Lots of help can be packed into one trained stock dog

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

Ashtin Davis, 9, of Winnsboro keeps an eye on the goats that her stock dog Mo is moving around the pen according to her instruction. With Ashtin is famed stock dog trainer Gary Ericsson who conducted a clinic at Ashtin's grandfather's farm. -Staff photo by Cope

December 5, 2002 -- Whether it is helping a rancher move livestock or capturing the top prize in a competition, the well-trained dog can create a lot of smiles.

Over a dozen stock dog owners recently came to Winnsboro for two days to learn tips for training and handling their animal, and also to receive a little training for themselves, from well-known stock dog breeder and trainer Gary Ericsson.

"We're not training dogs; we're training people," said Ericsson, who has been involved with stock dogs for over 30 years; and at one time, "a long time ago," he said, won first place at 32 trials in a row.

Now Ericsson conducts about 20 stock dog clinics a year throughout the United States, and on Nov. 15-16, he was at Tommy Lee's farm just west of Winnsboro. Lee remembered traveling to Idaho many years ago to train under Ericsson, and has, in return, hosted clinics at his farm several times.

"I just do it for the fun of it," Lee said, "and the clinics promote the dogs."

Lee raises Border Collies, a breed that is well suited for stock dog work. "I enjoy watching the dogs work, and I like getting the kids involved. My grandkids like to do it. There's not any real danger to it."

In the initial stages of the training clinic, sheep or goats are used. "You can see your dog over the goats, or step over the goats if you need to," Lee said.

Before the dog can do well with any kind of livestock, the dog must know the basic commands: down, come by (clockwise), and away to me (counter-clockwise).

A long stick is also used to tap the ground to indicate to the dog which side of the livestock it needs to go, thus "pushing" the herded animals in the direction the master wants them to go.

"The dogs are limited by what the people think they can do," Ericsson said. "And, I guess, people do the same thing to themselves sometimes."

A well-trained stock dog comes in handy when it's time to move livestock. "They will sure help you work cows, get something moved when you can't move it by yourself. A lot, of course, is instinct by the dog," Lee added.

Breeding comes into play for the dog's instinct of handling livestock. Harold Lankford of Winnsboro imported two Border Collies from Australia because of their breeding. He had watched videotapes of the dogs, and had them brought over.

From one of those dogs came a pup that helped Lankford, an observer at the recent Ericsson clinic, gain a Reserve Champion title, and $3,200, following the Lone Star Cattle Dog Futurity in Nacogdoches, Oct. 23-25.

About 90 dogs competed in the trial, Lankford said, and all had to be 2-years-old or younger. His pup was about 20-months-old.

Lankford attributed his recent big win as "luck," but added that to win "you've got to have a good dog, and luck."

Ericsson added that it is important to have a dog with "want to" and with steady training, in about 30 days, a stock dog can be ready to move livestock.