Karmala Merino and Working Kelpie Studs: News

As in any business, and even more importantly in animal breeding, feedback is essential for success.

It is only by learning the outcome of particular matings that I can assess results and plan future matings.

I really appreciate the updates on pups I have sold, both good and bad. Sometimes I feel I’m only hearing the good news, and remind past buyers of pups that they are guaranteed to be useful workers…provided they are well cared for and given the right opportunities.

This page is designed to show how pups develop and what their owners think of them. It should help prospective clients.

A dog pup from the Riana GlideXKarrwarra Gift litter went to Santa Rosa, California recently.
Dr. Bill Davis on Karmala Gungaroo, who is now over a year old:
Gungaroo is exceptional. He demonstrates patience and reason when the other dogs act up. He is thoughtful and kind and very responsive. Add to this his work talents, which show no vices, and you have a pretty spectacular youngster.

Bonny is now doing miles behind the horse and is becoming much more
biddable, she is doing some good work too. She has great stamina and a huge
desire to work which is good, hasn’t grown much, only a small bitch.
I’ll keep you posted.

Mark Wendelborn bought a bitch pup, Karmala Wish, from the Riana RaddleXWoorivale Spice litter, b.10/06 He recently wrote in an email to me:

“….a few pics of Wish, going very,very well, all the things you want in a paddock/ mustering dog. Very intelligent, nice break and looks at the whole mob not just a bit of the mob. Knows where the front of the mob is and actually wants to pull the mob up, has lovely cover and anticipation, will be there before they go, not chasing after them. I think she is a great young dog and I will be breeding her at the first chance I get next year to make sure I don’t lose this work, impossible to find down here.”

Peter Telford from East Gippsland has a bitch from the Paddy’s ShadowXRiana Delta Dawn litter, b.1/2007, Karmala Shiner :

Sprite hasn’t had a lot of work lately. She is going well on sheep and works better points on cattle than the other two dogs, but doesn’t have quite enough strength – she’s alright when she’s got backup.

Yesterday we moved a big mob of weaners, straight off the board, back to their paddock thru 3 other paddocks with sheep in them. And it was foggy, so a bit tricky. The front of the mob were mad and just kept heading, the back of the mob were crook and couldn’t keep up. So 2 of us on bikes worked either side of the front of the mob and just steered them in the right direction, and cleared a path thru foreign sheep. The old Pup worked at the back, on his own, in the fog. When I could see him he would be 50 or 60 meters off the sheep just watching, and if one slowed he would move up and tickle it along. We only left one sheep behind (out of 900) and that was my decision, at the first gate we went thru. And he is only just over 2 years old, a real credit to you Jan, and it would be a tragedy if his specific bloodline isn’t continued on. (Thanks Phil, but all credit goes to Arthur Hazlett, who bred Delta and Nap!)

Patrick Stubbe in Belgium wrote recently about an incident with Karmala Bindi, who is now about 2. He grazes his small mobs of sheep on areas of State owned ‘wilderness’, similar to our National Parks.

‘Yesterday I had Bindi mustering a sandhill, filled with trees/scrub/heathland with some 40 of my Hebrideans. This was the first time she was there working on her own, so she barely knows the area. It is hard work for the dog for they do seldom see their target sheep or the ways stock has to walk to come to me. And the sheep know every track or trail to run off… Well, she did a marvelous job. She musters, gathers and brings stock to me without loosing any. Especially the last is a hard thing. And in fact, after walking the one side of the hill to another, with Tarkan at my side to push and Bindi at the head to keep the bunch together well, I seemed to have lost her for almost 20 minutes … until my little flock stopped and 4 extra sheep came out of an unexpected corner … with Bindi behind. So she must have smelled/heard them down the steep hill in the wood and kept them together until she found where we were. Together with her very good work to fill a trailer in the open, I can say, as expected, at almost 2 years old, Bindi has become my major paddock dog. Although she has no natural backing, she can also be rather useful in a yard situation (force pen, drafting race, loading pen…).

Karmala Bonny(Riana GlideXKarrawarra Gift)

K.Bonny

Karmala Wish

Karmala Wish

Karmala Shiner blocks up...

... and is happy to hold.

Karmala Sprite, 5 mths

Karmala Phoenix, (R.RaddleXW.Spice) has his first look at sheep...

Karmala Phoenix(R.RaddleXW.Spice) at 15 mths has matured into a useful member of Simon Hartwich's team.

Karmala Gem(Riana GlideXKarrawarra Gift) 5 mths

Phil Roche's dogs Karmala Taffy(Riana RaddleXW. Spice) and Karmala Pup(Riana NapXRiana Delta Dawn) on the right. Phil musters large mobs of sheep for Clive McEachern on his properties near Geelong, Vic.