Stock dogs manage the herd

Dale Lewis is the leader of the pack --the dog pack, that is. Lewis trains and exhibits border collies for stock dog trials and sheep shows and gave demonstrations Saturday at the Missouri Natural Colored Wool Growers Heart of America Sheep Show and Fiber Festival. In the beginning, Lewis began using sheep dogs to better manage his own flock. "I had 120 ewes when I started. Now, I just keep sheep for the dogs," said Lewis, with a smile. The first step in training a working stock dog is picking the right animal. Some dogs have a natural feel for working livestock and this is what Lewis tries to hone in on. "I cultivate natural instinct and put it under control," said Lewis. What really makes a good sheep dog is good parents. If a dog is quick and works well then they will probably have pups that will do the same. It's also necessary to earn the trust and respect of the dog before the animal will listen and respond. Lewis said dog owners must know how to do something before teaching it. Teaching a dog to do something is all about repetition. "Don't ever make a dog do anything," said Lewis. His advice is to simply correct the dog when it makes a mistake and try again until the animal gets it right. One of the important lessons that Lewis drills into his dogs is to be gentle with the sheep. A sheep is a fairly delicate creature, especially in warmer climates, and a dog that is too rough or gets too close and pushes too hard can potentially kill the sheep. When a good stock dog is doing its work, the level of control that the owner has over them -- even at long distances -- is surprising. Lewis uses his voice and other cues to let the dog know what's expected. For example, if Lewis wants his dog to circle the flock counter clockwise he will say "away to me" and if he wants to send the dog clockwise he says "come by." When the dog gets to the position that Lewis wants, he says "there" and the dog will take the flock in a straight line from that point. "That'll do" is the command to stop or calm down. One of the problems faced with working stock dog owners is controlling the dogs when they get out of speaking distance. Lewis said he trains them first to respond to body language, then his voice. Finally, he teaches the dog to perform the same maneuvers in response to a whistle. Primarily, the whistle can relay commands over a greater distance, but Lewis admits that there are other reasons. "It's prettier to stand out there and use a whistle than hollerin'," said Lewis.