If you're a dog lover, you'd be no stranger to the impressive intelligence, agility and loyalty of working dogs. But these special animals gained a whole new fan club with the hit TV series Muster Dogs. One of the viewer favourites was pup 'Gossip', owned by Teesh Grey from Pilbara Working Dogs. Teesh is the first to admit, there is a lot to breeding these amazing canines that are so highly sought after on farms - that some are worth a small fortune. Happily, for those of us who don't own one, she also photographs life on her station for us all to enjoy.
Teesh moved to the outback property when she was just 5 years old. While it was a traditional working farm, dogs never featured heavily in their operation. Teesh had the opportunity to do an advanced livestock and working dogs course in 2013 and hasn't looked back since. She put together a team, which at times can be up to 20 dogs in her care.
Perhaps the most famous of them all is, Gossip, who had a starring role in Muster Dogs. "It was a lot of fun. How it's been embraced by Australia has been amazing. She's a celebrity and I'm the supporting act," Teesh laughs. Gossip enjoys meeting new people, doing stock-work and has a huge personality.
"Gossip is still gossiping!
It has shone a light on the working dog industry as a whole. "I would not be on a property now without dogs. What they can contribute - helping with the mindset of the stock and replacing several staff. It's massive. It's also good on a mental health side because you always have a mate there," Teesh shares.
The Australian record for the sale of a working dog is $49 000, sold in the NSW Central Tablelands. The vast majority are not worth anywhere near that, making them very cheap employees, if you put the time into training.
They love going to work. They get very upset if you leave them behind.
"You can't teach a child to write an essay, if you've never taught them to spell. So, you do need to help them learn the basics and then get their natural instinct to come through," Teesh cautions.
On farms around Australia, you'll usually see Kelpies or Border Collies on the team. Teesh is team Kelpie all the way. "There's just this draw to me. They both do the same job but it's how they think and their independence," she explains.
Teesh runs all the dogs every morning and night, and on a daily basis selects a smaller team to work on the farm for the day. The dogs are selected based on their skill set for the given day with jobs ranging from clearing a yard, to doing a meal run, checking water and moving cattle. She always has a dog or two with her, no matter the job.
When Teesh isn't working the farm or dogs, she's taking beautiful photos. It started with a smartphone to show-off what the dogs can do and has grown into a professional side-hustle with prints available for sale.
The Pilbara is harsh but beautiful.
If Teesh is a little quiet on the dog content on social media currently, it's because she's busy raising a little human baby as well as her dogs. Safe to say, it's cuteness overload at Pilbara Working Dogs.
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