Graceful Heart Pomskies

11/05/2024

Mr. Photogenic!

30/04/2024

Very true, 😊

30/04/2024

Dogs are family ❤

25/04/2024

This handsome Pomsky boy is joining Graceful Hearts Pomskies!

18/12/2023

Amber eyed beauty saying Hello!

25/11/2023

This is the tiniest Pomsky! Meet Fifi...at 8.5 lbs she is full grown and is definitely more husky than Pomeranian. Literally a very tiny husky...full of energy and fun....loves being chased by other dogs and playing keep away when she has a toy or treat. A copper coated (will fill out more) and amber eyed little beauty.

29/10/2023

How can these black and tan beauties not have their forever place yet? 18 weeks old and out of crazy puppy stage for easy integration into a forever loving family. Meet Justina, Joe, and Jack, the wondrous Chowskies!

29/10/2023

How can these handsome boys not have a forever place yet? Meet Jeronimo and Jetlee, the merle Chowskies! 18 weeks old, housebroken and out of crazy puppy stage so a breeze to integrate into a loving family.

20/09/2023

🤣🤣🤣

02/09/2023

I am hearing some very worrying statements from people recently.
These are mostly referring to abuse.
One recently was that people don’t have an opinion on a technique or tool unless they have used it themselves.
I haven’t tried punching my dogs in the face every time they do something I don’t like.
I have never used he**in.
I have never hung someone.
I have never sexually abused someone.
There are a great many things that I have never tried before, but due to education, ethics, logic, and many other factors, I feel that I have a right to an opinion on them.

I have also heard that people who are using aversive techniques still have dogs that love them. That they still have great relationships with their dogs. That their dogs are not shut down and haven't become more aggressive. And actually, I believe them. Because contrary to popular belief, us abused don’t always act like scared rabbits or walk around bullying others.

As someone who has been abused in various ways throughout my life, I can say that I am still a happy individual who actually still loves some of my abusers. Does that make it right?

People who are abused don’t all walk around acting subdued. They can be people like me who act strong and fierce. They can be people who act mild and meek. They can be people who act angry and defensive. Because abuse can be subtle and how the abuser feels and acts is totally individual to them.

How many stories have you heard of where someone was being severely abused and nobody knew. How many children have been sexually or physically abused for years with nobody noticing?
As animals, we often act okay because that’s what keeps us safe. It’s what helps us to survive. Some people will act timidly, you will see the abuse written all over their face, others will act like the life and soul of the party. We people who have been abused don't walk around telling everybody, we don't make it obvious. So, when people are abusing their dogs and saying that their dogs don't react, this is because the abused don't always react, not because the abuse isn’t there. And not because the abuse is the right way to behave.

How it affects us can be subtle, it can take a long time for us to even realise that what we are experiencing is abuse. Abuse can very easily feel like the norm. Not only that, but we quite often love our abuser, and we quite often tell people how proud We are of our abuser. How kind they can be and "please don't worry because most of the time they're really good to us."
I know people who have been with people who have abused them for decades. They still look at them lovingly, they still tell them that they love them, and they still act compliant and even happy.

But inside, in the core of them, something else happens. Abuse chips away at them and depending on who they are as an individual, depending on their genetics and other life experiences they will react to this over time in different ways. Some will become lovely people but quite defensive. They can be the type of people who hold it all in for months and months on end and then totally freak out. They can be the type of person that does everything for everyone, makes them kind and caring and sweet and everyone says how lovely they are. But inside they are sad, underneath they are screaming. If we always knew who was suffering, we would have a lot fewer suicides.

As force-free trainers, we need to stop saying that aversive methods will make dogs stop trusting, shut down, and get aggressive because sadly it isn't always true.
The abused don't always act like the abused. So please don't kid yourself into thinking that something that is hurting your dog or making them stop doing a behaviour due to feeling intimidated or uncomfortable isn't causing them long-term damage. It is impossible to tell in all cases! You may only discover this years later when it is too late.

It is the abuser’s job to recognize what they are and to be brave enough to stop it.
Think of pain. How many dogs are living in chronic pain and we don’t even know. How many dogs are living in chronic emotional pain and we don't know about it?
It can be hard sharing our lives with other beings human and non-human. But gone are the days that we believe that strength comes from the physical and doesn't come from within.

I had a wonderful student say to me “It's so much harder to be force-free than to be an aversive trainer. It takes a lot more strength”. She is right. It is easy to be angry when we want results and get frustrated. But to stay calm, and be imaginative with approach, takes true strength.

I worked in mental health for 20 years. I still worked with people that wanted to punish our clients for their behaviours. But thankfully due to professional psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health nurses, current laws, and the Mental Health Act, people are being rehabilitated not punished. I have worked with people who have had all their teeth taken out because they have bitten. Years later, they were still attacking others. Punishment has been long seen as the wrong way to go in mental health and teaching practices.

We need to catch up! Can you imagine a prison guard pulling a prisoner around by the neck? Can you imagine them using prong devices around their wrists?

If our society, laws, and education tell us that the most hardened criminals shouldn’t be physically or mentally abused to be rehabilitated, why the hell do we think that it is okay to do to a dog. Humans commit far more heinous acts than dogs!
I am far from perfect but I will never use intimidation, fear, or worry, to knowingly teach my dogs. I will continue to strive to be as kind as I possibly can be. And yes, I will make mistakes. But I will never knowingly abuse those that I love and put their trust in me.

31/08/2023

I appreciate how dogs are increasingly allowed in more spaces and that there are events to celebrate dogs and our love for them.

But dog friendly spaces and dog themed events are incredibly stressful and even scary for many dogs, due to the huge crowd and huge number of dogs. It can be challenging even for the more social of dogs to be in such a space.

In these spaces and events, our dogs would often have to be on a short leash and may have to interact with other dogs while on that tight leash where they cannot fully and naturally express their body language, and may be feeling trapped.

There may also be more people wanting to interact with our dogs when they don’t want to, or people walking too near to them and into their personal space bubble due to the small area.

It can also get very noisy and overwhelming with so much commotion. Our dogs may not get as many opportunities to decompress and exhibit natural behaviours such as sniffing and marking while in there.

Unfortunately, in a lot of content I’ve seen of dogs at such events, lots of dogs are displaying incredibly stressed out body language, such as sitting with their head lowered, whale eyes, stress panting and other avoidance behaviours.

For us, the only dog friendly thing I take my Dave to is our monthly farmer’s market as Dave’s body language has shown that he is comfortable there and he is happy sniffing and eating lots of fancy food. There are also grassy spaces close by so he can conveniently sniff and p*e whenever he wants to.

While that’s great, I also wouldn’t often take him to a dog friendly cafe as that is a different environment and he has more than once shown more stressed body language in them, especially when they’re indoors.

Consider your dog’s comfort and learn to read their body language when deciding whether or not to take your dog to such events and spaces. It may seem fun for us, the human, but it could be incredibly stressful for our dogs and their wellbeing and enjoyment at these events should be our priority.

It is not a failure to not be take our dogs to these things and they are not missing out. It’s a win to always be taking your individual dog’s wellbeing into account.

ID: A beagle looking dog is on leash in a crowd and moving away from the leash while panting and looking stressed. The text says “Dog friendly spaces or dog themed events are not for most dogs. And that’s ok. They shouldn’t be forced to go.”

31/08/2023

28/07/2023

27/07/2023

Jeronimo has the most outstanding markings and a personality to boot!

27/07/2023

Who is the smiley-est of them all? Jetlee the Chowsky!

27/07/2023

Jimbo is a 5 week old Chowsky with a very special face! He is cuddly and quite the character. NFS on facebook.

02/05/2023

Posted •

29/04/2023

Dogs all over England are smiling today. As of Feb 1st 2024 remote electric (shock) collars will be banned in England. Thank you to everyone who campaigned for 10 years to get this done! The dogs thank you!
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media-centre/2023/april/cruel-electric-shock-collars-banned-in-england/

26/02/2023

25/02/2023

Largest boy in the litter has a big heart to share with a special someone(s).

25/02/2023

This fuzzy butt went home last week to Colorado.

10/02/2023

NEWS!!!

FDA Publish Date:
February 08, 2023

Nestlé Purina Petcare Company Voluntarily Recalls Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets El Elemental Dry Dog Food in the U.S. Due to Potentially Elevated Vitamin D (1)

After hills elevated Vitamin D scandal (2) now purina company that sells “prescription food” is incapable to get their own quality standards to a veterinary standard.

Photo: alonggeorgia.com

1. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/nestle-purina-petcare-company-voluntarily-recalls-purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets-el-elemental-dry

2. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hills-pet-nutrition-voluntarily-recalls-select-canned-dog-food-excessive-vitamin-d

31/01/2023

This is why all my puppies go to their new homes with a Haqihana harness!

There have been many articles and textbook chapters written on the topic of hypothyroidism. Maybe too many because when that...

12/01/2023

The most teddy bear like and smallest of the bunch. She is so adventurous!

12/01/2023

Beaver/lavender girl with one blue eye and one greenish eye. She is small but spunky!

12/01/2023

This beautiful merle girl is bright and blue eyed!

12/01/2023

Announcing the Chomsky litter! Probably the one and only litter of it's kind as chosen by the parents.

12/01/2023

This handsome boy has a huge lionhead like his dad. He is a Chomsky (Chow and Pomsky)

01/12/2022

Black and white spells lots of Fun!