Tony Mulvihill is training dog handlers to fortify the working dog's value and embolden the next generation.
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He's had national working dog champions and has been mentored by some of the best international animal handlers, from the United States to Germany.
His practical courses train owners to establish a bond with their animals.
In Cloverleigh, near Marulan, about 1500 dogs have propelled through the ranks in seven years, guided by Mr Mulvihill.
"Half are city people and the other work in agriculture," Mr Mulvihill said of their owners.
"The first of those is the new generation of farm managers ... who realise the exceptional value of good working dogs. The next one is the station hand."
The working dog is worth a median value of about $40,000 to an enterprise, according to research by the University of Sydney, but Mr Mulvihill says they could easily be worth that every year.
"A dog doesn't not front up to work on a Monday ... or stop for a smoko," he said.
"I want to help people realise the value of a well-trained dog."
About 15 years ago, Mr Mulvihill started trialing sheep dogs. He is the foundation president of the Australian Stock Dog Club.
He was motivated to set up Downunder Working Dogs to educate young cockies of the value of a well-trained animal.
"I got sick of seeing dogs tied up under a tree with a 44-gallon drum and their water was full of slime," he said.
"I just drew a line. Younger people can be taught and educated and see things from the dog's point of view."
Government funding allowed him to partner with TAFE to train station hands, jackaroos and jillaroos.
A working dog is often the prerequisite of an agricultural job, he said: "It's another string in the bow to their CV."
The workshops were held at Cloverleigh and at the Animal Science Campus at Hawkesbury TAFE. "The plan is for the next bout to go to regional centres."
About 23 years ago, Mr Mulvihill spent a life-changing weekend with horse trainer Tom Dorrance, who altered his mind on how to train an animal. "He just had a way with animals and non-aggressive, non-compulsion way of training a horse to accept you."
He said Dorrance had a style of training the animal to accept and work with the handler, rather than breaking the will of the animal.
Mr Mulvihill has also worked with dog handler Greg Prince.
"Greg is probably the greatest dog handler to ever own a dog," he said. "He won 16 national sheep dog trials. He treated the dogs the way Dorrence treated his horses."
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