n THE CARILLON STEINBACH, MAN. C4
n www.thecarillon.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026
CONNOR MCDOWELL BRANDON SUN
The trained dogs put on a clinic for those in attendance.
Stock dog clinic to return to Minnedosa
by CONNOR MCDOWELL LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE A stock dog training program has announced it will return to Minnedosa to teach farm- ers how to use their animals to herd livestock. Making of a Stock Dog, a clinic aimed at upskilling ranchers and in- troducing newbies to dog handling, announced in January that it will re- turn to the Minnedosa Agricultural Society grounds from Aug. 14 to Aug. 16. The clinic was held in Minnedo- sa for the first time in 2025. It is set this year to be all-day event for three days, in which participants camp out for the duration and are provid- ed with meals. There is expected to be roughly 30 spots available. Anna Peters said the program is returning because of demand seen last year. “It was super popular. We had peo- ple come from Alberta, Montana, North Dakota, we had someone come from as far as Quebec,” Peters said. “There’s so many people that are just hungry for this stock dog stuff. It’s been so fun, I can’t even ex- plain it.” The event is free to audit for any- one who wants to come and watch, Peters said. The program this year will be split into beginners, people starting a young dog and advanced. There will be three clinicians, including Camp- bell Forsyth, a stock dog handler who has won several competitions since starting in the 1990s. “The dogs are everything,” Forsyth said in a recent interview. “All we are doing is helping people get the best out of their dog.” Forsyth trained to use stock dogs himself in clinics when he was look- ing for ways to steer his 600-head herd on his farm. Now he is commit- ted to the sport and competes avid- ly, and has participated in the event for several years now, including its debut in Minnedosa after it moved from Saskatchewan. Campbell said the goal this year is have more ranchers and others com- pete in the sport to develop their skills with their dogs. “My hope is that students can come and learn, and retain some of the knowledge when they go home so they can work their stock better,” he said. “Understand their dog; how he thinks, how he reacts to you. The dogs themselves have been bred for hundreds of years to do this. But if you don’t know how to bring it out of them, then you’re wasting a lot of genetics.” Kevin Donald, who founded the program with his wife Carole rough- ly 10 years ago, said that he started it to provide an affordable way for peo- ple to train. The inaugural year had 10 people, and it subsequently grew every year, he said, pulling people from all over Western Canada and south of the border. Importantly, the program is tai- lored to people training dogs for farm work, he said. In passing the successful program on the Manito- ba Stock Dog Association, he said he was careful to choose a group that put producers first. When asked why he favoured the sport of stock dog handling, the founder said that dogs have a special way about them. “The ability to have a partner that shows up every day, is happy to see you, never calls in sick, is excited no matter if you’re gone three minutes or three hours, is pretty powerful and cool,” he said. The reason the event is hosted in towns like Minnedosa is to bring
CONNER MCDOWELL BRANDON SUN A herding dog trails sheep at the Minnedosa Agricultural Grounds. The 2024 Show and Sale had a competition where handlers had to herd sheep through obstacles and into a holding pen.
CONNOR MCDOWELL BRANDON SUN
The dog prepares to move the sheep.
CONNOR MCDOWELL BRANDON SUN
A good stock dog is worth every penny invested into training.
some of that farm life to a broader audience, he said. In the past, the event has invited organizations like Ducks Unlimited Canada to connect with people as well, he said. “It’s a pretty cool opportunity for people to see the dogs. It’s also an amazing event for producers to be able to connect with the people set
out to support them.” Peters said organizers are still looking for more vendors who want to set up on the grounds for the 2026 event in Minnedosa. She said the best way to sign up is by messaging their Facebook page, “The Making of a Stock Dog.”
CONNOR MCDOWELL BRANDON SUN
Stock dogs are crucial for many.
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