s Muster Dog program winner Frank Finger appreciates the value a well-trained, healthy working dog brings to his property in Clermont, Queensland. For Frank, the value of a working dog is more than just a financial consideration.

Frank’s mustering experience, in rough mid-Queensland terrain reveals one small aspect of the value of working dogs on his property. “A lot of the country here is very rough and previously we would have used up to four people on horseback for mustering,” said Frank. “Using working dogs, my son and I can now go off in different directions and take two dogs each.”

Importantly, Frank has never thought of a working dog as a piece of equipment with a financial cost such as a tractor or a quad-bike. “I’ve never compared a working dog to a financial decision,” said Frank. “I think if you did treat a working dog as a financial decision, you won’t have any joy in your work or their training.”

According to Frank, a working dog’s worth is as a mate, friend, a valued member of the family. “There is of course the financial cost of buying a trained dog, but I prefer to invest in a well-bred pup and making it a special bond through training and care,” said Frank who notes that to get the best out of working dogs, owners need to be kind and treat them as a mate and working contributor to the farm.

Sick dogs do need care and attention and for this reason, Frank is a big believer in prevention being better than cure. One of Frank’s experiences was buying a dog who later turned out to have heartworm. The vet was able to save the dog but there was a lot of damage to the dog’s lungs and heart which meant it couldn’t work.  “My golden rule is that if you can look after healthy dogs, you can support sick dogs,” said Frank.

With this experience in mind, Frank states that the biggest financial cost to a working dog pup is their initial vet costs, but Frank still considers this an investment in prevention. “It’s all about looking after your mates. You want to make sure they’re looked after and are healthy and happy.” Once his pups mature, Frank gives them Simparica Trio once a month to protect them against heartworm, and fleas, ticks and gastrointestinal worms.  

Training a working dog may be considered by some as a time cost, but Frank shares that once training areas are set up, sessions are short, minimising time away from other tasks. “I usually train them in the morning or late afternoon. If you like training dogs, you can’t put a value on it, training is one of the quiet times of the day and a chance to wind down after a busy day.”