| Muster Dogs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Michael Boughen |
| Directed by |
|
| Narrated by | Lisa Millar |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Matthew Street |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC TV |
| Release | 23 January 2022 – present |
Muster Dogs is an Australian animal documentary and reality television series [1] created by Michael Boughen for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Produced by Ambience Entertainment, the first season premiered on ABC TV and ABC iview on 23 January 2022. [2] [1] This was despite the ABC originally announcing the program in late 2020, as part of its slate of programming scheduled to air in 2021. [3]
The first season showcases the journey of five Australian Kelpie puppies as they are trained to become muster dogs on farms across Australia under the guidance of expert dog trainers Neil and Helen McDonald. The first season was met with positive reviews. [4] [5]
The first series was won by "Annie", trained by Queensland grazier Frank Finger. [6] [7]
Following the positive reception of the first season, production of a second season featuring Border Collie puppies was announced released and premiered on 14 January 2024. [8] [9]
The second season was won by "Buddy", trained by Zoe Miller of the Northern Territory. [10]
In March 2024, it was announced that Muster Dogs had been renewed for a third season, with six episodes scheduled to air in 2025 with both kelpies and border collies to be featured. [11] In July 2024, auditions were opened for dog training for the third season. [12]
In October 2024, the third season was confirmed by the ABC, alongside a four-part special Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now, presented by series narrator Lisa Millar and debuting on 1 December 2024 on ABC TV. The special will feature 5 previous human and canine participants from Muster Dogs: season 1 winners Frank and Annie, Joni and Chet, Cilla and Ash, season 2 winner Zoe and Buddy, and Russ and his Border Collie Molly. [13]
Season 3, Muster Dogs: Collies & Kelpies was won by "Banjo" trained by Kim Dodson from Victoria. [14]
Two companion books to the series have been published. Muster Dogs by Aticia Grey was published in November 2021. [15] Muster Dogs: From Pups to Pros written by series narrator Lisa Millar was published in January 2024. [16]
Millar has spoken at length about the surprising success of the show and how it has become the highlight of her career. [17]
| Grazier [4] | Hometown | Dog | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Finger | Clermont | Annie | Winner [7] |
| Aticia Grey | Western Australia | Gossip | Lost |
| Rob Tuncks | Victoria | Lucifer | |
| Joni Hall | Northern Territory | Chet | |
| Catherine Scotney | Spice |
| Grazier [9] [10] | Hometown | Dog | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoe Miller | Northern Territory | Buddy | Winner [10] |
| Cilla | Gympie | Ash | Lost |
| Lily | Wilcannia | Snow | |
| Russ | Tasmania | Molly | |
| Steve | Winton | Indi |
| Grazier | Hometown | Dog | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Dodson | Victoria | Banjo | Winner |
| Jack Kennedy | Victoria | Pesto | Lost |
| Renee Spencer | Queensland | Pockets | |
| Blythe Calnan | Western Australia | Banksi | |
| Marlene Brewer | New South Wales | Hudson | |
| Nathan Obst | Queensland | Chief |
In a positive review, Graeme Blundell of The Australian wrote, "Muster Dogs is simply delightful TV as well as being thoughtful, engaged and cast with a bunch of wonderful characters from the land, their laid-back humour coloured with a hard, sceptical and sombre undertone. ... They are the five farming families, on properties ranging from the red earth of the Top End to the green pastures of regional Victoria, who take on the challenge of training new kelpie pups and testing their worth on the properties they run." [4] In a 2022 review, Melinda Houston of The Sydney Morning Herald wrote, "It's sort of a competition to see who can best train a working dog pup in just 12 months, but the more interesting face of the show is the insight into the dogs themselves, the people who breed and train them, and the farmers who work them." [2] David Knox of TV Tonight wrote, "These pups all come from the same litter, a lineage of trained dogs, but can they all be trained when they are split up and given to new owners?". [18] Margaret Lyons of The New York Times wrote "you need some inspiration for naming a new dog in your life, look no further than this unscripted Australian series, which includes dogs named Jumpy, Lucifer, Gossip and Trunk. “Muster” follows five kelpie puppies given to five ranchers, reconvening after one year to see which dog’s herding skills are the most advanced. But the show is much more about the journey than the destination". [5]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | AACTA Awards | Best Factual Entertainment Program | Muster Dogs Season 1 | Nominated | [19] |
| 2022 | AACTA Awards | Best Editing in Television | Muster Dogs Season 1 - Episode 1 | Nominated | [20] |
| 2023 | Screen Producers Australia Awards | Documentary Series Production of the Year | Muster Dogs Season 1 | Won | [21] |
| 2024 | TV Week Logies | Best Structured Reality Program | Muster Dogs Season 2 | Nominated | [22] |
| 2025 | AACTA Awards | Best Factual Entertainment Program | Muster Dogs Season 2 | Won | [23] |
| 2025 | AACTA Awards | Best Direction in Nonfiction Television | Muster Dogs Season 2 - Episode 3 | Won | [24] |
| 2025 | Screen Producers Australia Awards | Documentary Series Production of the Year | Muster Dogs Season 2 | Nominated | [25] |
| 2025 | TV Week Logies | Best Structured Reality Program | Muster Dogs: Collies and Kelpies | Won | [26] |
| 2025 | TV Week Logies | Gold Logie - Most Popular Personality on Australian Television | Lisa Millar - Muster Dogs & Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now | Nominated | [27] |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 23 January 2022 | 604,000 [28] |
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 30 January 2022 | 421,000 [29] |
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 6 February 2022 | 549,000 [30] |
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 13 February 2022 | 574,000 [31] |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Aus. viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 14 January 2024 | 534,000 [32] |
| 6 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 21 January 2024 | 429,000 [33] |
| 7 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 28 January 2024 | 1,110,000 [34] |
| 8 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 4 February 2024 | 1,171,000 [35] |
| 9 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 11 February 2024 | 773,000 [36] |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Aus. viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 2 February 2025 | 1,238,000 [37] |
| 11 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 9 February 2025 | 1,160,000 [38] |
| 12 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 16 February 2025 | 1,069,0000 [39] |
| 13 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 23 February 2025 | 1,103,000 [40] |
| 14 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 2 March 2025 | 1,103,000 [41] |
| 15 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 9 March 2025 | 1,103,000 [42] |
Note: From 28 January 2024, OzTAM ratings changed from Total Reach reporting to National Reach reporting. Muster Dogs reached a national audience of 1,110,000 viewers. [43]