The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Satisfaction and respect win out over prize in dog trial victory

By Yvonne O'Hara
Otago Daily Times·
23 Jun, 2019 10:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Cole is a hard-working dog with whom he has a special bond, owner and trainer Brian Dickison, of Waikaka, says. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara
Cole is a hard-working dog with whom he has a special bond, owner and trainer Brian Dickison, of Waikaka, says. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara

Cole is a hard-working dog with whom he has a special bond, owner and trainer Brian Dickison, of Waikaka, says. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara

For Brian Dickison, when he and dog Cole won the Tux South Island Sheep Dog Trial Championships' long head competition in Hanmer Springs in May, the prize came second to the satisfaction.

''The most satisfying thing about having done so well is earning the respect from my fellow dog triallists, my peers,'' he said.

''It is not about winning the money for me.

''That is the greatest reward, the respect from people from all over the country.''

Dickison belongs to the Greenvale Collie Club, near Heriot, and having qualified, he and Cole competed in the short head and yard in the Tux New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Championships in Ohaeawai, Northland, last month.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However, despite placing fifth, competing in such a prestigious competition felt good.

''It has been a great season, the best I have had.

''I've never won a New Zealand and that is still on my 'to do' list, but winning the South Island felt like a New Zealand, particularly on one of the most difficult courses in the South Island.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Brian Dickison, of Waikaka, said honest dogs were important for dog trialling success. Cole (left) and Mack are his top trialling team. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara
Brian Dickison, of Waikaka, said honest dogs were important for dog trialling success. Cole (left) and Mack are his top trialling team. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara

''Competing in a South Island [champs] is like playing against Auckland at Eden Park.''

Dickison is a sheep farmer, and runs 5000 Perendales on his 560ha Waikaka property.

He began dog trialling when he was 30, after giving up playing rugby.

''I find dog trialling is a great sport, an offshoot of farming.

Discover more

Strewth! Turns out the kelpie is not a dingo

28 May 04:00 AM

Gore farmer swaps sheep for huskies

29 May 12:00 AM

Dog trials: Sheep good, food good, all good ...

10 Jun 09:45 PM
Lifestyle

The eyes have it: How dogs tug at our hearts

17 Jun 09:32 PM

''It gets me off the farm and mixing with people, young and old.''

He also breeds dogs, and finds one in 10 or 12 pups turns out to be a special dog.

Cole and 5-year-old Mack are his top team at present.

''They are in their prime. 'I have a very strong bond with both Mack and Cole, which is one of the keys to doing well."

''They never question when I ask them to do stuff, and they respond to the best of their ability. They want to do their best."

''Cole is special. He is very honest; his honesty is second to none."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''When he goes through his work or trialling he gives it everything he has got and he is honest in his performance.

''However, I have to be careful and be calm when I step up to the mark [in trialling].

''I don't want my nervousness to flow through to the dogs.''

He said he spent many hours training his dogs.

''You have got to put the time into training them. It is about being consistent, and doing it little and often. Training a dog is about having total respect for the dog by the owner, and of the owner by the dog."

''I start training them at an early age, and will spend probably about half an hour every night with them.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He expected his dogs to be well-mannered, calm, sensible and honest.

He was looking forward to the Greenvale club hosting next year's national dog trials from May 18 to 22, he said.

Up to 700 people were expected, along with about 250 dogs per event.

GET THE BEST RURAL NEWS. SIGN UP FOR THE COUNTRY NEWSLETTER
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.


Latest from The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure
The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

Rifts among industry groups, charities and agencies in the beekeeping industry.

16 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country: Luxon on coalition friction
The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

16 Jul 01:42 AM
Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal
The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal

16 Jul 12:37 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search