Lokabe Working Dogs was established in 2013 by Catherine and Fred Rains. Fred had previously bred dogs under the Raimar prefix, however with new beginnings come new names, and so Lokabe was born. The name Lokabe (pronounced lock-a-bee) comes from the names of Catherine's first three dogs - Louey, Kayla and Bear. Between them, Catherine and Fred have extensive knowledge and years of experience with dogs, making them a dynamic combination that sets Lokabe apart.
Lokabe Working Dogs are thrilled to be sponsored by Antinol. Antinol and Antinol Rapid are all new natural joint treatments containing PCSO-524. With no known side effects, the PCSO-524 contained in Antinol has assisted millions of dogs around the world to enhance their mobility and start moving again. Antinol has made a world of difference to the Lokabe dogs, and we are so excited and proud to be representatives of this product. Our oldies are moving better, our 'almost retired due to injury' Minky is back at work and trialling like the legend he is and everyone is in exceptional condition with beautiful glossy coats. All of our dogs are on this supplement (most just on maintenance), and whenever someone comes home from work with an injury, we increase their Antinol dose to 'loading' to combat any inflammation that may be present. Others have noticed the improvement in the overall condition of the Lokabe crew (particularly our red dogs, as their coats were often dry and 'rusty'), and if you see us around, please do ask us about this wonderful product.
Catherine Rains B.Sc M.Anim.Sci
Catherine is an experienced dog trainer and behaviourist, and ran a successful dog training business (Southern Cross Dog Training) in Melbourne before moving to the country in early 2014. Private lessons dealing with behaviour issues and Puppy Schools were the main focus of the business, however she has also trained dogs for TV and film (including being one of the dog trainers for the movie Oddball), agility, obedience, conducted group classes, and trained dogs at boarding kennels.
Catherine has a Bachelor of Science (Animal Behaviour and Evolution), a Master of Animal Science (Animal Behaviour and Welfare) and had actually completed about two-thirds of a PhD on learning in dogs before farm life became far more appealing. Whilst Catherine's time on sheep is quite limited at the moment whilst she cares for their two young daughters, she regularly competes in yard dog trials.
Catherine conducts the day-to-day running of Lokabe Working Dogs - training the pups (her speciality, based on her previous experience), kennel attendant, nutritionist, veterinary care provider, puppy whelping/rearing, administration, advertising, sales, school organisation, social media coordinator - you name it! She is focused on building Lokabe to become one of Australia's iconic kelpie studs.
Fred Rains
Fred first went to work on the land at the age of 17, where he started as a Jackaroo for Tom Brinkworth (Watervalley Pastoral) in South Australia. He quickly worked his way up to a manager's position, and managed multiple properties across the south east of South Australia. Stockwork has always been Fred's passion, and in particular he has always enjoyed training his dogs to be amongst the best. Fred and Catherine moved across to New South Wales in 2014, where Fred now currently works as the Livestock Manager on Brawlin Springs, a property owned by Romani Pastoral Company.
Aside from being renowned as an excellent stockman, Fred is also a very successful yard dog trialler, winning many Open trials over the years, including the 2012 South Australian Yard Dog Championship (Poley) and 2015 New South Wales Yard Dog Championship (Inman). He has been runner-up in two Australian Yard Dog Championships, with Poley in 2013, and Inman in 2016, and Fred and Poley won the Ultimate Stock Dog competition in 2016. Fred has also won Dog of the Year in both New South Wales and South Australia, and Stockman of the Year multiple times in South Australia.
Fred's passion for dogs and dog training is pretty evident when you talk to him. Having worked dogs on sheep and cattle for over 20 years, Fred has a wealth of experience, and really enjoys sharing his knowledge with participants of our working dog schools.