They are absolutely critical to his day-to-day work on the farm at Corinella, and he loves trialling on weekends as well.

Now he's going to embark on another kind of challenge - the 2022 Cobber Challenge Relay - and put his dogs to the test across the three-week event.

Now in its seventh year, The 2022 Cobber Challenge Relay will run from August 22 to September 11

In previous years the challenge has showcased the efforts of individual working dogs, this year's challenge celebrates the teamwork that goes into running a farm.

It recognises that farmers often work dogs in teams or pick certain dogs to do different tasks, like mustering mobs of cattle or pushing sheep through the yards.

Olly and his Lost River Kelpies are one of 12 teams, representing every Australian state and New Zealand, competing in the challenge.

Each day, one dog will be chosen to wear a GPS collar to track how far, fast and how long they work. The results will be combined to crown the winning team.

Olly's dogs will be working sheep at the Corinella property where he works for the Mattiskes at Corinella.

"There's always some sort of sheep work to do," he says, "and a bit of cattle work.

"I don't plan on working the dogs any differently than I normally do. I reckon it'll be fun."

While all Olly's dogs have a go at everything, there'll be a bit of strategy in which dog wears the collar each day.

"Jake is my main paddock dog, he does the bulk of the outside work," Olly said.

"Bowie is my main yard dog, he loves backing, you can turn his bark on and off."

Hex is also a good dog in the paddock, full of energy and good to have on a hot day.

There's bound to be a bit of friendly rivalry with a couple of other entrants competing with a dog Olly has sold them and a pup he bred.

Regardless of the results, Olly values his working dog mates pretty highly.

He reckons they save him a lot of stress, and a lot of wear and tear on vehicles when working stock - particularly when he's trying to get sheep through gates or in yards.

"I wouldn't have a job if I didn't have dogs," he says plainly.

"I did my first (working dog) trial in 2010 and got hooked. They save you time and money. They do save a lot of wear and tear on vehicles."

He's been breeding his Lost River Kelpies for about five years now, just a couple of litters a year that are usually spoken for before they're born.

So what's he looking for in a dog?

"I just like a friendly dog that tries for you ... a dog that's got a bit of heart," he said.

If they can read the stock, know when to speak up and when to sit back, that's absolutely invaluable.

Track the competitors: Follow Olly and his working dog team at cobberchallenge.com.au or through the Cobber Dog Facebook page.