Click here to watch Tim McGaffic’s Intro video to our Stock Dog Page
In keeping with our mission and in addition to our work on Horses and Stockmanship we have explored a look into Stock Dogs. As always, we’re not just making things up but have found and seek individuals that meet our mission and whose principles adhere to a high standard of ethics
The Nature of Natural Stock Dog page will discuss the use of stock dogs while using Bud’s principles to become better Stockman. However, there will be some challenging questions we put out that may challenge some old beliefs. In doing so we will use what we know about training, and learning, based on science, along with videos, to support our claims. At the end of the day, we may not all agree, but we are open to discussion based on what we have learned about dogs, cattle, horses and learning over the past 20 years.
We fully acknowledge and respect that Bud was a unique and gifted individual especially when it came to handling livestock and dogs. Recognizing that, we doubt there are very many if any individuals that can truly do what Bud did, especially in the creation of a partnership between the stockman, dog, and livestock. Bud showed us what was truly possible, so we can now strive to achieve better relationships with the dogs, stock, and handlers as they have all given us so much and deserve to be treated ethically. Bud and his principles will often be mentioned, quoted and diagrams of his methods used.
Can a stock dog be trained to be under command but still be able to work on its own?
Bud didn’t think so and voiced his opinion often, saying that no trial trained dog would ever reach its potential as a working dog that had to figure things out See Stock Dogs; Partners and Friends and Smile and Mean it by Eunice Williams. But if this is true, why? Dogs are very smart and can learn an enormous range of behaviors. Is it that dogs can’t do it or is it the way people have gone about it, that the misapplication of pressure has inhibited the dog’s ability to work independently? We will be asking what principles apply, why does this work and often does it work for the reasons that are posited.
To help us with these questions, we have chosen Julie Hill, a top International Trainer and sheep farmer. Julie is the only woman ever to win the Supreme International Trial and seems to have a special talent for working a brace (two or more dogs). Currently she is the manager of a sheep operation in Carcant, Scotland. Julie would agree that a dog shouldn’t be over commanded to the extent that it will become mechanical and that is not a desired outcome
In our Stock Dog project our go to individual is Bud Williams. Sadly, Bud passed in 2012 but there are many who promote his methods and principles, primarily his wife Eunice Williams. She regularly publishes materials that she has collected and created. Eunice’s web site is www.Stockmanship.com.
If one has studied Bud Williams in detail, you would find that Bud often used dogs in his projects. This includes the time he spent in Alaska with wild cattle, reindeer, and other stock Bud learned his skills with dogs when he and Eunice managed ranches in Northern California before he undertook more difficult jobs (Read “Smile and Mean” it by Eunice Williams). There are many people that are teaching Bud’s methods. For more specific information, contact Eunice Williams at www.Stockmanship.com. We too, have been dedicated students of Bud’s techniques and principles and have found that they tend to change how you do everything involving livestock and sometimes things that don’t. In addition, after much study and experimentation we’ve found Bud’s methods to be in sync with good behavioral science. Of course, this is our mission at the Nature of Natural.
Our Hall of Fame Stock Dog Masters
Bud Williams
Click here to read about Julie
Julie Hill has over forty years’ experience as a shepherd and sheepdog trainer. She is, also, the only woman to have won both the prestigious Supreme International and International Brace Championships. Julie developed the pressure/release techniques that underpin The Natural Way by watching and interacting with her pack of Border Collies. Her Training method has enabled her to develop strong bonds with her canine companions that are based on mutual trust, loyalty and respect. Throughout this book Julie explains the intricacies of communication between man, dog and sheep. She shows the advantages of building a good foundation from a pup and why communicating using the dog’s own language benefits your relationship with your dog.
“Since 1982, I have dedicated my life to working with Border Collies, training and breeding exceptional sheepdogs for both farming and competition. My passion for this remarkable breed has driven me to achieve unparalleled success on national and international stages.”
Trailblazing Achievements:
- Supreme International Champion (1996): The first—and currently only—woman to win this prestigious title.
- International and Supreme Brace Championships:Showcasing the exceptional teamwork of my dogs and training methods.
- Scottish National Titles: Winner of the Scottish National Championship, Scottish National Brace Championship, and Scottish National Driving Championship.
- Champion of Champions: Cementing my place among the elite in the field
Contact Information:
Julie Hill: +44 (0) 1875 835249
Carcant Farm: [email protected]
Heriot
Scottish Borders EH38 5YE
Julie Hill
Click here to read about Julie
Our first question was soon followed by these two questions:
What did Bud do with his dogs that was common to the training methods of Julie Hill, and other top trainers?
In that common approach what nuances were different at least by degree not necessarily kind that allowed the dogs to work so well without command?
The answers to these questions come down to two ways of looking at behavior. One from the Ethologists point of view. Ethologists assume that much of what animals do is innate and performed instinctively and that genes program entire behavioral sequences. The other way of looking at it is from the Comparative psychologies side, the Behaviorist view from the purists, that all behavior is learned and formed through conditioning. However, as we now know from much research and study it is both. There are models explaining behavior that combine these two views(Dog Language by Roger Abrantes is a good resource to learn more on this topic.). But every stock dog man knows that to have a good stock dog it must start in the genes especially if they are going to work on their own.
Starting here is most likely where Bud excelled. He used a very modicum amount of conditioning while letting the innate motor patterns of the dog run and within those contexts the dog was able to learn what to do in given situations, he (the dog) was part of a team. This same approach is taken by Julie, and other top trainers. The exercises that they use to condition the dog are used in a way the dog must figure the solution out for himself, thus encouraging him to think to solve his problem. The dog’s problem of “how do I get to the stock so I can work it” is the most motivating behavior a stock dog can execute. The conditioning is not like obedience training but lessons in problem solving and it becomes a matter of degree. And that degree will vary given the dog, the stock, the job, the terrain, the weather etc. Bud was keenly aware of these nuances as are many others. But perhaps they have a little different end in mind, that of having a dog that can be commanded at times but will work to a large degree on his own versus a dog that works on his own but may depend on the positioning of an expert like Bud.
In this process we consulted others who had worked with Bud and his dogs, watched, and evaluated countless hours of video and all the materials that Bud and or Eunice wrote were read and closely examined. In addition, the same process was employed with Julie Hill. She has been willing to answer many questions regarding her training.
After many hours of examining videos and training it came down to what is the common denominator in the training? The one thing in common is that dogs innately read your body language, positioning and pressure and release. They respond to this first, not your voice or command. They read body language innately to determine your intentions and will learn to move off pressure as authority is established. The understanding of body language is also the ability to predict intentions. It is important to predict intentions because they may involve a hazard, a pressure and potential harm or benefit to the dog, and that too is innate. It is called hazard avoidance. The basics of hazard avoidance occur when the puppy is in his critical period (about 5 to 16 wks. depending on the breed).
Julie Hill calls it “The Natural Way” and has written extensively on it. She can move a dog around from 100 yards away with almost no detectable body language and no sounds. And guess what, so could Bud, getting amazing results while insisting on not uttering a sound. Julie Hill moves the dog around until it is in a desired position and then lets the dog have the stock, she lets the dog work, a virtual mantra of Bud’s. This is the basis for motivating the dog. The dog’s drive or desire is to go to the stock, as dictated by nature in a genetically inherited motor pattern called the predator sequence. All predators have it. In stock dogs it has been altered through breeding to be useful to control stock as opposed to kill them.
What’s the issue here, so what happens to those other dogs that Bud did not believe could think on their own when out of sight and not being commanded? People. People start to put words, sound, and corrections on the dog too soon and more likely too much. They essentially punish the dog for doing what nature is directing it to do. However, if pressure is applied and released judiciously, while positioning according to the stock, the dog still gets to work, just in a certain way and he can still think through problems and work on his own if given the chance. In short, they don’t let the dog work and learn on its own enough with the reward of working the stock before they put it on cue. They want the cue, and the obedience of that cue too soon and often demanding 100% compliance. Bud’s stockmanship was and is based on positioning and pressure release so that the stock will tend to do what you would like. They can remove the pressure by moving in the desired direction. The dog gets to run the predatory sequence and feel good (dopamine response) and thus is rewarded. When it flows, as it did for Bud and others, all goes well, and everyone is happy, especially the dog.
As a stockman, this is useful information. As a stockman with a dog in training, getting proficient at positioning yourself, applying pressure when necessary and “shutting up” will help you immensely. This is the root of dog human communication in the beginning (Dog Language by Roger Abrantes is a good resource to learn more on this topic.). That communication is the root of success. Patrick Shanahan, another world class trainer, says it isn’t the best dog that wins, it’s the best team. Bud, Steve, Julie and others like Shanahan, all create a team that then allows the dog to make decisions on his own when necessary. After all that’s what happens on good teams. When novice folks come here to train, it is almost impossible to keep them from talking, hollering, wildly gesturing to their dog, while the dog becomes more and more confused essentially destroying the possibility of creating the best team.
Dogs, horses, and stock all have this ability to read body language and try to make a prediction from it. It’s called Associative Learning and has been documented in the Clever Hans Effect (and thousands of other examples every day like get your keys or your coat and I bet your dog is ready to go). If you aren’t familiar with Clever Hans a simple google search will enlighten you. The dogs, horses and stock are all paying closer attention to you than you are to them, and it really matters.
How does that effect the ability of the dog to work on his own or be commanded or both? At this point I should mention that our goal is to understand how behavior works, where it comes from, what motivates it, and from that how it can be altered. Understanding the dog and stock, as Bud did, is maybe the most important aspect. As we mentioned before, all behavior is not learned but some are innate, and learning comes within that context. Knowing those tendencies that are there through Selection both Natural and Artificial greatly helps the handler know which methods and techniques to use and when. As we come closer to that understanding of the dog and the stocks world, we believe we will also have better methods and compassion for our partners and friends.
But back to the original question, can a dog learn to work on its own after being commanded and trained to go in Trials? We think so. There are some variables that we haven’t mentioned that are most likely important. Assuming the training was good and that the dog did not perceive his training to be punishment at times and he learned to work stock and figure out problems. To actually work on their own, they need to have real jobs to do. Most of the top trial trainers and especially the ones we have mentioned all say first you have a farm dog that can do the work, then maybe you can get a top trial dog. That means if a rancher uses his dog in these situations the dog can learn the difference between working under command and a job that requires him to function and make decisions on his own. This is called contextual learning. The dog will learn under these circumstances or in this place this is what I do or in this situation, such as a trial field, or a nice grassy place I do what the boss says. Often, pure trial people only have a few sheep or stock and do not have this learning opportunity for the dog, and it becomes mechanical and often, they prefer that.