THE importance of working dogs to Australian farmers and property owners cannot be underestimated with more than 270,000 stock-herding dogs across rural Australia, and Frank Finger has shared his top tips for training working dogs.

Reflected in the strong sale prices of fully-trained working dogs with some setting eye-watering auction records, south-west Victorian farmers are well aware that a well-trained dog provides benefits to a farm well beyond its sale price.

Frank Finger won the ABC’s Muster Dog program in 2022 and has been training working dogs for over 20 years on his Clermont, Queensland property.

His passion for training working dogs is shared through his training schools which attract owners, breeders, and the next generation of trainers.

Think Small for Big Results

Preferring to train dogs from puppyhood, Frank is a big believer in starting small in all facets of a dog’s training.

He believes in training working dogs towards their natural instincts.

Nurture to Nature

From birth, Frank said it is essential to look after working dog pups with nourishing food and ensure they were de-wormed through their early weeks.

“At six weeks pups are weaned and at nine weeks I start short bursts of training,” he said.

“The initial training is all about showing them what to do until their instincts come out.”

Forming a Bond

As small and cute as they are, Frank notes it is important to bond with them, but not too much until they are working.

“If too much bonding occurs before they’re working, they can become accustomed to it and come to expect it too much later on,” said Frank.

“There should be care, but I make sure I don’t become too close to them.”

Think Small

When starting with pups, Frank encourages those training working dogs to think small.

Training a small pup should incorporate small livestock such as goats or even ducks, while training should be limited to short periods.

“You don’t want to overwhelm a small pup,” Frank said.

“Training time and size of livestock can increase over time as the dogs grow.

“Once the dog is nine months of age, we increase the cattle size and the number of them in the yard.”

Line of Sight

Frank noted that an often overlooked aspect of training working dogs was that a dog’s line of sight extends no higher than a trainer’s knee when in close proximity.

This is especially true for pups.

“Remembering the dog’s eye level when training them is important,” Frank said.

“This is why we use a plastic garden rake to act as an extension of our arm and ensure we’re in their line of sight.

“The rake is also used as an indicator to get the dogs to stay next to the trainer and not move in front.”

Simple commands

Frank said once trained, well-bred working dogs work instinctively.

“Once the dogs are older, the rake can be replaced by calling their name if they get ahead of you,” he said.

“From there, it’s best to develop a good call with them that doesn’t include too many commands.

“Keep it short and simple.”

Benefits of a healthy dog

Frank said a well-trained dog must be healthy to fulfill their potential.

He said prevention is better than cure for the control of fleas, ticks and intestinal worms - and recommends chewable treatment once per month to protect dogs against heartworm disease.

“Simparica Trio is very convenient,” he said.

“Heartworm treatment used to be a daily occurrence, but Simparica Trio makes it an easy-to-remember monthly treatment. My dogs have never had any problem with it.”

He said it comes with a taste guarantee and is safe for puppies as young as eight weeks old.