“The Dog Trapped in a World of His Own”( by Catherine Beattie, Scottish Borders)

If you have a dog which is out of control, doesn’t listen, or lives in a world of his own, this testimonial outlining the Dog Whisperer’s (Julie Hill's) work will be of interest to you.

Over the years I’ve taken on rescue dogs, black labs (usually gun-dogs) that are unable to be re-homed as they are aggressive, destructive or harm themselves (e.g. chew the skin off their tail and legs). I was asked to go and see a 5-month old lab whose owner didn’t want him anymore as the dog had become a danger in the yard, jumping up at the race-horses. When she left him in the stables, or her home, he destroyed the place and howled all day. I changed his name to “Merry” – as he wasn’t a happy dog at all! He was a highly intelligent, but dominant thug! His manners were appalling: he pulled like a train,tried to bite if you removed him off the furniture, had no respect for anyone or other animal’s space, had taken to stalking up to dogs and humans like a cat and diving on them and,  stole food and destroyed everything in his path. Un-phased by this behaviour (as I’d had rescue dogs before) I went through the usual process of instilling a regime for him to follow routine and boundaries, lots of exercise, praise and positive re-enforcement, socialise with humans and dogs and, exclusion from the pack when he was being punished. Usually, in even the worst cases where a dog has been very badly treated, there is a glimmer of hope in the first 3 months. Not with Merry, he didn’t care about receiving affection or praise, and didn’t seek attention or affection. He never wagged his tail, nor gave you eye-contact. He didn’t bond with the other dogs and was a menace when out on walks to the point my friends, from initially suggesting he may be deaf, were now calling him “devil-dog” insisting I got rid of him. Merry was trapped inside his own world (akin to autism in humans), at times he would sit and stare with hatred in his eyes and I was unsure whether he was about to attack me or not. I decided we needed professional help, without any means to communicate with Merry I couldn’t make any progress with him. Most rescue dogs develop a bond relatively quickly and become overly clingy; Merry was however, after 3 months, still totally isolated.

Julie Hill, (Dog Whisperer) agreed that although my methods hadn’t done any harm, without a “connection” we would never solve the problem. At Merry’s first lesson he ran about like a wild animal for a full 30 minutes before he gave in and started to listen. Julie then carried out some basic commands which he followed effortlessly. It was a minor miracle, he was calmer, and didn’t dive bomb out of the car when we got home. At our next lesson Julie watched me carry out the same training technique akin to “join-up” with horses. Unfortunately Merry then had two tumours and was very ill. I did however continue with the training techniques when he recovered, and took him back to Julie a few months later. By this third session we both felt he was unrecognisable as the same dog and Julie’s work was done.

He now walks on the lead calmly, seeks and gives affection, has more respect for other’s space and is now part of the family rather than being the outsider. Best of all, he now wags his tail when you speak to him, feels secure in his environment and is now a self-confident dog. Julie’s training taught me that dogs need a clear leader, and a dominant dog can display some very unusual behaviour (i.e. Merry’s autistic tendencies) when lacking that framework. Although you may feel you are “pack leader”, this leadership sometimes has to be communicated in a way that the dog will understand, particularly if the dog has been badly treated and has withdrawn into himself. Leaders lead in a quiet and calm way and using the correct body language towards Merry was 80% and provided an almost instant improvement. You need to be consistent, but also dedicate the one to one time with the dog; and, even after one training session miracles can happen as (in Merry’s case) we found a way to communicate with each other and understand each other.

The next one of my dogs who will receive the “Dog Whisperer” approach is an old dog with a habitual fear of strangers whose behaviour has vastly improved over the years, but still remains unpredictable. I certainly would recommend Julie to anyone who is serious about resolving their dog’s behaviour and will dedicate the time to make it work. All you have to do is listen, and then consistently apply the techniques. Good luck!

Trip to Holland (Ria Vrolijk and Els Wippo)

In the year 2003 Ria got the working sheepdog news, there was a new book mentioned “the Natural Way” by Julie Simpson (now Julie Hill). Ria ordered the book and we both read it and thought well this writher knows what she is talking about and she can give you a whole new picture about shepherding and the way you can communicate with dogs. So Ria emailed Julie and asked her if she wanted to come to Holland to give a clinic. Julie agreed and the two clinics where a great succes. Since then Julie has been five times to Holland and trained a lot of people and dogs. Every year we are fully booked with people from all over Holland who wanted to learn the natural way in communicating with there dogs. If you listen to the things the people who has been to the clinics say you hear things like:

"Julie can asses a dog in 3 minutes, she can show you the bigger picture so that you know what you are aiming for with your dog"

"she makes you aware of your body language and the signals you are giving to your dog so that you can use your body language in a functional way"

"she teaches you to listen to the tone of your voice and whistle commands, the different signals you give which you are not always aware of". 

Beside this and a lot of other things Julie teaches you to understand the character, temperament and ability of your dog and how to make the best of it in working and trialing situations. Julie does this all with patience, humor and respect for the handlers and their dogs. She can explain the things well and even the different languages doesn´t have to be a barrier. The last two years Julie is not only working on the field with the dogs and there handlers but also the lecture has become a part of the clinic. There she shows again that she is a very good teacher who knows what she is talking about and most important: she can teach you to understand and communicate with your dog in a natural way. 

 Lynsey writing for the Blackface Journal

FROM AN early age, Julie Hill always had a particular interest in animals and it was her love for horses that led her to discover what has become her lifelong passion — the working collie dog. "Despite being brought up in the town, I have farming history in my family, which is possibly where my interest for animals stemmed from," explained Julie, who was brought up in Scunthorpe, but moved to East Anglia to work with horses. 
The horses were based on a farm, which is where Julie had her first insight into sheep farming and the role of the sheepdog. "I began helping out with the sheep work on the farm and became fascinated with the dogs — I was keen to learn more about them and how and why they worked," she said.

Eager to expand her knowledge, Julie signed up for an Agriculture Training Board course, which was taken by Norman Seamark, who was president of the International Sheepdog Society at the time. The course was once a week for six weeks, and after completing three six-week blocks, Julie's instructor informed her that there was little else he could teach her. It seemed she had a natural talent for dog training and had picked up the basics quickly. "Coming from the town, I didn't immediately understand farming and the role of the working dog. I had to learn an instinct that probably comes naturally to those brought up on farms. However, I was keen enough to dedicate a lot of time and interest in to learning what I needed to know."

Julie took part in her first sheepdog trial in 1986, a club competition organised by the East Anglia Sheepdog Society. "The club competitions were a great way to start out. There were a lot of other members at the same level, so it allowed me to build up my confidence without feeling like I was on a much lower level than everyone else. I took part in my first open trial a year later and by then I had the bug — I was addicted!"

Julie continued to work on her talent and came on leaps and bounds over the years. With support and help from fellow trialists and a lot of learning from her mistakes, she progressed enough to win the Scottish National singles and brace titles in 1991 and then the most sought after accolade in Britain — the International Sheepdog Trial supreme championship, at Chatsworth, in 1996.

To this day, Julie is still the only woman to have ever taken that title — an achievement of which she is extremely proud, but also, it has to be said, extremely modest.  "I've never felt that I'm any different because I'm a female taking part in a male-dominated event. Whoever you are in the sheepdog trialling world, you have to prove that you are capable, and once you do that, people admire you for your ability. 
"You probably have to have a certain strength of character to get to that stage, but I have always enjoyed the banter that goes along with the competitions," explained Julie. 

Since 1996, she has continued to regularly take part in trials across the country. However, for Julie, it's not just about the competitions' it's a whole way of life. For several years, she has made a living from training dogs and holding courses to teach others the skills, both home and abroad.  After leaving East Anglia, she lived in the north of Scotland for some years and 18 months ago, she moved to Carcant Farm, near the small village of Heriot, in the Scottish borders. There she runs 400 breeding ewes and followers on 600 acres, along with a shepherd and sheepdog training centre.

"When I became interested in the sheepdog, my interest in working with sheep also flourished. I love the whole lifestyle that goes along with it Carcant farm is an ideal set-up for the training centre. For many people, sheepdog trials are a hobby, and they never get the chance to work with a real flock of sheep. Here, they can work alongside me while shepherding and get the chance to see what the dogs are really bred for, in their own environment."

As well as hosting the clinics, Julie will also take in dogs to train, for which she has a particular talent.  "In some cases, you get a good breeding line that produces good working dogs, but it's hard to tell when they're pups, how they're going to turn out. They change so much from pups to adolescents. The best dogs must be solid in mind and body and have the ability and temperament to stand training — especially if they're intended for working and for trials.  The trick is to get inside the dog's head and see it's ability. The main aim is to gain respect from the dog — it has to want to work with you — and once you've built up that basic respect, it's a gradual process from there. A lot of dogs have the ability, but just a lack of understanding."

Despite the fact that Julie acquired the bug from a fairly young age, she is more than aware of the lack of young people entering the dog trialling world.  "It's a skill and tradition that began in Britain and that will die out unless young people take it up. It's so important that we work on keeping it alive; there are plenty people who would be keen to pass their skills and knowledge on to younger people. I know that I learned so much from watching others and following advice from experts. I feel that more could be done to encourage new people into sheepdog training and make them aware that there are places they could go to learn, with people of similar ability. Without the interest of young people, there is no future for it."

For Julie, the work on the farm is her main priority and everything else is organised around it. Her first interest in the working collie resulted in a whole new path for her life; a life that she has grew to love and enjoy — taking the good with the bad. "Training the dogs takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but I don't just base my interest on the competitions. For me it's a way of life which I thoroughly enjoy and would now hate to be without. A well trained dog saves so much time and effort in the long-term — I know I couldn't get the work done without one!"