Heeling NRG Australian & Mini American Shepherds

26/05/2024

Just before I took out the turner and locked down the incubator. So excited for this hatch!

16/05/2024

Aussie of the Day!

If you want to submit your photos for picture of the day, send your photo to [email protected]

LIMIT OF 3 PHOTOS, PER PERSON, PER MONTH! It can be any type of photo. We are looking for original, high quality photos of Australian Shepherds only. Everything from stock dogs to puppies can be submitted. Photo credits must be limited to small logos at the bottom of the photo. By submitting the "Aussie of the day" entrants grant permission to ASCA to use photos submitted as part of this competition, in Facebook, asca.org or any other digital publications of ASCA.

15/05/2024

So much fun to hatch these little birds!

06/05/2024

Choosing an accountable breeder who will be a good fit for you and your family can be challenging. We’ve compiled a list of key tips to help you find the right breeder. Find them here:https://www.ckc.ca/CanadianKennelClub/media/Images/BreederInfographic_EN.pdf Breed featured: Bernese Mountain Dog.
//
Le choix d’un éleveur responsable qui vous convient est un vrai défi. Nous avons établi une liste de conseils qui vous aidera à choisir le bon éleveur.
Lire la suite :https://www.ckc.ca/CanadianKennelClub/media/Images/BreederInfographic_EN.pdf
Race représentée sur la photo : Bouvier bernois.

08/04/2024

ADOLESCENCE:
As dogs go through adolescence, it’s safe to say things turn a little topsy-turvy! 🙃

If you’re currently at this stage and feeling like you’ve taken one step forward and two steps back, don’t panic! During this stage of life, there’s a lot going on in their busy little brains.

Here are three facts about the adolescent brain 🧠👇

1. The inhibitory neurons of the amygdala that help to dampen down emotional responses don’t fully mature until the END of adolescence.

2. Communication between the frontal cortex and amygdala, which is essential for skills training, decreases during adolescence.

3. Extinction memory is impaired during adolescence, so if your dog has a bad experience it’s much more likely to lead to a ‘hard wired’ fear memory.

Have patience and compassion as you support and guide your dog through this vulnerable period of brain development.

11/01/2024

We have two adults looking for new postal codes at this time; a two year old, and a five year old.

Mara is a lovely two year old blue merle from our Parks litter. She was kept back as a breeding prospect, however she has been making it clear to me that she does not enjoy pack life and would much prefer to be an only dog. Some of you may remember that she was my bottle baby in this litter; this is a very hard decision for me to make, but it is the best one for her. She has good leash manners, and is a go-everywhere-do-everything dog. She has not had much exposure to cats but I would anticipate moderate prey-drive so a home without cats would be most appropriate.

Tori is a five year old female, mother to the Chipmunks and the Hobbits. She is one of the sweetest dogs you will ever meet, but she can be trouble 😈. She enjoys removing all the cushions and pillows and sometimes even the blankets from couches and beds, and if there’s food around don’t worry she will find it for you - whether you want her to or not. She’s had some foundational training in scent detection and rally-o, but she would love the chance to do anything that will really work her brain. She has good leash manners, and is overall a fun dog to live with. She is not suitable to a home with cats.

30/12/2023

Ever heard of the "Puppy Blues"? It's when you feel so overwhelmed, anxious, regretful, or down after getting your new puppy. But don't worry - this feeling shouldn't last long!

Learn how to avoid or minimize the Puppy Blues on : https://www.ckc.ca/en/The-Dish/April-2021/The-Puppy-Blues

Breed featured: Golden Retriever.
//
Avez-vous déjà entendu parler du « blues du chiot » ? C'est lorsque vous vous sentez accablé, anxieux, ou déprimé après avoir eu votre nouveau chiot. Mais ce sentiment ne durera pas longtemps!

Apprenez à éviter ou à minimiser le blues du chiot : https://www.ckc.ca/fr/Le-courrier-canin/April-2021/Les-chiots%E2%80%A6-et-le-blues

Race représentée sur la photo : Retriever (doré)

28/12/2023

It’s cold and wet and I’m missing great times with friends in the warmer weather. Better days are coming…

25/12/2023

17/12/2023

A wonderful depiction of how scent detection sports can enrich your dog’s life.

A fun visual representation of what your dog sees (smells) every day. Look at how noisy it is and how many tracks there are intertwining. The different animals, people, and dogs movement in just one area. The snow lets us humans see the history of this area and what animals and people have passed through. A dog will smell this every day and know who and what animals have passed through. Smellavision!!!!

Dogs are incredible.

Imagine tracking and detection dogs needing to filter out all this noise and track a single scent down. Amazing!

(Note this is a fun representation, not accurate)

21/10/2023

To research considerations to be taken into account when requesting to continue to keep the studbook open for the AKC Miniature American Shepherd, including but not limited to; Gene Pool Diversity,...

07/08/2023

This gorgeous boy was bred by a good friend of ours. He is looking for an appropriate home with breed experience.

Charlie (aka Chuckyyyyyy) is looking for a loving home. He will be two years old in September, is neutered and up to date on everything. He is healthy, playful, and loving. He would do well in a home that would like to do some low-intensity activities like rally, obedience, or scent work. He excels at swimming and is a natural on the dock. He is good with other social dogs. We are looking for an active owner with no young kids (teenagers or older) who will work to keep his brain engaged – he is keen to learn and wants to work with you.
If you are interested in learning more about Charlie, please reach out with information about you, your experience with Australian Shepherds, and what you’re seeking in a new family member. Thanks!

04/05/2023

I didn’t write it, but if it doesn’t perfectly sum up having puppies I don’t know what does!

If you think raising puppies is glamorous...Here is the truth.....In the beginning the adrenaline and excitement is flowing....

Prior to Whelp:
You spend endless hours and dollars prepping your house for your new arrivals-transitioning normal "people rooms'" into glorious Puppy Rooms in which you will be isolated for 3 weeks on constant vigil in an uncomfortable couch, blowup bed or chair. You "dream" of your impending litter as your female lays by your side panting non-stop as you keep one eye open and both ears just waiting.

Then it happens: The whelp- Comforting Mom while all the time wishing this birth wasn't breach and your fingers have gone into Star Wars Mode: This is where no man has gone before. You feather, you pull, you reach into new uncharted territory.
Those fancy nails you previously wore adorned with many colors have since been removed to their natural state ready for this exact moment. Now your nails wear the honorable coat of color underneath the nail of blood & afterbirth proving the successful journey of a new life.
However, the hairs of gray and the wrinkles upon the brow reflect those not so successful births of night drives for the untimely C-Sections or the ultimate death of puppies you strive to revive.

The 1st day of not sleeping with your puppies and dam knowing they are safe and healthy brings on a euphoria that erupts into a drunken sloth with a few glasses of wine! My ain't we pretty!
Now comes the P*epartum Depression Period: Everywhere, All the time, Eat, P*e and P**p. A non-ending saga. 3-4 times a day.
The aromatics that fill our room is usually that of p**p on ourselves or on our shoes.
The Cleaning lady arrives-that be me!!! 6:00 am until 9:00 pm clean the whelping box, and playroom or play yard, wash the pads.
My daily showers have now been replaced with the luxury of just being able to change underwear once a day.
My shoes are all rubber usually adorned with puppy p**p.
My glasses used for a leisurely day of reading are now used for inspecting everything gross in puppy p**p or vomit.
My jewelry is now band-aids instead of something blingy.
The closest thing to sexy is the wet T-Shirt because I just bathed puppies
My Dates now consist of visits with fellows with DVM after their name.
The amount of root grow out is directly related to the age of my puppies because I can't find the time to visit my hairdresser.
WHY??????????? THIS TRULY IS A LABOR OF LOVE!!! There will be other days for nice hair, pretty nails, fancy clothes & shoes and dates out on the town....but for now I'll love my puppies!

Written by: Sherry Chevalier

06/04/2023

So much this!

Yesterday I saw a video from a well-known trainer on social media that discussed how there is no such thing as “too much exercise” for dogs. This discussion was accompanied by b roll of dogs fetching balls in a variety of places.
I don’t usually get involved in trainer arguments but I need to say something about this.
There ABSOLUTELY is such a thing as too much high-arousal exercise. And you probably don’t want to find out for yourself what happens next.
Activities that tend to *physically* wear dogs out the fastest are also the ones that create the highest excitement levels. Fetching balls. Playing frisbee. Racing around at the dog park. Chasing water from the garden hose. Running next to a bike.
All of these are physical exercise, but they also create intense arousal states. And if you put your dog into high-arousal states repeatedly you better know how to train around this, too.
I have a lot of students who fell into this trap. They got a high-energy dog (a GSD, a herding breed mix of some sort, a retriever etc.).
They figured out that the fastest way to make the dog physically really tired (the tongue-hanging-to-the-floor-kind-of-tired) was by playing chuck-it for half an hour. Or by taking the dog to the dog park every day for a wild romp.
The dog started to crave these arousal states (as programmed in their DNA).
But at the same time, no impulse control training happened. So now we have a dog who knows the fun of adrenaline and who seeks it, without having been taught to listen and regulate when in a state of high excitement.
This dog will start to show other problems. They might get frustrated to the point of redirecting when they cannot access fun immediately. They might be vocalizing or unable to settle and then I get messages that say “My dog just cannot be normal in public”.
If your dog gets to enjoy a high-arousal activity every time they leave the house, they will start to expect (and eventually demand) a high-arousal activity every time.
And this is not fun.
Your dog needs a balance of high-arousal and low-arousal activities. Furthermore, the more high-arousal activities your dog has, the more you have to balance these with impulse control training. It’s not fair to make our dogs crazy without teaching them the skills to un-crazy ;)
“Exercise” can have four quadrants:
- Low-arousal, not physically demanding (sniff walks)
- Low-arousal, physically demanding (hiking)
- High-arousal, not physically demanding (excited waiting while another dog works)
- High-arousal, physically demanding (fetching)

Make sure you are aware which type of exercise you are providing for your dog, and try to reach a balance that works for your dog.
If you are unhappy with your dog’s arousal level or impulse control in daily life, look at whether this is amplified by the type of exercise you are providing.

04/04/2023

Are you ready to wait?

The likelihood of being able to get a right away is slim. Most accountable breeders will have a waitlist – but in the end, the wait is well worth it! Learn more here: http://ow.ly/zpl250Nzagz
//
Êtes-vous prêt à attendre?

La probabilité de pouvoir obtenir un nouveau chiot tout de suite est faible. La plupart des éleveurs responsables ont une liste d'attente - mais au final, l'attente en vaut la peine! Pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici : http://ow.ly/lWtj50NzagA

02/04/2023

We can’t wait for summer! It’s almost the end of the semester and I can’t wait to bust out the tracking lines and get out on the fields again. So close!

At this time we have two adult blue merle girls available to pet homes. Please message for further details.

28/02/2023

Puppy socialisation is NOT just about playing with other dogs.

In fact, too much uncontrolled exposure to other dogs can cause so many unintended consequences.

If you have a puppy, make sure you try to work on ALL aspects of socialisation, as listed in the bottom graphic.

28/02/2023

Prospective puppy buyers are always told to choose a “good” or “reputable” breeder. But what does this really mean? Today’s is breaking down what it means to be a “good” breeder and why it can be so hard to tell the difference between someone you can trust and someone whose priorities are off.

Things to keep in mind when evaluating a breeding program:

-Titles don’t tell the whole story! Just because a dog has earned a championship doesn’t automatically mean their temperament is stable.

-Look for a breeder who will be honest with you about their dogs’ good traits AND bad.

-Health testing, beyond an Embark test, is a must.

Your breeder should be a source of support and help as you navigate the process of raising your puppy, so it’s important to go with a breeder you can trust!