The Canine Chasm

08/08/2023

The Chronicles of the Basket Valve, A Carousel
1) I turn around from atop the Peloton to see dogs that should have been upstairs. I tell them to go back upstairs, so Eevee lays on the bottom step for at least 12 minutes. 2) Apparently, the Basket is a one way valve: the could come down, but can’t go back up. 3) I get off the Peloton during a bike bootcamp workout and put the Basket in a new spot. 4) How Eevee feels about the new basket position.

I tell this as a funny story, but in reality, it was both a breakdown in training and a glorious display of “go to your [place]”.

They know not to come down into the den if I put something on the stairs. But Rocket decided the rules didn’t apply to him and Eevee followed. I told them to go back upstairs, but for some reason they suddenly couldn’t get past the basket. 😂 so, they did the best they could and got on the bottom two stairs and stayed there - without a second command - for 12-13 minutes. Yes, they have been heavily reinforced to go to their places and stay, but this is why biddability and respect matters.

Hold yourselves accountable for training and hold your breeders accountable for temperaments.

07/09/2023

New blog post is live!

https://thecaninechasm.com/unrealistic-expectations-about-breeders-and-puppies/

So often I see people frustrated about dealing with responsible breeders and people at their wit’s end with their new puppy. And these frustrations *usually* boil down to one thing: unrealistic expectations. Here’s how to manage your expectations on the puppy buying and raising process.

06/29/2023

Ever wondered what's happening at a dog show? What a "major" is? What the different ribbon colors mean? What the judge is looking at?


Find out here:

In this post, you'll learn what dog shows are, how they work, how the dogs are judged, the championship points system, and probably more than you were really hoping for.

06/23/2023

Pet People be like: I did my research and found a good breeder.
Dog People: Oh, so what are the AKC numbers of the parents?
People People: The breeder didn't give me that information.

🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

Here's how you tell the difference: https://thecaninechasm.com/how-to-recognize-ethical-breeders/

“Are these ethical breeders?” In this post, I discuss different types of breeders and how to know if they are ethical… or not. - The Canine Chasm

06/22/2023

Time for a ! Decoding OFA has been updated!

In this post, I'll show you what clearances are needed, where to search for them, and how to interpret the results, all on OFA.org.

06/20/2023

Truth Bomb Tuesday: There's no such thing as an "English Cream" Golden Retriever.

Read more here:

"English Cream" is a food, not a dog breed. All Golden Retrievers are special, regardless of the shade of gold.

06/09/2023

So what exactly goes into a well-bred puppy? What sets *true* hobby breeders apart from the rest?

Breeding responsibly isn’t just dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s of health testing. Find out more here.

Reputable breeders don’t breed for the money, they breed to protect, preserve, and prolong the life of their breed.- The Canine Chasm

03/08/2023

I wholeheartedly believe in this. One of the main reasons this blog exists is to bridge the gap between these two groups of people.

03/03/2023

Part 2 of Eevee’s Story is here! This one highlights both some good and some bad experiences. I’m honest about what it’s like being new. It’s not all sunshine and roses and yes, people can be mean. But there are good people and friends that lift you up when need it.

After that Reserve at Eevee’s first big girl show, I started believing in myself a little. Eevee, it turns out, is a pretty good show dog.

02/17/2023

In honor of Eevee's 4th birthday, I am so excited to announce a new post! Here's Part 1 of our journey to her AKC Championship:

After months in the making and many false starts, the story of how Eevee became a Champion show dog is here. Part One of Eevee’s Story: Learning the Ropes

02/10/2023

An article was recently published in a dog world magazine that discounted millennials in dogs. Called us ”lazy” and “entitled”.

I was born into the middle of the millennial generation and I can honestly say that I haven’t met many people in my age group that are lazy and entitled.

On the contrary, most of us were raised in a culture of hard work and competition. I’m not sure where the stereotypes about us came from because if the majority of a generation is the “exception to the rule” then shouldn’t the rule be changed?

And we are finally starting to overcome the “Adopt Don’t Shop” rhetoric of our childhood. (Which, by the way, was not started by us since we were CHILDREN when it began.)The number of millennials buying purebred dogs and wanting to be involved is growing. We are in a position to start contributing to the fancy in meaningful ways: showing, breeding, volunteering, and even mentoring.

So the next time you see someone in their late 20s to very early 40s at a dog show, encourage them. Like a steward at a recent show did for me: I don’t know her name, but I’ve seen her at many shows. She knows that I’m an owner-handler and has watched my development as a handler over the last 3.5 years. When she walked up and said “you’ve been showing dogs beautifully today”, it made my day. We need more of that. More kindness, more encouragement. Let us help the fancy grow.

Millennials in Dogs: The Future is Now By: Jess Deardorff I came to dogs from horses. I'm a third generation Connemara pony breeder. I

01/13/2023

Happy Friday Everyone! I finally finished revamping the last post in the Reputable Breeders series, so here it is: https://thecaninechasm.com/how-to-survive-the-wait-reputable-breeders-part-5/

My favorite must have products have been added! And no, I don't get paid for doing that. ;-)

You made the cut! Now, you wait. In this post, you'll find tips on making the wait easier. This is the final post in the Reputable Breeders series... For now.