Diamond in the ruff! Puppy becomes the world's most expensive sheepdog after selling for £27,000
- Kim the sheepdog was sold just before her first birthday for £27,100
- This smashed previous world record for a trained young sheepdog of £20,000
- Farmer Dewi Jenkins, 28, who trained Kim, said she can handle cattle and sheep
- Kim is heading off to her new home on farm in Newcastle to control Texel sheep A puppy has become the most expensive trained sheepdog in the wold after being bought for more than £27,000.
Kim was sold just days before her first birthday, in an exchange which beats the previous record sheepdog sale of £20,000.
The average price for a working dog is believed to be around £2,000. Welsh farmer Dewi Jenkins, 28, who trained Kim, said the puppy can perform tasks on her own after a single demonstration.
Kim the sheepdog (pictured) has become the world's most expensive trained sheepdog after being sold for £27,100. She is headed to a farm in Newcastle to handle Texel sheep
The puppy, who came to live with Dewi at eight-weeks-old, is also able to gather whole herds of sheep and cattle on her own while out of her owner's sight.
Dewi said: 'She works cattle and sheep. There are some sheep dogs doing it but not many, they mostly work sheep. And she is doing all of this at a very young age.'
After being sold at an online auction for £27,100 by Farmers Marts of Dolgellau, Kim is heading off to a farm in Newcastle to control Texel sheep alongside new owner Eamonn Vaughan.The sale of Kim trumped Dewi's previous record sale for a sheepdog of £12,000 for border collie Tyngraig Jet.
Dewi said: 'Kim is holding the two records now. She is brainy and very, very intelligent.
'When we began training, she was so clever I only had to show her how to do something once and by the second time, she knew what I wanted.
Kim, who was sold just days before her first birthday, can already control both cattle and sheep, even at her young age
'For any farmer anywhere, she would do the job for them. It's incredible.
'To top it off, she is the right colour too. Red is very fashionable at the moment.
'It still has not sunk in properly. It is a good feeling but I am just happy that Kim has found an excellent, loving home.'
Dewi grew up working with sheepdogs to manage sheep at cattle at Tynygraig Farm, a family owned business in Talybont, near Aberystwyth and is now passionate about training sheepdog in his spare time.
The Welsh speaker trains his dogs in English which means they can be sold to farmers worldwide including the UK, France, Belgium, Norway, and even the USA.
He said: 'It is a passion of mine and I enjoy it. When you see a dog getting better every day, you are looking forward to the next time to take it to the next level.'
In the near future, Dewi hopes to begin training again with one or two other dogs.
Welsh farmer Dewi Jenkins, 28, who trained Kim, said the puppy can perform tasks on her own after a single demonstration
He added: 'It is very sad to see Kim go but I'm also very happy to know she is going to an excellent home.'
It comes after an 11-week-old Border Collie puppy became the world's most expensive young sheepdog.
David Evans, 67, and his son Kevin, 40, sold Bet for £6,100, smashing the previous record for an untrained puppy of £3,700.
The Evans family have kept sheepdogs for years and always have between 20 and 30 at their farm.
And the family say lockdown has sent prices soaring for the dogs - with the record for an 'unbroken' pup set by Bet.
Kevin said: 'Prices for pet dogs have gone up during lockdown and this has had a knock on for sheepdogs too.
'We now do online auctions rather than travel - so people can see what is being offered. That has raised a lot of interst and pushed up prices.
'But we are very lucky in what we do. We are always surrounded by lovely animals and fresh air.
'That is a great thing knowing what the world is going through at the moment.'
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