Gone But Never Forgotten

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(re: September 11, 2001 attack on freedom!)

Vallarlane Kennels

Saskatchewan Breeders of the Bouviers des Flandres dog

No puppies available at present.

No litters planned for the near future.


Welcome to the Vallarlane Home page. The main purpose for this page is to introduce ourselves and the Bouviers we breed to the Internet. We believe that some of our insights and observations about breeding, feeding and training Bouviers may be of interest to other dog owners and breeders. We will give you a little background on ourselves, stories of our Bouviers and go on to topics that we think will be interesting and informative.


Good Owners Great Dogs  Click here or the book for Amazon.com

Good Owners Great Dogs This is a great book for understanding how your dog thinks. This enables you to correct behaviour by understanding how to communicate to the dog in a language that he'll understand.  You'll learn things like, a dog doesn't understand being hit, all he knows is that it hurts.  There are things that dogs do to each other that they do understand as a reprimand.  Using the thought processes that are taught in this book you'll be able to communicate with your dog and make him a better citizen for visitors to your home and people you meet on your travels.

Good Owners Great Dogs   Click here for Chapters on line

     


CHILDPROOFING YOUR DOGCHILDPROOFING YOUR DOG  Click here for Amazon.com

If you own a dog and have a child OR if you have a child and want to get a dog. GET THIS BOOK!  The title says it all and as a breeder this is one of our dearest concerns.  We don't want anything to happen to your child because you bought one of our puppies.  By the same token we want the puppy we sold you to be safe and content.  If your child was hurt by a pup we sold you, our pup could be put down, hated or turned over to an animal shelter.  (We will always take our pups back)  This book is a small investment to add to the safety of your family.

Childproofing Your Dog   Click here for Chapters on line


Click here for Amazon.com Mother Knows BestMother Knows Best

This is a great book to help you understand your dog.  Breed specifics, like why your dog bumps you when you play, could it be you have a herding breed?  Why dogs dig.  Is this obsessive compulsive behaviour?  Or is it a natural thing for your dog to do?  Can you give him somewhere to do it that he'll be happy and you'll be happy too, like NOT in the middle of your lawn?  Train your pup the way his mother would have trained him.  We've seen mother dogs train their pups and seeing that gives much credit to this book.

Mother Knows Best   Click here for Chapters on line



A LITTLE BACKGROUND

We'll start our background from the time we decided to get a dog. I'm sure you don't want to hear our whole life story, and that's not the point of this page anyway.

 In 1990, we lived in a bedroom community close to the city of Regina, in Saskatchewan, Canada. Sometime during 1991/92 it became obvious that crime was on an increase. Neighbors had been broken into. Our car window was broken and cheap speakers were stolen, way cheaper than the cost to fix the window! A co-worker of Valerie's had her house broken into in a neighboring community. The R.C.M.P. commented to her that one of the best deterrents for criminals in a rural setting is a big black dog. Not that it had to be nasty, just big and black. Our search began. At first we went for "big" and left out the "black". We decided that a nice dog for indoors, something big, and a decent temperament for friends and family, would be a Mastiff. We liked the idea of having something a little different. Valerie had mentioned Bouviers, but I (Larry) had never seen a Bouvier and the only picture that Valerie could come up with was a black blob in a magazine. We've since discovered that Bouviers, especially the dark ones, are very hard to take pictures of. Anyway, our search for a Mastiff was on. Not as easy as you might think. We had a very difficult time locating breeders and if we did, then they were too far away to give "breederly" advice. This all took place before we became involved with Bouviers in the dog world or Internet. I was still of the opinion that spending hundreds of dollars on a dog was a little ridiculous. That is the mentality of many of the people in this under populated, rural farming province. The need for dogs here for years has been for protection and work on the farm, or as a companion. I fit into that thinking at that time as well.

One day while I was at work I overheard two co-workers talking about their dogs. One mentioned "Bouvier". I said, half seriously, that we were looking for a Bouvier. Talk about saying the right thing at the right time! My friend had owned a Bouvier that he did not buy from a breeder, but from the first owner. This dog lived with my friends for a time but became aggressive and scary. The breeder of the dog agreed that if they needed to put him down he would replace the dog for costs; ears, shots etc. My friend accepted this offer but, had in the meantime, ordered another Bouvier from another breeder. They already had her and she was five months old. Money was a little tight at that time so my friend offered me this replacement Bouvier that wasn't born yet for the same money that he would be paying. We were getting a registered Bouvier, from a breeder we didn't know, from several hundred miles away and had no idea of lines or health problems or OFA's or anything. We were so naive and therefore so ecstatic. This is not the way to acquire a new member of the family, we got lucky.

 Now remember, the whole point of this dog was to stay home and protect the place. We got him in March of 1993 at eight weeks old. What a cutie. We discussed obedience classes and a friend who had been involved in dog shows indicated that we shouldn't rule that out either. We both thought that we were not after a show dog, nor did we see much point. At obedience classes, someone suggested that we try a show just to see what it's all about. We did. We went to Swift Current Sask. with a six month old Bouvier. A professional handler had given me a quick, and I mean quick, lesson on grooming a month before and another former handler that we met at a pet food store sold us all his used grooming equipment. See how things are falling into place? The show in Swift Current was a three day week-end with five shows. We showed in all five shows and the puppy sweeps and ran the poor little guy's butt ragged. We were the only Bouvier there so of course we had to go in for group and puppy group in every show too! I was showing and was nervous, he was nervous, Valerie from the sidelines was nervous, why were we doing this to ourselves?

 We had met a couple of people from home and we were genuinely enjoying meeting new people and talking dogs. Especially talking about our dog. In the last show, late Sunday afternoon after a long, long weekend of being the only Bouvier there I was in the group ring again. Valerie was sitting with the video recorder at ring side with our new found friends and I was getting prepared to get kicked around the ring by a local Old English Sheepdog puppy who kept taking group fourths. The man that owned and showed Wigglebum, was a friendly guy who also befriended us. It was time to go around and the Judge pointed out group first, second, Wigglebum was third, and you guessed it Kroankel's Abraham earned his first group Fourth! The crowd erupted, the video camera came very close to hitting the floor, you can see it on tape, and both Larry and the dog were visibly excited. Amazing what you can pass down the leash! We were bitten, not a great cliché to use in the dog show world but it was true. Kroankel's Abraham, Bart, went on to be the number five Bouvier in Canada in 1994. Some guard dog, he was always with us and the house was left unguarded.

That's the introduction. Please bookmark this site and return to see if we're learning good html techniques. We're hoping to make the site attractive as well as informative. We will be adding information under the headings outlined at the beginning of the page as well as adding new ones as we think of them. You'll especially want to check out the The Natural Rearing Diet page.



 



If you have any questions or comments please we're;
Larry and Valerie
vallarlane@cableregina.com

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Bouviers des Flandres: The dogs of FlandresBOUVIER DES FLANDRES: THE DOGS OF FLANDRES  Click here or the book for Amazon.com

This is a great book for someone who owns or is a Bouvier enthusiast.  History, pictures, grooming and training tip, as well as breed standards and uses.  It's must have book for a Bouvier owner.

Bouvier des Flanders:The Dogs of Flanders Fields   Click here for Chapters on line


Bouvier des Flandres BOUVIER DES FLANDRES

This book by Diane Mclean, gives the history and standards of the Bouvier.  Although we recommend Jim Engal's book "Bouvier des Flandres: The dogs of Flandres", this is a book that gives additional knowledge and insight into the Bouvier.


YOUR PURE BRED PUPPY A buyers guideYOUR PURE BRED PUPPY A buyers guide  Click here  or the book for Amazon.com

Here is a book that will guide you to the right kind of puppy for your household.  It will give you general points to consider and help you to ask the breeders the right questions.  As Bouvier breeders we would like you to buy a Bouvier, but, we would rather you buy a dog you're going to be happy with, and that will fit into your lifestyle than have a dog that is returned because he "wasn't right for you".

Your Purebred Puppy:A Buyer's Guide  Click here for Chapters on line  


TRACKING DOGTRACKING DOG click here or the book for Amazon.com

Want something wondrous to do with your dog, or would you just like to read about it.  Either way this book gives amazing accounts of what a dog's nose can accomplish and how you and your dog can be a team.  Very good reading and very good instruction.

Tracking Dog:Theory & Methods  Click here for Chapters on line



Our Breed Standard

Our Breed standard is simply a verification of the breed standard for the Bouvier des Flandres dog. As breeders we are not trying to change anything but only trying to breed the best specimen of the Bouvier breed.

This is our Standard

The Bouvier standard is in place for a reason. These dogs are meant to perform certain tasks. They body-check when herding, pull carts, rough hunt, protect and are one of the most agile dogs there are. Why would you knowingly change anything about a Bouvier? Some other dogs do the same tasks in a different way because they are bred differently. German Shepherds herd. They can run long distances and nip at the cattle's feet. They can't run into them and make much difference. They can't maneuver like a Bouvier in a crowded herd and if they have to bite they tear, unlike a Bouvier who crushes. A Bouvier is a Bouvier, why try to manipulate it into what another dog was meant to do, especially if you're a breeder with a notable name in breeding Bouviers? To create a more angulated Bouvier because you like it or because all breed judges seem to pick them is unthinkable. Why would a breeder create a Bouvier that can run along with a more angulated type of dog and take away it's most notable and most desirable attributes, it's agility and maneuverability? If you try to change this do you not create or resemble another breed of dog?


Why do you think we should be happy to know you just got a new mixed breed puppy?

The following is in response to the many people who have begged us to inform them as to when the next litter of Bouviers will be available only to find out that they went out and purchased a mutt instead.  This after many assurances that all they want is a Bouvier and how impressed they are with the breed.  Upon informing them that the pups have been born and they're available, they tell us that they purchased a mutt or worse a purebred but not registered, but still expect help with behaviour and training problems as well as health and diet issues.  With this note we'd like to suggest that you consult your vet about health problems (as always) and talk to your BREEDER about behaviour and training problems! A good breeder will be there for your support with your new dog. 

We're still very interested in the Natural Rearing Diet and want to continue to help people who want to put their dogs on the NR diet.  (Mixed breeds included)  If you're buying a purebred dog, research your breed, your breeder and don't buy from a "backyard breeder"!


Dear new mixed breed puppy owner,

Thank-you for your interest in Bouviers. We think they're a wonderful breed for many reasons. It is for that reason and what we thought we could do with the natural diet in a breeding program that we wanted to share this breed with the people of Saskatchewan.

It appears that although some people understand the value of a purebred dog from a reputable, local breeder willing to help with puppy training and diet advice as well as grooming and providing a place to have your dog kennelled while going on holidays, most people in Sask. are still of the farmer mentality of getting a crossbred dog for $10 or so from a neighbor and if that doesn't work out, get another crossbred 'cause it doesn't cost much money anyway. Why pay for genetic research, health research, breed type, personality and soundness when you can experiment or take a chance at getting a good dog out of the paper for hundreds of dollars cheaper?

I can't count the number of people who have called or e-mailed about getting a pup from us only to call them back when the litter had arrived to find out they got a mutt from the shelter or out of the paper already. They didn't even go to another breeder, say in Alberta, they didn't get a purebred dog at all! How much time have we invested in interviewing people and giving them our credentials as breeders and the background of our breeding stock as well as health testing we've done? Or, how many dogs have we from previous litters that are monitored for health and temperament to make sure our lines are of the best quality we can provide? Why not take deposits from these people and if they don't get a pup from us they lose their deposit? Because we won't sell a pup to where it's not wanted and if someone has changed their mind but only takes the dog because they've paid a deposit, what is in store for that pup in the future?

We are very proud of our Bouvs and when we go out walking with one and are stopped we love to talk about them and show them off but we are taking an indefinate break from breeding because of the time that has been consumed dealing with people having idle curiosity and nothing else to do on a weekend but come and see dogs like it's some sort of petting zoo.  Because we're on a break from breeding or selling dogs anymore I have to decline your request to come see the dogs especially because you are "at your limit owning two dogs already".

Please be aware that I am not attacking you personally. (In fact I will probably copy this e-mail and use it over and over) I realize this e-mail has some bite. I hope you see and understand the frustration in this letter. We enjoyed meeting people, talking long distance about the breed, usually at our expense after someone left a message, we enjoyed dog shows and were willing to give our time for a good cause in the world of dogs. The attitudes that each of us has encountered at our places of employment and the community in general has made the last six years, while we were involved in breeding, appear to be largely a waste of time. People mock the fact that we charge $750 for a puppy. Many don't understand what it takes to produce the kind of quality that you can be proud of attaching to your kennel name and backing it up with a guarantee. I'd like to add that these are the people who ask for advice about what to do with their ill or poorly behaved dog; a dog that is aggresive, can't be housebroken, barks all the time, loses hair all over the place or whatever problems their $10 dog has. These people don't mind taking our time for no fee and like I said possibly a returned long distance call. When the pup is of our breeding and there is a training or diet question we have no problem spending our time helping and counselling. Our frustration comes from people who dispute the value of a good breeder like us, yet feel that we have time to answer questions about the new little mutt they just aquired. When you pay for a pup from a good breeder you get what you pay for in the follow up.


Puppy Stories that amazed us!

On the date we expected our first litter of puppies we moved two mattresses to the basement and slept on the cement floor in sleeping bags.  All was prepared, a scale, a box with heat, a bulb to suction mucus from little noses, the scissors for the cord, betadine and probably a bunch of other stuff I can't remember.  Well, we had to sleep on the cement floor for three nights.  On the third night, actually morning, at five a.m., we heard our, about to be new mom, licking and thumping around her her whelping box.  Time was here!  We were very nervous, we live thirty miles from the vet and although we knew dogs give birth all the time we also had heard horror stories of birth.  One story that seemed to be in our minds was the one you hear about the bitches "ravaging" their puppies.  We were prepared but we had no experience, so we really weren't prepared, if you get my drift.  We feed our dogs the natural diet and so we didn't panic about the bitch getting the afterbirth.  Some say it's not good for them, some say you can let them have one or two, etc.  We weren't concerned, but to play it safe we decided that we would take most of them away.  Ha!  Taylor, the new mother, had something to say about that.  After the first puppy arrived she went after the afterbirth so fast I didn't even know it was out yet.  We were busy cutting the cord, drying the pup and weighing that my hands were full.  Next puppy I thought I could do better.  Not so, she had that one on its way out too.  Two puppies under our belt and everything was peachy.  Then we waited and waited.  Twenty minutes later she started to push again, finally.  The third puppy came as easily as the first two and once again the fight was on for the afterbirth.  I got this one!  Puppy number four came out and this is where the story gets amazing, at least to us.  This pup was a tad smaller than the other three, but otherwise no different.  I prepared myself for the coming of the afterbirth, which comes very fast after the pup most of the time, and held puppy number four in my other hand.  Taylor was doing her usual licking just before the afterbirth comes out and I was getting into position to win another one.  Just as the afterbirth expelled and she got her first whif of it I grabbed it.  She let me win that one.  I thought she was getting tired of fending me off because she made no effort to eat this afterbirth at all.  She got up, turned around and walked to my other hand, sniffed the head of the puppy and grabbed it in her mouth with a crunch that to us sounded enormous. Such a feeling of despair and panic came over us.  Seeing our sweet little dog kill, or attempt to kill one of her pups.  Was she getting tired, was she now going to start to "ravage the pups", had we passed on to her our nervousness and excitement to a point where she couldn't handle it?  Valerie was on the phone to the vet and through her tears explained what happened.  I sat in the whelping room with this limp puppy and a mother that I felt such disappointment in, my eyes were teary, all the excitement and enthusiasm of the day gone and worried because I knew she still had puppies left to deliver.  As the vet tried to console Valerie and as I tried to patiently wait for Taylor to have her next pup, I examined puppy number four to see if there was anything I could do to save it or just put it out of its misery.  As I checked it over to try and determine something, I looked in its mouth.  It had a cleft palate.  There was no roof to this puppies mouth and somehow from the scent of the placenta, Taylor knew this.  She went on to have two more healthy pups and despite the help we gave her still managed to do a wonderful job.  Her abilities as a mother are amazing and they don't end with birth.





Herding is controlled hunting!

Bouviers are in the herding group, are herding/driving dogs, and have many other uses.  Taylor, knowing this, would get her puppies to chase her.  She would run in and arc.  The puppies, being very young and small were much too slow to catch her so they eventually learned that if they took the right angle they would catch her even though she was slow.  When they caught her they would "kill" her.  Biting at her neck, and running into her side, they would hang on to her hind quarters until they dragged her down.  She was big enough and strong enough that you could tell by watching that she was acting.  She'd drag her back leg and finally succumb to the puppies efforts, then jump up and shake them off and away they would go again.  All puppies must participate or feel her wrath.  One puppy, Rocky, would not always join in.  She would walk over to him and hit him with her front paws which of course made him yelp.  When he quit yelping she would quit hitting.  Then they'd run again.  Often Rocky would be the target of another puppy's aggression and he would yelp instead of fight.  Mom would come over again and smack him around 'till he quit yelping and then she'd walk away.   This was when the pups were three to four months old so the fights were not only not serious they were just the kind of jousting that young dogs do to see who's boss.  Sounds like Rocky was "abused" by his mother but he turned out to be a wonderful lovable male Bouv, not at all like his mother but not very different from his siblings.

 Taylor also took over the motherly duties of our second litter with just as much intensity as her own litter.  This litter was born six months later and their mother was not a good mom.  Once weaned, which was earlier than we wanted, Taylor took over their training and manners teaching.  This is the reason we want to breed Taylor one more time, not to mention that her pups were gorgeous!

If you have any questions or comments please , we're;
Vallarlane Kennels


Larry and Valerie
vallarlane@cableregina.com

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Yes we decided to breed Bouviers

Our decision to breed was based on several factors. One of the main reasons was that we fell in love with the Bouvier that we raised, trained and showed. What a wonderful breed of dog! Very few people in our area even knew they existed. When walking in the park or down any residential street, we would be stopped and questioned about what kind of dog we had and what their temperament was like, "can we pet him"?, and "are they ever beautiful!". People often asked where this breed could be purchased. We thought by breeding these dogs we could provide a healthy respectable representation of the breed, support our puppy buyers with information about training, showing, socializing and be a close contact for help with grooming. If there was a problem we could offer a resource for help, advice or, if necessary, a replacement pup.

One of the biggest reasons for breeding is because of the health benefits of feeding a natural diet. As you will read on our, feeding our dogs naturally page, there are many benefits that become more apparent the more each generation eats naturally. This was attractive to us because not many people feed this way and by strictly rearing on natural food we could benefit from extremely good health in our pups. The short term results are promising, so we'll monitor future generations and determine the overall health, compared to other breeders and their dogs.

Another reason for wanting to breed is that after showing other kennels' breedings, we wanted to show off our own breeding. This keeps us involved in dog shows and the people and friends we meet there.

Here is a link to a breeder in Quebec, Great pictures and good information.

Back to our HOME PAGE; Bouviers in Saskatchewan

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