By Nicole Rhodes
3/18/2016
When I originally envisioned this I was thinking about making it specifically to stockdogs but as I got started I realized with a few minor tweaks I could make it very general while still conveying the idea that I wanted. The chart in this way can also apply to dog behaviors outside of the stockdog world.
The first thing that I want you to recognize about dog behavior is that when a dog's natural, genetically programmed, instincts match what we desire, the path to that outcome is short and sweet. It requires no special training efforts to get there. We put a name to it and call it good. That path is the shortest distance to a conclusion shown in this chart. What the chart doesn't tell you, is that the majority of dog behaviors, nearly everything about how he interacts with stock, can be bred and selected for.
When a dog's natural behavior doesn't match up with what we want, or when we've allowed a dog to develop bad habits (whoops!), that's when the training starts. Now you have to try to change what a dog is and make him into what you want the dog to be. Sometimes this is a pretty straight forward task but other times this is easier said than done. Some of the dog's other natural instincts or learned behaviors, both related to his personality as well as how he wants to interact with stock, will help or hinder this prospect. The methods we use during training will also help or hinder. People will at times try to train via treating the symptoms but not the root cause of a behavior.
You may also take note of the two different positive ways in which the chart was concluded. "Yay, good dog!" versus "Yay team!" This was deliberate on my part, I wanted to convey that in one instance we are saluting the natural instinct of the dog. In the second instance it is the combined effort of the owner in training as well as the ability of the dog to learn and accept different behavior, it is therefore, a team effort.
