By Luke Voogt
Winchelsea working dog Boof loves nothing more than cuddles, playing and lying by the fireplace after a ruff day’s work.
And the canny canine earns his downtime, working 11 to 16 hours, six days a week, according to human mate Henry Lawrence.
“He’s more a pet than a work dog even though he’s flat out most of the time,” Henry said.
“He’s got a bed next to the fire that he sleeps in – he knows that’s where he’s allowed.”
The dogged kelpie will test his speed and stamina against 12 pooches across Australia in the Cobber Challenge, donning a GPS for three weeks in August.
“I’m pretty keen to see how Boof compares to the competition and how far he travels every day. We don’t really have time to go off to trials,” Henry said
Statisticians would monitor GPS data for farmers gaining mileage by “riding up and down the paddock” on quad bikes with their dog, he added.
Five-year-old Boof, Henry’s eldest working dog, was “excellent with kids” despite being tough and tenacious, he said.
But past injuries including a broken front leg from jumping of a buggy and a broken pelvis from being run over had slowed Boof down a little.
“He takes a fair hit and keeps going,” Henry marvelled.
He even copped a kangaroo bite, which caused a spine infection. “He’s too ballsy for my liking sometimes,” Henry said.
