Caramut woman Natalie Simmonds and friend Sarah James at Casterton recently organised their first all-female working dog school near Hamilton to improve their canine training and trialling skills.

They organised a group of 12 women from Torquay, Caramut, Chetwynd, Casterton and Hamilton to get some expert tuition from respected kelpie breeder and trialler Ian ‘Spud’ O’Connell.

The women wanted to learn how to beat their husbands in working dog trials, Mr O’Connell said.

“Quite a few of them would be well and truly in their place on the trial ground.”

Working dog training involved “a little bit of pressure, a lot of release, with no pain,” he said.

“If anything males, as a generalisation, would perhaps use a bit more pressure than what was needed and not enough relief, whereas the girls may look at trying to get things done the other way around with a perhaps not enough pressure at times.”

Mr O’Connell said the Victorian Yard and Utility Farm Dog Association had members ranging from 10-year-old girls to 70-year-old men and women competing under the same rules.

“That’s the beauty of it.”

Ms Simmonds said she had trialled kelpies before but wanted to get her confidence up to do a bit more.

“It’s been great.

“We’ve had the time to correct things in our dogs,” she said.

“It is just getting into a non-intimidating environment and boosting our confidence.”

Mrs James said Mr O’Connell was very calm.

“He’s just got the right nature - I think a lot of the time we lack a lot of confidence and he is the sort of person that can help build that up,” she said.

“I think everyone has been really surprised at how well their dogs actually do go.”

Ms Simmonds said Mr O’Connell had a nine-floor Doghouse process that took each handler through the stages of instinct, to control and to the paddock.

Hamilton woman Kate Steele said the school had been lot of fun, with lots of confidence building and “no pressure”.

“I’m ready to start a pup.”

Belinda Bygate from Hamilton brought her husband’s dog to the school but is also looking forward to starting a pup. Annie Mullins said she learned her “strengths and weakness and her dog’s strengths and weaknesses” at the school.

Mustering sub-contractor Aziza Guggemos brought her puppy Zeba and said the school had taught her to apply less pressure to her dogs during training.

Ms James said everyone had got on very well.

“I think we’ll have to hit Spud up for a follow-up weekend.”