In small towns scattered around Australia, five kids have hit the jackpot. Not only have they been given an adorable puppy of their very own, but those puppies come from a champion muster dog. 

After winning series three of the ABC's Muster Dogs, beloved kelpie Banjo fathered a litter of puppies, and his handler Kim Dodson wanted regional kids to benefit. 

Banjo has fathered a litter of 12 puppies. (ABC/Ambience Entertainment: Kim Dodson)

So she asked her fellow Muster Dogs participants to find the perfect recipient in their patch to mentor in the art of mustering.

"All of us have had fantastic opportunities with Muster Dogs and ... great mentors ourselves, so if we could be mentors for a child, then it's a fantastic way of being able to pay it forward," Kim says.

For Kim, it's about ensuring a future for young farmers, which is why her pick of the bunch is going to 11-year-old Eric from Tooborac in Victoria.

Kim Dodson is hoping to share in her success. (ABC/Ambience Entertainment: Monica O'Brien)

Eric works on his family's pig farm with two working dogs, and now has a puppy of his own, Diesel, to train.

"I think the puppy I've got is going to be an awesome boy and is going to turn out just like Banjo," Eric says.

"We will be able to do anything with him, especially work stock and have him by my side every minute."

Training a puppy will help Eric learn new skills on the farm. (ABC/Ambience Entertainment: Monica O'Brien)

Fellow season three participants Marlene Brewer, Blythe Calnan, Nathan Obst and Jack Kennedy are taking part to help the next generation and better their own skills.

Marlene, who has chosen 11-year-old Phoebe to give a pup to, is determined to empower women living on the land through her mentoring and speaking engagements.

From the tiny NSW town of Bingara, Phoebe hopes another dog in her pack will help in her favourite homeschooling subject of agriculture.

Marlene will help Phoebe train her puppy, Leroy. (ABC/Ambience Entertainment: Monica O'Brien)

"I'm hoping Marlene will teach me things I've never learnt before, something different, different training techniques," Phoebe says.

Living on a 9,000-acre (3,642-hectare) property, Phoebe says she can't get enough of being outdoors, and her puppy Leroy will be a perfect companion for her adventures.

Safeguarding skills

For Muster Dogs' youngest participant, 18-year-old Nathan Obst, his mission is to encourage young people to stay on the land as skills shortages grip the regions.

"We are facing critical labour shortages, and we need people, and it would be nice to know that people have seen [Muster Dogs] and seen at my age what people can do," Nathan says.

In July 2025, Jobs and Skills Australia released phase one of a regional roadmap aimed at ensuring a future of skilled workers in regional areas.

It found that one of the greatest challenges regional employers faced was finding staff to fill vacancies.

According to the roadmap, 36.8 per cent of regional jobs are impacted by hiring challenges, which is well above the 23.2 per cent in major cities. 

The teen from Kingaroy, Queensland, knows that with the help of the community, farm work can be incredibly enriching.

"I've had a lot of help, but there are a lot of people willing to help," Nathan says.

This is why he's chosen to gift a pup to 14-year-old Will, who helps his family raise stud bulls on their farm.

Will says he feels honoured to be chosen by Nathan. (ABC/Ambience Entertainment: Brad Smith)

"[Will is] always willing to learn, he wants to keep improving on his dogs, always asking questions and wants to know more, and he listens, so I thought him to be the perfect one to pass on a pup to."

Will, who says he plans to stay on the land, is eager to take on the challenge of training his new dog Rascal.

"It means a lot that I'm capable, hopefully, of training this dog and that Nathan thinks that I'm good enough. I was actually really gobsmacked that he came to me for this opportunity," Will says.

Finding purpose

Learning agricultural practices at a young age will also set up 16-year-old West Australian Cameron for success.

He's being mentored by Blythe Calnan, and has been given pup Bindi to hone his skills.

He lives and works at Ethel Creek Station, after having difficulty in the schooling system.

"School didn't really work out for me, and Blythe is finally the first teacher I've ever had that's seen my capability, understood it and given me work that helps me out and teaches me," Cameron says.

"I think Blythe saw how enthusiastic I can get in some ways, as soon as I saw the dogs working, she saw me light up and how much I was interested in how to work stock with dogs."

Blythe is encouraging Cameron to follow his passions. (ABC/Ambience Entertainment: Brad Smith)

For Blythe, it's a privilege to show Cameron the ropes.

It's a similar feeling for Jack Kennedy, who is gifting a pup to a teen from Dunkeld, Victoria, who reminds him of himself.

"His name is Johno, he's a teenager, a really nice kid. He's a townie like me, he grew up in town, but he loves farming," Jack says.

Johno's first working dog will put him to the test. (ABC/Ambience Entertainment: Brad Smith)

Johno is the fourth of six children, and has never had a working dog of his own, but understands their advantages.

"They're pretty handy in the yards and out in the paddock. They're very nimble and can get around the sheep and catch the strays; they're very fast," he says.

Now with his dog Ned to train, his future is looking bright.

Stream Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now? free on ABC iview.