All language subtitles for Muster.Dogs.S01E01.1080p.HDTV.H264-CBFM

NARRATOR: South of the Grampians
mountain range in Victoria,

on a crisp winter's morning
in Glenthompson,

new life has emerged.

This cute little mob
of black and red kelpies

have been born to proud parents,
Truce and Bank,

multi-award-winning trial dogs with
quality working dog bloodlines.

Their owner is champion
working dog breeder Joe Spicer.

He's never matched
Truce and Bank before,

and he's keen to meet the results.

Hello! Look at you.

Look at him, hey?

Beautiful.

As they get a bit older,

we'll just start turning them
gently onto the back, like that,

and letting them get used to that.

So, he's a lovely little male,
red and tan pup.

Both the mother
and the father are black and tan,

so we're lucky we've got so many
red and tans in this litter.

We're gonna get to know
some of these puppies really well.

Five adorable puppies
are about to become the stars

of their own reality show,
in a year-long experiment.

It usually takes three years to
train a pup to be a working dog,

but we're about to see
if it can be done in just 12 months.

MAN: Now, all dogs stop! Stop!

The pups will be split up
and sent out across the country

to five highly skilled
stock handlers,

who are passionate about mustering
with dogs rather than machines.

Mustering cattle with dogs
make the cattle calmer.

Working cattle with dogs takes
the rattle out of the cattle.

Seasoned grazier Frank isn't sure
he can train a pup in 12 months,

but he's happy to give it a crack.

I like training, I like the concept,
we're passionate about what we do,

we love what we do,
so why not showcase it?

Nomadic cowgirl Joni is enthusiastic
about adding to her team of 20 dogs.

JONI: I think I'm a good trainer.

Sometimes I surprise myself, even,

thinking,
"I don't know how I did that."

(LAUGHS)
Make out I meant it, though.

(WHISTLING)

Git over!

Station owner CJ is keen to see
what a new pup has in store for her.

Working dogs teach you a lot.

They teach you that
you'd better check your attitude

if you want someone
to work with you.

They just want to please you.

Sea-change sheep grazier Rob
has a practical approach.

Well, you've gotta love 'em. They
won't work for ya if you don't.

Unshakable stockwoman Aticia
rounds out our participants.

So, I love the idea
of the working dogs.

They will work
their heart out for you

and they don't ask much in return.

Steady, steady. Stop.

Under the watchful eye of
respected expert trainer Neil...

You've got boring, docile bosses
that don't understand ya.

(WHINES QUIETLY)

..these puppies and their new owners

will be expected to hit
training milestones...

Buddy! Good work!

..before meeting again
in 12 months' time

for the ultimate
working dog challenge.

Here, dogs. Here to me. (WHISTLES)

Ready?

Who will be crowned
champion muster dog?

And will any of our eager
puppy participants

graduate into the adult
muster dog pack?

Yup. (WHISTLES)

Lovely pup.

Lovely dog.

Here. Hey.

Good dog, hey?

(WHISTLES)

Good boy!

Back on the farm,
did we mention cute puppies?

At two months old,
the puppies' eyes are open.

And kelpie breeder Joe thinks it's
time to get these wriggly bundles

out for their first adventure.

We put them out where the pups can
run around basically free range,

so that really lets us learn a lot
more about the pups' characters

and their individual natures.

Joe's trained eye can immediately
spot their potential.

But the dogs are very different.

We've got a wide range
of personalities in this litter.

We've got the really boisterous
red and tan fella,

that's just out and about,

and the other one's just
a bit more calm and not reserved,

but just content to be watching
and observing.

Pup, pup, pup, pup, pup, pup.

Then we've got a couple of bitches

that are actually
very similar in nature

and a little bit...almost
precious and catty, if you like.

And then there's some
red and tan little bitches,

and they're still
developing their nature.

We're looking at them, but
I'm seeing a little bit of a shift,

as the pups are maturing
and developing.

And Joe's not only a breeder,
he's also the chief matchmaker.

No pressure, Joe.

Luckily, I know the people
that are getting these pups,

so trying to match not only the
dog's nature to the person's nature,

but also to that type of work.

Quite often, there's a correlation

between a more outgoing dog
and a pushy dog.

And then there's people also within
this project that are quieter

and like working their stock slowly
and calmly

and really looking after
their stock.

Getting this match right is critical

to how successful our pups
and trainers will be.

But one thing Joe can guarantee
is the bloodline

and quality of this litter of pups.

And let me tell you,
they're worth big bucks.

Some working dogs,
some of the better ones,

are selling for, you know,
$20,000 to $35,000.

But the dog is going to
work for you for the next 10 years,

doesn't ask for a pay rise,
doesn't worry about the weather,

just is happy to be with you
and just loving life.

The expectation on these
puppies is huge.

While they are bred for
their innate herding instinct,

they must learn to become part of a
working team of three to seven dogs

moving stock across vast distances,
through gates, and onto trucks.

Many farmers are turning away from
using motorbikes and helicopters,

as muster dogs prove to be cheaper,
more reliable,

and reduce
the stress of their livestock.

But most dogs
take three years to train,

which is a huge investment of time
and, let's face it, patience,

especially when graziers
are already battling financial,

industrial and climate challenges.

This experiment is about finding out
if there's a smarter,

faster way to do it.

And starting any challenge
with a cute bunch of puppies

is so worth the effort.

Our pups are now three months old
and ready to leave their mum, Truce.

How are you, hey?

Truce is more than ready to, um,
to say goodbye to her puppies now,

so, uh, we give them
handling every day.

But as you can see, all beautiful,
beautiful natures and lovely types.

Hello, little man. How are ya?

(WHIMPERS)

Joe has carefully selected
three females

and two males from the litter
to participate in the experiment.

And to help keep track
of who is who,

they're each presented with
a different coloured collar.

Blue.

Beautiful. Hey, you.

Hey, you.

You're a bit more goey,
aren't you, mate, hey?

She gets an orange collar.

Oh, look at that. That's beautiful.

Lovely.

We'll just put her purple collar
on her.

If you stay still
for two seconds, little girl.

Hey, look at you go.

These glossy-coated energetic pups
are sharp and responsive,

and while most would be
tearing up about saying goodbye,

Joe's a bit more practical
than that.

Nah, not at all.

I'm always excited to see them
all go to good homes.

So, not worried at all.

Hey.

Hey.

Can these five playful puppies
be transformed

into lean, mean mustering
machines in just 12 months?

All dogs, to me.

To me, to me.

Overseeing this bold experiment
is celebrated working dog trainer

Neil McDonald.

All dogs, stop. Sit down. Sit down.

Sit there.

Neil's been running training schools
all around the country

for over 30 years,

so he knows what
makes a working dog tick.

A working dog's motivated,
I believe,

by an age-old hunting instinct,

where they want to go out to
the other side of a mob of livestock

and bring them back to the boss wolf
so that he can kill and eat them.

The natural instinct of livestock
is to get away.

Hello,
looks like the dog's on the money.

Get him, get him, get him, get him.
Oh, yes, good dog.

So, obviously, there's gonna be
a little bit of a squabble

until that gets sorted out,

and eventually,
if the dog's working well,

the livestock
surrender from escaping

and come back to the person
controlling the dog.

And then the livestock get relief
being with that person,

so that's what changes
the psyche of the mob.

Stop. Sit there.

Stop. Here to me.

Neil believes training a pedigree
puppy in 12 months can be done,

but it's gonna take some brain
and brawn.

It's gonna vary, how much effort
they're gonna put in,

'cause the dogs
are gonna be different,

the people are gonna have different
demeanours, different livestock,

different terrain,
different climate, temperature.

Consistently spending time
with your new puppy is the key.

There's just gotta be
that 10 minutes,

quarter of an hour a day
with the dog,

but that certainly doesn't
have to be in with livestock.

That's gotta be
accompanying you around

and being with you in a social sort
of a sense, as well as some work.

Skills! Best thing I've seen all
day. Did you get it on camera?

Here, pup, pup, pup, puppy.
Oh, you're back.

You're back. Oh, you're back, hey?

Coloured collars on,
a last lick for Joe,

and our puppies are ready to go.

Transporting four of the five
puppies, in comfort, is Chet.

How you been?
Oh, flat out.

Flat out? Where you been?
All over the place.

He's looking at a 7,000km drive
to Central Queensland,

through the Northern Territory
and out to Western Australia,

with puppy deliveries along the way.

Righty-o.

Where you going, hey?
On a bit of a trip?

Good girl.

Hey?

All aboard!

And they're off.

Joe is delivering one of the puppies
to its new owner himself.

After all, we're talking
a short 153km trip up the road

to Lazy Acres -

a sprawling chain of
wetlands and lakes,

and home to 49-year-old Rob Tuncks.

18 years ago, Rob took the leap
from a corporate career

to life on the land,

and he's the experiment's
least experienced dog trainer.

Yeah, we bought this place
and we're like, "Now what do we do?"

We bought a dog, some sheep,

and then we're like,
"Now what do we do?"

Way back. Way back.

Rob uses his dogs to move stock
every fortnight.

Fortunately, we got connected to
Neil McDonald

and started doing his schools,

and started a long process
with building pups up

and training them
and working the livestock.

And, yeah, it's taken... It's been
a long process, to learn to do it.

We've got approximately 1,500 acres.

About 400 of that is scrub
and the rest of it's grazing.

We run about one sheep to the acre,
which is less than we could do,

but you're not in farming for the
exorbitant profits, that's for sure.

You're in it... You're gonna do it
for the lifestyle. So I like dogs.

(DOGS BARKING)
There's dogs barking.

(LAUGHS)

There's a whole lot of benefits
that run through from dogs.

The whole business of this farm
is animal welfare for the sheep

that are producing the money.

Everything's gotta be
focused around managing them

and managing their headspace,

so they're as calm and
as co-operative as they can be,

and good dogs'll do that.

They find the sweet spot,

where you're applying
pressure on the livestock

and the livestock are responding in
a way that's not frightening them.

What you want is your dogs to be
respectful of the livestock

and you can see here there's lambs

and the dogs are being 100%
respectful of them.

They're sitting down,
they're not applying pressure

unless the sheep does
something wrong,

and then the dogs will apply
a tiny bit of pressure.

You've gotta be super careful
when you've got young lambs.

So the dogs have to be
super respectful of that

and that's just...
that's all instinct too.

It's not training.

My aim is to have a pup that'll
pretty much do this, but we'll see.

Rob's a laid-back kinda guy

and so is his attitude,
when it comes to discipline.

Rob has 10 dogs and he gives them
a lot of freedom.

His dogs vary in age from 2 to 14,

and, on retirement,
get to move into the house.

And stop.

Each dog has a unique
position in the pack...

..and it looks like they'll have to
make room for one more.

Some nice wool there, Rob.

Hey, Joe.
G'day.

Awesome.
Got a surprise for you, mate.

Thank you very much.
Beautiful, eh?

What a dog.
Yeah, she's a ripper, eh?

Thank you very much.

We've got the little
blue-collared fella.

I'm not sure how bright he is -
we'll wait and see -

but he's outgoing,
he's got a great nature.

Let's hope this little guy
does have the smarts needed

to shake up Rob's laid-back pack.

I think he needs now a dog
with a little bit more force,

so to complement the other dogs
in his team,

I've chosen this one for Rob.

Red and tan.
Yes, your favourite colour.

It is.
(BOTH LAUGH)

Hey, mate, don't fall off.
Wee!

I don't wanna lose you.

Don't wanna have three legs.
(LAUGHS) No.

Yeah, that's gonna be your job,
buddy.

One puppy delivered, four to go.

Heading from the bottom
of the country to the very top.

We come to the Northern Territory...

..home of our second participant,
CJ Scotney.

I live on Garibaldi,
which is in the Douglas-Daly region,

250km south of Darwin.

Me and my husband, Joe,
have been there for 12 years.

We own and manage the property,
along with our daughter, Lindsey.

You just have to go and see it.

How magic it is,
how beautiful it is.

It's a pretty good lifestyle.

It can be hard at times but,
you know,

it's great to have a job
that you love.

Yeah, you just might get
a calf in the corner.

MAN: Go on, get over.
I'll shut that gate.

No, let's do it together.

CJ is a horse trainer
and a gifted dog handler.

Good dog.

Dogs that work well
wanna please you,

they wanna bring cattle to you,

and they have that instinct
to do that.

Jim, to me!

They're looking for that pat.

Hello.

And that's why
it's so important as well

to, you know, give them
the love that they deserve.

You know, it's like an employee -

they work their butts off for you
and looking for praise.

CJ moves her stock every four days.

In her early years,
she used helicopters...

..but now relies on a team of seven
canine farmhands to help.

We choose to use working dogs
over employees

because it's more viable
to our business.

We're not having to retrain
employees

and we don't have the costs

of having to fix quadbikes
or motorbikes,

and it also cuts down
our chopper costs, as well.

And it's not just that, but your
behavioural pattern in your cattle,

you know, the calmness about them,
you can get that with working dogs,

so I don't see why else
you wouldn't use them.

Although the property is thriving,
running it is still a challenge.

I grew up going out
to my grandparents' cattle property,

so it was instilled in us as kids
to get up, have a go.

You know, that type of cattle work
and that fencing,

you need grit
and determination to do that.

CJ is one of the 32% of women
on the land

doing what was traditionally
regarded as men's work.

I've got heaps of really strong
women in my family.

My mum is from a line of
station managers,

and it wasn't a man's job,
it wasn't a woman's job.

You just... You just pitched in.

Over!

And it teaches you that you don't
have to be bound to, you know,

a certain box or a criteria.

You can go and be what you really
want to be, in the end. Yeah.

Go over.

CJ usually buys older working dogs
that are trained

and ready to get straight to work.

Taking on a pup
is incredibly time-consuming,

especially while trying to meet the
needs of a family and a business.

I'm really excited about training
a Joe Spicer pup.

I love that you have set us up
for success in the beginning

by giving us a very well-bred dog

that's already
got that instinct to herd in it.

Get over. Over.

It's just gonna push me out
of my boundaries

and just, you know, really grow me.

And I've got a few ideas

I'm hoping to, you know,
put in my district,

in my little community
where I live,

and I hope that other people

will be able to draw something
from it, as well.

CJ, husband Joe
and daughter Lindsey

have agreed to make the 2,500km trek
across to Central Queensland

to pick up their new pup...

..who's about to arrive at the home
of our third participant...

..Frank Finger.

After such a long journey,

it's time for the puppies
to stretch their legs.

And the grandkids have kindly
offered their services

in wrangling
the four excited travellers.

MAN: Does he lick you too much?

Lovely pup, eh?

These little kelpies
need a steady hand,

and they don't make them
much steadier than Frank Finger.

I'm Frank Finger. I've been
working on the land for 45 years.

I left school when I was 15,

went to a coal mine
and spent five years there,

and then came home
to work on the property.

Been here ever since.

Frank's following in the footsteps
of his father

and grandfather before him,

who have run livestock through
this harsh but beautiful landscape

for over 100 years.

But Frank was the first
to work with dogs.

I love working with dogs.

Absolutely love working with dogs.

Frank runs Hillview station with
a team of eight muster dogs,

but it wasn't always the case.

Prior to working
the dogs on the cattle,

all our mustering was
done on horseback.

That's how I was reared,
always on horseback.

Mustering used to take
days of planning,

depending on the number of cattle
and difficulty of the terrain.

Frank would have to assess
how many human wranglers

and vehicles he'd need
to move the mob.

And we always had to be together.

There would never be any less than
three of us, sometimes four of us.

Steady. All dogs, steady.

Frank attended a few
of Neil McDonald's training schools

and he saw how working dogs
could streamline his mustering.

Sit. All dogs, sit.

I'd never seen anything like it,

and right from
that very first seeing that,

I knew I wanted to do it.

He's never looked back.

So we purchased a puppy
and that led on to a few more pups.

So once you get into dogs,
dogs become ultra-important.

It's... You feel like you've
forgotten to get dressed

if you go out in the paddock
without a dog.

Now, with his team of dogs,
Frank can head out at any time

and knows the job will get done.

The dog's natural instincts
knows where to be on cattle,

and sometimes we don't,
and the cattle respect the dogs.

And even in the rough country, they
can be way over on another hill,

you cast the dogs, you wait,
and they bring them back to you.

The cattle soon work out
that if they come to the handler,

to the person on the bike,
that the dogs then leave them alone.

So that's why
they come searching for you

as soon as they know
you're mustering,

because they want
to just bypass the dog.

So that's the level you get to.

Wanting to share what he's learned,

Frank now runs working dog schools
for local agriculture students.

Righty-o, folks.
Well, thanks for coming.

Welcome to Hillview.

Because I'm the host,
I'm gonna show off with six dogs.

Probably come unstuck, but I think
I should be pretty right.

So just sit down. All dogs, sit.

Like all best mates,
Frank's dogs turn it on sometimes.

But that doesn't rattle Frank,

who has a reputation
as an excellent dog trainer,

so he's gonna be the one to beat.

Or is he?

He's never got a puppy ready

to join his adult mustering team
in just 12 months -

for good reason.

I don't take them
out in the big paddocks

until they're probably two-year-old,
mainly for the risk of losing them

and they don't quite know
where they are.

Stop.

I never ask a dog to work too early.

Just sit. Sit.

But Frank's never had a pup with
such pedigree bloodlines before,

so he's excited to see
how fast it can learn.

Frank's fellow participant
CJ has arrived,

along with our expert trainer, Neil.

He's here to watch how the owners
react to their new puppies.

Right-o, Frank and CJ, I guess
you've been hanging out

for the big arrival time.

It's like the Christmas present
unwrapping.

I would say this is very much
like an arranged marriage.

What you're after's probably...

..might be a little different
than what you get,

but they're all gonna be good.

Big excitement now.
Good luck, Frank.

The wait is over.

Aww!
Aww!

Hello, gorgeous!
Lovely! Oh!

Oh, you're a little girl, hey?
Aren't you good-looking?

Aren't you good-looking?
You're a goer.

Yeah. Oh, you're full of life.

Champion dog breeder Joe has matched
both CJ and Frank with female pups.

JOE: The girl with
the purple collar,

she's just that settled dog that
sits back, observes everything,

and from what I know of Frank,

he's very much
the same sort of personality,

and I thought they would just click.

What do you think of this one?
Isn't she lovely?

Hey, keep her warm.
You're right, mate.

Steady. You're right.

(LAUGHS) It's OK.

Joe thought this wriggly bundle
would suit CJ.

CJ seems like a very gentle soul
and this little girl's the same.

Gentle and boisterous
might be a better description.

She's definitely... (LAUGHS)

She's a nice little red kelpie,

so, yeah,
she's definitely the spice of life.

If Joe's pairings fail, it'll be
a daily battle for our participants.

(BARKS)

CJ: Hey. Hey.

It's alright.

(LAUGHS)

Look at this guy.

They're all, I would imagine,
gonna be a little different.

But if Joe's matched the personality
of these pups with the right owner,

then with the right training,

they've got every chance to become
excellent working dogs.

It'll be exciting to see
how the next 12 months go.

Hang on to him.

He's nearly heavier than you.

Well, the presents
have been unwrapped.

How did you go, Frank? Did you
get the special one you wanted?

Yeah, you definitely got
the calmer one, Frank.

(LAUGHS)

Yeah.
Yeah, that's fine.

Oh, there will definitely
be problems,

but I've had
years of training from you.

All I can do
is give it my best shot.

By 12 months,
you've either nailed it,

or you've got a pup
you can't rein in.

(LAUGHS)

With three puppies safely delivered,
the puppy road trip continues.

From Clermont, we head
a few thousand kilometres west

to catch up with
our next serious contender, Joni.

JONI: Get in there. (WHISTLES)

The all-round larrikin
is a legend in the farming industry,

dedicating her life
to a greater understanding

of cattle and working dogs.

Some have called her
'the cattle whisperer'.

I wouldn't consider myself
a cattle whisperer.

I'm more of...
more of a, uh...dog yeller.

Um, no,
definitely not a cattle whisperer.

But I'm extremely
passionate about it.

I could talk cows and dogs all day.

(WHISTLES)

Whatever she calls it,
her skills are in high demand.

I'm a cattle educator.
Self-employed.

I travel the country in my truck
with 20 dogs,

training cattle on a contract basis.

Joni's nomadic lifestyle
has her constantly on the move,

rotating through properties
across the Top End

with her squad of working dogs.

Joni takes greenhorn weaner cattle -

that is, young cows just weaned
from their mother's milk -

and trains them to live
without their mothers,

find water, and be more pliable,

allowing them to be moved calmly
and safely over long distances.

Joni's dogs are her co-workers.

I love training dogs.
I love training animals.

You know, I'm very passionate and
I'm very serious about what I do.

I live it and I have definitely
become what I do, so...

Here, dogs. Here to me. (WHISTLES)

With a few tiny gestures,

Joni instructs her team to shepherd
the stock back to her.

The dogs block
any alternative routes

and, as a result,
the cattle turn to Joni for safety.

They are naturally herding
the cattle towards me, as the alpha.

Right-o. Stop!

As long as I hold my alpha status,

they will take them cattle
in any way that I tell them to.

Like the other
participants in the experiment,

Joni hasn't always relied on working
dogs in the way she does now.

What really got me properly into it
is I had a really bad accident.

I fell off a four-wheeler and I got
stuck under it for seven hours.

That injury took nine months.

It took me
nine months to walk again.

It was serious.
I nearly lost my leg.

So I actually really got it
on a cellular level

of the importance of
not chasing your own cattle.

Like, let the dogs
chase your cattle.

'Cause I had seven hours to think
about it, stuck under the motorbike.

So I got into training dogs and
then I've got into training cattle,

and, yeah, I met Neil.

That's quite acceptable, for someone
that did a school 10 years ago

and wanted to spew.

Neil's passion for
effective dog handling

was instrumental in Joni's recovery.

I did a few consistent
schools with Neil.

That was the sole change for me
of really getting into it.

Thanks, you're a good teacher.
You're welcome.

What might give Joni an advantage

is that she spends more time
with dogs

than any of the other participants.

Good job.

I live with the dogs on job site.

It's 15km from the homestead

and I might be out there for
four or five weeks,

so I live in the truck
with all the...

Well, I don't live in the truck with
the dogs - just get that straight.

I think when you live with them,
like I have to...

I don't know, I talk to them all day
and they are good company,

but it's very lonely.

That's the hardest thing, I find.

But what amazes me
every day about my dogs

is their ability to work all day.

And I'm pretty sure they've trained
me more than I've trained them.

They've taught me lots of things.

Patience. Uh-uh.

I just made that up. (LAUGHS)

Joni's pack are the most disciplined
dogs around,

and the introduction of a puppy
into this mix

could unravel her whole team.

But never one to shy away
from a challenge,

Joni is keen to get on with it,

and despite shifting a thousand
head of cattle this morning...

..she's at her pickup point
a little early.

Joni, how you going?
G'day, Chet.

Finally got here.
You sure did.

I'm feeling very excited
about meeting the pup.

Very excited.

It's also travelled a long way.

Which one? There's two.

I think yours is the male, mate.

Is it?
Yep.

Think I should call him Chet,
after you?

(LAUGHS)

Come on, mate.

Look at him. He's a little oompa.

Joni has trained literally
hundreds of dogs.

Oh, yes, kisses.

No kisses. No kisses.

No biting. No biting.
Training's started.

But today, it appears
she may have met her match.

Oh, licking.
Oh, licking. Licking dog.

Licking, licking, kissing dog.

Breeder Joe has taken Joni's large
pack of 20 dogs into consideration.

JOE: Joni has quite a big pack.

Got a little, uh, red and tan male
or boy pup,

who shows that he can hold his own,

but seems more comfortable
about where he is

within the pack hierarchy,

and that was part of
what I was looking for.

I tell you what, in my show, mate,
we've got a few rules,

and biting is not one of them.

(CHET LAUGHS)

Look, you're gonna have to
get better at this, mate.

(LAUGHS)

For our last puppy, it's a lonely
drive to meet her owner.

It's the last stretch of
the epic puppy road trip.

1,200km down the coast

to meet the experiment's
final participant

at Glenflorrie station,

in the unforgiving inland
Pilbara region of WA.

Aticia is a third-generation grazier
on an enormous property,

where the driveway alone
is 100km long.

ATICIA: Glenflorrie station
is just under half a million acres.

I manage the property here,
with my mum and my partner,

and I run a team of kelpies -
currently 15.

Watch him.

And we have a few Maremmas
running around as well.

The farm has been suffering through
one of the worst droughts

this part of Australia
has ever seen.

So, Glenflorrie station
is experiencing

our fourth year of extreme drought,
of failed wet seasons.

I'm hoping that this one now
isn't going to be a fifth.

The dry farmland
can't sustain any cattle,

so they had to make
a difficult decision.

Normally,
we would run about 2,500 breeders.

Due to the dry conditions,

most of our cattle are away
on agistment at the moment

and they won't be coming back,

unless we can get a decent rain and
the country has a chance to recover.

Despite the need to de-stock, she's
held on to a small mob of cattle

to ensure the dogs are kept working.

Hey, beautiful boy.

Aticia is a battler

and she's looking to secure
the future of her property

by exploring regenerative
agricultural methods.

I would really like to now start
running our cattle

more as a single mob on country,

give it a chance to recover
between grazing,

and really maximise
that grass production.

And essential to Aticia's plan is
her use of dogs to manage livestock.

That's my overall goal
with the dogs,

is to be able to
incorporate them more.

So if we can step away

from having to incorporate
trucks and machinery so much,

not just trying to maintain
the country, what it is -

we want to see it improve
and just keep getting better.

But she couldn't pass up
an opportunity to get a pup

with such a strong bloodline.

I'm hoping that my pup
will be a black and tan female,

and I may live to regret that.

I do have a male-heavy team, so a
female would be good to add to it.

I've actually always wanted
a pup from Joe Spicer,

so I'm really looking forward to
seeing what I get.

Alright. Alright.

Training puppies
is not unusual for Aticia,

but getting one up to speed
in just 12 months

with only a training mob of cattle
to keep the pup interested

will be a challenge.

Aticia's hoping the pup's natural
instincts will get it over the line.

What they love most to do is work.

At the end of the day,
all they really want is a feed,

a pat and a chance to do it again.

That is what they live for
and they absolutely love it.

After an epic 7,000km journey,
the final pup has arrived.

Very excited to meet this pup.

Uh, I just really hope that I can
make the opportunities

to really set this pup up well
for life.

So we'll see how we go.

Have you got a little pup for me?

Hello, gorgeous.

(BARKS)

And it's a girl!

Still holdin' ya.

Hey! Oh! Hello.

JOE: So there's two little black
and tan girls.

The one with the orange collar,
I thought would really suit Aticia.

It's just a little bit
softer in nature,

and I know she's just looking for
a dog that will sit off the stock,

give the stock a little bit of time
to think

and make the right decisions,

and that way the stock
will learn what's required of them.

So I was looking just for that
slightly softer nature.

The excitement of meeting
is just too much for the pup.

Well, she's a very outgoing
little pup, this one,

so I'm very excited
to see how she goes.

But definitely I think she's going
to be a very confident little miss,

so it's gonna be very interesting.

Mate. You're a good boy, Jasper.

I actually have no idea
at this point,

but it's definitely gonna be...

It's gonna have to be something with
a little bit of spice, I think.

(LAUGHS)

Holy dooley.

All five puppies have now landed
on the doorstep of their new lives

and it's time to start the clock
on our 12-month experiment.

Experiment mastermind Neil

has set four milestones that all
of our participants need to reach.

NEIL: Well, at four months of age,

we want the pup to be starting to
see you as the team leader.

At the age of six months, you should
really have started its introduction

to working of livestock.

At stage three, the dog should be
able to work the back of the mob

and the sides of the mob,
gaining more skills.

At 12 months of age, the dog should
be very capable

of bringing a small mob
of livestock to you.

You've gotta trust the dogs,
trust your own instincts,

and all you've gotta do
is put fair dinkum effort into it.

All the milestones have been
designed with one aim in mind -

to help harness the dogs'
natural instinct to best effect.

Come here!

And Neil teaches tried and tested
techniques to help achieve this.

All dogs, quickly to me.

Dogs will naturally want to
bring livestock to the leader

and as the leader, you then apply
a command to that natural instinct.

I believe there's no such thing
as a dog trainer.

You're a situation creator.

MAN: Sit down.

And stop. Stop.

You create a situation
where a dog does something

by reason of natural instinct,

then label the action
the dog is about to take.

Back. Good girl.

If you are consistent,

the dog will eventually correlate
that command with that action -

for example, if it goes to the right
you would say, "Go to the right,"

if it sat, you'd say, "Sit."

Sit down. Back, back, back.

And so if you don't want the dog
to circle the mob,

what you've gotta do is walk over
and put your arm out.

Watching. Watching.

Now, that putting of your arm out

actually blocks the dog
from coming around,

so the dogs go opposite
to where we block.

Good girl. Steady. Steady. Steady.
Back.

So we've gotta learn to put our arm,
our body and our voice

where we don't want the dog,
so the dog goes opposite.

Over.

Good girl.

Watching.

Really, what makes a good trainer

is someone that understands
how dogs work,

how livestock act,

and also they really have to
have comradeship,

a bit of a sense of humour
with the dog.

If you've got that, there's a fair
chance you're gonna have success.

The puppies are
three months of age now,

so there's just one month prep time
to hit their four-month milestone.

To do this, they'll need to complete
a series of tasks,

which include bonding,

or what's called 'Bluetooth
connecting' with their owner...

..dragging a three-metre rope...

..staying relaxed when held...

..coping with a loose lead walk...

(WHISTLES)
..responding to their name...

..being calm on the chain...

..and joining communal feeding.

Our five puppies and trainers have
gotta get started straight away.

Good dogs.

Up in Queensland,
on day one of training,

Frank is making it look easy.

Because she's new, we get
a bit of eye contact and then...

Puppy!

..bit of nose contact, hey?

Puppy, puppy, puppy!

And then we want her
to just be calm,

lovely and calm,

because next comes the lead.

Haven't had a lead before, have ya?

He does wind himself up
with worry sometimes.

Uh-uh.

She wants to play with it
and she can't do that.

He might get a little haunted, uh,
putting expectations of himself on,

but he's handled plenty of pups.

He's a survivor.
He always does well.

I don't think we'll have trouble
with her coming.

Puppy, puppy, puppy!

Well, I've always believed that
if you're going to do something,

do it properly,

and the only way you can get
the best out of animals or people

is to show respect,

and if you like them,
they'll like you.

Pup, pup, pup, pup, pup!
Pup, pup, pup, pup, pup!

Oh, lovely pup.

You couldn't get any better
than that.

I think she might be a bit spoilt.

I think you might get a bit spoilt.

Lovely puppy.

Frank is well on his way
to hitting the skills required

to meet the first milestone.

At Lazy Acres in Victoria,

Rob's a bit concerned
his relaxed attitude to training

might start him off
on the back foot.

Yeah, I'm a little bit worried
because of the way I train my dogs.

I'm fairly loose with them
when they're young.

I might bring it inside,
'cause they get a lot of personality

from coming and sleeping inside.

It seems to work.

MAN: For you?
For me, yeah.

Watch him, get him.

The way I've been training my dogs,

I've been more relaxed
about letting them mature,

so it's gonna be
a bit of a challenge

to see how I go with a 12-month
timeframe to get a dog up to speed.

JOE: Rob is the problem child.

Sometimes his eyes are bigger
than his belly

when he comes to doing things.

Lack of effort is probably
his greatest challenge.

But he has trained dogs before
and been successful,

so there's no reason why he can't.

His male pup's instinct to muster
is already starting to show.

He's very keen to go after
the sheep, so we'll find out.

I've got the trainer sheep in.

There's a couple of ram lambs
in there that might cause trouble,

so I'll use an old dog just to hold
the sheep together.

Well, he's not really
ready to start yet.

The little fella doesn't
even have a name yet,

but today is day one of training

and Rob is keen to see
what this pup can do.

Pup, pup, pup, pup.

Good puppy. Good puppy.

What a good puppy!
What a good puppy!

Good puppy.

Good puppy.

Keeping him alive is the number one
priority for now, and then...

..and then training him.

You've gotta protect them,
'cause pups are pretty stupid.

My only real job
is not to stuff it up.

There's a whole lot of things
I could do wrong with that dog

that'll cause trouble.

By participating in the experiment,

Rob is committing to hours
and hours of training

at a time when the margins
on the farm are paper thin.

The work ethic of his dogs are
all that stands between success

and failure.

If the new pup
doesn't fall into line,

it could spell disaster
for the season.

Watch him, guys.

I'm very slow at getting a dog
to come through.

I don't have the skills that some of
the experienced dog triallers have.

They get their dogs going
a lot faster than I do.

Sit down. Wait.

Don't.

He's fallen asleep with the sheep
here. Yeah, doesn't care.

(WHIMPERS)

Oh, stop sookin'.

I haven't got enough experience,
but whether I can do it?

Well, I guess we'll find out.

CJ, Joe and Lindsey are preparing to
travel back to the Territory

with the newest member of
their family.

Don't bite.

But CJ's struggling to establish the
Bluetooth connection with her pup,

a vital first step if she's going to
reach the first milestone.

You've got to be the pack leader

because, if not, then they're gonna
run their own show

and then things will not work out.

Biting.

Aah!

You need to have boundaries in place

and when that happens,
you get respect from them.

Aah, no biting. Alright.

CJ, she seems very
enthusiastic about it,

very sharp with her thinking.

She's just gotta make sure she's got
a real good bond with the dog,

where she's got a good connection,

and that's what...
that's probably only her challenge.

She looks like a beauty.

Take a bit of handling,
by the look of it.

I hope that her and the dog
get on well at the early stage.

Get her settled.

Do I think that I'm good
at training animals?

I'm sure there's better people
out there who could do it.

She's just settled, see?
And we just need her settled.

With so much ahead of them,

it seems that CJ's immediate
challenge is her confidence.

I'm not sure if green suits her.

I don't train dogs all the time.

Definitely boisterous.

I do it because I love it.

(LAUGHS)

(CAR STARTS)

Ready? Come on.

Let's go.

It's certainly going to be
a hectic 12 months,

as our five participants try to fit
training an energetic puppy

into their already busy lives.

Hi, there. Gossip. (WHISTLES)

Come on, hop in. Hop in.

And the first job is picking
the right name for their puppies.

So, I named my pup Gossip,
or Gossip Girl for a minute there.

She's a quirky little pup.

We have lots of fun moments.

There you go.

Apparently, she's not the only one.

CJ: So, this is Spice.

She's like the spice of life.

(LAUGHS)

Good dog, Spice.

Good dog.

She's showing a lot of potential
for being a good stock dog.

(BARKS)

Good dog.

This lady is in for a lotta love.

So, I called her Annie,
and that's, uh...

..my late mother was...
name was Annie, so...

I didn't know whether it was
the right thing to do to start with,

or what people would think,

but that's where her name has
come from and we're going great.

From the less original...

I named him Chet

because the fella that freighted
him up was called Chet.

Think I should call him Chet,
after you?

(CHET LAUGHS)

He definitely has a big heart,
when it's not hot.

(LAUGHS)

..to the ominous.

We call him Lucifer,
because he's a proper shit.

(LAUGHS)

Stop. Stop! Luce!

You little bastard.

If there's something bad to do
and something good to do,

he's gonna do the bad.

Yeah, he's very mischievous.

You know what they say -
give a dog a bad name...

I reckon Rob may have
jinxed himself there.

But all of our new owners

are going to have to get a handle
on their pups' personalities...

Ah, Gossip!

..if they want any chance of meeting
the first milestone.

Everyone that's involved was really
enthusiastic to be a part of this

because there's just
so many benefits.

Lovely pup.

We wanna show people that
working dogs are a great asset.

NEIL: I don't know
what's gonna happen.

It is gonna be quite fascinating
to see the end result.

I would imagine these dogs are gonna
have more effort put into them

than any other dog
they've ever had in their life.

But it's very achievable,
if you discipline yourself.

The stage is set.

12 months, 5 puppies -

Spice,

Chet,

Annie,

Gossip

and Lucifer.

One objective -
training a champion muster dog.

Coming up to
the four-month challenge,

I think I'll do alright, hopefully.

I think she's advanced for her age.

Stop. Annie, stop.

Uh-uh-uh-uh!

You lot think that I'm gonna be
able to train him

to meet these milestones.

I'm just trying to keep him alive.

I'm in a stage at the moment

where I'm questioning
everything that I was doing.

I've pretty much failed
everything on that list.

100% failure rate.

Captions by Red Bee Media

Copyright Australian
Broadcasting Corporation