As requested by @Paul Bunker The Belgian Malinois, or Belgian Shepherd, known for being an intense all around canine athlete that is not for the faint of heart and certainly not recommended for a first time dog owner. The Belgian Malinois, who was bred in and named after the Belgian town Mechelen (pronounced Malines) in the late 19th century from local shepherd dogs by Belgian farmers. Their first jobs were: guard the farm, herd, pull carts and keep track of their small flocks of sheep, goats, geese and ducks. The Belgian Malinois were different as they lived inside the home unlike our other herding breeds, such as the Great Pyrenees, but were no doubt still very aware of anything afoot. They are also one of four Belgian shepherds: Belgian Sheepdog (aka Groenendael or Chien de Berger Belge), Belgian Tervuren and Belgian Laekenois. They are very similar in build but where they vary is their coat length, color and texture. Each breed is named after the region they originated in much like the spaniels. Louis Huyghebeart is credited as one of the early primary key figures of the development of the Belgian Malinois. He was a hugely passionate dog enthusiast and breeder from the area of origin. He owned his own fawn colored dog Vos de Polders who was renowned for his amazing working capabilities. Vos, who apparently had a fawn coat, is considered part of the foundation of the Malinois lineage. He did have offspring who also had amazing working capabilities. Although Vos de Polders is not the only early shepherd dog to be credited with foundational lineage. A breed standard was established in 1892 called The Belgian Shepherd Dog Club. In May of that year the first Belgian Shepherd show would take place where a variety of the different types of shepherd dog were displayed on stage. This did bring plenty of debate and discussions as to how to separate the different types. They did eventually recognize and establish guidelines for each type based on coat texture, color and length through the Société Royal Saint-Hubert.

In the working canine world we are the types of people that want the high drive “crazy” dogs. The dogs that are ball crazy, the dogs that want to go outside, the dogs that can take a 30 second nap and then go again for hours. Even for the working canine world we still would like our dogs to have an “off switch” and we should understand the benefit of our dog having one. It is important to teach your dog how to relax and decompress because, just like us, they benefit from some quiet down time. If you have the luxury and ability to live somewhere that isn’t super chaotic then half of the battle is already done for you. I am a big believer in balance in all aspects of life and that includes my dog’s life. We want to have the right level of “dopamine addict” in our working dogs. We need to have the confidence that they can cope with our busy days or travel days where we may not have the time we would like to satisfy their high energy and not eat the walls. A few suggestions for decompression ideas might include: - a stuffed KONG or other chew toy (in their kennel if they find that a safe and relaxing space) - playing some soft music while so this can become a cue to start winding down - a lick mat with some dog safe peanut butter (no xylitol – will cause glucose to crash) or other dog safe food such as wet food or plain yogurt - taking them on a sniffari (preferably somewhere quiet if you are able) - snufflemat with some treats or their food (nothing to exciting) - short and calm walk (in an area with little to no distractions that your dog finds stimulating) What do you do for your dogs on the days you are unable to meet their needs or just know they would benefit from some relaxation? Please share so others may learn as I’m sure there are plenty more that we can do for our dogs that I didn’t include in this list.

The Labrador Retriever that we know and love today has quite the interesting history. The Labrador Retriever how they are recognized today is originally from England but they actually go back further than that not only in time but also distance. The Labrador Retriever goes back to the 18th and 19th century but went by a different name and look entirely. The St. John’s Water Dog, named after Newfoundland’s capital, had a dense, oily waterproof coat and thick tail with more forward-facing ears. They loved the cold and the water and were more than happy to retrieve anything from lost fisherman hats to fish that managed to get away despite temperature and conditions. These hardy and useful dogs lived on the island of Newfoundland but are thought to be the result of Europeans coming over with their own hunting dogs and they are the ancestors of Newfoundland dogs. It is thought that, much like the spaniels, there were two distinct size and appearance of dogs, one that was large and long coated, and one that was smaller with a short oily coat, which the fishermen preferred as it was easier to maintain. The smaller dogs became known as St. John’s Water Dog and were very important and essential to the fisherman in Newfoundland. How the St. John’s Water Dog turned into the Labrador Retriever began with one man named James Harris, the 2nd Earl of Malmesbury, and he imported some of the St. John’s Water Dog dogs in the early 1800s and began breeding them for shooting companions. Later a man named Walter Scott, the 5th Duke of Beccleuch, also imported some St. John’s Water Dog dogs to Scotland and started his own breeding kennel, which is still in operation today. It wouldn’t be until a generation later, in the 1880s, when these two men’s sons met at a shoot and decided to work together and breed these two lines of St. John’s Water Dog together and thus the Labrador Retriever was born. The Labrador Retriever got their name from the Earl of Malmesbury who is thought to have been a little rusty on Canadian geography. It is also said that Newfoundland and Labrador were also used interchangeably when referring to the region. When he first saw these dog’s he, correctly, thought that they would be good at duck hunting.

Hello my name is Christina Brewster and I am a professional dog trainer who has a passion on how dogs think and perceive the world. I am a training partner with Chiron K9 and I am a certified Predation Substitution Instructor. The type of dog training I do is off leash detection but a lot of what it takes to have a great and dependable off leash detection dog are skills every dog can benefit from knowing. A big concern for both working dogs and pet dogs is chasing wildlife. A dog that is interested in chasing wildlife can find themselves in dangerous situations. They could run into traffic, they can get their gear caught up in branches, they can become impaled by branches or the animal itself, they can find themselves lost for extended periods, etc. Instead of getting frustrated and suppressing the dog’s quality of life I want to help owners, handlers and other trainers understand what is happening in their dog and how to redirect it in a safe way. “Frustration begins where knowledge ends” - Clinton Anderson