This is what it looks like

This is what it looks like when a dog arrives from Europe! The crates are all handmade and made of lumber.

Big paws to grow into!

Mr. Blue

I've had many people inquiring and wanting Mr Blue! But I'd really like to find him a home where he has a job. He would be suitable for any kind of scenting work. SAR, arson, drugs, bomb, tracking. He has some attitude but also loves to please.

Please pass this along and help me find him his perfect home! Thank you!🙏🏻

I have one puppy available to an approved working home. Bomb/Drug/SAR/Cadaver etc.

Mr. Blue was purchased by a member of the San Francisco Police Department as a potential Drug/Bomb dog.  All training and care had been pre-approved and Mr. Blue was heading down to sunny California until... COVID19 hit and closed the borders.   Normally, I put them on a plane and in a few hours, they are in the hands of their new owners.  But there are NO airlines taking dogs across the border at this time.  I spent months trying to figure out a way to get him down there without having to hand deliver him to San Francisco.  At any other time, I would have done that in a heart beat but not when California is a hot spot for COVID.  We have just recently given up on getting him down there.  So that means one more lucky person will get a Guardian Angel Shepherd puppy. 

Mr. Blue was born June 7, 2020.  He is courageous and med-high energy.  His first instinct is environmental as opposed to social.  He must check everything out in his environment before acknowledging strangers.  Once he is satisfied with his environment, he enjoys meeting new people.  This would make him an ideal drug or bomb dog.  He can safely work in public without being distracted.  He was second in the pack hierarchy which means he will probably have aspirations of top dog so will require a handler with knowledge of training working dogs.  He is inquisitive and loves to retrieve.  He walks on leash, rides escalators and elevators with no problem. He is litter box trained which can be transferred to outside areas with ease and is crate trained.  He travels very well in vehicles.  He understands basic commands and has a superb recall.  And, he has already made his debut in the television industry!  He's a gorgeous bi-colour with a beautiful masculine head.

If you or someone you know is looking for a non-aggressive working dog, please send them my way.    Please pass this along.

We did it! The commercial was a great success!

Sundown on the last day and we are done!  This is about 2/3 the crew and the puppies all celebrating a job well done!  This was such an incredible trip for us!  It's always been on my bucket list to be involved (even just watch!) a movie or commercial  being made.  Specifically a dog one of course.  It is such an amazing thing to see.  Although my assistant Lee-Ann and I did all the training of the puppies (sit, down, stay, come, mat) it was the great talent of the two trainers (Melanie and Alex) who managed to successfully get the puppies to do it the right way at the right time with TONS of distractions.  Booms, lights, screens, microphones and a dozen people surrounding them!   I wasn't allowed to be close while they were filming as I was a major distraction to the puppies.  I did watch from a distance though and it was fascinating. They really had to think on their feet depending on each situation.  It was impressive to see.  

The puppies were so good that we didn't even need the extra day of filming at the end!  Scenes that were allotted to take 3 hours, took 25 minutes!!  And that happened over and over and over again!  We were rewarded one day with lunch on a moving passenger train because we had extra time!  A full 45 minute train ride through the prairies!  It was awesome!

Turned out we used 3 puppies instead of 2.  It was really nice to be able to exchange the pups more often.  You will only see what looks like 1 puppy in the commercial but it will actually be all three.  In general terms, Miss Pink (Tia) did the close ups.   Miss Yellow (Leila) did the fast recalls (comes).  And Mr. Blue (Boy) did the kisses and excited greetings.  Each did a little of everything but mostly they had their own jobs.  

The weather was insanely HOT!  38C or 100F on 2 days of the shoot.  The great thing was we (the pups, adult dogs and I) got to spend our time in a $400,000 RV with air conditioning!  They also had a kiddie pool full of ice and another air conditioned van to transport them back and forth to the set.  I felt really guilty as all the crew were working in that heat and me, the newcomer, was sitting in a/c luxury with my own bathroom!  They didn't seem to hold it against me though.   Thankfully!

We all did such a great job that it seems like I could be invited back again.  The director was very pleased with the puppies and the trainers felt this would not be the last time we saw each other.  I'm very excited about the possibilities!

And I must thank the owners of the puppies who allowed me the extra two weeks to keep the pups so I could go on this adventure.  Almost ALL the owners offered their puppies for the commercial.  There was only one who needed to travel at a certain time to come get their pup.  Everyone else was so incredibly generous and I thank all of you.  Whether your puppy was in the commercial or not.  Thank you so much!

Here's to new beginnings!

Commercial!

The first 24 hours with the pups in Okotoks with me at a hotel. What a crazy time it has been! It was 38 degrees today so the pups spent the majority of their time in air conditioned comfort! It is now 8:30PM and we are at the vets getting health checks and 2nd shots. Somehow it feels cold at 28 degrees! How does that work?

Back to the hotel for dinner and some training practice and then up with the sun tomorrow morning.

It is an interesting industry. Nothing ever seems to go as planned. Spme of the crew met the little ones last night. It was a little overwhelming being surrounded by about 12-15 people. I told everyone to "back off!" and come in slower and more careful. And that changed everything. When the pups realized they were literally the stars that changed everything!
Mary Ann

Camping with our new puppy!

Mary Ann

Training for commercial is going really well!

 I am happy to say that training for Miss Pink and Miss Yellow is going really well.  BTW that would be Tia and Leila!  I met the movie trainers down in Okotoks yesterday for the first time and they were very happy with the training thus far.  I was really nervous as I've never trained for the movies before and didn't know if I might be making some mistakes!  But turns out they were very happy with how things are going.    I'll be driving back and forth (2 hours each way), every day this week to get the pups used to different environments, including the real set.  There will be booms and light screens and all kinds of paraphanalia that go along with the cameras and we are going to introduce them to that today.They also have to get to know other dogs too so they need time to learn to trust.  It's been a ton of work so far and I'm afraid to say the work is only just beginning!  The production company was kind enough to get me a hotel for the week of shooting so I don't have to put on the miles.  The puppies don't seem to mind the long car ride, but hey, they get to sleep the whole way!  Sorry there's no photos but it's all very hush, hush!

No one has to worry about the dogs here at home.  Mark will be here and I have kind neighbours who will be caring for them as well.  

So all in the world of Guardian Angel Shepherds is going well!

PS I've had lots of feedback from new owners and everyone is thrilled with their puppies!  I'll tell you more about that in another post.

Alaska Happy!

Meet Emmie!  She is 3.5 years old.  She lives in Alaska and her parents would like another Angel to keep her company!  

"We are interested in getting another dog and wouldn't go anywhere but to you!"

All Puppies Placed and Commercial Pups Picked

Congratulations everyone!  You FINALLY know which puppy is yours!  Miss Yellow and Miss Pink have been picked for the commercial.  Their attributes seem to be the best for the commercial.  Lower energy, watch from a distance before jumping into the mele and very handler oriented.  It's was a very difficult choice to make.  I first thought I wanted very social puppies and ones not very environmental.  But what was happening was they couldn't concentrate on the task at hand when there was someone else in the room.  There will be 50 people on set!  This is all new to me so I hope I've picked the right ones.  Like I said, it was a very difficult choice.  Each puppy had it's pros and cons.  I wish I could bring them all!

I'll tell you, trying to teach puppies this young is like trying to teach a 6 month human baby math!  They really don't have the capabilities.  About the only things they've learned was that food also comes from hands as well as bowls, and if I get up on the bed I get treats.  Even the bed thing is dicey.  They'll do it but are they understanding that they ONLY get treats on the bed?  Hmmm... it's debatable.  Sometimes I think they are getting it, but then I question it again.  It's not their fault of course!  They have all learned that the handler is where good things come from and that is a crucial lesson.  I'm hoping Miss Pink and Miss Yellow will have the capabilities with a few more weeks development.  They need to sit, down, lower their head, stay, come and hopefully howl!

What all of them DO know is come!  Every time!  Really fast!  So all you new owners need to do is not mess it up.  I will teach you how to do that when you come to pick up your pup and get your first lesson.  And speaking of picking up puppies, everyone who isn't in the commercial needs to make an appointment to pick up your pup.  Except of course the San Francisco Police Dog which I'm still working on.  Did you know that all airlines are not taking pets across the US border ever since this whole COVID thing started.  Sure has made things more difficult.  Normally I'd drive the pup to Calgary airport and put him on a non-stop flight to San Fran.  No problem!   I've spent many hours researching how I'm going to get him there and nothing is firm yet.  But that's my problem not yours.  Just thought I'd share.

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon! 

Check out puppy recalls!

https://youtu.be/eaWFlY3Mx84