Waverly & the Willabeast

Aviary Kennels has been a dream of mine since before I even brought Waverly home. I grew up breeding and showing livestock, and knew I wanted to continue that passion with dogs. Our kennel name is a tribute to the bird dogs and birds that we love.

Our motto is “Trainability, Versatility, Moderation,” because that captures what we strive for. Not just the next top winning show dog or field trial dog that leaves the gallery in the dust, but trainable, cooperative, intelligent dogs with the structure and temperament to succeed in a variety of venues. The Brittany has always been a moderate dog, and I will strive to keep them that way. To breed for flash or extremity with only winning in mind is to do a disservice to this wonderful breed.

I’ll summarize it in my favorite quote about the Brittany, written for L’Eleveur magazine in France, 1908.:

The épagneul breton of good origin is a very hardy dog, which points by instinct, searches at a gallop, is always on the move, searches everywhere in anticipation of a find, and doesn’t mess around. He is a bundle of nerves with unfailing stamina, which no thicket can stop.

Very intelligent, he loves his master, listens to him, has his eye on him at all times, waiting only for a gesture or a sign to obey, even seeming to go ahead of the desire of the one who employs him.

His nose is good and, as the dog knows how to use it, one is astonished to see the results that one obtains with such a small dog. The Breton dog, which is above all a dog of the plains, excels in hunting woodcock in the woods and in the thicket, and he unravels the trail of the woodcock with rare skill.

What can be said of his courage and endurance? He would not be a Breton if he did not have a heart… He retrieves with pleasure and makes an excellent retriever in the woods as in the marsh.

When I have told you that, by his very nature, he is the faithful companion of his master and the friend of their children, I shall have described his good character.”

I was chatting with my best friend recently (who is a service dog handler) about the pros and cons of having a service dog, since her current SD is Waverly’s age and her SDIT prospect puppy is a month young than Willa (pic for tax) and we were noting the difference between our puppies as mine fucked off across the yard to entertain herself and hers harassed her for attention. We commented on how perfectly our dogs fit into our lives, right down to the accommodations that are most important for our individual disabilities.

For her, having a medical alert dog who can assist with mobility tasks provides her with independence she wouldn’t otherwise have. She loves to train, so having goldens who live to work with her is right up her alley. The level of safety that her SD provides more than offsets the extra work of planning outings and organizing gear, though it can still be tiring. It has allowed her to work full time again, on a flexible schedule, and care for herself in ways that would be difficult without them. In short, they have dramatically increased her quality of life.

For me, my biggest needs around my disability (autism) are being able to quickly lower mental demands, take breaks from performing or being perceived, and being able to check out. Constantly being followed or perceived by a dog would drive me nuts. I can get overstimulated by being touched when I don’t want to or aren’t expecting it. This is why I do not own herding breeds or retrievers. I have a breed whose needs are still met if I can just take them somewhere to run off leash with very little engagement from me. I also hate strangers talking to me. It stresses me out. I prefer to fly under the radar in public as much as possible.

I adore Waverly and I don’t want her with me all the time. None of the symptoms of my disability could be better mitigated by having a service dog than they already are with my current lifestyle and coping mechanisms, so the extra mental load of training maintenance, packing dog gear for outings, being addressed by strangers regularly, and needing to advocate for a dog would actually end up being a net negative for my quality of life.

All this is to say: You can be disabled and a service dog can be life changing. You can also be disabled and enjoy training dogs and playing dogsports and have absolutely no interest in or need for a service dog. Both can be true!

Update on the baby child! She is cute.

She is an excellent little traveler and has probably spent about a month on the road with me cumulatively already. She likes her crate and is more cautious about new people and dogs than Waves was as a puppy, but very bold when exploring new places. She warms up quickly, but does take a pause when meeting new people.

Shoutout to my crazy confident puppy who might be a little too desensitized to grooming because she likes the bathtub so much that she just LEAPT INTO THE BATH WITH ME.

I love you.

A pupdate! Introducing Juneau, aka Aviary’s Gold Dust!

Juneau (née Tayo) went to her new home last week and has been settling in beautifully. Her new family reports that she still loves to growl when she plays and tug is her favorite game (awesome news for a little agility dog) and that her great aunt Tango is being very sweet with her.