And God said...

A Man & his Dog

Guardian Angel's Achilles

Several years ago, it took a concerted effort to transfer Achilles to his new job as he has a very high Defense drive. His trust had to be earned and not forced. He and I made many hour long trips, there and then back again to build that trust. It was not an easy journey. He was even returned to me at one point. But we hung in there because I knew this was the perfect home for him. And I'd say from the look of this photo, I was correct!

Life is hell Part 2

And on the other side of the room is Cruz (8 years) working just as hard on her couch. 😉

Life is hell

Life is hell as a Guardian Angel Shepherd! This is Gaia (5 months) and Rommel (9 years) working hard on the couch. 🤣

Fwd: Happy birthday

Begin forwarded message:

From: Dan Bracko <danbracko@gmail.com>

Subject: Happy birthday

Date: December 13, 2019 at 11:27:09 AM MST

To: k9trainer@dogwhisperer.ca

Hi Maryann,

Happy 7 birthday to Gemma born dec 10 2013 from Merlin and Indy? We couldn't have asked for a better family guardian. Thanks so much. Love her more every day.

Love the Bracko's 

Are my dogs good with kids?

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Miss Pink/Pele/Mamba Update

For those of you who don't know, Pele was a puppy who was born here March 3, 2019 who had an injury when her Mother accidentally jumped on her going over the barrier.  She had her left hind leg dislocated.  It was a terrible, frightening experience for all…  but Pele!  She just kept going as if nothing was wrong!  Even though she had a dislocated hip!!

Well, Pele was claimed by a good hearted soul who wanted to love her and give her the best life she could.  She was renamed Mamba (as their other Shepherd is Viper).  Apparently Mamba is doing just fine and has had no medical intervention as of yet.  She is in no pain and is a constant bother to Viper, her big brother.  She will eventually have surgery once she has finished growing but in the meantime, she's painless and having a great puppy life so far!

Mary Ann

 

Obedience Classes & Dog Parks

Obedience classes:  YES!    Dog Parks:  NO! (Usually)

Socializing your dog is a really big issue as a puppy.  The number one problem I get from both my own puppies and other dogs is leash reactivity.  What is leash reactivity?  It's when a dog barks and lunges while on leash.  It could be caused by seeing another dog, or another person, or maybe a bike or skateboard.  People think that taking their dogs to a dog park is socializing their dog.  I'm sorry to tell you this but it's FAR from it!

Instead of trying to socialize your dog by taking her to a dog park to run helter-skelter in a mad, crazy undisciplined fashion, take them to an obedience class instead.  The only thing a dog park does is reinforce their energized behaviour by allowing them to  chase, tackle and generally harass other dogs.  OR what is more likely to happen, YOUR dog is harassed, chased and tackled by someone else dog!  Don't get me wrong.  Your dog should have a chance to run and play with other dogs, but the other dogs should be hand picked by you!  A dog park has no rules as to who can come and who should not.  Yes, there are unwritten rules, but the ones who should abide by those unwritten rules never do!  As a matter of fact, the ones who should not have their dog loose to terrorize other well behaved dogs are the people who like to terrorize other people!  I've heard time and time again the owner of an ill-behaved dog will generally snap back at an owner who suggest he puts his bully dog on leash.  Bully dog.  Bully owner.  I know you've seen this before.  Everyone has.  I just heard a story 2 days ago with one of my own puppy owners who had his 4 month old puppy attacked by another dog when his puppy was on leash!!  As a result he had to take the puppy to the vet and put him on antibiotics.  When I suggested the owner give the vet bill to the bully dog's owner, he said he'd prefer not to deal with him again considering their encounter already.  Bully man accused puppy owner and said it was their fault!!!  OMG!!!  What kind of dog attacks a 4 month old puppy??  Certainly not one that should be running loose in a dog park!  So this is why I don't like dog parks.  I know this is all the craze and the dogs love it.  Until something like this happens.  Now that puppy might be traumatized for life.  The next 14 years that puppy might be terrified of strange dogs.  And could you blame him?

So, back to leash reactivity.  It can be prevented with PROPER socializing.  Not dog parks.  But supervised puppy classes that allow lots of play time.  Note the word "supervised".  If your class is one that just lets all puppies loose and allows bully puppies, then ask for a refund and walk away.  Supervised play should correct bully behaviour and encourage the wallflowers to come out and play at their discretion.  By 6 months of age, playtime no longer is a teaching experience.  Their social skills are set by 6 months.  So you see how important it is to get them out there, in the correct environment.  A properly run puppy class with prevent your puppy from being traumatized and provide a learning environment .

This beautiful puppy is at his first puppy classes and doing wonderfully well!  He is under control and totally relaxed.  Exactly the way he should be around strange dogs.

If you MUST take your puppy to an off leash park, scope it out first.  Leave your dog in the car and see what's going in there.  Everyone eventually knows the bully dog(s).  If there are any there, go for a jog instead!  

I hope this helps everyone.

HELP! My dog has forgotten everything!

Don't worry!  It's normal!  For those of you with Maya puppies (8 months old) you may be wondering why your dog has forgotten how to sit, or lay down, even though they've known how to for months.  

It's normal, and common, for puppies of this age to go through this "forgetful" stage.  Nobody knows why it occurs but in about 65% of puppies between the ages of 7-9 months, they seem to forget everything they have learned to this point.  Not to worry though.  It will all come back in a week or two.  

The best way to deal with this is to teach them how to do it all over again.  Don't correct them as they truly have forgotten and if you correct, they will lose respect and trust for you.  They won't know why they are being corrected.  Just go back to the beginning and start again.  It will only take a few days and all of a sudden they will say "OH!  I remember this now!"  It's the strangest thing but it is documented scientifically and 65% of puppies will go through it.  So don't worry, just re-teach and soon things will be right back to normal.

And to all my puppy families, don't forget that they MAY go through a fear period at around 12 months.  Don't be alarmed, again, it is just something they go through.  In this case you have only a 50/50 chance of them becoming temporarily fearful of things that never bothered them before.    That fire hydrant down the road, the honk of a car etc.  Just do the same thing I taught you when you picked up your puppy and within a week they will be back to their normal selves again.  

What's the best way to build a strong bond between you and your dog?  PLAY!   Playing with your dog is the #1 way to build a strong, unbreakable bond.  Dog packs that are not sleeping or hunting, play!  It enforces the family bonds and tightens the pack structure.  So go out and play with your dog!  It's important!

Enjoying their FREE lesson!

Tell me! What other breeder includes lessons from a professional trainer? And I love helping my puppy family!! And I love seeing how my puppies are growing! This beautiful boy was born March 3 so still lots of growing to do yet!

I've seen many of you already but there's a few who can take advantage still. You don't have to have problems to come see me! I'm sure after teaching (and learning) for 45 years I could tell you something you don't know! So let's get together. Soon!

The Three Musketeers!

My 3 cutie pies arriving at Pet Land for a stroll! Gaia, (the goddess of Mother Earth), Queen Kaleesi, (Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons) and sweet, sweet Baloo (a lover not a fighter).

Queen Kaleesi

Mary Ann


She waiting to feel the pea under all those beds! She loves going to Pet Smart!

Pat Your Puppies

Hello Guardian Angel Family!

This isn't about being nice to your puppies. I expect all of you are nice to your puppies! This is about preventing the problem of resource guarding. Resource guarding is when the puppy fears having whatever she has, being stolen from her. If you have ever watched a litter of puppies, from the time they can walk, if one puppy has something, all the others want it and will chase that puppy down until they get it. All puppies have the fear that whatever they find valuable, will be taken from them. So let's prove them wrong!

When your puppy is eating his dinner, pat him. When he's chewing his raw bone, pat him. When he's eating his treats, pat him. When he's playing with his favourite toy, pat him. You get the idea! Now don't over do this. Just do it once in awhile to make sure your puppy is okay with being touched while he has something of value.

But what happens if he growls?? Just keep patting. Prove to him you are not going to take it from him. Don't take away his food, his toy, his bone or his treat. If you do, you've just proven him right! Just keep patting him. It's hard to eat and growl at the same time. Pretty soon he will stop growling. It might take a few days, but that's okay. If you find your puppy is growling, do this everyday. If you find your puppy wags his tail, just do this occasionally. Test him once in awhile. NEVER take the toy, roll him on his back and growl at him!!! That is an antiquated, ridiculous method that never should have come into existence. Just keep patting. Simple. Easy. Effective.


Mary Ann

KEEP SOCIALIZING your older puppy!

Just because your puppy is getting a little older, doesn't mean you should stop socializing!  It is absolutely critical to continue with taking your dog to new places, introducing him/her to new, friendly dogs and people,  and allowing them to occasionally hear new and possibly loud noises.  It is absolutely NORMAL BEHAVIOUR for a 4-8 month puppy to start withdrawing from society.  Most people don't know or don't understand this.  And this is why my most requested lessons at my dog training club has to do with leash reactivity, shyness and sometimes aggression.  I can't stress enough how important it is to keep socializing.  

This is a quote by Dr. Ian Dunbar, a world renowned dog behaviourist, and in my opinion the best in the world . "people are predictably shocked when between four-and-a-half to eight months of age, their friendly and socialized puppy gradually but progressively changes to become shy, aloof, wary, standoffish, protective, fearful, reactive and maybe aggressive towards people."   Take this comment very seriously.  You cannot expect your puppy to continue being that wonderful, outgoing, exuberant dog if you do not help him through his normal critical learning periods of life.  And these are NORMAL.  Scientifically proven.  I'd say 80% of my dog calls are reactivity and aggression, caused by under socialization.  

It is so much easier to PREVENT the problem than it is to fix it.  And there is no guarantee you CAN fix it once it has become the new norm.   So SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, until you're blue in the face!  So many people say they want what I have.  Beautiful, well trained, easy going German Shepherds.  But they weren't born that way.  I spent hundreds of hours on my dogs making sure they turned out that way.   Just last week I took Gypsy (7 months) Gaia (11 weeks) Balou (11 weeks) and Kaleesi (10 weeks) to Pet Smart.  Each one came in individually for approximately 20 minutes.  I made sure they politely greeted several strangers, and depending on the dog and it's degree of socialization, greeted or saw other friendly dogs.    If I can do that for 4 dogs, surely you can do it for 1!  

Don't be like the uneducated of the world and let your dog slowly regress until you have a problem on your hands.  PLEASE, follow the Service Dog Puppy Program and create the best your dog can be.  If your puppy is as important as you say they are, then you will continue to find time to help them.  Don't stop now!

Thanks for listening to my rant.  It's just so important for people to know this.  

Mary Ann

Is this comfortable?

This is Trinity. She's been in this same position, chewing a bone, for the past 15 minutes!

The eyes of wisdom

GAIA!

Gaia

I had to change my underwear!

I got so wet bathing four puppies I had to change right down to my underwear! This is Maestro asking politely if he can "get the heck outta here"!

Stunning Miss Pink is looking for an experienced home

Call 403-556-3635 or email k9trainer@dogwhisperer.ca if you think you are a good match.

On Duty! - Penny and her new pal

I Cried...

This was given to me yesterday by a veteran and his family.  I have a special place in my heart for those who serve.  Armed Forces, Police, Firefighters.  And it's not just those that put themselves in harm's way but I also am incredibly thankful to their family members who must endure long periods of time when they are away.  Or the fear they fight everyday when their spouse walks out the door to go to work, not knowing if they will return for dinner.  It is the whole family unit that we should be thankful for.  I have my small ways of saying thank you to them but yesterday some said thank you to me.  And it made me cry.  Thank you Guys.  This means a great deal to me.  I'm honoured.

Screenshot 2019-09-13 at 8.24.15 PM

Guardian Angel Shepherds are incredibly beautiful dogs. Check out Calibre!

GUARDIAN ANGEL SHEPHERDS, Early Puppy Training!

This is a video I made 12 years ago. I just thought I would bring it back up to the top because things haven't changed much since then. You can see how i use food treats to lure the puppy into the desired position. This is how we teach all our young puppies the very beginnings of obedience training.

https://youtu.be/RUTKfhPw7iQ


Mary Ann

Vaccinations

There was a good question I was asked today. A new owner asked about taking his puppy to the vet and the chance of picking something up there. GOOD QUESTION!

Absolutely it is something to think about. That's where every sick dog goes to and the place is riddled with germs! So, what do you do? Pick him up in the car and don't put him down. Carry the puppy inside, hold him on your lap until it's time to see the vet, put him on the counter where they disinfect continuously, and then carry him to the car. Done!

Thank you for the question Ewelina & Ed!

Mary Ann

Adult Nova puppy

GORGEOUS!

Alpha vs Leader

How about we look at things a little bit different than we have for the past 20-30 years. Everyone has heard that you must be the Alpha of the pack so your dog will listen to you. The problem with that scenario is the definition (or the perceived definition) of the word ALPHA. Most people think that the way dog/wolves/coyotes attain Alpha position is through brute strength. Survival of the fittest and all that. Guess what? That's WRONG!

All the scientific studies done in the 70's told of an Alpha male and an Alpha female who ran the pack. When to eat, when to hunt, when to sleep, where to go etc. What those scientific papers didn't tell us was that the Alpha male and the Alpha female was Mom & Dad! Good 'ol Mom & Dad! The pups grew up listening to Mom and Dad and so it continued through the generations of the pack. Eventually, Grandma & Grandpa would get too old to head out on the hunt first, so the next oldest would take over. It was very simple, very civilized. I'm not saying there was not fighting amongst the pack members. What family doesn't have quibbles between siblings? But very rarely.would an offspring take on Mom or Dad. It might happen, sure. But very rarely.

So how about instead of thinking of yourself as Alpha, you think of yourself as a Leader instead.

Mary Ann

Little Angels

Guardian Angels that is. So sweet. Going to new homes very shortly. 😔

Puppies love their playtime equipment!

Especially the blue teeter-totter!  And the slide is more fun when one end is higher! 😉

Miss Gaia

This one is mine!🤗

Mr Light Green

Miss Yellow

Miss Purple and Miss Pink

Mr Brown

They are gone!

But not too far. 😉 A move to a larger place to run and build their muscles. My house is empty of baby German Shepherds! After 75 days of waking up to cries of FEED ME! FEED ME! it feels so lonely!

Introducing your new puppy to your resident dog

Introducing Your New Puppy to Your Resident Dog

 

It's a good idea to have both puppy and older dog tired before introducing them.  A tired dog is a good dog!

Always have the older dog on leash for the first meeting so he/she doesn't scare the puppy.  Even an over-exuberant WELCOME! may hurt or scare the puppy.

If you can have two people, it will make the introduction easier.  One person is responsible for one dog, the other person, the other dog.

Do not leave the two of them alone for the first few weeks.  Until you are sure that your older dog will not harm the puppy, they should never be alone together.

Play with them separately for the first few weeks so it doesn't cause competition.  Once the pecking order has been established, you are more likely to have a good play session when both of them are involved.

Expect some growling and even possibly snapping, from your older dog.  This is the normal behavior of a "parent" teaching a young dog manners.  As long as the older dog is not harming the pup, let the relationship develop.  Your pup may even yelp on occasion but as long as the older dog is not breaking the skin, these are only reprimands for being rude. 

Be sure to have an area where the older dog can escape from the puppy.  Your older dog shouldn't have to put up with the puppy 24/7.

Be sure to give your older dog lots of attention.  If everyone only pays attention to the newcomer, animosity can arise.

Your older dog will likely be the boss of the two.  You must maintain this hierarchy to prevent problems later.  This means, your older dog gets his food first, the leash gets put on the older dog first, the older dog is greeted first. Etc.  By continuing this, you are not sending mixed signals to your dogs.  "Everyone in their place, and a place for everyone!"

 

If you have problems or questions, give me a call.

 

Mary Ann

Yay!

I am matching families and puppies today! I should be able to tell you who your puppy is by tomorrow!😆

Mary Ann

They all passed!

All 13 puppies passed their health checks today! I had a hard time keeping Big Blue from Nova's litter here tho! The vet was in love with him! And I thought he might steal him away! Still waiting on CKC to deliver the microchips but that's par for the course where CKC is concerned. But not to worry. They will all have their permanent chip to help reunite you should they ever get lost before they leave here.

I will be working all day tomorrow matching pups with families!!

Mary Ann

Sisters

Gypsy and Echo - 6 months old

7/8

7/8 up on the barrier.  Seems that's the best I could do.  Took 10 pictures but 7/8 was it!  That's little Miss Purple sitting in the background.  

PERFECT Puppy Recall

https://youtu.be/_7JuRhRhcX4


Mary Ann

You know that’s stinging nettle. Right?

https://youtu.be/v9upG5kGthU


Mary Ann

First Aptitude Test is Done!

Cruz's puppies are all done!  We did them yesterday and what great results!  I was so proud of all these little guys!  One test we do is for Stability.  When the pup is 4-6 feet away, an umbrella is popped open at ground level.  It is quite startling.  It is not shoved at them with the intention of scaring them, but just opened suddenly.  There are many different reactions that can happen:

1.  Jump, run and hide. 

2.   Run away barking.  

3.  Stand still and bark at it.  

4.  Jump, stand and stare.  

5.  Jump, move back a little and stop to assess. 

6.   Walk up cautiously and check it out.  

7.  Walk up boldly and sniff it.  

8.  Walk up boldly and bite it (playfully).  

9.  Stand still and bark at it.  

10.  Run up and attack it.

You can see there is a great variety of behaviours to consider.  There are about 10 exercises and they are all the same way.  They all have a great variety of reactive  behaviours to each exercise.  And there are no "wrong" behaviours.  They are just behaviours.  But I'm so proud because every single one of my puppies did behaviour 8!  As far as I'm concerned, that is the very best behaviour they can exhibit.  Courageous, assess the situation as not dangerous, play with it!  They grabbed the umbrella and just dragged it around the room!  It was hilarious!  I'm so proud of my little guys!  

And that is just one of about 10 exercises.  We test for dominance, trainability, forgiveness, pain tolerance, (we don't hurt them!) prey drive, pack drive and a few others.  It's really very cool.  On Sept 22 and 23, I am travelling to a 2 day seminar on a new way of testing and matching puppies.  I've used this test for 25 years so it will be extremely interesting learning a new way.  I'm looking forward to learning the most recent, scientifically based procedure to create K9 partners for people.  Because that's what I'm all about!

We will test Nova's litter on Monday and once they are done, I will be able to match puppies with families.  I know you are just dying to know which puppy but consider yourself extremely lucky!   I have 13 puppies to choose from to find the very best puppy to suit your needs.  Not just 8 or not just 5.  This has never happened before in all my years of breeding.  I've had only one time where I had 2 litters on the ground at the same time but they were 3 weeks apart so I could not draw from both litters when it came time to match people and pups.  It will be VERY interesting.

And I thank you for your patience.  Everyone has been very good about waiting and I know it is really, really hard.  Thank you!

Soon!  Soon!

Mary Ann

NuVet Dog Vitamins Again

I blogged about these vitamins several weeks ago but sadly, there were only a few who wanted to keep their puppy on a health regime that has proven effective.   And of course there are the new puppy owners that have purchased your puppy just recently so this is for you as well!  

First off, I want to say thank you very much to the people who ordered. I seldom recommend products.  And I only recommend them if I have tried it for a period of time and find it beneficial.  I recommend NuVet Vitamins for dogs and puppies.  So much so I have considered putting it in my contract as a necessity.  I have decided to become a distributor of NuVet Vitamins so I can continue to help my puppies live a long and healthy life, even after they go out my door.  I'm not a salesman so I'm going to pass on below, the information given to me by the company.    

Your puppies have all been on NuVet Vitamins since they were 3 weeks old and I strongly advise you continue throughout their life.  It costs  only pennies per day and there is a 60 day 100% money back guarantee.   You  can also save 15% by asking for "auto ship" when ordering over the phone.  And you must order over the phone in Canada, no online orders. Your order will come from Canada and not through the US.   The phone number is 1-800-474-7044 and you must give them my order code number 19865.  

I appreciate you thinking about continuing to supply your puppy with something I know that works.  My dogs generally have a 14 year lifespan which is far longer than average, and just this year, I opened the rainbow bridge gate to two 16 year old girls.  Far above the average age for a German Shepherd.

Mary Ann

New YouTube Video link

New YouTube video

https://youtu.be/csjAFeCPB0g

Was this the culprit?

Who’s been busy?

Somebody was busy in one room while I was busy in another!

Caught😱

Gypsy-5.5 months old caught after stealing the baby puppies chew toys. I don't see too much guilt on that beautiful face!

IMG_6965.jpg

A very young dog lover!

New Items

A litter box, a short stool and a new plastic container. Every few days I exchange toys and other items to enhance the puppies playground. This stimulates eyes, ears, smell and touch. They won't catch on to the litter box for a few weeks but it will be a beginning. I picked up a pile and placed it in the box to give them the idea.

A sneaky photo

This is taken from my security camera. I was wondering how everyone was settling in to their new accommodations. If I look thru the window or come in thru the door they all come running so I can't tell if they are happy. This photo proves it. They seem very happy and content. Cruz is able to leave the pups by jumping the plywood barrier but I see she is very happy to still be with her pups.

Too CUTE!

This is Ms Green. Cruz's litter.

Ready for the ruckus!

Moving to the REALLY Big Boy Pen!

The Cruz's litter will be moving to the indoor/outdoor building tomorrow. They will have more room to build their muscles and coordination and learn about the outdoor world. I can't wait!

More room to...

Sleep!

Increased by 50%!

I just have to make sure Nova can find the door!

It APPEARS to be working

After spending hours, over two days, with an Apple tech, my computer appears to be working.  I don't trust it completely yet but so far so good.  We had to wipe it completely clean and use a back up.  It froze while it was doing an operating system update.

So please, if I haven't responded to your email, please let me know.  There were about 4-5 emails that were inquiring about puppies and I believe I responded but that was also at the same time it froze so I don't know whether they actually sent or not.  If you haven't heard from me, please accept my apologies and let me know so I can send you another response.

I love technology!  But we rely on it so much these days, that when it messes up, so many things go awry.  

I'm also really behind on my pictures and videos so I'm going to try and catch up on those as well.  You will see puppies from a few weeks ago so be aware they have changed drastically during that time.  You may see 2 week old puppies today and then 4 week old puppies tomorrow!  But I think all the media is worth watching, even if it's a little late.

Don't forget to check out my Guardian Angel Shepherds YouTube channel, (https://www.youtube.com/user/k9trainergsd/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=2&view_as=subscriber ).  as well as this blog, to get all the current updates. Normally I don't say this (because it drives me crazy) but if you could subscribe and like, that would be awesome so I know whether I'm sending you all the things you like to see.  I'm not making money from my channel.  It's only there to entertain and educate.  And if you have suggestions, let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to comply.

So long for now!

Mary Ann

My computer is frozen!!

I didn't realize why, when I turned back to my screen, it was black. So of course I hit this key, and that key and then another. Then I remembered it said it was going to do an update in an hour. I thought I'd be long finished catching up on my emails by then. NOT!

So after I'd hit all those keys it was frozen with an apple and a bar underneath that wasn't moving. I left it for an hour. Didn't help. I turned it off. Didn't help. I left it overnight. Didn't help.

Now I have to run up to Red Deer to exchange a brand new vacuum so don't have time to call Apple. When I get back I'll have to make dinner for the family and 13 puppies. Then I'll have to clean them and then do laundry. Then I'll have to exercise and feed all the adult dogs. Oh! And find time for me to eat dinner. Then it will be time to start letting the dogs out in small groups to relieve themselves before bed. And then it will be about 11:30PM. And I won't be able to keep my eyes open having got up at 5:30 with Mark.

So for all of you who are waiting on replies about adopting puppies, I'm sorry! Hopefully I can get it fixed tomorrow. Thank you for your patience! Again! They've already been waiting due to my trip to the hospital last week.

My apologies!! And yes! I'm cancer free!! Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers. The Guardian Angel Family is just incredible. I'm honoured to have you all!

Mary Ann