Merrimajeel Working Stock Dogs

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Merrimajeel Working Stock Dogs

Merrimajeel Working Stock Dogs builds feomn obedience to advanced stock work, we produce calm, capable dogs for home and paddock.
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06/10/2026

Good few days away at the Swan Hill and Kerang Yard Dog Trials. The Lee’s Hairy was the standout for the crew on Saturday in Swan Hill with a score of 91 in a strong field of 57 dogs. Unfortunately a misdraft cost the girls a place in the final.

Sunday at Kerang saw a couple of average runs by the girls in the Novice however The Lee’s May was allowed to enter up into the Improver and Open classes on the Monday where the girls managed to snag a ribbon with a 3rd in the Improver and finished 5th in the Open amongst some pretty handy dogs.

Big thanks to Mother's Best Pet Nutrition and TuffRock Australia for keeping the camp in peak condition.

😊👍

26/09/2026

🐕 HORSHAM YARD DOG TRIAL — A WEEKEND FULL OF PROMISE 🐑
We travelled to the Horsham Yard Dog Trial this weekend and came away really happy with all three dogs. Each one showed us something different, and there’s plenty to look forward to as they continue to mature and develop. ❤️

🐾 WOMBEYAN LEO
Leo got his first Put Away in his second trial with a score of 49 being only 20 months old and, while there are definitely areas that need polishing, particularly through the drench and draft where things got a little messy, he really showcased what he is capable of and, more importantly, what he could become.
There were glimpses of the dog I know is in there, and I just can’t wait for everything to start clicking into place for him. There’s still plenty of work ahead, but the potential is exciting. ❤️

🐾 THE LEES HAIRY
Hairy is really coming into her own with age and is starting to become very consistent with her scores week after week.
Her strength really showed through in her walk-up and the way she held the sheep to the entrance of the forcing yard. Her cover was awesome, and I love the intensity she brings when she’s working.
But perhaps what I love most is seeing her come full circle. That lovely, calm little attitude she had as a pup is coming back, while she still has all that fire when she needs it.
Hairy scored 81, finishing 4th in Maiden and 6th in Novice in a field of 47 dogs. ❤️🐑

🐾 THE LEES MAY
May was further down the running order, and with the rain throughout the day, the sheep were starting to become a little stubborn and challenging.
She still showcased her ability and worked her way through some difficult situations. Unfortunately, she had a bit of bad luck in the first forcing yard when a rogue sheep broke away from her. She had to cover it back to the mob, which resulted in the whole mob coming out.
She got them back together and then worked through the rest of the course nicely.
The Put Away was where she lost a few points, finishing on a score of 79.
May finished 6th in Maiden and 8th in Novice in a field of 47 dogs. ❤️🐑

And to top it off, both The Lees Hairy and The Lees May finished inside the Top 10 on the combined Maiden/Novice scoreboard. 🙌

A really positive weekend for the team.
There are always things to work on, things to polish and moments that don't quite go to plan, but that's yard dog trialling.

It's about watching them develop, learning what each dog needs and enjoying those moments when they show you just how much they have to offer 🐑❤️

Dogs are fuelled by Mother's Best Pet Nutrition and TuffRock Australia

21/09/2026

Let’s dance ❤️The Lees Hairy

13/09/2026

THE STOP — THE EXERCISE WE SHOULD NEVER STOP DOING

If there’s one exercise I believe should be worked into training again and again, it’s the stop.

And I mean really teaching the dog to stop, not just eventually slow down, or stop because the stock have stopped.

The stop is the foundation for so much of our communication with a working dog.

A dog that will stop and wait for you is a dog you can redirect.

You can change its direction.
You can take pressure off.
You can move it back into position.
You can send it somewhere else.
You can regain control when things start getting away from you.

And perhaps most importantly, the stop gives you a moment to think.

When a dog is working well, it can be tempting to just keep pushing forward. But when the stock get away, the dog gets excited, the pressure increases, or the situation doesn’t go to plan, that solid stop becomes incredibly important.

It gives the handler an opportunity to say:

“Stop. Listen. Now let’s work this out.”

I also don’t believe the stop is something you teach a young dog and then tick off the list.

It needs to be reinforced throughout the dog’s working life.

Quiet stock.
Excitable stock.
Big paddocks.
Small yards.
Training.
Mustering.
Trials.

Keep coming back to it.

Because the more reliable the stop becomes, the more freedom you can eventually give the dog.

And there’s a big difference between a dog that stops because you’ve physically pulled it up, and a dog that has learnt:

“When I hear that command, I stop, settle, and wait for my next instruction.”

That understanding doesn’t happen overnight.

It comes from repetition, consistency, timing, and making sure the dog understands what you’re asking.

Sometimes we get so focused on teaching the next big thing that we forget how powerful the simple things are.

Stop is simple.
Stop is powerful.
And stop is damn important

07/09/2026

🚨 WHEN PEOPLE START ASKING, “WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING THAT DOG?” 🚨
That’s exactly what’s been happening with Archie.
Whenever Bianca and Kevin take this young Koolie out on their adventures, one of the first things people notice is his coat, the condition, richness and unmistakable shine. ✨🐕
And after six weeks, we thought it was worth sharing what has been part of his daily routine.
Archie’s nutrition of choice is Mother's Best Pet Nutrition with TuffRock SUPER-TUFF with Kakadu Plum added to his regular feed as his daily supplement.
It’s not about claiming there’s a magic ingredient or that one product is responsible for everything you see in a dog.
For us, it’s about putting together a quality, consistent routine that supports a young dog as he grows and develops.
And Archie is certainly looking the part.
The best part?
These comments aren’t coming from us trying to sell you something. They’re coming from people who meet Archie and simply stop to say:
“Wow, look at his coat.”
That’s pretty hard to ignore.
At just six weeks into this routine, we’re loving what we’re seeing and, more importantly, we’re excited to keep watching Archie mature into the young working dog he’s becoming.
✨ Mothers Best Pet Nutrition for his everyday diet.
✨ TuffRock Australia’s SUPER-TUFF with Kakadu Plum as part of his supplementation routine.
Two products we’re proud to have in our program at Merrimajeel Working Stockdogs.
Because sometimes you don’t need to tell people what you’re doing…
The results just speak for themselves. 🐾

05/09/2026

Yesterday Jason and I ventured up to the Finley Utility Trial to give the two girls in our team a run in something a little different.

Utility is only the second one I’ve ever competed in during my 15+ years of having Kelpies and competing with dogs, so it was a bit of a learning curve for me as much as it was for the girls. It’s a completely different style of trial to what we normally do, and I really enjoyed the challenge.

First up for me was The Lees Hairy, our little pocket rocket and very much the “stand your ground when you feel you need to” type of dog
😂.
Hairy was my main mustering dog back when I was heavily working in the industry, and she’s absolutely brilliant at what she knows.

Utility isn’t really her scene though. You need a dog that is a little steadier off the stock and happy to give ground and slow everything down, and Hairy was always going to find that part challenging.
She gave it a really good crack but became hell-bent on focusing on one of the sheep that was being a little difficult. Still, I was really pleased with her effort and loved getting her out there having a go. Alot of my practising and training is really starting to show out on the competition ground, so that a big plus.

Then it was The Lees May’s turn, and she really gave it a crack.
May gave alot of ground, showed some beautiful feel for the sheep and gave me plenty to be happy about. I probably just need to read the situation a little better myself and get to understand the process and trial layouts and rules a little more, but one of the things I was really proud of was seeing all the work we’ve been putting into our directionals and commands starting to come into fruition.

She showed alot out there on the ground, and I was extremely proud of both her effort and mine.

One of the biggest proud moments of the day came afterwards when the timer went when judge Bill Luff came up asked about May’s breeding and spoke so highly of her. He encouraged me to keep doing utilities with her and get along to some utility training days and enter more trials.

His words were along the lines of, “You’ve got a really good dog on your hands there.”
He loved the way she was reading the sheep, giving ground and working with them rather than against them, and felt she has the potential to be a really good utility dog.

That sort of feedback means a lot.

We don’t head to every trial expecting to win. Sometimes you head out to learn, sometimes you head out to test where your training is at, and sometimes you get a little reminder that the work you’re putting in is starting to show.
Yesterday was definitely one of those days.
A really enjoyable day at Finley, two girls who gave it everything, and plenty for me to take home and work on.

Safe to say Finley Utility Trial is one of our favourite in the calendar. A big thankyou to Marc, Warwick, Ian and of course the judge who travelled a fair way to be there Bill Luff.

Proud of my little team. ❤️🐕‍🦺

02/09/2026

🐄 FROM YARDS & TRUCKS TO CATTLE PADDOCKS — MERRIMAJEEL DUKE IS MAKING THE SWITCH! 🐄
We absolutely love getting updates on dogs we’ve bred, and this one from Amy Dickins has made us pretty proud! ❤️
Merrimajeel Duke is from our breeding Gogetta Rippa (dec) × S’Bred Bonnie V, and he’s now made the move to Queensland to a cattle property with Amy and the rest of her crew, stepping into a completely different environment and type of work.

Amy’s update says it all:
“Dukes a cattle dog now, I’ve moved to QLD on a cattle property. This is his first time in the paddock with them. Then after this video I sat at the front of the mob with 4 of my dogs behind the mob, Duke included, and we walked 15ks. He’s going extremely well. I’m very impressed how quick he has switched to cows considering he’s never seen them and how well he is going in the paddock, considering most of my work with him has been yards and truck.”
That’s what we love to see in a working dog, the ability to adapt.

Duke had primarily been working in yards and around the truck, and now he’s stepped into the paddock with cattle and is taking it all in his stride. To go from never seeing cattle to settling into a 15km paddock job with the mob is a fantastic effort.
A good working dog isn't always defined by the job it starts with, it’s the dog underneath that determines how far it can go.

Very proud of this young dog, he’s only 17 months old and a huge thank you to Amy for taking the time to send us the update. ❤️

Keep up the great work, Amy and Duke! 🐕🐄
Gogetta Rippa (dec) × S’Bred Bonnie V

31/08/2026

Merrimajeel Working Stockdogs are fuelled by Mother's Best Pet Nutrition and conditioned by TuffRock Australia

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Gisborne, VIC
3437

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