Uniquely, our dogs are employed to assist in the conservation of threatened birdlife as avian protection/tracking dogs. Our dog handlers are Zoological Animal trainers, who also handle and train a variety of birds of prey, including the majestic eagle. These eagles and hawks are rescued birds, needing care for a vast array of injuries, and find a home at the Feathered Friends conservation sanctua
ry. To help with the health and well-being of our once wild eagles, the team have spent countless hours training each one to free fly and return to their handlers. Accompanying each eagle handler on outings is one of our trained avian protection dogs. The dogs and eagles share an unlikely friendship, and thus Aquila Eye German Shepherd Kennel was born; “Aquila” meaning eagle and “Eye” because our dogs are always watching over. Our specialised line of work meant we needed to produce a multi purpose German Shepherd. Our dogs gentle temperaments towards birds, accompanied with their natural instinct to protect makes for excellent guardianship in the prevention of bird theft at the sanctuary. We strive to produce working dogs with a calm temperament, high trainability and strong drive, but also the ability to switch off and enjoy family life. Our dogs are suitable for companion homes, dog sports, conservation roles, and scent detection. All of our dogs are raised in a family environment on our country home and are well socialised to a mixture of environments, livestock, wildlife and people. All of our dogs are Hip and Elbow x-rayed. Our dogs live in a social pack environment. Each receiving regular exercise, taken out on family outings and fed a variety of high quality diets. We hold a passion in dog rescue, with my partner being a coordinator of a rescue and we personally foster dogs requiring rehabilitation.