Rebellion Labradors

06/23/2024

CH Valhalla's Downward Spiral to Rebellion goes 4 for 4 and finishes his Junior Hunter title at the Greater Pittsburgh Labrador Retriever Club test in Chardon this weekend.
"Helix" and Wyatt were one of only 9 dogs to pass an exceptional test put on by Susie Knapp and Bruce Smith on Saturday.
On Sunday they "ran for fun" on another challenging test where only 13 of 22 dogs passed, judged by Lorraine Fox and Bob Samios.
It was also a very successful weekend for some other club members who worked their butts off and still managed to get passes on their dogs in all 3 stakes. Shout out!

06/18/2024

Work like this, that starts from day 1 here, is why people who get Rebellion puppies consistently comment how easygoing they are. It's not just good temperament. It's conditioning dogs to these minor inconveniences that helps them become model canine citizens. Biting and screaming because you don't like what's going on is unacceptable. Allowing behavior like this, writing it off as "puppy antics" is what leads to your dog needing muzzled or sedated for grooming and vet care
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/SdFnnmHSK3nXAXaE/?mibextid=oFDknk

06/15/2024

Happy 15th birthday to my first Labrador litter! Featured here is the incomparable Mousse. Kudos to his mom Leslie for reaching such a milestone.
Happy Birthday Moushie!

06/09/2024

"Helix" and Wyatt go 3 for 3 Junior passes so far this summer! They'll have to wait a couple weeks to hopefully get that 4th pass at the GPLRC hunt test.

06/02/2024

These 2 have a bond that started when Helix was only 3 weeks old. While I love Helix dearly and enjoy my time showing him, it's obvious his heart belongs to Wyatt.
Junior Hunter pass #2 is in the books. Halfway there kids! Congrats to Deb Vasalani and Bossi on their pass as well! These littermates sure love their birds!

06/02/2024

So proud of Wyatt!
Helix chose Wyatt at 3 weeks old. I told him that meant it was time for him to train his own dog, start to finish, for hunt tests.
Wyatt took that challenge head-on, and trained Helix, through all the hard stuff it takes to get a dog ready to run hunt tests. Today, all that hard work paid off and Helix ran this challenging test like a pro! 1 pass down, 3 to go!
Congrats to Deb Vasalani on Helix's sister, Bossi, also passing. She looked great and was so happy!

05/27/2024

LAST FEW HOURS TO ORDER Greater Pittsburgh Labrador Retriever Club HUNT TEST MERCH!
If you're looking for a great lab shirt or hoodie, check these out. Order closes at midnight.
It's ok- we won't tell anyone if you weren't there 🙃

https://www.customink.com/g/ccz0-00cv-daca?pc=TXN-173483&utm_campaign=gof_org_closing_soon&utm_content=body_gof&utm_medium=email&utm_source=gof_org_txn&fbclid=IwY2xjawDB3AJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHctjGq779O7UI_8_A2UjD7H9LAimnNUiboKoYOuT98ktx7CXL80dL5dlQA_aem_AV5yEK2W7DYhGh7xBhjoDpBQXlbK6oScXCZQQ1HMPtivHO3mF4B9Ta-u47lUxzq9xnLnd_Rmfm2JsZqo6o5Tj-Qf

05/25/2024

"Helix" is now
Best in Specialty Sweeps CH Valhalla's Downward Spiral to Rebellion, under breeder judge Denise Misaras! He also went Select Dog at the Specialty under breeder judge Terry DePietro for a 3 point Grand Champion major.
Helix has earned 18 of the required 25 points towards his Grand Championship in just over a month, taking points in all but 1 show he was entered in.
His sister Bossi won her competitive Bred By class and went on to Best Bred By in Specialty.
Thanks to all the support from Joe and Deb Vasalani, and the kind compliments from everyone. I'm excited to see him start running hunt tests next week!

05/23/2024

"Helix" (CH Valhalla's Downward Spiral to Rebellion) and "Isen" (Rebellion's Release the River!) had a great day at the Altoona Area Kennel Association show in New Castle.
Helix was Best of Breed- see you in Groups!
Isen cleaned up in the span of 15min and was Best Beginner Puppy in Show!
Thank you to judge Sharon Ann Redmer for recognizing Helix, calling him a "Very nice and very honest dog", and judge Lloyd Constantine-Amodei for, well, putting up with a lot of 5mo old puppy antics, including trying to eat my dress!
And thanks to Joe and Deb Vasalani for giving me the opportunity to be on the end of the lead for both these great dogs!

05/19/2024

"Helix" (CH Valhalla's Downward Spiral to Rebellion) had a great weekend at the Marietta shows, adding 7 points towards his Grand Championship. Helix now has 11 of the 25 points needed for his Grand, picking up points in every show he's been entered in since finishing his Championship.
He also picked up a few Owner Handler ranking points, and is now tied with 3 other dogs as the #19 Owner Handler Labrador.
Pic with his OH Group 3 placement from Friday

05/11/2024

Well, it's AKC official! Helix is
CH Valhalla's Downward Spiral to Rebellion!
On to your GCH and JH, big man!
Huge thanks to Joe and Deb Vasalani for entrusting Wyatt and I with Helix.

05/07/2024

I am glad to see this. "Prescription" pet food is a racket of overpriced food at a huge profit margin for the manufacturer. There's no medication in it. It's not even made with high quality ingredients like premium dog food. If you read the ingredients, most of them are cheap filler (especially the "low fat" diets). The only food that has no over-the-counter comparison are the foods made for bladder stones. Those foods work very well and I've felt awful for people who had to make a choice between their animal getting bladder stones over and over, or paying $100+ for 30 # of food.
I hope this ends the horribly deceptive practice of "prescription" dog food, because there is nothing in these foods that would harm a normal dog if someone accidentally bought it.
https://www.pmkm.com/practice-areas/class-actions/petfood/?utm_source=klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Content%3A+Newsletter+%2325+%2801HX37BN77752SZCPWHJVH0HVX%29&_kx=pd8wFklKHxPWRHhMmZZZkb4c_9TVOMHstyhu3XCg_Veca8UEbXDfCJiMy_JEo9d0.C4YyV9&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2jYR6-Plp-uzzIFMrjy0TdicsXnm9SF1vV7tkr3xyoIORc16_wVYD_Qy4_aem_AbGSGR8qcFdNYDwWd3LO7FycMz0BTnFNbsj2-b_Ii9oyFHgvVUdgqPad0wJv--xcrnmSj5DtlpywU1d5ftK6n_a6

If you bought prescription pet food from brands such as Hill's, Purina, Royal Canin, or Iams, you may have overpaid. Learn more.

04/28/2024

Helix had a good weekend, earing 4 points towards his Grand Championship in Morgantown WV. Today after showing, he got to do his favorite thing- picking up birds! First time back in the water since September when he was 5mo old, and he said "No problem, I got this".
His little sister Isen had a great day too- she saw "big water" for the first time and as you can tell, had no problems with it! Very happy with this 4mo old puppy (Thorin x Jinx, Dec 2023)

04/27/2024

If you're ever in the Pittsburgh area, be sure to check out The Washington Winery, just a quick drive down 79! You can meet Lois from our Thorin x Jinx litter, and try a swig of her special brew "The Black Whiskey " (yep that's her on the label)
And if you're patient, a nice rye Whiskey was bottled upon her arrival at Washington Winery. Give it a few years!

04/26/2024

(pending AKC approval):
New AKC Champion Valhalla's Downward Spiral to Rebellion, aka "Helix".
Finishing on his 1 year birthday, Helix is the youngest dog I have owned to achieve his Championship. He is also my youngest dog to get starting in field work, passing the Working Certificate test at 4 months old.
Helix is showing remarkable promise in field work, and I can't wait to watch Wyatt run him in hunt tests this summer.
We can't thank Joe and Deb Vasalani enough for having a litter sired by Nova, and helping us see Helix to his full potential (including Joe putting Helix's last 2 points on him).
Helix started off his Specials career going Select Dog today in Morgantown WV.

04/23/2024

(Pending AKC approval)
NEW CHAMPION Valhalla's Downward Spiral to Rebellion, aka "Helix"- and on his birthday!
Winners Dog/ Best of Winners at the Marion Ohio KC show in Columbus OH under judge Mrs Cindy Lane for his final 2 points. Shout out to Joseph Vasalani for piloting Helix in the ring today when I had to head home.
The real man of the day is Wyatt, who chose Helix when he was just 3 weeks old. I had no goals for this dog other than being Wyatt's first "start to finish" hunt test dog. He's becoming that and so much more. Very excited to finish up the spring shows with Helix as a Special, before we start running hunt tests in June!

04/22/2024

Happy 1st Birthday to Helix and Bossi (pic from January), along with Jaqi, Sammy the Service Dog, and your 2 littermates. You all are doing pretty amazing things at such a young age!

04/18/2024

Very proud of our "Helix". This past weekend, Helix was Winners Dog and Owner Handler Best of Breed both days in Harrisburg, adding 3 points on his quest for that coveted CH in front of his name. Thanks to judges Ms Joy Brewster and Ms. Dyane Baldwin.
Wyatt chose him when he was just 3 weeks old, and here we are- 4 points shy of his AKC Championship at 11 months old. What a journey we've had your first year, Helix! Here's to many more
Valhalla's Downward Spiral to Rebellion (Nova x Jazz, April 2023)

03/12/2024

Nice article in Today's Veterinary Nurse about my work with Crisis Center North.

The link between human domestic violence and animal abuse is becoming more widely recognized thanks to advocates like Herschell.

03/09/2024

STOP ALLOWING VETS TO PRESCRIBE SEIZURE CAUSING MEDICATION, THEN PRESCRIBE ANTI-SEIZURE MEDS!!!
Ohhhh I'm mad. Haven't had the urge in awhile to go into a business and raise hell, but I do today.
One of my puppies, adult, on Simparica Trio, develops seizures. But then they stop. Nothing done. Dog begins having seizures again, 3 of them in a month. Finally taken off Simparica in late 2023. Dog has 1 breakthrough seizure(caused by stress) in 3 months since off Simparica, vet prescribes anti-seizure medication. For 1 seizure in 3 months, when the dog is probably still messed up from the Simparica? What the literal f***!
People- vets are not infallible. They will do stuff that makes zero medical sense (but you may notice it always makes financial sense on their end). They will turn to drugs instead of figuring out how to actually cure the problem (sound like human medicine much?). What this dog needs is time to get rid of those terrible drugs and rebuild her neuro system with the help of supplements like cobalamin. This dog does not have epilepsy, she has a drug induced lowered seizure threshold. The LAST thing this dog needs is a mind-altering, sedative, liver destroying drug in her system.
You must advocate for your own animal. I'm saddened by the state of veterinary medicine. I see this more and more. No common sense, but a lot of bill padding and drug prescribing

03/06/2024

Helix's official win photo from Medina KC dog show under Doug Johnson. Helix has 8 points and both of his majors- over halfway to his AKC Championship. Can't wait to see him and Wyatt out in the field this spring!

03/03/2024

"Helix", Valhalla's Downward Spiral to Rebellion, was Winners Dog on Saturday at the Medina KC show for his second 3-point Major.
Helix now has 8 points and is over halfway to his Championship at 10mo old.
Shout out to his friend "Nola", Valhalla's Big Easy JH, for taking Winners and Best of Opposite S*x today for a 3 point Major! One down, one to go girlfriend!

02/27/2024

Photos like this make all the long sleepless nights worth it. Brix (Yellow collar) met her family today, and I'd say it was love at first sight

02/20/2024

"Puppies in their new homes" photo dump! Feel free to send me pics of your puppy too!

02/18/2024

Chillin' with the 3 remaining girls

02/17/2024

A learning moment:
Today someone asked me a question about their puppy (no one on here or with one of my dogs). They said "He won't stop biting me! I keep giving him treats and toys when he does, but he won't stop! My arms are bleeding!"
Now, anyone who knows me knows I'm pretty blunt. Especially when it comes to dog care and training. My response was "If your child kept coming up and hitting you, would you throw a Happy Meal at them, or correct them?"
The response was stunned silence. You cannot raise a child, or a puppy, on what I refer to as the "treats and love" method. Do treats have their place? Absolutely. So does love. But not when boundaries are disrespected. These are the puppies that become incorrigible wild adult dogs that end up in a shelter. Don't do that to your dog. Treat them with love and respect, and expect the same.

02/16/2024

It's like they know it's their last day all together- they haven't slept in one big pile in weeks

02/13/2024

I couldn't say it better myself, so I copy/pasted from another dog trainer's page. A dog's relationship and house manners are everything! What do you "expect" of your dog, without having to command them? That's the foundation of your relationship and house manners.

Obedience training isn’t the answer to your problems.

There’s never been a client, in the 10 years I’ve been helping people, that succeeded without first laying a solid foundation of habits within their home.

Whether we’re trying to remediate some unacceptable behaviors or develop a well behaved puppy, the things we do day in, day out have become more important to me than teaching dogs to sit or heel or lay down.

Which is not to say there isn’t a place for those things, especially having a solid “off leash” recall, but we can come back to that later.

For now, I want you to think about your relationship with your dog(s) and how your everyday interaction affects that, both positively and negatively.

When you’re out for a walk, is your dog at least mildly focused on where you are in the moment, or are they busy sniffing and scanning the environment for novel things to engage with? Are you walking together or are you simply there to carry the p**p bag?

I’m not asking if your dog knows how to heel in position right by your side. Heeling is a complex obedience behavior. I’m asking a much more rudimentary question.

If while walking, with no more than a 6’ leash (that’s the law in most places), you reverse direction or make a sharp turn without talking to your dog, do they turn before the end of the leash, or do you have to drag them? When your dog sees another person or animal, are they at the end of the leash pulling you in that direction, or do they engage with you for guidance?

If you have to physically assist your dog in turning or you need a 15 foot leash, there’s not only something missing in your walk, there are probably some things missing at home.

Can you simply say “no” to your dog in a normal tone of voice and have them stop a behavior they are engaging in, or about to engage in? They should stop and engage for guidance, not continue and not cower in the corner. No should be a simple, effective signal to stop and do something else.

If someone left the front door open, where is your dog? Running like the wind or waiting for you at the threshold? They should be waiting for guidance.

All of these things and a whole lot more are possible without obedience training.

Here’s a great example of what happens when you implement the right processes and procedures around the home.

A couple of years ago, I coached a family through the basics around the home, primarily in an effort to teach their small dog to eliminate outside, but also to help with their walking and greetings. We agreed to follow up with some basic obedience training at this first meeting. Then disaster struck. Multiple disasters, in fact, delaying the start of our “obedience” training by a full 90 days.

When I returned after a 90 break, I assumed nothing had gotten done. That would have been understandable after what these folks went through in the interim.

But low and behold, some things had been accomplished! The processes and procedures we discussed at the first meeting had been implemented.

The results? No more eliminating in the home, excessive barking, rushing the food bowl or inappropriate chewing, to mention just a few of the resolutions these folks achieved.

At the time I was not only impressed with my client’s resolve in fixing these things, but also the results they got without a single ounce of obedience training.

Do you need some rudimentary obedience training? I say yes “but”.

If you haven’t implemented the right rules, processes and procedures in your day to day life, you’re always going to struggle with reliability.

In fact, I would argue that reliable obedience is impossible without first establishing rules, boundaries, processes and procedures in your everyday interactions to support that goal.

House rules might be as much as 90% of the equation.

Regardless of the method(s) and tools you choose for training, learning and implementing solid “house habits” that build on the human/dog relationship is critical to success.

If you’re going to obedience classes or working one on one with someone, you’re putting in the effort and still feel you’re struggling, the weakness in your program is probably occurring during your day to day interactions with your dog.

Could I be wrong about that? Anything is possible, but I’d wager your weaknesses happen outside of your “obedience” routine.

Find the best practices for your day to day and watch your overall success skyrocket.

You can have a well behaved dog without obedience, but you can’t have obedience without first having a well behaved dog.

It’s more than just “listening”.

02/09/2024

They are really enjoying the playset, and this beautiful weather!

02/09/2024

Within 10 seconds of putting this in the outside pen, they're fighting over who gets to go up and down the ramp! These puppies are so confident and fun!