Prices peaked at £9900 at the July timed internet sale of 113 working sheepdogs staged through Farmers Marts Dolgellau, which saw a 72% clearance and an overall average of £1442.

Topping the trade was the 17-month-old black and white bitch, Jolene, from Lancaster-based Ricky Hutchinson of Littledale Sheepdogs, which sold down to Suffolk with an undisclosed buyer. Backed by the best of breeding, Jolene is a daughter of the English and International Brace champion, Jonah, and out of Shaun Mynards' trial winning Sky.

Welsh dogs dominated much of the trade, with Dewi Jenkins, Ceredigion and Kevin Evans, Brecon, taking £8700 and £7100 for fully trained animals.

The former, Wyvern Dan, a 16-month-old dog by Mr Jenkins' own Jock sold to north Wales, with the latter, Kemi Maid a 17-month-old fully trained farm and trial bitch, selling across The Pond to the USA with a triallist from Arlington.

Mr Evans was back in the money, selling the lead priced pup, Sal, an 11-week-old bitch by his own top breeding Red Spot dog, for £4600 to a buyer in Lancashire.

Other fully trained dogs from Welsh producers sold to £6100 for Pentre Bet from I Rees, Builth Wells, which sold up to Keighley, West Yorkshire, while Gelli Bonnie from D Howells, Port Talbot, made £5750 and R Games' Lexi from Merhyr Tydfil, realised £4250.

The lead priced partly trained dog, Hendy Jack, which made £3550 for C Darlington, Haverfordwest, also sold to a West Yorkshire triallist.

By the end of the day, fully trained dogs averaged £2370; partly trained, £1235 and pups levelled at £764.