Mandala Dogs

06/14/2024

We are impatiently waiting to get DNA results on these little Buns, which will tell us their exact coat types. They are amazing us each day with how much they are learning and growing. We're having so much fun with our babies!

06/14/2024

Busy Bees are two weeks old! These little pups are determined, enthusiastic, hungry, and very licky! We are in love with all of them.

06/10/2024

The beautiful Busy Bees are growing so fast! So fun to see the differences between our two litters. Now that the Buns litter is mobile and active, I'm very thankful for all of the helpers involved in this project. It takes a village!

06/03/2024

Beautiful Buns! 3 weeks old already! We are learning new things every day, eating mush, and snuggling our people non-stop!

06/01/2024

Jemma delivered the most beautiful litter of seven babies on Tuesday! Introducing the Busy Bees!

05/31/2024

Jemma cries in the night to wake me up. It's a new sound, one that I've never heard her make before. It's half and half, a growl-bark, and I already know what it means. She needs help. I pop my head over the edge of my guest bed, because Jemma and I have moved in to the spare bedroom together. The low bed frame lets me instantly put a hand on her side, while I assess what she needs. Because this is the same move I make when she's worried about anything, she knows this familiar pattern. I'm here to help. She finds my hand on her side, in the dark, comforting, not alarming, because of our relationship, and the precedents we've set. She looks at me, and looks at her new puppy, who has crawled away from the roiling pile of actively nursing babies. She looks back at me. Her face says it all. Aren't you going to save my puppy? Of course I am, my friend.

She's a first time mom, as of 10 hours ago. She won't need me this close, or this involved, for long. She'll get the hang of things. She'll figure out how to wrangle all these wiggling, squirming puppies. She'll realize she can get up without ruining everything. Until she does, though, I'm right here. I'll bring her food. I'll “save” her puppies. I'll gently and lovingly carry her out to p*e, when her hormones are telling her not to leave, and quickly and calmly get her back to see that all is well. Because of all of these things, her stress periods will be short, or maybe we'll even skip some stressors that would occur if I weren't nearby. In turn, her cortisol levels will be lower. While I haven't found studies on dogs specifically, we know that other mammals pass stress hormones from their blood plasma to their breast milk, and we know that there is no mammary synthesis of cortisol. In other words, a stressed mom leads to a stressed nursing neonate. This can contribute to undesirable behaviors later in life, namely hightened fear responses and anxiety. The National Institute of Health has an interesting study on cortisol in breast milk, and some info on fetal programming, if you'd like to know more.

I also put a lot of thought into supporting physical recovery of the mother dog, for several months after delivery. Again, we may not have data specifically on dogs, but we do know about this process in other mammals. In all mammals, the uterus is held in place by a network of ligaments. Uterine suspensory ligaments are simply amazing. They expand, during a pregnancy, to several times their resting length, in the course of a uterus supporting a fetus to term. They then, rather suddenly in comparison, are lax after labor and delivery. Ligaments aren't as elastic as muscle, and so they will slowly, slowly retract, over several weeks to months. If the mother is resting during this time, and if health care providers (including the breeder, who is the primary provider for these mothers) are ensuring that spinal and pelvic alignment, nutrition and stress levels are well-managed, those ligaments will retract evenly, and to close to their pre-pregnancy length and taughtness. When that's done (and not until that's done!) the mother's abdominal organs are considered secure and held in place once again. Yes, the uterus and its ligaments act as an influence on many things around it, including the colon, the bladder, and the sacral nerve pathways. They also interact, directly and indirectly, with muscles of the back, and with the diaphragm. The diaphragm impacts blood flow from the heart and lungs to abdominal organs. Would you like to guess what a really easy way to tighten the diaphragm, and impact blood flow to and from the abdomen? It's stress. Everything is connected. Without proper physical and emotional support, I am leaving this mother vulnerable to ongoing back and/or pelvic pain, and potentially impacting her digestive, urinary, and reproductive health. This applies both during and after pregnancy, and also if and when she is eventually spayed, and all of those suspensory ligaments are ruptured and detached. These facts are well-supported in human medical research, and you can find out more by reading about abdominal therapy, visceral manipulation, postnatal and pelvic floor physical therapy.

Are we being anthropomorphic in applying basic human postnatal care guidelines to dogs? I don't think so. We're both mammals. We have pretty similar nervous systems and reproductive systems. Some physical care guidelines need to be modified to consider the differences between bipedal and quadrupedal mammals. We need to make sure we're considering canine stressors and motivators, where they differ from humans, and obvious reproductive cycle differences. But I've had babies, myself. I know the stress of not having needs meet when trying to recover and care for a newborn, and I know the huge relief of a trusted family member supporting me. I also know I've never felt more like an animal than when my mom hormones take over. How pompous of us to claim motherhood as a human emotion.

The fact that I have the kind of relationship with my breeding dogs that makes them WANT me there for the whole thing; that makes them call me when they need help? The things I've done for years that make them calmly confident that they'll be supported and safe? That's ethology. That's modern science, and that's welfare work. Yes, they are my pets, but there's more. I consider them family, but I also consider myself their keeper. I hope that I put as much thought and planning into the environmental, physical, social and emotional needs of my dogs as the keepers at my favorite zoo put into our beloved animals there. It's not only about the welfare of the breeding dogs in my program. This extra effort is hugely impactful on the next twelve to fifteen years of every one of my puppies’ lives with their human families.

I was so inspired by a sentiment Kim Brophy shares in her amazing course in applied ethology. I recently worked my way through her Family Dog Mediator certification course. A big internal bell rang for me when she brought light to the idea that we don't actually KNOW much of what we claim to not apply to dogs. How about YOU show ME a study that says that they don't need, and greatly benefit from, things we know are necessary for other mammals? Dogs certainly did not evolve to be locked in kennels, having humans select their mates, and not being able to isolate to have a peaceful delivery and postpartum phase. That part of their history is entirely on us. We started it, and we CAN stop it.

Will every dog want me in their whelping box? Absolutely not. There are some that don't want anyone near them, and we need to put just as much thought into carefully supporting those dogs. However, my program focuses on dogs that are heavily integrated into the lives of their humans, and it starts early. I select for the dogs who will be relieved that I'm there. The ones who wag their tails in anticipation of their treat when we check temperatures. The ones who want to lay in my lap while they nurse. The ones who call out for me when they need help. The ones who welcome my teamwork. It shows itself when I take them to teach classes as demo dogs. It shows when we go to rally trials. How did I build that handler focus? How did I make them enjoy making me happy enough for it to count as reinforcement? I didn't. They came out like that, because their breeders also think like this.

Jemma cries in the night to wake me up, and my heart breaks every time. For every mother dog that has to do this alone. Whose puppy has rolled away across a wire cage bottom, or their dirt floor, or the cold, hard cement kennel, and has to figure it out on her own. Who has to go to the bathroom where she's raising her babies. Who will never have someone bring her turkey soup while she's nursing puppies. Who doesn't know the relief of seeing their human friend's head pop over the side of the whelping box, ready to communicate and offer a helping hand.

Dogs enrich our lives so profoundly. I, for one, would be lost without every single one of mine. Society owes them so much more reverence than they're allowed, especially those ones that are birthing and sharing their babies with our families. Dogs deserve so much more than what they're given. While we all must survive in a capitalist society, maybe we can also look at raising dogs as a public service. A commitment to a better, more humane society. Maybe, for some of us, it's a spiritual path, more profound than anything we've ever heard from yogis, reverends, and gurus.

This is why I'm breeding dogs. I want to give people the option to choose differently. No, I am not naive enough to think that I will put puppy mills out of business. Especially not alone. But there are more people like me. There are people breeding for success in modern homes. We are choosing physical health, mental health, and quality of life for dogs and their humans. It is our primary and passionate goal. The Functional Dog Collaborative is offering support for breeders who feel the same. Maybe, one day, there will be enough of us, and enough awareness of what we're doing, that people will turn their backs on sources of badly bred dogs. On bad breeders themselves. That the solution will be to hold them to a standard, like The Companion Dog Registry is modeling. That the solution will be to shut those places down, as we absorb their dogs into rescues, rather than let them continue producing the dogs that fill out shelters. Maybe, one far away day, our society will not consume mill-produced puppies. It likely won't happen while I'm still alive, but what a movement to be a part of. I have hope. I will be the change. I am breeding the dogs I wish to see in the world.

05/25/2024

Everybody got nail trims today, followed by infant massage. I love the idea of ending grooming sessions with massage bliss and falling asleep. Marcie, of course, got a postpartum abdominal and back massage. We can't leave out mom!

05/22/2024

Amy Townsend of Mandala Dogs writes passionately about her inspiration for breeding modern pet dogs

05/20/2024

We can't wait for these babies! They are wiggling and kicking during Jemma's nightly massage therapy. There will be several available pups from this litter.

Learn more about me, my dogs, and my breeding program on Good Dog: https://www.gooddog.com/breeders/mandala-dogs-michigan

05/20/2024

Why is ethical, modern dog breeding the next really important part of the animal welfare movement?

Why am I breeding mixed breed dogs?

I could write a literal, entire book on this, and maybe, one day, I will. For now:

The short version: the general public needs options other than puppy mills, shelters, and health problems. We are inadvertently supporting bad breeders by continuing to funnel their dogs into rescue, rather than holding them accountable. When you look at the data, we are actually not producing enough dogs to supply the need. I know, that's hard to believe, but I can talk you through it. Who IS producing enough dogs to fill the need? Puppy mills. Dog fighting rings. People who should NOT BE ALLOWED to breed dogs. What if we, with this movement, put them out of business?

What if we bred to THIS standard: Moderate exercise needs. No resource guarding. No dog aggression. No separation issues. No digestive issues. No hip, elbow, or spinal issues that will cause pain. No heart, eye, skin, or genetic diseases. Must be highly trainable and able to live with a busy modern family. All parent dogs must be pets, not kennel dogs. All puppies must be raised in a home environment, not a cage or pen. What if they went home crate trained, clicker trained, potty trained? What if we bred them with the job of COMPANIONSHIP, rather than trying to put hunting, herding, mushing, and guard dogs into companionship roles that don't suit them? What if we paired dogs based on health and temperament, instead of the current method of closed gene pools (only breeding dogs that came from the same ancestors)? What if that's what most modern families need? What if we bred dogs for today's families? That's what I'm up to. I'm not alone. It's a whole thing.

The long version
I think that a lot of veterinary personnel and dog trainers are privvy to trends in the pet population that are hard for some groups to see.

My rescue friends feel strongly that because there are dogs available in the shelter, they should be adopted. They will take home a dog in need, assess it's temperament, behavior needs, and adjust their lives accordingly. They don't understand that not everybody can do this. They are largely oblivious to the behavior issues we see in the vet clinic related to families without the skill set to do so. They DO know, though, that a lot of the best dogs that come in get pulled for friends and family before making it out on the adoption floor. We do have data showing that a LOT of these puppies being adopted out, whose mothers were stressed during pregnancy or whelping, are doomed to anxiety and neurologic disorders. That is simply not in everyone's wheelhouse to be able to take on.

My purebred friends feel strongly that dogs should be bred to a physical and behavioral standard that is very specific. They believe that if you aren't breeding to a well defined standard, and producing exact size, color, coat type, eye shape, ear set, etc, that you aren't doing it right. Further, they believe that the dogs being bred should be fully capable of performing the job they were originally designed for. They don't understand that not everyone is attached to an exact size, exact coat, or the ability to pull a sled, point a pheasant, or kill a barn full of rats. In fact, they are largely oblivious to the behavioral issues we see at the very clinic related to these instinctual behaviors.

Neither of these groups are wrong in their wants or needs, but neither would be happy if they swapped dogs. I am not trying to take away purebred dog hobbyists’ dogs. I am not trying to take away the option for people who want to rescue a dog, and have the means and education to support it in recovering from the lack of care it received prior.

But there's another demographic that is far larger. They don't fit into either category. They don't necessarily have strong opinions about dogs, other than that they want or need one. Hard for either in the first two groups to believe, this is the vast majority. Most of our veterinary clients will say they just want a good dog. They don't care if it ends up larger than expected, or smaller. They might want it to be long-haired, rather than short, or they might be fine with either, or something in between. What's important to these people is temperament. And that is something that is hard to REALLY select for. If you go to a purebred dog breeder, they are breeding specifically to fit their physical standard. While, perhaps, all of their dogs have acceptable temperaments, that is not what they're primarily selecting their breeding stock based upon. If a dog they produce is way more social than the rest of the litter, or much quieter and lower energy, but that puppy happens to be a coat color other than what is accepted by the standard, that dog will not go on to make more dogs for pet homes. The dogs that physically look closest to the standard will. Again, that's not wrong, when you look at their breeding goals. It's just the way it is.

When you assess temperament in the shelter, it's hard to know what you're looking at. Dogs are often so stressed after ending up there that you just can't tell. Also, with the phenomenal success of the spay neuter movement, our options at the shelter are significantly less. Not a bad thing. That WAS the whole point, right? But…
Is the animal shelter the source of animals that it adopts out? It is not. Those animals are not produced there. They are not bred, born, or raised there. That is happening somewhere else, and it is NOT happening by accident. Those dogs are being bred, largely, in the facilities of irresponsible breeders. Are we wrong for housing those dogs in the shelters? No. Are they going to integrate into a family home smoothly? Also, sadly, no.

When people can't find what they want in the shelter, they often decide to buy a dog. I have seen it a million times. Until we embrace responsible pet breeding, those people are going to end up buying from dog stores or irresponsible breeders. Those dog stores source from puppy mills. If they don't end up at the dog store, they likely will find a backyard breeder. That breeder will not stand behind the puppy they've sold when there are inevitably behavioral or health issues. They won't take it back, like a responsible breeder would. That dog will end up in the shelter. It's a vicious cycle.
There are lots of breeders that shouldn't be breeding. I'm with you on that. I want them to stop. I also want people to be able to find good pet dogs. I want them to know they won't have any expensive and surprising health issues pop up. I want them to have access to dogs that have been socialized with children, animals, the city. I want them to have been raised by a dog trainer. I want their families to learn everything they need to know about puppy management from that trainer, before they bring their puppy home. I want them to be able to reach out to their breeder, for support, for encouragement, for help, throughout the life of their dog. There are breeders like this, but they are feeling far between. For a long time, I have been looking for breeders that I would send my mother or my daughter to for a dog. Or my friend who has a rescue dog who has very specific behavioral needs, to find a second dog that will integrate well into their family. Or my friend with small children. Or my friend who just went through behavioral euthanasia with an unsound dog that they tried to save, and they need a friend to heal their heart. I have a few of them. They have looooong wait lists. So, I'm joining them.

I am following the guidelines of the AMAZING Companion Dog Project , and have been guided by The Functional Dog Collaborative. I have been preparing for this for, well, my lifetime, but seriously focused and getting ready for the last 5 years. I have some specific projects I'm working on, with other breeders, that are very focused on health outcomes. I will make posts about those individually later.

My dogs all passed their cardiac ultrasounds, their eye exams, their hip and elbow x-rays. They have been screened for genetic diseases. They have zero digestive or skin issues. Many vets and trainers have given input on moving forward. They are EASY to live with. EASY to train. EASY to meet their physical exercise and mental stimulation needs. EASY to sit on the couch with if exercise is not in the books today. They exemplify the moderation that is missing in the pet dog population. Moderate shape. Moderate size. Moderate social drive. They are all highly trainable, and enjoy it. They have exemplified their soundness in public settings, all by earning their canine Good citizen title, some by titling in sports, and some by assisting me as demo dogs in group training classes. They live with kids and animals, in a busy urban setting, which is how their puppies will be raised. It's time to be the change.

I am breeding the dogs I wish to see in the world.

05/20/2024

A summary of the study "Limits to genetic rescue by outcross in pedigree dogs.” by Windig and Doekes and a discussion about outcrossing.

05/18/2024

Our little buns are out of the oven!

Marcie delivered 9 beautiful babies on Mother's Day afternoon. Marcie's Mom had her first litter on Mother's Day, too. My mother and daughter spent the day with me, welcoming these littles into the world. It was the most magical experience I could have imagined for our first litter! What joy.

Parents are extensively health tested and were paired to compliment each other's amazing temperaments and sound structure. Our breeding goals are to produce extremely healthy, highly trainable, resilient dogs with zero resource guarding, dog aggression, separation anxiety, and with moderate drive and exercise needs.

Check out litter details here:
https://www.gooddog.com/breeders/mandala-dogs-michigan

05/05/2024

Cuba and Marcie have BUNS in the OVEN! We are so excited to announce our first litter. We teamed up with Old Mission Retrievers for this pairing, and are so proud to be working together This is also the first fully-registered litter through Companion Dog Project, which I feel is such an important step forward in understanding, researching, and supporting the future of dogs.
Check out litter details here:
https://www.gooddog.com/breeders/mandala-dogs-michigan

05/02/2024