Muster Dogs

JPA · January 30, 2025, 7:40pm

For those who can’t wait for Muster Dogs it will hit iview as a series drop at 7am Sunday.

“This is -again- capturing the beauty of and the love of working dogs: three collies, three kelpies, and a diverse cast, from a 17 year old to more elderly Australians. The training captures the essence of regional life and Muster Dogs is something that I know that everyone’s been very much looking forward to. We tempted them with the ‘Where Are They Now?’ and this will be a really popular series for us again,” she continues.

TV.Cynic · February 5, 2025, 6:26am

Series 3, Episode 4

Sunday 23 February 7.30pm

As the eight-month assessment looms, the pressure is mounting for our handlers and their pups. The dogs may look grown up, but they’re still puppies at heart, needing constant attention and training to transform them into quality working dogs. Differences between the two breeds are becoming more evident - while Kelpies show strong instincts but struggle with commands, Collies are eager to work and follow instructions but aren’t as natural at rounding up stock.

In Uduc, Western Australia, Blythe is dealing with a severe drought and plummeting livestock prices, but Banksi remains a bright spot with a great attitude. Renee in the Central Highlands, Queensland is finding it tough with Pockets, as her usual Kelpie training methods aren’t working. Pockets is too in tune with Renee’s clumsy working style.

Meanwhile, In Dunkeld, Victoria, Jack is managing the farm alone while his farmhand is away, leaving little time to train Pesto. Despite being fizzy, Pesto is showing she can get the job done. In Bingara, New South Wales, Marlene is considering retirement and planning to pass down the farm to her son. She’s feeling confident in Hudson and is certainly putting the training in.

As the treasurer of the South Australian Yard Dog Association, Kim is balancing farming, motherhood, her responsibilities to the association, and training Banjo. For school student Nathan, the countdown is on with less than 100 days left of school. Despite the pressure, he’s found the right tempo with Chief, managing to train him in between his studies.

It’s judgment day for our six pups and the results are certainly surprising. While all pups have improved since the last assessment, a few challenges remain.

With only four months left until the Champion Muster Dog is crowned, the competition is tighter than ever, with no clear front-runner. Will it be Team Collie or Team Kelpie taking the title?

TV.Cynic · February 12, 2025, 6:01am

Episode 5

Sunday 2 March 7.30pm

Mick Hudson and Neil McDonald evaluate Team Collie and Team Kelpie during their ten-month assessments, providing crucial guidance and training. With just two months remaining, the competition intensifies as everyone strives to perfect their skills.

Mentors Mick Hudson and Neil McDonald embark on a road trip to check in with each of their teams and evaluate their progress. With the final assessment just around the corner, the mentors offer advice, coaching and hands-on help to keep everyone in the running for the win.

The journey begins in Kingaroy, where Mick arrives to assess the progress of Nathan and his Collie pup, Chief. With just 60 days of high school remaining, Nathan has been balancing his studies with Chief’s training. Despite the challenges, Nathan is more confident in Chief’s progress than his own academic assessments, having devoted more time to the pup.

Next, Neil visits Jack, who has faced major life changes, with his wife Niki returning to work and his new role as stay-at-home dad. Despite the challenges, Jack remains committed to training Pesto, though he admits he didn’t have time to prepare a trainer mob for the assessment. Pesto performs surprisingly well, only falling just short on one task. Neil offers feedback and takes Jack back to basics, helping him to calm Pesto’s fizzy nature.

The mentors continue their journey with Neil visiting Blythe and Banksi, and Mick heading to the Central Highlands to check-in with Renee and Pockets. Both participants receive positive feedback with some minor areas for improvement before the final assessment.

In Bingara, Mick visits Marlene and Hudson, who impressively pass all their tasks, leaving Marlene relieved and Mick wishing he could keep Hudson for himself. Finally, Neil concludes his journey in Kaniva with Kim and Banjo, who also delivers a standout performance, earning top marks.

With just two months left until the final assessment, each participant has taken away crucial training techniques and areas for refinement. The competition is fierce, with strong contenders from both Team Collie and Team Kelpie.

TV.Cynic · February 16, 2025, 11:35pm

Official Muster Dogs merchandise now available exclusively online at the ABC Merch Store

Season 3 of Muster Dogs sets a new twist in the experiment to see who will be crowned Champion Muster Dog. This time bother Collies and Kelpies are put to the test to see which breed comes out on top.

Watch the show on ABC TV and ABC iview to see if you’re Team Collie or Team Kelpie and check out all the official merch at the ABC Merch Store](Muster Dogs – ABC Merch).

TV.Cynic · February 19, 2025, 6:16am

Series 3, Episode 6 - season final

Sunday 9 March 7.30pm

With the twelve-month experiment now complete, the Australian Border Collie and Kelpie siblings reunite for the first time to face their final challenge. It’s neck and neck but one dog shines brighter than the pack and is crowned Champion Muster Dog.

Our six puppies and trainers travel to the Northwest Slopes of New South Wales, arriving in Warialda for the final assessment. It has been an epic journey for everyone involved, and the dusty roads reflect the hard work and dedication poured into training these much-loved pups, all reuniting for the first time since their journey began.

Returning experts and breeders, Neil and Helen McDonald, along with Mick and Carolyn Hudson, are eager to see how their pups will perform. Joining them as guest judges are Muster Dogs alumni Joni Hall, Series 2 winner Zoe Miller, and respected sheepdog trial judge Barry Knight. Together, they’ll assess how the young dogs measure up after a year of structured and focused training.

The three challenges are explained, and our dogs and trainers are raring to go. It’s neck and neck between Collies and Kelpies in the first two challenges, keeping the result too close to call. With no clear winner in sight, it’s time for each of the dogs and trainers to take on the final challenge to determine who will be crowned the Champion Muster Dog.

It’s a close call but one team shines brighter than the pack and that is Kim and her Kelpie Banjo! Banjo is rightfully crowned our Champion Muster Dog.

Together all six dogs have graduated from the year-long experiment and are now effective working dogs. They have each proven the unique strengths of both Collies and Kelpies, demonstrating that success depends on choosing the breed that suits your personality, stock and conditions. But more importantly, this experiment has once again shown the unbreakable bond between human and dog, a connection to be cherished.