GEORGETOWN - Linda Bell describes her 3-year-old Australian shepherd Eli as a “Ferrari without brakes.”

Watching Eli herd sheep in Bell’s pasture in Williamson County, under Ms. Bell’s commands, you begin to see what she means. Commanded to walk, Eli slows his naturally frantic pace to what can charitably be called a dogtrot.

“This dog is all about herding,” Ms. Bell says, watching as Eli tries his best to walk the sheep toward a pen rather than run them. “Eli is intense. You can tell that by looking at his eyes. I think the sheep take one look at those eyes and they know it’s all over. They know they’re going where Eli wants them to go.”

The sheep follow Eli’s wishes like, well, sheep. Eli never takes his wide eyes off the sheep, even after they’re penned, until Ms. Bell tells him to come with her.

Eli is one of five Australian shepherds - or Aussies as they are affectionately called by their owners - that Ms. Bell owns. The dogs keep her busy and she does the same for them, drilling them in the three herding disciplines required at competition: cattle, sheep and ducks. The dog that can do all three has a shot at becoming a world champion, like Winslow, Ms. Bell’s first Aussie.

Winslow qualified for the National Finals from 2001 through 2005 and became a canine superstar by winning High Combined championship at the 2003 and 2004 nationals. Winslow also finished as the National Finals champion in 2005.

How much of Winslow’s success was due to Winslow’s natural talent and how much of it happened as a result of Ms. Bell’s training?

In her view, the trade-off is probably about even.

“You won’t win finals without a dog born with a strong herding instinct,” she says. “But a dog with the talent to win won’t if it isn’t trained properly. It’s a two-way deal.”

Actually, it’s more of a three-way deal, she said. The stock has to trust the owner to protect them from the dog. The dog has to trust the owner to give the proper commands. And the owner has to trust the dog to carry out those commands.