The switch from selling sheepdogs in the field at live auction to timed auctions, therefore, opening sales up to a wider audience, is thought to be a key factor in the boom in prices over the last year or so.
The last 12 months has seen a huge increase in both the demand for and the price of sheepdogs, with records constantly smashed, not only for trained dogs but for partly trained dogs and pups.
The current world record price is £27,100, or £28,455 including the buyer's premium paid for Kim, a 12-month-old red and white bitch from Dewi Jenkins, Talybont, at an online timed auction hosted by Farmers Marts (R.G. Jones), Dolgellau, in February.
But it is not just the top dogs which are seeing increased prices. Sarah Vaughan Williams, Farmers Marts (R.G. Jones), says: For anyone wanting a fully trained dog just to do their own farm work, with no trialing, they will probably have to pay around £4,000.
"I think to a certain extent this is being driven by the big increase we have seen in prices of dogs for pets in the last year.
"If a puppy can be sold to a private home for £1,000-£1,200 then it is reasonable to expect a fully or partly trained dog will make so much more.
"Looks also seem to count for more than they did a few years ago. To make a big price a dog now has to be stylish and good looking as well as a good worker or trial dog.
"At our next May sale there is a big increase in the number of pups entered - whether this is because there are more being bred because of the prices people are choosing to sell them at an earlier stage, I am not sure."
Overseas
An increasing number of dogs are also being sold overseas.
Jeremy Eaton, general manager and auctioneer at Craven Cattle Marts, Skipton, says: "Whereas previously overseas buyers would have to buy either over the telephone, possibly in the middle of the night, or through an agent, they are now able to buy based on the same information as everyone else.
"The International Sheep Dog Society is revered worldwide. Quite a few dogs go to the United States, some for trialling and some for ranch work, and if they want to buy a border collie, they really like the tradition of buying one from the UK.
"There is also a lot of trialling in Europe in countries you would not necessarily expect there to be, so a lot of dogs go there.
"We are also seeing an increasing number of UK buyers who would not, for various reasons, attend a sale, but are happy to bid for a dog online based on the information we provide.
"Even though genuine buyers would normally do their homework before a sale by speaking to vendors, etc., there is now the opportunity for them to study dogs closely on video, in their own time and they do not have to make a split-second decision in a live sale environment.
"For vendors it gives them the opportunity to show off their dogs in various scenarios, rather than relying on a couple of minutes in a field at Skipton and those who are taking the time to make really good, decent length videos are finding it pays off.
"But it does surprise me how many vendors still send us poor quality, extremely short videos and are then wondering why their dog does not get any bids.
"What we are missing with the timed auctions is the social element and the networking which goes on outside the ring and we are definitely missing a sector of people who are only comfortable selling their dogs in the
Compromise
As restrictions lift and it becomes possible to stage live auctions in the field Mr Eaton envisages some type of compromise will have to be found.
He says: "For a long time we have been looking at various options for sales, but Covid-19 accelerated change.
Some of these changes will remain when restrictions are lifted and some things will revert back to how they were but in most cases there will be some compromise.
"Technology is key and the challenge with opening sales up to such a large online audience is that for every 10 potential buyers there might be 500-1,000 people just watching out of interest which pushes the internet infrastructure to the limit.
"This can cause issues in terms of real-time bidding at a live sale, but we will continue
to look at how things might work in the future."
