Working Farm Dogs in New Zealand

Published Memories Magazine issue 82 February / March 2010

Additional photos added.

    From the early nineteenth century, settlers have travelled to New Zealand to acquire land that would be stocked by sheep and cattle. Some opportunists laid claim to all they could see, rushing to the Lands Office to fill in a Depasturing License. Some of the properties covered thousands of hectares. To work the stock, land owners and shepherds imported dogs from suitable blood lines.

    Many of the sheep and cattle dog lines in New Zealand now share the same ancestry. This originated from the Border Collie, Old Hemp. He was bred from a mating in 1893 in Northumbria, England, between a strong-eyed dog, Roy, and the bitch, Meg. Old Hemp’s working ability was reputed to be exceptional and he sired over 200 pups that inherited his outstanding ability.

    James Lilico came to New Zealand in 1895 and imported many Border Collie dogs. His first import, Captain, was a descendant of Old Hemp. Captain’s blood flowed through to many of the famous Heading and Huntaway offspring.

    There have also been other Collie types documented that had a significant influence in New Zealand blood lines. They mostly came from the United Kingdom. Many were different to the Border Collie in appearance and in the way they worked.

A view of a farmer droving a flock of sheep up a hillside on Akara Peninsula.
Photo taken by unidentified photographer.
Courtesy Alexander Turnbull  Library. Ref: PA Coll-8163-06dd caption

    When I was a child, I sometimes went with my father, collecting wool for Beder Brothers who were wool merchants. We went to farms within a large radius from Palmerston North. On occasions, I remember seeing flocks of sheep being driven along back roads. There were dogs moving behind them, barking when necessary and driving the stock forward. We would slowly journey through the flock, being careful not to cause too much disturbance as we went. “There will be a dog up ahead,” my father would say and sure enough, when we got towards the front, there it would be, standing or crouching or moving back and forward, making sure the flock wasn’t moving ahead too quickly. Versatile working breeds like the bob-tailed Smithfield Collie or shaggy Bearded Collie were ideal for this type of work as well as heading breeds.
 

Bearded Collie. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia encyclopedia.

    The Smithfield got its name from Smithfield market in London, where they drove stock to slaughter. They were also used by drovers to take the stock to and from the market. The Bearded Collie was also an old drovers’ breed and both work well as Huntaways.

Smithfield Collies.Photo courtesy of stockman50@icloud.com

    The Border Collie and other heading breeds specialise in bringing stock to their masters and are also used for turning or steering large flocks of sheep or cattle. Their lack of noise when running out is ideal and doesn’t cause unnecessary disturbance. I vividly remember the first time I saw a small Border Collie, run out on a very long head. The small black and white spot of a dog climbed higher and higher into the hills then curved its run to turn the front of the flock through a gateway. What a spectacular sight to witness.

    The silent heading breeds have also been the predominant lambing beat workers. Ewes sometimes require assistance when birthing and may need to be caught. Silent dogs are ideal for this. I have also heard priceless stories of the odd Huntaway that naturally knew to work silently on the beat. One had the knack of putting ewes gently on their side if they needed to be caught. There is always the odd dog that does things outside its breed requirement.

    I remember when the cattle wouldn’t go up a race to load onto a truck. “I’ll get them up there!” shouted a willing enthusiast and he whipped his Huntaway onto a beast’s back and the dog snapped and snarled along the cattle’s backs as they shot forward up the race and onto the truck as easy as bees into a hive.

With the introduction of shipping opportunities and refrigeration, there was gradual change towards sheep that produced more meat. This meant that heavier, slower moving breeds began to appear and there was a need for more dogs that produced noise. It was then the New Zealand Huntaway gradually evolved as a breed.

 
     The New Zealand Huntaway is intelligent and a good worker. It developed from local farm dogs and imported breeds that had a tendency to bark. There are now several strains within the breed. The straight Mustering Huntaway barks all the time as it works. It mostly stays behind the stock, to drive them forward. The ‘head and hunt’ type drives stock forward, as well as steering them and bringing them. There are also many handy Huntaway strains able to do most types of farm dog work.

New Zealand Hunterway. Courtesy of James Fagan collection

                     
    Most Australian farm breeds also originated from the Border Collie. As with the New Zealand Huntaway, the Australian Kelpie is capable of all-purpose work and can be seen working efficiently on New Zealand farms. There is a variety of strains with some having strong eye characteristics.

Red Kelpie. Photo courtesy of  Wikipedia encyclopedia.

Blue Merle/Queensland Heeler. Photo courtesy of  Wikipedia encyclopedia.

    The Australian Blue Heeler (sometimes referred to as the Blue Merle or Queensland Heeler) should not be confused with the Red Speckled Heeler. Both are seen working on New Zealand farms and stations. They are bold and able to move aggressive cattle. The Red Speckled Heeler is reputed to be more staunch and harder to train.

Red Speckled Cattle Dog. Courtesy of Wikipedia encyclopedia

 
    It is often said that some of the Australian working strains have Dingo blood. Unplanned matings occasionally take place and some of the offspring are trained to work stock.

In 1889, sheep-dog trials first began at Hakataramea, in South Canterbury. The New Zealand Sheep-Dog Trial Association (Inc) was set up in 1957. By 1965, there were 107 clubs in the North Island and 80 in the South Island, with approximately 9,000 members.

    Shepherds and dogs are tested in circumstances similar to those experienced in shepherding. Trial areas are on steep hill faces that meet flat land. The season begins in February and ends in May. There are usually four events at each trail. These are the straight Huntaway, the Zig-Zag Huntaway, the Long Head and the Short Head and Yard. The first five places in each event win prize money and qualify for points to compete at annual championships.

James Fagan
Palmerston North
New Zealand 

Drovers having smoko?. Date 1920 - 1940
Courtesy Alexander Turnbull Library. Ref: WA - 25186-G.

Rural scene with cattle droving, Date [ Ca 1910 ]. Photo taken by Sydney Charles Smith. Location unknown.
Courtesy Alexander Turnbull Library. Ref: 1/1-020199-G

Droving sheep along a road at Mt Edgecumbe from Cape Runaway centre. Date 1946.
Courtesy Alexander Turnbull Library. Ref:PA Coll-816383

Droving sheep on Commerce Street, Kaitaia. Date 1910. Photograph Northwood brothers.
Courtesy Alexander Turnbull Library. Ref: 1/1-010626-G

Droving sheep to Gisborne showing the southern end of the Waioeka Gorge between Opotiki and Gisborne.circa 1952. Photographer unknown. Courtesy Alexander Turnbull Library. Ref: PAColl-5469-037

 Two pack horses and three dogs walking behind a flock of sheep.
Photo 1920 - 50 Leo White. Courtesy Alexander Turmbal Library. Ref: WA-25 179-G 

Man and two dogs droving sheep with horse and cart. New Zealand location unknown. Photograph by Leo White.
 Date 1920 - 1940. Courtesy Alexanbal Turnbull Library. Ref WA-25 168-G

Four men on horseback with sheepdogs droving sheep along road near Awake.
Photogragh taken by Albert Percy.
Courtesy Alexander Turnbull Library New Zealand. Ref: APG-1639-1/2-G 

Man and two horses and dogs lead a huge flock of  sheep at Pakowhai, Hawkes Bay.
Photo Samuel Heath Head 1920?. Courtesy Alexander Turmbull Library,. Ref: 1/1-007287-G 

Sheep drover, North Island New Zealand. Photo Leo White 1938.

Courtesy Alexander Turnbull Library. WA-03106-G