Dogs Avec Espoir

01/02/2024

12/25/2023

Thoryn got her balance ball, which Ulric spent most of the morning trying to push her off of. Enigma a new gonut, which Ulric thought better of stealing. Ulric will not hold still long enough to show his toy if it’s in his mouth. Yoda has had enough to the Beaucerons for one morning, so is under the bed with his toy.
Have a peaceful holiday everyone 😊
Edited to add Ulric with toy & Yoda in pillows.

12/22/2023

Ulric maturing nicely. 😍

12/11/2023

Ulric Avec Espoir
6.5 months, 62.2 lbs. lots of compliments today 😍💗

12/09/2023

BUY THE **STUFF** FIRST, NOT THE DOG

Dogs are very bad Christmas gifts -- it’s a time of too much chaos, too many ornaments to eat, too much impulse buying, too many relatives, and not enough planning.

And remember, you are not getting a puppy -- you are getting a DOG, and a lifetime obligation that will never stop needing time, attention, and money.

Instead of buying a puppy to put under the tree, go to a pet store and buy all the stuff you will need for the dog:

▪️2-3 leashes
▪️an expanding nylon collar
▪️a set of engraved slide tags
▪️at least two crates
▪️dog food
▪️brushes
▪️dog chews
▪️shampoo
▪️flea and tick treatment
▪️a dog bed
▪️a book or two on dog training
▪️a training cot
▪️a big lump of money for fencing
▪️more money for a dog door
▪️more money for vaccines and checkups.

Then, after Christmas, start going through Pet Finder to find the perfect "rescue" dog, after first settling on a type.

Why not a pure-bred dog? You can go down that road too if you want, but purebred dogs, as a group, are provably LESS healthy than cross-breeds and mutts (see the vast data sets kept by insurance companies in both the US and Europe).

What about a working dog? Most people who get working dogs never intend to actually work their sled dogs, man-stoppers, bird dogs, terriers, or herding dogs. Working dogs tend to have hard-wired internal drives that are not easily sublimated, and which make them frustrating (and occasionally dangerous) as pet dogs placed in average homes where training and exercise is infrequent and lackadaisical.

12/03/2023

My pretty girl got this under her collar today🥰
Healthy/normal heart

12/02/2023

Ulric Avec Espoir. He’s going to be just amazing. 🥰💕

12/01/2023

Service dogs.
Probably one of the most unpopular topics for any pet dog trainer.
I cannot begin to count the amount of service dog training requests I receive.
“Can your online courses train my dog to be a service dog?”
“I need to make my dog a service dog so he can ride on the bus with me” (Yes, someone seriously asked me this)
“Do you certify service dogs?”
No - no - no - and more no.
Service dog training is completely different from pet dog training.
If your dog is trained to walk nicely on a leash and sit and stay, they are a pet dog.
If your dog comes up to you and nuzzles you when you are sad - they are still a pet dog.
If you want your dog to accompany you into stores or fly in-cabin on planes … they’re still only a pet dog and these privileges are not for them.
Service dogs are task-trained.
They are specifically taught to work for people with disabilities.
A dog that solely provides comfort is not a service dog.
I see a lot of people acquiring dogs, labeling them as “my service dog” and *then* going about training them.
This is not how that works.
You cannot just select a dog, put a service dog harness on them and figure the rest out as you go.
We regularly receive requests from dog owners who tell us that their “service dog” pulled them over on leash or nips at visitors.
That their service dog relentlessly chases wildlife on walks or has intense anxiety in social settings.
One time I got a request from a lady who told me that she got a dog from the shelter to be her son’s service dog, but that “service dog” was now biting the son and could I please fix it.
I’m sorry - none of those dogs are not service dogs then. And they likely won’t be service dogs in the future either.
Please be honest about the dog you own.
Unless you worked diligently to train them as a service animal with specific tasks, they are a pet.
A beloved, (hopefully) well-behaved, wonderful pet.
But not a working dog, and you should not demand the privileges that are reserved for true service dogs and their disabled handlers.
Staying clear with this distinction protects the actual service dogs and their owners 🙂

11/26/2023

Yelling louder for the people in the back

My dog is not my child.

My dog is not my furbaby.

I am not her mother, I am her trainer. The word trainer is not a bad word, it means leader, supporter,disciplinary.. and friend.

My dog is my friend. She is my partner and my companion. To treat her like a child, to infantilize her and make it seem as though she needs my constant coddling or protection, would be unfair to her.

She is an adult carnivore that I have brought into my human world. Because of that it is my responsibility as her owner:

1) To communicate with her in a way she can understand.

2) To provide leadership, discipline and mutual respect.

3) To understand her instincts and needs, and provide appropriate outlets for them.

4) To train her and provide her the skills to function effectively in our human world, including acceptable manners and behaviors including the veterinarian.

Our dogs deserve to be given responsibility and allowed to be adult creatures, not perpetual babies. Please, don't try to make them tiny humans, they aren't and they don't want to be. Dogs are wonderful because they are dogs. Let them be dogs.

Teach them to be good ones.

I couldn’t live a day without them..

11/25/2023

Even if you love dogs, not all dogs want your hands on them. In fact, the vast majority of dogs do not want a stranger to grope them, especially without asking THEM.

Even if the dog is familiar to you, ALWAYS ask and wait for consent. Better yet, let them ask you for cuddles!

When you are interacting, watch their body language and stop periodically to check that any interaction is still consensual.

Always respect every dog's personal space. Avoid leaning over or crowding them and avoid restraining them (hugs). *Hugs and kisses are a human thing, not a dog thing.

This doesn't mean you can never cuddle, spoon, have familiar dogs in your lap, etc., but they should always FULLY KNOW they have the ability to walk away, move away and not feel trapped. And it should be their choice.

Don't know the dog? Then just admire from afar. Many dogs are uncomfortable interacting with strangers and that's completely fine!

Amazing art by: on Instagram.

11/05/2023

He tries hard

11/05/2023

Very hard to video alone

11/05/2023

Puppy training

11/05/2023

10/25/2023

Thoughts?

If you love dogs, maybe don’t get one.

10/24/2023

still accurate

•Pet your dog, all the time
•Talk to your dog, all the time
•Allow your dog to follow you, all the time
•Allow your dog to be on your lap or laying on your feet, all the time
•Pet, soothe, comfort your dog when it whines or barks for attention...or is simply anxious
•Allow your dog to demand affection/interactions
•Be emotionally dependent on your dog
•Allow your dog to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants
•Provide no structure or rules
•Refuse to crate train your dog
•Refuse to correct your dog when inappropriate behavior occurs
•Refuse to train your dog to be calm, relaxed, and independent by using a “Place” command, and/or “away” time in the crate
•Allow you and your home to be a free-for-all, where your dog has zero leadership and guidance
•Let your dog out of the crate when it whines or barks
•Avoid training or anything that makes your dog uncomfortable or unhappy
•And many, many more...

Basically, baby, soothe, allow, enable, lean on, and create a toxic dependency...so when you leave, your dog is a mess, because you haven’t prepared them to be strong, resilient, robust, independent, and alone.

---------------
I put this in the comments but posting it here to make sure everyone sees it that is reading and doesn't want to scroll through the comments.

**Commenting as this has gone further than I intended (yay Facebook!)

I did not make create this post, but rather shared. The person who created the post is contributed to in the photo.

Does doing these things automatically mean your dog will get separation anxiety? Absolutely not. My dogs are first and foremost my companions. None of my personal dogs have separation anxiety. They are all well rounded Canine citizens. Temperament is one of the top priorities in my breeding program because I have personally seen too many dogs with loose screws.

It's your job as an owner/trainer/handler to know and read your dog. Every dog is different. Every dog needs different things. Every dog has a different training style. It is YOUR job to learn these things. Dogs are smart creatures. They learn through positive and negative experiences. If you touched a hot stove, you'd think twice about touching it next time, right? Dogs are the same. There has been extensive studies from animal behavioralists that looked into what causes Separation Anxiety. Is some of it genetically predisposed? Of course it is. Is some of it taught? Absolutely.

There is no 'one shoe fits all' solution. Every situation has to be analyzed and approached according to what that situation needs. If you are noticing your dog is spiraling in a direction you don't desire and you don't know how to fix it, then contact an animal behavioralist. They will be thrilled knowing that you are being an advocate for your dog and want your dog to be a happy, independent Canine citizen vs being in distress in whatever environment that makes it uncomfortable.

I shared this post as to shed light on what COULD cause separation anxiety. That does not mean they WILL. Restating - EVERY dog is different has different needs. It is YOUR job as the owner to learn your dogs needs!

10/22/2023

Breakfast line up, patient at least

10/20/2023

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cymg7C5s3QN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

10/16/2023

110%

10/15/2023

Are you aware most e collars also have a vibrate & tone button. It’s a tool, which when used correctly saves lives & gives dogs freedom

10/01/2023