Deano is one of the family. He's a border collie kelpie cross. He's such a good natured dog, loves being around people and is fantastic with kids.

How old is he?

We picked him up as a pup in 1999, so around 10 years old I guess.

What's he like around the cows?

He's actually really good at shifting the cows off the yard. He's fairly good, he definitely knows what he's doing.

What about other jobs around the farm?

He always wants to help no matter what's happening. When the grain truck turns up to fill the silo, the driver will get out and throw a rock to see how full it is. Deano will race over, fetch the rock and bring it back to the driver. He's also good for catching mice when we move hay bales.

Does Deano ever get into trouble?

He's a fairly good dog, but he likes water a bit too much. When we're using a hose, he'll try to snap at the water. But I growl at him when he does it because dogs can get it in their lungs and it can cause problems.

Is he a clever dog?

He doesn't usually bark too much, but one day we heard him barking out the back for a fair while. We had a look and sure enough, there was a snake there. So he's pretty intelligent like that.

Words: Jordan Oliver

Pictures: Simon Bingham