When Antony Mulder's champion working dog, Cheese, injured his front foot, the vet gave him a heartbreaking choice — amputate the leg, or say goodbye.

"There was no way I was putting him down," Antony said.

The yellow border collie was a rising star of the working dog world, having entered his first competition trial at just under two years old.

"From the beginning, there was something special about Cheese,"

Antony said. Loading...

The pair have been 'best mates' since Cheese was picked up six years ago from Belyando, about 400km south-west of Mackay in North Queensland.

When a friend remarked the eight-week-old pup was "the colour of Cheese", Antony said the name stuck.

"We do everything together, even if I'm not working," he said.

"If I'm checking cattle or putting out lick

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