WORKING dog Bundaberg (or Bundy), a Border Collie cross Kelpie and Wonthaggi dairy farmer Jess Zammit are representing Bass Coast and the state of Victoria by taking on the 2025 Cobber Challenge to find the hardest working dog; however, Jess’s journey is different, she joined the challenge to showcase the transformative journey of a rescue dog.
Jess and Bundaberg share a powerful journey of rescue, resilience and partnership. Bundy was living in a rural New South Wales pound after being declared a ‘failed working dog’ and was due to go under euthanasia in 24 hours if he wasn’t claimed. “I saw this little black and white boy, and my heart went out to him; after contacting the pound, he was then transported by courier,” said Jess.
“The first 24 hours were very testing times. We didn't get along at the beginning; he was not overly receptive to having a human in his life. He did show a fair bit of aggression early on, and this was a wake-up call for me, because I’d only ever trained puppies, but this was a troubled dog that someone had given up on, so it was a lot of fundamental and foundational bond-building in the early stages.”
Although Jess was used to working with female dogs, she knew that through patience, persistence and foundation training that she could build his trust and connect with him.
What began with lead training and recall, because Bundy had no basic training at all, “he was a total blank canvas with trauma,” Jess explained. Jess worked tirelessly with him, day to day, building their bond. Then two months on, purely for instinct testing, Jess popped Bundy in a round yard with a couple of sheep, and she said, ‘It just blossomed from there.’
Jess then established working dog training, taking Bundy along to Beloka Kelpies in Welshpool, where she worked with Paul and Bundy for several sessions.
Over time, and now two years on from his rescue, Bundy has transformed into a loyal, confident worker with a unique ability to manage stubborn livestock and make independent decisions based on Jess’s cues.
By entering the Cobber Challenge, Jess hopes to inspire others to consider rescue dogs as capable, loyal and hardworking teammates. The Cobber Challenge is an annual showdown where the country’s best working dogs go paw-to-paw in a tribute to the unsung heroes of farms, the four-legged legends behind Australia’s multi-billion-dollar agriculture industry. This year’s competition is set to be its best yet and is in its milestone tenth edition.
Each dog will be fitted with a GPS tracker to log how far, how fast and how long they work each day over a three-week period. Points are scored based on distance, speed, and duration. It’s three weeks of grit, grind, and good old-fashioned Aussie hustle.
At the end of the competition, one top dog will rise above the rest to claim bragging rights, $3,000 cash, the legendary Cobber Challenge trophy and a year’s supply of Cobber Working Dog feed.
“We went from a 15-acre hobby farm to a 600-acre dairy farm, and this challenge is showcasing the different capabilities of working dogs within our Aussie community,” said Jess.
Jess’s journey with Bundy underscores that with the right guidance, you really can help transform a dog's life.