Mom’s home!!!
Everyday i come home, you would swear i’d have been gone for years 🙂 Makes you feel a little better about yourself doesn’t it??? Below is a short video shot of the pack, you’ll see most of them weave in and out of the kitchen happy to have me back home safe and sound. Take note of Otto the 9 week old GSD pup, hes new to the pack only with us a few days when this was shot. His body language in the beginning playing with the other dogs is great, he learned how to position his ears and what to do with his body to solicit play without coming on to aggressive or scary. This boy is amazing and my pack is incredible at giving dogs what they need.
The show that goes on
I’m a little behind in my blog posts but trying to catch up!!
Last sunday Eagle Valley search dogs had to attend the dog show in Whitney Point NY. I was presented with the AKC CAR award money for the grant i wrote earlier this year. This 2000 dollars will go to supporting our fall Combined Federation search seminar in the end of september. Abby and her real sister Raven both did short demo’s of the recall refind indication sequence and abby was available for people to meet and greet.
social butterfly
Our table attracted a lot of attention and hopefully we were able to scout out some new volunteers to come hide and train with us!!! If you are ever interested and in the Broome County or Delaware County area email me EliteInstinctCanine@gmail.com We are always looking for volunteers to go get lost!!!
❤
The working girls
Last weekend was a rough one, but we still did what we could and the girls had fun. Saturday we trained with Amigo Sar dogs up in New Berlin. We ran everyone on some HR hides as well as live hides. The HR was great, we hid it in a 130 pounds replica guy from the firehouse!!
Our "subject"
Abby decided not only was it an easy find but also an easy indication to mom!
BAM!!!!!
It was hot out and everyone went for a swim after their problem to cool down. Raina had a blast jumping into the fast moving water to grab her ball. She’s getting pretty good at catching it, though mom doesn’t let her do it often she is still to young to beat up her bones like that!
I bounce like Tigger!!!!!!
play time after a job well done
Raina and Abby both sustained some muscle and pad injuries and were put on light duty. This last week they rested up and appear good to go! Down time is always the worst with these girls, they are just not meant to be couch potatoes!!
Search for a new Logo
Well my artistic need is coming through…………a new logo is in the works!!! Thanks to some amazing pictures taken by my friend Amy (who is a professional photographer if you like her work let me know!!!) i am toying around with a few pictures as potentials for my logo. Let me know what you think is the best or what other ideas you have!!!
Abigail
Ms Abigail is the newest member of the canine copilot pack. Abby is a 3 year old GSD who is sister’s with Raina, just from the previous litter. Abby will be certified by the end of the year as both live find and HR. Abby is learning that living with the pack has rules and being the newest member means she has a lot to learn! She loves traveling with mom and the girls on training weekends and is frequently my demo dog during private training classes with clients. This black and tan beauty is all love but don’t let her fool you she packs a mean punch! Abby’s trained indication is a “bump” and she thoroughly enjoys slamming me on the chest as hard as possible with muddy paws.
Abby is a sweetheart and loves everyone she meets. Full of energy and always ready to do what is asked of her Abby is the perfect example of a German Shepherd Dog! Please keep your eye out of the amazing workings of Abby.
Abby's favorite boy
Busy time!
The last week or so has been crazy, and the blog posts just haven’t seemed to roll off the fingers in my free time. This weekend was great and i’m happy to have a few free minutes to update everyone before we go swimming and training all evening!
Saturday started out with a good team training, we were able to run all the dogs even in the hot sun and get a little swimming done in the pond. The girls did great despite the hot weather and 4 hour meeting in the morning that left them sleeping with plenty of pent up energy to spend! Working with the boys was great and they did an amazing job saturday and all weekend long!
We spent the night at ritas so we could get right back to work sunday morning. Once the boat, motor, batteries, lunch, and kids were loaded up we went off to the lake to get in some water training!
Raina playing
All 3 girls loved the boat, and the water!! Emeline is not a strong swimmer but after mom, the boys, and her ball got in neck deep my girl jumped in over and over again swimming like a champ!!!!! A few more times and she’ll be a pro like her sister.
We mostly worked HR from the boat and the shore, both were completely new to Raina and she impressed me. I think we got some on video and hopefully this week i can get it loaded!
Eme heading down to the boat
It was a good weekend filled with dogs, sun, and friends. Gotta love this life!
Todays escapades
Today started like any normal day, up early out with the pups for the morning routine. The 4 shepherds ( we can’t leave out the little foster GSD) hit the truck and head to Vestal to get a day of search and rescue training in. We meet up with some Amigo girls and work some outside airscent and cadaver problems. The girls did great and mr Weib got to hang out and meet some cool new people, dogs, and sniff some new smells!
Weib!!!!
After a quick lunch break its on to building work where i was able to fine tune Emeline’s refind sequence. My girl is ready to start on the path to certification!! It was a bumpy ride, and one her sister sailed past her in but it has been worth it, Eme has a wonderful bark, a great indication and refind and is an amazing search dog in the making. Now we must balance her airscent work, with getting her ready to IPWADA HRD test this September and of course not leave out her obedience that will be tested in September as well for her certification! Ohhhh boy gonna be a busy summer at the Canine Copilot homestead!
Eme in her group down stay with distractions!
Follow you, Follow me
I have so much in life to be thankful for, and i’m not sure that i even realize it all yet! My work with canines is amazing, its groundbreaking, and it comes from within me. I feel like i have so much to offer, i just want to yell it from the roof tops……….this is how to live life with your dog!!!!!!! I try to express some of it on here, or in my video’s on youtube but i just don’t think i do it justice. I think, i hope, and from what i’ve heard, i am very capable of communicating it to my clients but i just want to reach more people, let them know that i can ensure they have a better relationship with their dog!
Pack member #10 Emeline
Weiss is our newest member, he was turned over to Life Long Tails and is being fostered by us in hopes we can groom him to be a search dog or detection dog of some nature. He and his brother were pretty shy pups last week when he came home, and weib (pronounced vice) did not know a single thing about how to “talk dog” with other canines. He would growl (yes growl at 12 weeks old) over bones, and challenge the adult dogs in the house without blinking twice. The look of confusion on his face when the stood over him and growled back, or offered a quick snap when approaching too fast when they were sleeping, or even when they play bowed to him in invitation to play he just didn’t get it. 5 days later and Weib play bows and chases the other dogs around the back yard, understands if he puts his ears back he can submit to the other dogs and release pressure from himself, and gathers he has a place in the pack. His barking and whining is now at a minimum as he feels more comfortable with himself as a canine. The difference in him is drastic, he loves to swim, go on hikes with the shepherd girls, search for cadaver and play fetch. What my pack of dogs can do is teach a pup how to be himself, they are miracle workers! Now don’t get me wrong my dogs are not perfect, they each have there own flaws like we all do but my pack has helped rehab hundreds of aggressive, neglected, abused, or plain confused pooches over the years. One on one with my clients they are impressive and provide the stability that is needed when i work with other peoples crazy canines, but as a pack, as my group of dogs in my house they are a group of educators, a collaboration of canines fit to help anyone with me, their leader in front. I’m not sure why i call them my canine copilot pack, the name just stuck around a few years ago and it fits. The pack is ever changing as we see dogs come and go but they are right there beside me every step of the way. Follow you, follow me, my canine copilot pack has built a reputation for themselves and they are ready to help!
If you are having problems with your canine and would like help please email or call us!!! Check us out online http://www.EliteInstinctCanine.com
The art of playing with your dog
The tugging beast
Part of having a good relationship with any dog is play time. At Elite Instinct Canine we pride ourselves on having fun with our pooches! There is of course an “art” of playing with your dog and the girls would love to demonstrate it for you!
Emeline taking the tug
Our morning routine
I love the “days off” i have because the morning routine is so much more fun! First off we sleep in till 6am (which is PRETTY AMAZING!!) then everyone rushes outside for a morning pee and i sit on the back deck taking in the air, trying to decipher if it will be a good day or a rainy one. We then move on in and i make coffee and get some work done on the computer while the pups lay around and chew or fall back asleep on the couch! A few times an hour a long nose will nudge me and one of the shepherds just reminds me they are still around and breakfast is still a necessity.
Oh Kendal!
Anna performs a round of ear cleaning and you hear content sighs from all around the living room of the dogs relaxing and succumbing to another day in the Canine Copilot pack. It’s mornings like this which i’m amazed. My dogs are the best, and I know everyone says that but they really are. When asked to go out and do a job, and save a life the girls will step up and perform like pro’s but when asked to “turn off” and lay around with a 6 pound chihuahua in their lap and not eat him…….they are much obliged. My group of dogs is a testament to what you CAN own, if you raise them and teach them that this is the way. I do not believe there are any certain “limitations” that must be put on working dogs and if they are raised correctly and trained properly they can coexist in a large group of other canines and be extremely happy!
I swear mom i am just gently "mouthing" his face!
Throwback Thursday
Throwback Thursday is a flashback of old pictures, enjoy!!!
A young titan
Puppy Valentine
Every little thing she does is magik
Have you ever had a dog that you think, really, can read your mind and is inside your head? Raina amazes me everyday with how in tune she is to me and to her work. She is like a machine in the field and when watching her you would think she was a horror to live with. I am much happy to report we have learned to teach each our dogs how to “turn off” and raina of course has mastered this skill as well. She is calm and quite in the house (except for when its time to eat!! But we all have 1 flaw right?????) and is ready to go at a moments notice. I never expected such a perfect pup, from the moment i birthed her and she was yellow girl aka mustang sally i think i knew she would be coming home with me. I can safely say she will be my once in a lifetime perfect search dog, as i dont think any puppy could learn the whole game by 4 months old! Raina will be certified at a year old, in October, and will be saving lives like an old timer!
Raina in motion
Yes i do spend about 3 hours a month away from a dog
Usually once every month or two you will find me out of scrubs or dog training clothes and in the mustang with my husband for a few hours of alone time. Last night was the first time in almost 5 months that it occured! Dinner and a show and then of course some grocery shopping to top off the evening left me dogless for about 4 hours. It was rough but i made it and am now exempt from having to do it again for a few months!!!
Wow they are some amazing looking GSD's!!!
Of course the morning was spent SAR training, but that’s a different post!!!! Ahhh some of us where just BORN TO TRAIN!!!!
I do not whisper, I translate
I was at a consult this past week when someone made a reference to me as “the dog whisperer” While i appreciate any comment towards a well known popular dog person (albeit whether i agree with his methods or not) i am not, in anyway, a dog whisperer. The term is just plain, well, dumb. What does it mean??? How would you ever “whisper” to a dog? Why would a dog care if you even did whisper? Dogs do NOT communicate like humans do, we cannot whisper, yell, cry, scream, yodel, bark, meow, purr, whistle, burp, or even groan for godsakes as dogs do not communicate through vocalization like humans do. To really truly understand dogs one must first observe said dog. I say this because EVERY dog is different, it doesn’t matter the breed, sex, age, or size of the dog they are all genetically different and environmentally influenced to have varying personalities. Once the dog has been observed you can start to draw SOME conclusions about the dog, and what methods of communication will work, and even why he is offering certain behaviors or unpleasant habits. Then once this has been accomplished you can begin to build your relationship with said dog, in hopes of opening the barriers in communication that exist between dog and human.
I do not whisper, I translate.
Translation
Offering some basic classes in good canine communication this summer please check out our website for details!!
Vacation weekend
This past weekend Kara from Amigo SAR dogs and I attended a Bill Dotson workshop up in Skaneateles New York. It was a pretty dreary wet weekend but we made the most of it. The weekend was a lot of classroom work and it was a wealth of knowledge. Bill is a great guy and one of the guys who started it all with search and rescue in the 1970’s. He absolutely loved the way Raina worked and i was one proud handler.
Feedback time
Every morning and evening we took everyone on long walks around Skaneateles which was great socialization and desensitization for them. I brought Raina to work the seminar and Abby to keep an eye on her recovery so she was able to tag along on all the walks too. Kara brought Felix the GSD Life Long Tails got a few months ago who we wanted to place in a working home. All three did fantastic downtown even during the busy night hours.
Everyone did great in the hotel room and were on their best behavior at the seminar, no barking or complaining even with being in there crates a lot during classtime. I have to say we have the best behaved dogs!
No fear of heights mom
I usually only attend a seminar every year but i always take a lot away from it and this time was no exception! I hope before the summer is up to visit Bill and his training facility in Virginia!
Girls on the Pier
Both girls in front of the lake
Canine Copilot 