In Australia, elderly herding dogs continue working on farms
In Australia, 15-year-old working dog Cassie and 13-year-old Bundy continue helping farmers work with sheep. At Kingsley Vow's farm in Ongerup, about 400 kilometres southeast of Perth, Cassie remains the last in a line of around eight generations of working dogs from his family.
As reported by ABC News Australia, Cassie, a cross between a border collie and a huntaway, has lost her hearing and has arthritis. Her owner directs her with gestures, although getting the dog to change direction is sometimes difficult. Vow says she still wants to work while also teaching younger dogs.
Experience working with sheep
According to the farmer, Cassie remembers the routes and tasks she performed before. He called her a good companion, friend and worker, noting that the dog understands his intentions even from a barely noticeable movement of his hand.
At Rene Parsons' farm in Tenterden, about 330 kilometres southeast of Perth, 13-year-old Bundy also continues to take part in the work. The farmer uses dogs to gather thousands of sheep. She said that while moving 3,000 animals, Bundy independently noticed that 300 sheep were missing and returned them to the flock.
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Bond with the trainer
Bundy can no longer do as much work as before, but Rene Parsons calls him an exceptional dog. At the same time, he does not respond to shouting: if his owner gets angry, Bundy sits on the vehicle and stops working until she calms down.
Jenny Parsons, who breeds and trains dogs on a farm in Tenterden, believes that the quality of their work depends on the animal's bond with the trainer. According to her, dogs need to want to work for a person, and a stronger bond motivates them to make more effort.
Kingsley Vow maintains a cemetery for his dogs on the farm, where the graves bear short inscriptions about each animal. He says losing such helpers is difficult, but while Cassie is still nearby, he values her devotion and experience.
