Shepherds K9 Services

15/02/2024

❗️We are hiring !❗️Please note that this job is labor intensive & physically demanding and you will be working in *all* weather conditions to keep our clients dogs safe, secure and content! If you're looking for experience in the dog industry this is the best way to start💯🔅
✴️Duties include but not limited too: Dog walking, bathing/grooming/pressure washing/ feeding/ sweeping/laundry/ scooping 💩/ lots of cleaning duties that include keeping our beautiful facility tidy and secure!🐾

04/12/2023

🐾Welcome Louis to in-kennel training! This little charismatic guy is here for on and off leash obedience training!💯🐾

08/11/2023

Great advice to our clients and friends!🐾

07/11/2023

02/11/2023

We are so happy Ace is spreading love to those in need of his special services !❣️

30/10/2023

Thank you for the kind words !🐾

★★★★★ "Our past experiences with Jack Russell Terriers have been rewarding, but after receiving our new puppy, Finn, finding Stephanie Shepherd Ezzo and Shepherd K9 has truly been a game changer. JRTs are highly intelligent, joyful dogs with boundless energy—to the degree that it’s ver...

22/10/2023

‼️🐾Brilliant read 🐾‼️

WHEN BREEDS ARE FAILURES

Is it time to thin the herd?

It's been said that the dog is the most successful wolf in the world -- the wolf that got man to adopt it, house it, feed it, and protect it.

Relatively docile wolves were fed and bred until, slowly, imperceptibly, they evolved into something different -- the domestic dog.

For 12,000 years, that's about as far as it progressed.

▪️AN EXPLOSION OF BREEDS▪️

Two hundred and fifty years ago, there were only about a dozen broad types of dogs.

Breeds, as we know them today with narrow written standards, were not yet known.

Your breed claims an ancient lineage?

Unless it's a greyhound, I can assure you it's almost certainly nonsense.

The Pharaoh Hound? Invented in the 20th Century to look like the dogs found on the side of the Egyptian tombs opened at the time of Carter.

The Chinese Crested? Not Chinese! Invented in America in the 1930s and popularized by burlesque stripper Gypsy Rose Lee.

Terriers? Retrievers? Setters? Spaniels? Pointers? Shepherds?

Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA shows that while the type may be old, the breed is -- almost invariably -- of relatively modern origin.

It's not like we created just a few breeds in the blink of an eye, is it? No, we created hundreds.

How did we do that? Mostly by selecting for odd types and then inbreeding to "fix" those types until they bred true.

The first breeds, of course, were created by merely tweaking Mother Nature's process. Herding dogs, for example, were selected because of function rather than looks. Ditto for running dogs, pulling dogs, bird dogs, guarding dogs, and terriers.

Dogs that were best adapted to function prospered, while those that did poorly were culled from the pool. The only difference was that the hand of man was now engaged in unnatural selection -- replacing Mother Nature, which had previously been employed in the task of natural selection.

▪️FORM TRUMPS FUNCTION▪️

With the rise of dog shows, however, function took a back seat to form. Now the primary value celebrated was variability. And, of course, to get maximum variability, you had to green-light more and more breeds that were extreme, and in many cases maladaptive, including dogs that were brachycephalic (flat faced) and could not breath well, and dogs that were achondroplastic (dwarfs) and had joint and heart problems.

Added to these dogs were other extreme examples -- massive giants that had weak hearts and intestines prone to twist and bloat, tiny tea cup breeds prone to hydrocephalia and broken bones, hairless breeds prone to dental and skins issues, dogs with extreme skin wrinkles, ear length, and coats, and dogs with various spinal oddities such as over-long backs, roached backs, and spines that ended in a tight mass of twisted vertebrae.

And, of course, through it all you had to inbreed and line-breed in order to set type, and you had to invent ancient histories in order to speed the sales of these new creations.

The result has been a mixed bag. Some breeds have managed to stay healthy, and a few have even managed to be useful for work.

Most, however, have come down with one or more serious health problems, and most have devolved from working dog to mere pets.

There is nothing wrong with pets. There is, of course, something wrong with breeding dogs with serious health problems. Even here, however most genetic problems are manageable and most breeds are salvageable

But is that always the case? Are there dog breeds that are not salvageable?

This is not a small question.

When humans began breeding dogs, we began to act as Gods, but we failed to accept the full mantle of the Gods.

God culls misfits; man puts his in the Kennel Club.

▪️CANINE FAILURES▪️

Let's talk about canine failures. They are not hard to find.

The Dandie Dinmont is a good example of a dog that has simply failed in the marketplace. Last year, more Pandas were born in captivity than Dandie Dinmonts were registered by the Kennel Club.

Named after a fictional character in a novel, and forced to compete head-to-head with other poodle-coated mops, this dog has found few customers due to its odd-looking sway back, poor movement, and complete uselessness in the field.

Add in the health problems suffered by Dandies -- cushings, hypothyroidism, and a narrow-angle glaucoma that is unique to Dandies -- and you stand at the cusp of a question.

Factor in the fact that more than 40% of dogs are born cesarean, and the case is made for intervention.

The old working terrier from which the modern Dandie claims descent was not a product of the Kennel Club and did not suffer these indignities.

Perhaps now is the time to release this breed from the inbreeding mandated by a tiny gene pool wedded to a closed registry system.

Perhaps now is the time to release this dog from the bo***ge of contrived show dog standards.

Yes, let us release this dog "back to the wild" of its working roots. It has not done well in "captivity". De-list this dog from the Kennel Club's roles, and move on.

Other breeds should also be delisted, and for much the same reason -- the Skye Terrier, the Clumber Spaniel, the Sussex Spaniel, the Glenn of Imaal Terrier, the Manchester Terrier, and the Sealyham Terrier.

None of these dogs were created in the Kennel Club -- they have only been deformed, emasculated, and in**ed since their arrival. Release these dogs "back to the wild". They have not done well in "captivity", and they have failed in the marketplace.

And what about those breeds that are true genetic wrecks beyond salvation?

There are not many, but let's face the problem head on, and end the nonsense.

There is no reason to try to repair a Disney castle built on sand, with a blown foundation, rotten roof, walls riddled with termites, and a dangerous boiler about to explode in the basement.

Take the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. This was a breed invented at the Crufts dog show in response to a prize offered up by an American by the name of Roswell Eldridge.

Thanks to a bad gene pool at the start, and the incredible inbreeding that followed, more than 80 percent of today's dogs end up with serious heart problems, while more than a third have a genetic brain disorder affecting the nervous system.

With this level of defect, and this thin history, why not sweep it all aside and start again?

Ditto for several other breeds with serious health problems -- the Miniature Bull Terrier (50% cesarean, dead at 6 years), the English Bull Dog (90% cesarean, dead at 6 years), the Scottish Terrier (60 percent cesarean, 45% cancer rate), the Dogue De Bordeaux (dead at less than six years).

Are there other breeds that might be "returned to the wild" through delisting and/or delisting and recreation (i.e. starting again with a healthy gene pool, scientific breeding, and a commonsense standard)?

Sure, but I think I have been controversial enough for one day, don't you?!

The question stands: Is it time to thin the herd? Is it time to end the Kennel Club's preservation of defect and failure?

——-

This was written for the May 2010 edition of Dogs Today

28/08/2023

📍We are now hiring Kennel technician positions 📍!
Full time/ Part time positions available!
✴️Weekend availability is prioritized!
Please email us your resume to [email protected]
🐾Compensation based on experience 🐾

21/07/2023

We have the best clients!🙏💙
The bride arranged for a "surprise" first look for the groom with their dog Riggs attending on their special day for photos! It's hard for a shepherd especially Riggs🤪 to stay quiet and hidden for a ceremony but he did the best he could ! The groom loved having the moment as much as we did and we're glad we were able to help make it happen!🐾 Thank you for sharing the memory with us!

27/06/2023

Help us grow!🙌🏼
We are looking to fill in weekend positions as well! 👏🏻 email us [email protected]

TRAINING Learn More DOG SALES Learn More BOARDING Learn More GROOMING Learn More *BOARDING SERVICES ONLY AVAILABLE TO TRAINING CLIENTS *GROOMING ONLY AVAILABLE TO TRAIN & BOARD CLIENTS CUSTOMER REVIEWS “Stephanie has trained all four of my goldendoodles and there’s no one else I trust with them!...

13/06/2023

☀️Summertime opportunities!☀️

Help wanted at our Dog Training Facility!

Shepherds K-9 Services is looking to hire Kennel Assistants. Previous dog experience in a professional environment is preferred. Proper training will be held but must be comfortable working with *ALL* breeds of dogs and temperaments. This is a fast-paced environment that requires multi-tasking and can be labor intensive. Applicants must also be willing to take direction and to assist trainers when needed and work independently when necessary.
📍Excellent communication skills, transportation, and a valid driver’s license are required.

Duties include the care taking of dogs while at the facility: Feeding, watering, cleaning kennels, scooping p**p, walking dogs, running dogs, bathing dogs, running a pressure washer, mopping, scooping p**p, and laundry are just a few. Did we mention p**p? Yes, dealing with p**p is a requirement for this position. ❗️YES,❗️you will get rained on, hot, covered in dog hair and dog saliva and most likely smell like a dog by the end of the day. 💯

Schedule to include day shifts,
Monday through Sunday, including holidays.
Must be willing to be flexible as shifts change.

Starting wages are based on experience.
🔅Part and full-time positions available.
⚠️No medical benefits offered at this time.
If applying online, please submit a resume or email to shepherdsk9services.com

TRAINING Learn More DOG SALES Learn More BOARDING Learn More GROOMING Learn More *BOARDING SERVICES ONLY AVAILABLE TO TRAINING CLIENTS *GROOMING ONLY AVAILABLE TO TRAIN & BOARD CLIENTS CUSTOMER REVIEWS “Stephanie has trained all four of my goldendoodles and there’s no one else I trust with them!...

20/04/2023

https://g.co/kgs/5NqTyp

★★★★★ "We had tossed around the idea of in kennel training before and had visited another facility and said absolutely, not, BUT I knew I wanted my puppy trained for therapy because I thought it would be a huge asset to my Media Center and school. When we had our evaluation with Stephanie ...

20/04/2023

https://g.co/kgs/kUK6An

★★★★★ "Stephanie is the best! There are not sufficient words to express how excellent she is and how grateful my family is for truly turning our dog around. We were having big issues with our adorable rescue puppy. She was wild, stubborn and anxious in a combination that meant we had almos...

17/04/2023

🔆Protection starts at 12:00 tomorrow!🔆

07/03/2023

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Our pet's diet is a crucial aspect of their overall health. The following diets, as well as grain free diets, have been linked to heart disease and are not recommended by veterinarians. A good portion of diets available to owners have no science behind them and are purely good marketing.

02/03/2023

🚨A great message we stand behind!🚨

17/01/2023

★★★★★ "Stephanie is an incredible dog trainer! We enrolled our 14 week old Bernedoodle Leo in the in-kennel Puppy Survival program and she completely turned our little guy around. He was very mouthy at first and wouldn’t listen, but was a completely different dog when we picked him up. W...

08/01/2023

Bundle up!🐾

17/12/2022

🎄Chesney goes home for Christmas !🌲🐾
We were entrusted with the special task of sourcing and training the best labrador puppy for an active and traveling family !
Chesney started with us at 8 weeks old when he started crate training, imprinting, marker foundation, on and off leash obedience foundation and public access work for environmental desensitizing . We were able to get this sweet guy ready to go home for Christmas ! We can't wait to watch his progress! Enjoy this beautiful pup!🙌🏼🐾

11/12/2022

★★★★★ "First I want to share that I don’t typically write reviews. However after the experience we had with Stephanie at Shepherds K9 services I felt compelled to share our experience. From our initial consultation through our pick up of our German Shepherd puppy Josie Stephanie was prof...

04/12/2022

https://g.co/kgs/4yxGEH

★★★★★ "Sending our puppy for training with Stephanie was hands-down the best decision we could have made! As first time owners of a working breed, we knew we needed a specialized trainer, someone who understood the breed and who could teach us the necessary skills to raise our German sheph...

29/11/2022

🔥Welcome to the pack Czel! This beautiful girl is chosen for a family member and we can't wait ti produce her and share her progress with everyone! She is exceptionally bred from Idol x fair play daughter!🔥