What Dog Handlers Say

21/01/2024

No, not that. Something else. 🤔

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15/01/2024

DOGS 🗣️

It’s finally 2024! 🎊 Start the year off right with new decals dedicated to the dog sport you love so much! ShopCanineAesthete.com

14/01/2024

🩷

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06/01/2024

Big dog owners can relate!

07/12/2023

☝🏽

06/12/2023

20/11/2023

Not sure who said it... would love to give credit-

15/11/2023

⚠️ NEVER underestimate the impact that YOUR stress levels have on your horses and dogs! ⚠️

This is Herx coming down after a week's worth of absorbing my study deadline stress. Today was the last day. You can see the effect my compounding study stress has had on my dog but you don't notice it until there is contrast and the stress is gone.

How does this happen?

Both horses and dogs have the ability to smell something you can't...
Glucocorticoids (cortisol) and adrenaline.

These are hormones and neurohormones that are produced when the mind experiences stress/trauma.

Cortisol in particular is a hormone that, when released in high levels, can be sustained at high levels, unlike adrenaline that is fast acting but also fast to deplete.

Cortisol is an essential hormone for consciousness and alertness, but when secreted in prolonged high amounts has some negative mental, emotional and physical effects.

When you experience compounding stress you won't necessarily notice it because it is slowly compounding (like building blocks of lego).

What you may eventually notice is:
🧨 you become a little less tolerant to things you would normally tolerate
🧨 you may become a little more over sensitive mentally and emotionally
🧨 you may experience memory loss
🧨 you may struggle with a lack impulse control
🧨you may have problems with reasoning and risk assessment
🧨 you might find you struggle with attention and focus
🧨 you may develop problems getting to sleep or staying asleep (insomnia)
🧨 you may find you might develop some anxiety and/or depression
🧨 you may have difficulties regulating your emotions
🧨 you may experience sensory overload problems
🧨 you may find you do things that help you feel distracted from your emotions and stay stimulated as much as possible

These things slowly creep in without you knowing it.

In the meantime, your dog is smelling the little fluctuations and surges in your cortisol levels as the baseline rises to new levels, your horse is smelling it to!

You can't smell cortisol so you aren't even aware that your dog or horse is responding to the information you are unknowingly and unconsciously giving them.

⚠️ This scent is a warning system to your dogs and horses ⚠️
This scent says "I feel under threat, be alert and vigilant of me and around me".

When you release this scent, you will display corresponding microexpressions in your body language to. So now your body smells like danger and your body looks like danger. This is a lot of information for your dog and horse. It speaks VOLUMES and 100% trumps ANYTHING you say verbally to your animal. They'll believe EVERYTHING your smell and body says over what your words say.

And we wonder why our dogs and horses don't want to partner up when we want them to!

🫵 So check in with yourself first.
🫵 Do some deep breathing.
🫵 Check your body for areas that are holding tension.
🫵 Acknowledge any emotions that you're holding on to without having an opinion or validation.
🫵 Data dump whatever thoughts are running around in your head.
🫵 Take a walk and MAKE time for yourself
🫵 SLOW YOUR MOVEMENT DOWN!!!

Happy brain training 🧠
Charlotte 😊

08/11/2023

As professional dog trainers, our job is to tell clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Due to the rising popularity of the Belgian Malinois, we're receiving more and more inquiries asking us to help "fix" these dogs as they mature into adults. They're biting house guests, chasing the children, and getting into bar fights at the dog park.... and their families are feeling hopeless and frustrated, realizing they bit off more than they could chew.

We understand the appeal. They're beautiful, athletic dogs with hilarious personalities and they're smart as can be. Videos of their impressive training and abilities regularly go viral on the internet. Done correctly, you'd be hard pressed to find a more loyal breed. But these dogs are not without extreme challenges that can make them completely unsuitable for the average home.

For those of you that know us, you know that we are incredibly passionate about the breed. For those of you that don't, a little background on us. Lisa Lucero won the USA Mondioring Nationals in 2021 with her Malinois, Hero; and competed in Romania in the International competition with him in Oct. 2021 - placing in the top 15 in the world. She has been in the Malinois breed for twelve years, with her third competition dog of the breed. Shaina Zimmerman won the MR1 Nationals in 2019 with one of her Malinois, Atom, took 3rd place at MR3 in 2021, and has two dogs currently competing in Mondioring and French Ring. Both have also been involved in rescue and placement of the breed, as well as puppy selection and rearing for some of the top breeders in the country. Shaina's female Malinois just had a litter of puppies for a well known kennel, and she is currently raising one of those puppies until he is placed in an appropriate home. Prior to Malinois, Lisa and Shaina both competed with working line German Shepherds. We have titled in AKC and ASCA Obedience and Rally, in addition to protection sports. We have trained with the best of the best in the country, and in the world. The point is, we have extensive breeding and training experience with Malinois.

We aren't going to sugarcoat what it takes to be successful with a young Malinois in a pet home. One of our well-respected colleagues, that we refer to for private lessons and group classes (since we do not offer those services) has decided to refer out all Malinois inquiries that come in as she has had almost no success helping people with these dogs as pets. The breed has gained exponentially in popularity since the rise of the public's exposure to them. Unfortunately, this has led to many more of them being bred and put out into the world - from those in shelter situations, to those being purchased from working line breeders, to those being bred by less scrupulous breeders looking to cash in on their popularity. It's easy to find breeders regularly mixing Malinois with Dutch Shepherds and German Shepherds, touting them as the perfect family protector and companion, selling them to ill-prepared families. They are a truly singular breed in their needs, and in how their brains work. Even those from the very best breeders require a completely different type of life and training than most trainers offer, or most homes are willing to provide. While we do not subscribe to the theory that Malinois need hours of intensive training and exercise every day, we do know that they need more structure and understanding of training theories and genetic behaviors than most homes are willing to learn and implement.

Malinois are purposefully bred to be a bit neurotic, with a lot of drive, suspicion, and aggression. This can be a hard balance to get right, as genetics have a huge influence on behavior and despite the most thoughtful of breeding, the result can be undesirable. Some Malinois like dogs. Some like people. If you're lucky, you end up with a dog that likes both (we call this a UNICORN)... but most often, they dislike both. And that doesn't make them a bad Malinois.

No matter how social a Malinois is (or appears to be), dog parks and daycare are not appropriate outlets for their energy. These dogs are obsessive -- of their toys, their interactions, and their environments. Putting them in situations where they are able to obsess over dogs, people, and items will inevitably result in behaviors such as barking and lunging on walks, aggression due to possession of their toys, running off after dogs while off leash, etc.

Any interactions our own dogs have with other dogs and strangers are well thought out, and for the benefit of the dog. This is not a breed to hang out at a backyard BBQ with intoxicated houseguests who don't understand high drive dogs. Even sober overzealous greeters can get into trouble with a Malinois. (HAIIII PUPPPY!)

While I am not saying owning a Malinois is akin to a tiger that needs to be kept in a cage, I am telling you that they require a much higher level of obedience control, and coaching other people how to interact (management) than other dogs in order to be mentally well adjusted, happy dogs, to prevent dog fights, and bites to people. Even an accidental bite can have devastating consequences for a dog and it is our job to respect this breed for what it is, and for what it isn't, and to avoid and/or intervene in bad situations. While we can help our clients get rock-solid obedience training, direct them to appropriate training outlets, and help them live the best life together, we cannot, and will not, help them make a Malinois what they are not (a Golden Retriever, by example). It is not possible, and it would be unprofessional and unethical for us to take a clients money promising to do so.

To drive it home, here is a good post from a breeder friend of ours that has gone viral numerous times over the years:

"For those that need to hear it....MALINOIS BITE!
MALINOIS BITE !!
MALINOIS BITE !!!
MALINOIS BITE !!!!
No, there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with them. They are bred this way. They do this from 5 weeks on. They also have lots of energy, are very reactive, very pushy and usually carry quite a bit of aggression. They are not known as ‘tolerant dogs’. They don’t care if that’s your kid’s toy. It’s theirs now. P**s off!
They are not like German Shepherds. They are nothing like your Rottweiler you had years ago that you got to sit and stay. They are not Lassie. They are not Rin Tin Tin. Just stop with that.
They jump like REALLY well. See all those cool videos online of them doing crazy parkour s**t? See all those high walls they scale? Your stupid fenced in yard is a joke. I watch 5 month old Malinois puppies that can climb 6ft fences no problem. These are very athletic and agile dogs. There are reasons they are securely confined when not closely supervised by responsible owners. This is one.
And here comes the ‘well, if they are so terrible than how come you have them?’
Well, guess what? I’m a professional trainer. My life revolves around training dogs. I literally eat, breath and sleep this stuff. Everyday. 24/7. It’s an obsession and a lifestyle. I have the need for a breed that matches that intensity. If I didn’t, you bet your ass I wouldn’t have Malinois. In fact, I started out with other breeds first. I went out to sport training clubs and was a dedicated member for years before I got a Malinois. I spent lots of time around the breed with professional trainers before getting my own.
If you’re still romanticizing about getting your own Malinois after reading all this. Fine. Do it right. Don’t be a schmuck and just go out and get one from the first jerk drooling to sell your naive ass a BYB puppy. JOIN a training club. Spend LOTS of time around them. Learn how to actually train a dog using your brain instead of jerking it into a sit. Get a proper set up. Make sure you have several REPUTABLE breeders lined up. Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into. Then take the plunge and hopefully enjoy the rewards of dedication and planning. Or don’t...because you found out this isn’t for you and you can’t commit. No shame in that.
The point here...don’t make a round peg try to fit in a square hole. Don’t make a selfish, uneducated decision because you are impulsive and don’t care if another living being suffers due to your crap choice at the time. The safety blanket for this breed is gone. Yes, that’s right. The Malinois rescues are overwhelmed. The shelters are getting owner surrender and stray Malinois left and right. They are now on the blacklist for many insurance companies and landlords. It’s not slowing down. Nobody will want your Malinois when you finally decide that maybe you made a mistake. So keep that in mind when admiring that pretty brown hero dog with the black mask."
-Stephanie OBrien
Loucyn Malinois

01/10/2023

❀⸜(˶´ ˘ `˶)⸝❀

27/09/2023

5 tips that will help you look your best in your trial (and photos). Tips I have learned editing the photos of over 1,000 IGP competitors:

1) Smile
T Floyd is perhaps the most famous practitioner. It's free, adds a very nice picture and is permited communication with your dog. Most important, your photos will have warmth and connection. The difference is not even close.

2) Look Up
Stand straight, chin up and look forward. The look is confident, the dog reads your confidence and your posture presents a nice picture. Too often the handler completes entire obedience looking down at the ground. There have been times I didn't get a single photo of the eyes in heeling, either because the handler was looking down or because the eyes were buried under a visor. Looking at your dog in heeling is not going to help you once the trial has started. Look up and smile, be confident. This is your part in this show.

3) Walk/Run with a full stride
All of the best heeling performance include a full stride which provides for a slightly faster than normal walking pace. This opens up the dog so that it can present it's gait. The gait is a magical part of the dogs movement. A short stride is like short breaths. The dog doesn't open up and the front and back legs never really overlap. Movement is beautiful, open it up. This is specially true in fast heeling where I more often than not see the handlers leading step land barely in front of their body center line and with bent knee. This short step movement looks restricted and the dog never gets to show its gait. Open it up!

4) Don't wear Day-Glo, fluorescent colors, white or overly complicated designs
The focus is suppose to be on your dog. By its nature Day-Glo attracts they eye, detracting from what you worked so hard to show. The fluorescent colors are outside the gamut capability of digital cameras. They make for awful photos. Keep in mind where you want the judges eye- on your dog! White is reflective and causes over exposed photos and best avoided. Something on the luminance scale near the luminance of the dog is best. At the other extreme, I don't suggest jeans or shorts, or back yard attire for that matter. Remember, you worked darn hard to prepare for the trial field, your attire should reflect your seriousness. Your attire makes a statement. What are you telling the judge? If you wear black, some contrasting accents are important to give the camera autofocus something to track. Even a single line of contrast is enough. Along the same idea, a contrasting color fur saver does wonders to ensure the sharpest phots.

5) Engage your dog during the critique.
Scoring is over when you check out with the judge at the end of the phase. Your dog and you did it! Exhale and let your dog know how much you appreciate him. These are often the best photos of your collection. They are my favorite and a self respecting photographer will be watching for a moment where you and your dog connect in an honest way.

These tips may not get you more points, but they will for sure provide you the absolute best picture of your and your dog for your photos.

Claudia Howard & Django von der Pflochsbacher Schmiede showing the tips mentioned above in IGP3 Obedience at the
2021 USCA Working Dog Championship. She is smiling, the dog is resonating her smile. Both Claudia and her dog have substantial stride. Head up. Contrasting line on the pants. The lime green is uncluttered and although a bit on the bright side, still within the color gamut that the camera is capable of rendering. In all, this adds up to a nice picture of heeling.

25/09/2023

it’s ROUGH out here for sure 🥹

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19/09/2023

As your dog retrieves the first...second...third...maybe fifth or sixth ball, his muscles start to tire and soon they reach overload, where they no longer can fully control and support your dog's movements. Now, when your dog does those amazing athletic maneuvers to snag the ball, soft tissues like the cranial cruciate ligament, iliopsoas muscle and tendon, and the muscles and ligaments that support the vertebrae are overstretching. Minor tears are occurring. Now the ball is thrown 10, 12 times or more and ultimately your dog lies down, exhausted.

That period between when your dog's muscles are in overload, and when your dog lies down exhausted, is the injury zone (Figure 1). But remember, with all that adrenaline, your dog doesn't feel the injuries happening, so you have no idea that the tissues are being used beyond their capacity.

When this game is repeated day after day, month after month, the small tissue tears become large ones, and suddenly it becomes evident that your dog is in pain and has an injury. Of course, it hasn't been sudden at all-what seemed sudden is just the final result of repeated stress and strain until the tissues gave way.

Chris Zink DVM
Discovering Your Dog

18/09/2023

Things I needed to hear 5 years ago 📆

Dog trainers + sport enthusiasts! ૮⍝• ᴥ •⍝ა Find the perfect dog training decals + tees to show off your sport in our shop. ShopCanineAesthete.com

11/09/2023

😂 it’s true.

16/07/2023

Interessanter Artikel über eine Studie der Universität Oslo über die Fähigkeit der Hunde, die Richtung einer Spur zu bestimmen.
Getestet wurde mit Tracking-Dogs, also Fährtenhunden, die mit tiefer Nase suchen auf Gras und Asphalt.
Aber das Ergebnis spricht für sich.
Nach nur rund vier Metern (2-5 Schritte) auf der Fährte konnten sie die Richtung klar definieren.
Wenn man überlegt, wie gering der Altersunterschied des "Geruchs" auf diesen wenigen Metern ist, kann man sich vielleicht ungefähr vorstellen, wie gigantisch die Nasenleistung unserer Vierbeiner ist....

https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/180/1/247/6534/Behaviour-of-Dogs-During-Olfactory-Tracking

08/03/2023

Show dog cheat sheet!

01/06/2022

Dogs are family ❤

01/05/2022

Just a friendly reminder, as we’ve notice in an uptick of “Adopt Don’t Shop” people on our recent posts —

• We support responsible breeders.
• We support purebred preservation breeders.
• We support purebreds.
• We support the responsible cropping and docking of dogs.
• We support the choice to spay or neuter your pet at an older age, or not at all.
• We support working dogs.
• We support conformation dog shows.
• We support show line and working line dogs.
• We support responsible dog rescues.
• We do NOT support PETA or HSUS.
• We do NOT support “Adopt Don’t Shop.”
• We support people’s right to buy their animals from wherever they choose — whether from a breeder or an animal shelter.

But most of all, we support responsible dog ownership.

27/03/2022

🤣🤣

24/03/2022

This is an X-ray of a puppy at 2 weeks old - just look to see how far the bones have to grow to just become proper bony joints, let alone become strong articulating joints that have correct feedback into the brain... this is why it is imperative that we don't over-exercise our puppies, and certainly not jump them or train them too hard before they are fully developed. This is different age categories for different breeds, and if the dog has had any specific problems during it's puppyhood. Please be careful at this stage so the dog's joints will last well as they age! Longevity is key!

13/03/2022

12/03/2022

Training Tuesday: A great dog takes a lot of training.

I was working on something very specific with Flare and it became very clear that I have missed a key component of her training. She clearly did not understand how to systematically search something I asked her too.

She will do it with my hand presenting, which is not where I want her to be. So we go back to basics. Time to spend the time needed to not only decrease the threshold of odor she will respond too, but to also teach her to systematically search items until she either finds odor or I tell her she's done.

Great training is done in a loop where you analyze the information the dog is giving you, you THINK about what that information means, you PLAN out your training to teach the skills, then you DO it. And take data.

What fundamental skills are you working on?

26/02/2022

Inside VS Outside

Credit: and Howling

29/01/2022

All of these actions can cause injury and even put the individual's life at risk.