Dogpro Plus State Championships back in Molong for 2022 competition

These working dogs play a pivotal role in the agricultural world, supporting farmers to control and herd livestock, said to reduce stress on both cattle and human, and provide a loyalty and dedication like no other; serving as invaluable assets to their handlers.

Having rounded up more than 320 sheepdogs for this year's competition, the Dogpro Plus State Championship will return to Molong's Dr. Ross Memorial 'The Rec' Recreation Ground from March 22-26, where obstacles will test just how well three species - sheep, dog and human - can work together.

"Some of [these working dogs] can work without the commands of their owner or worker, they just know where to go and what to do," Molong Sheep Dog Workers Committee secretary, Janelle Fessey explained.

"It just showcases how good the dogs are and some are just farmers' dogs or farm bred, but they've trained them up to this degree."

The four categories for trials are based on varying levels of skills, with dogs fitting into the encourage, novice, improver or open sections.

"You've got novice for beginner dogs and then improver and opens, which are dogs that have won in other competitions," Ms Fessey said.

"Your novice dogs could be young, but then some of them are a lot older; it just depends on if people get the chance to attend trials."

Travelling from far and wide for the five-day championship, Ms Fessey says people will commute from different place across the state.

"This year, we've got a gentleman from Tasmania coming across, two gentlemen from [Western Australia], three coming across from Queensland and a lot of Victorians," she said.

"There's even one of our members who is technically based in the [Northern Territory], but he's got acreage here in NSW."

Starting with 100 points, each worker and their dog will have to successfully complete the course in under 15 minutes, where points can be deducted for a range of different reasons.

"It's a standard NSW course, so [the dogs] have to pick the sheep up then take them up to their worker and then they get the chance to say 'yeah they're good or no that [sheep's] blind, so I don't want them' when they're in the delivery area, but they have the option to tell the judge if they're not happy with the sheep first," Ms Fessey explained.

"Then [the dogs will take the sheep] back down to the course, through the race over the bridge and into the pen, where they've got to stay in that area otherwise they lose points."

Other deductions are also made any time a dog goes off course and they're not allowed between the other two species on the course, or else the working pair will be out of the running.

"So, the worker will walk in a straight line from one obstacle to the next and sheep have to technically be on the right side of the worker," Ms Fessey said.

"The dog is not allowed between the worker and sheep - if he crosses, he's disqualified. And if you're not there on time, that's a disqualification as well - after three calls with no show, then it's end of story."

With Ms Fessey describing the free spectator sport as "relaxing to watch", the days are also said to offer some pretty good yarning moments, too.

"The majority of workers are happy for people to ask questions, they're helpful and easy to get along with," she said.

"The only time they might be a bit uptight or stressed is when they're one dog off, which is about the only time when some of them aren't very chatty chatty," she laughed.

Improver/Open categories will kick-off with a judge's address from 8am on the first day, which will be Tuesday, March 22, with the Encourage/Novice section to commence from around 10am.

The canteen will be manned by the Molong Sheepdog Workers Committee from Tuesday through to Saturday, offering morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.