Francalia Retrievers

08/13/2024

Wise words from one of our top raw food suppliers!

Also, one of the absolute best customer service companies in any industry. 🤎

Chew on this!

Raw meaty bones can be nature's toothbrush for dogs. They clean teeth, massage gums, and provide mental stimulation. Regular dental care can add years to your dog’s life.

Did you know that by age three, a majority of dogs show signs of dental disease? That's why maintaining your pup's oral health is crucial. Here's why raw meaty bones are a game-changer:
🐾 Natural plaque removal: Chewing scrapes away tartar buildup
🐾 Gum health: The gnawing action stimulates and strengthens gums
🐾 Fresh breath: Reduces bacteria that cause bad breath
🐾 Mental enrichment: Satisfies natural chewing instincts
🐾 Nutrient boost: Provides calcium and phosphorus for strong teeth.

Important safety tips:
1. Always supervise your dog when giving raw bones.
2. Choose size-appropriate bones to prevent choking.
3. Avoid weight-bearing bones from large animals, as they can damage teeth.
4. Remove the bone after about 10-15 minutes of chewing -

Remember, raw meaty bones are just one part of a complete dental care routine. Regular brushing, dental chews, and vet check-ups are also important.

Pro tip: Frozen raw bones can be extra soothing for teething puppies or on hot days!

What's your pup's favorite type of bone? Share your dental care routines in the comments below! 👇

📸 : Francalia Retrievers

08/02/2024

Excellent perspective regarding the importance and power of foundation, fundamentals and working the dog in front of you. This truly is gold for any training endeavor.

Trainers sometimes get frustrated when they don’t see the progress in their dog they expect or desire.
They often respond by pressing harder, hyper focusing on the specific area in which their dog is not advancing….the exact opposite of what many dogs need.

They have a vision of how they want their dog to develop; a preconceived timeline of what a dog should be doing and when. If these expectations aren’t met they mistakenly convince themselves if they could improve “X”
(ie a wider outrun, squarer flank, better pace, stronger shedder etc)
all the pieces would come together.

But the key to helping dogs realize their full potential isn’t found by achieving the perceived next step,
improving a single aspect, employing a more sophisticated technique or trying a new gimmick.
Rather it’s found in the standard, understanding and totality of all the bits of training that comprise “the body of work”.
More specifically, it’s dependent upon the quality of the fundamentals, coupled with the right mindset.

Foundational skills are paramount and there is no embarrassment in going back to improve them; once mastered, they provide the springboard for future breakthroughs.
Focusing on these and staying in one place a bit longer gives your dog a mental break. Moreover, you reap the benefits found in the power of habits.
The repetition and routine inherent to core fundamentals develop confidence and cultivate mental fortitude.

It is a better and much less detrimental approach than pushing a young dog too hard to take the next step if he’s not ready.
While some dogs learn very quickly others need time to plateau, get a bit more experience, confidence and maturity before they’re ready for the next step.
Dogs that are slower to develop are very different from precocious dogs when they are young, however, if nurtured correctly, the two dogs can appear indistinguishable as trained dogs.

Instant results or training epiphanies are not common and the majority of the time, sudden improvement is actually a reflection of the cumulative body of work. The little nudge from a different approach that achieves quick and marked progress, probably wouldn’t have had a fraction of the effect without the supporting body of work.

One of the best gifts you can give your dog is letting go of the expectations of what you want him to become, and accept him for who he is—
As you help him through what he finds difficult, keep in mind
every dog learns at a different speed, requiring it to take the time it takes, for your dog to understand and enjoy a new concept.
Being patient in your training empowers learning, fosters partnership and strengthens your bond.

07/14/2024

New Obedience Title - CDX!!
Congratulations to owner/trainer Pat Scribner and P***y! 🎉💙

Francalia Anything Goes CDX, RE

https://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=1284206

07/07/2024

New Junior Hunter title for Bennie!

Congratulations to owners Kerry and Sean Sweeney and many thanks for allowing me to run this gorgeous and talented boy. 💚

Francalia’s Benelli Blue JH
https://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=1349292

07/07/2024

Senior passes this weekend for these two beauties, Boomer and Holly!

Thank you to the judges and the hard-working folks at the NSDTR Club.

Many thanks to owner Kathy Brooks for allowing me the honor to run her dogs. 🧡💜

https://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=1304481

https://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=1207306

07/01/2024

New Junior Hunter title for Praise
and a Senior Hunter pass for Boomer!

Many thanks to the hard working folks from Southern Berkshire Golden Retriever Club.

03/14/2024

Words of wisdom 🐾

Recently, I heard a trainer say, “My dog just doesn’t get it, he can’t learn”
This statement is much more reflective of the handler than the dog.

Sometimes people get caught up in their own expectations, so much so, they put their desire of how they want their dog to work ahead of how that individual dog needs to work.
Handlers that blame their dogs are often seeking comfort for themselves, because their teaching is struggling.

Many times they are one dimensional in their approach. Rather than teach and encourage based on their dogs development, they focus on their preconceived path to success, which may include a lot of corrections and sometimes bullying.
The handler believes ‘my dog can’t learn X” (ie inside flanks, driving, shedding etc. ), when actually it’s the way it’s been taught that is the problem.
The issue may include the set up, the pressure, your foundation training, his confidence (in himself or you) or your mindset.
If you approach a new concept by making it difficult (even inadvertently), have expectations of how quickly your dog should learn, how proficient he should be or if you try to force behavior, it could be that you are creating the stress that your dog then associates with a specific task.
Just like people, dogs can get bored when you do the same thing too often, frustrated when the handler is too inconsistent or disheartened when it’s too arduous or too often being told ‘you’re wrong’.

When things aren’t going well you need to either have the knowledge to change your approach, or ask for help.
To be a good teacher you have to leave behind agendas and ego.
When I understood it was my responsibility to honestly assess my dog and tailor my training to best help him, instead of expecting him to figure it out, it was a game changer.
Training your dog may lead to blaming your dog.
Training yourself, leads to partnership.
macraeway.com

02/11/2024

Love this 💞

01/23/2024

🎯

Everyone wants success with their dog but sometimes handlers make the mistake of focusing on the results they want, instead of the effort it takes to produce them.

Many want quick fixes; they don’t want to hear that it takes years of study and dedication to be successful.
Todays society is fast, we have instant access to so many things (including posts on social media)
But dogs don’t care about technology, culture, agendas, ego or your expectations; if you’re not humble, your dog will likely do that for you.

Receiving good information is a must, a coach can be invaluable, but you have to do the work and make a lot of mistakes before success.
There are no great results without effort and training at times can be hard. It can test your patience, intention, commitment, discipline and self awareness.
But the amazing thing is, no matter how much you ultimately accomplish, putting great effort into developing your partnership with your dog can result in immeasurable reward, including one of the most profound bonds in your life.
macraeway.com

12/19/2023

We had a spectacular time at our final 2023 event at Green Mountain Shooting Preserve this past weekend! Thank you to owner David Bardzik and the entire staff for your hard work hosting these events, plus providing top-notch, full course meals afterwards! Thank you also to the folks on the course who give our dogs the opportunity to do what they love!

We were able to introduce some new people and their young dogs to the sport this year, which made for fun, memorable times and lots of happy dogs and happy people!

10/05/2023

09/04/2023

New CCA title!! Congratulations to Abbey and owner/handler/trainer Blanche Wisniewski! So proud of all you’ve accomplished together! You’re a remarkable team! 💞

Abbey is from our Rhys x Solar litter.

Francalia’s Here Comes The Sun SH WCX AX AXJ OF CCA

09/01/2023

Delilah (Ben x Solar) earned a United States Canine Scent Sports "Detection Dog Classic Novice" title for successfully completing every element in one day (interior, container, exterior, and vehicle). She earned second place in the container and vehicle searches. 👏👏👏
In the words of her owner/handler Peter & Jessica Hasapis, she is “disarmingly cute, ain’t she”? 🎉💜

Congratulations!! We’re so proud of your accomplishment!

09/01/2023

Waylon (Tucker x Apple 3.0) earned his SRS title! Congratulations to owner/handler Ernie D'Antoni!

Look who earned their SRS title this weekend!!!
SRSAC Waylon, Ransom’s Rambling Man QAA, handled by Ernie D’Antoni. 🙌🙌Congratulations!!



.boats

08/27/2023

Top Dog Food & Supply makes it so easy to feed your pets raw with top notch products and extensive delivery locations. Their customer service is one of the best in any industry - knowledgable, prompt, courteous and professional! They’ve helped so many of my puppy owners who are new to feeding raw.

Thank you 🔝🐶 for this great spotlight and for all you do for the raw feeding community!

08/25/2023

😂😂😂

08/18/2023

Is Purina Pro Plan a good dog food? Here's our Purina Pro Plan dog food review, based on criteria for ingredient safety and ingredient quality for each line of food ...

08/18/2023

Liked and shared this 4 yrs ago and still holds true today.

When you have a young dog that’s loaded with natural ability, you have to constantly remind yourself not to push your dog too much. Because your dog is making so much progress and learning quickly, it’s easy to fall into the trap of training too much too soon.
Sometimes handlers mistake talent for maturity and continue to ask for improved performance when their young dog isn’t ready for it. This can include working too long, asking for too much pace, too much precision, extending outruns, driving too far, putting your dog in with testing sheep, pushing your dog off, etc.
While it may result in your dog being successful in the nursery, that same dog, because too much pressure was applied too soon, may not be competitive or sometimes even keen, when they’re 7, 8, 9 or 10 years old.
You have to respect your individual dogs maturity and mental fortitude, (irrespective of his ability), or risk ruining him. Being patient and making learning intuitive and fun when your dog is young leads to having a positive, enthusiastic sheepdog when he’s older.
—Patience prolongs performance—
You’ve got the rest of your dogs life to work on the finer points, you’ve got this moment, while he’s young, to foster his initial enthusiasm.
Getting a dog to work the way you’re asking isn’t remarkable. Getting a dog to WANT to work the way you're asking is the key.

Patricia Alasdair MacRae

06/23/2023

An important read to be aware of the dangers of grass awns.

Did you know grass awns can be deadly dangerous for your dog? Find out why, and how to protect your dog from injury and infection.

06/10/2023

Great opportunity !

06/08/2023

“Wick” (pictured on right) receives a 4th in the Open at Cheyenne Retriever Club. Wick is from Tucker x Apple 3.0 breeding.

Congrats to owner Ted Shih, on both placements, and special congrats from momma Apple to Wick!! 🍎❤️

05/29/2023

Today we remember and honor those who have died in service to our nation.
🇺🇸God Bless America🇺🇸

05/01/2023

I’ve had this conversation numerous times
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

04/19/2023

“Orla” (Star x Gusty) attended the Golden Strong Meetup at Boston Common to honor the passing of Spencer, the official dog of the

She even made it on Boston’s channel 7 news (time-stamp 1:50): https://whdh.com/news/hundreds-of-golden-retrievers-gather-on-boston-common-to-honor-memory-of-spencer-the-marathon-dog/amp/

“Orla” is quite special, and a celebrity in these parts. 🌟 She’s an active therapy dog who’s logged in over 200 hours of volunteer therapy work at a local hospital, not to mention, countless hours at nursing homes, colleges and other venues.

At the young age of 12, she continues to bring comfort and smiles to everyone she meets, and most importantly to her beautiful owner, Kate Mcgrath

We love you like crazy and are so very proud of all you do together!!💞💛

04/17/2023

It was a fabulous weekend for Apple x Tucker kids!!

“Ti” got 2nd in the Open at So Jersey - FC Tioga Apple Idog QAA owned by Lynn & Andrew T. Manus

“Spot” got 3rd in the Open at So Jersey - Francalia Spot On of Trifecta owned by Lisa Kane & Grace Mondrosh

“Waylon”, at 3 yrs old, got 4th in the Open at Tejas Retriever Club - Ransom’s Ramblin Man QA2 owned by Ernie D'Antoni

and our beautiful “Lacey”,
owned by Kathy Brooks, gave birth to her puppies sired by “Poncho”
https://www.huntinglabpedigree.com/puppy.asp?id=52544

“Poncho” also got a JAM in the Open at So Jersey, Malcolm Haith Sr.

Congratulations!!! 🎉👏 We are so very proud of the accomplishments of all the Tucker x Apple kids. 💙❤️🍎
Alex Abraham

04/08/2023

Dental health day 🦷🦴😁

04/02/2023

Real food additions to our standard raw food diet of raw meat with bones and organ.

The goal is variety and balance over time.

03/22/2023

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03/19/2023

“Waylon” (Tucker x Apple 3.0) won the SRS Amateur Division in Lake Charles. Waylon is now qualified for the Crown National this year!

We’re so very proud of all that Waylon has accomplished! 🧡👏🍎

Congratulations to owner Ernie D'Antoni!

Big congratulations to Luke Cour & Indy and Ernie D’Antoni & Waylon. Our open and amateur winners at the Lindsay’s Lab SRS Club Events.

Thanks to our partners for helping to showcase our retriever teams.

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