About Trust

We’ve come to the eighth Law of Health in Animal Naturopathy- TRUST. Language fascinates me. The meaning and nuances of words add such depth of understanding. The definition of the word trust according to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary is “someone or something in which confidence is placed; to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of."

Most people like the idea of trust, want to be trusting, and feel they are, even think they may be too trusting. However, there is also an element of hesitation or fear in regard to trust, and justifiably so. One needs to discover who or what is trustworthy? We are surrounded by both educated and self-proclaimed “experts” in many fields, the care of animals being one. Just who can we put confidence in when it comes to caring for our pets?

As avid students of the Bible we have learned there is no better one to unequivocally rely on than our Creator, Almighty God. This applies in the case of trusting that the way God created animals to eat according to each species is truly best for them. The truth is canines are carnivores; end of story. Look at how carnivores in the wild eat and simulate that as best you can. Trust that by feeding your dogs this way it will give them a solid foundation of health. And happiness! The pure enjoyment visible while a dog is eating its raw meat meal brings heartfelt delight to its Master as well! We agree with Animal Naturopaths and trust a species appropriate diet also.

When a person adopts a species appropriate raw diet for their carnivore, which is one of the elements of Natural Rearing, the body will purge itself of toxins down to a cellular level. Some symptoms of this detoxification are fever, cough, hotspots, yeasty ears, etc. One needs to trust the body’s innate ability to heal itself. Rather than suppress the symptoms, seek to support the body through natural modalities. In our mind this also involves respect for the animal as a whole- mind, body, and spirit.

                                                                          

Animals also trust us to care for and respect them. As a youngster it was my assignment and pleasure to look after the wild horses in an adjoining pasture. By treating them with gentleness, kindness, and respect they quickly came to trust me. Livestock reciprocate trust in turn by allowing us to basically harvest from them. A dairy animal displays one of the sweetest forms of trust, in essence adopting you and allowing milk to be collected by a human instead of or in addition to its offspring. That is really special when you stop to think about it! When an animal is injured or ill it requires a trusting relationship for them to allow us to tend to them.

Is Animal Naturopathy or Natural Rearing a panacea, meaning your pet will never get ill? Far from it; there are too many variables over which we have no absolute control. However, animals are vastly healthier when raised in this manner than ones reared conventionally. In the end, Animal Naturopathy is definitely worth putting Your confidence in!

Everyone needs a hand to hold onto when on a new path. As Natural Rearing breeders we are happy to mentor You!

Meet Ailagh!

Introducing the newest addition to our English Shepherd pack… Highland Glenn’s Blackrock Ailagh!

Ailagh is a stunningly beautiful Black & Tan with minor white who came to us by way of her owner/breeder whose life circumstances changed dramatically. She needed to find a home for Ailagh in which she could blossom contentedly. Interestingly enough, we had hoped to get a female from Ailagh’s litter (knowing the cross with Liam’s lines would be a good one) but decided to keep one of our puppies. Isn’t it funny how things happen? 

We are simply tickled pink to have her! Ailagh (pronounced AY-la) and Fahey met last fall, hitting if off right away. Well they are the best of mates now! Ailagh is Naturally Reared like our dogs so will expand our line of Naturally Reared English Shepherds.

Let me tell you the story about her name, and there is a story! She came to us named “Aella”, which is Greek and means “whirlwind”. We thought it important for her to keep her name, but you all know how we love Scottish/Irish Gaelic names. We wanted her to have one too, while somehow staying true to her original name. It just so happens the way her Greek name is pronounced could be given a Gaelic spelling without changing the pronunciation. Much like parents who make up names for their children, we made up a Gaelic name for her! This also means there isn’t an actual meaning to the name “Ailagh”, so we’ll attach the meaning of her Greek name to it- whirlwind. And she has taken us by storm! 

  

It is said that it takes four generations of Naturally Reared dogs to wipe the DNA-slate as it were clean of damage. With the addition of Ailagh we are well on our way!

Stop to Smell the Roses

The seventh of the 8 Laws of Health is… REST. In our hectic society rest is not something we usually get enough of. Aside from sleep (which most are deprived of anyway), we don’t even think of regular rest as a necessary activity. 

Yes, an activity which we must plan for. If we over-do, our body will unequivocally tell us there’s no choice in the matter for a spell! Isn’t it wonderfully relaxing to sit before the warm glow of a fire on a cold day sipping a hot beverage, maybe reading a favorite book? Or outside on a summer day listening to the birds sing with a glass of iced herbal tea in hand? Regularly allowing time to engage in rest will help a person keep healthy!

The same applies to our dogs. Although they may get more rest than they is good for them because of their family’s busy lifestyle, here I am specifically thinking of resting the digestive system. Believe it or not, digestion for any being is the hardest work it does. The canine carnivore has the wonderful ability to gently detoxify when allowed to rest from digestion. We may Naturally Rear our dogs and live in a rural setting, but there are many negative influences we have no control over – various air pollutants, radiation, EMF’s, etc. – and these are increased many-fold for those living in urban areas.

How does one give their dog a break from digestion? As usual, take a lesson from their wild cousins. They do not eat every single day. When a large kill is made they eat to their hearts content for a few days and then nothing while hunting for the next meal. A wolf sanctuary in western Washington practices a fasting time with their resident carnivores. For us at home this is accomplished by giving a Fast Day once each week.

Some dogs may seem too hungry for a complete Fast, or their active lifestyle may burn a lot of calories. So on Fast Days we give whole raw eggs with raw milk, or just one of those items. In any case, when we first put this into practice we saw some interesting results - their coats became shinier and there was less gunk in the corner of their eyes. Rather than suppress the elimination of toxins, we want to support the body’s innate healing ability.

Take a rest from the ‘noise’ of modern appliances and electronics. These can interfere with biorhythms and the ability to get deep rest. Some people and animals are highly sensitive to them, experiencing any number of health issues that seriously affect quality of life. 

One caution: cats are “obligate” carnivores which in part means they need to eat meat every day, so do not fast your cat. It could lead to organ damage.

We hope you will experiment with offering a Fast Day to see how resting the digestive system may help your dog!

2013 English Shepherd Litter Planned

We are now accepting Applications.

~ ~ Don't Miss This Opportunity! ~ ~

These Puppies will be amazing additions for a few select homes.
If you would like to be considered as a family for one of our rare Naturally Reared English Shepherds, please Contact Us to request a Puppy Application.


~ All Puppies Are Sold With A Contract ~

Our Breeding Philosophy and Puppy Placement Policies are a bit different than most. We ask that you please read them, as well as our Natural Rearing Program, Raising Pups, and Dog Care Standards.


~ Have questions? We're happy to answer them! ~

THE PARENTS

    

Greer

Liam

Highland Glenn’s du Prairie Liam x Glimmercroft Greer

Liam and Greer are both Naturally Reared. They are affectionate companions, eager to please, social in public, dutiful guardians of home with moderate energy/drive, versatile, good structure, and working traits with various livestock. They produce sweet tempered puppies that are strong and well-balanced in structure, very bright, with great working instincts and moderate-to-high energy/drive; wonderful for either working or active companion homes.

Lines: Anderson, Merz, Butcher, Shininger, Wilson

Green Hills of Home

Our highland mountain home is taking on the quintessential fresh green hue of spring with the leafing out of trees and shrubs, to the new shoots of native grasses and sweeping hay fields. Wildlife and livestock have already begun nibbling on the sweet, succulent grass. By my observation, a few of the Eight Laws of Health can be applied to lowly grass: NUTRITION, WATER, SUN, AIR, and REST.

Nutrition: this is obvious is relation to herbivores and omnivores. Even carnivores periodically imbibe for digestion and self-medication, seeking out certain grasses and plants to fill their needs… instinctively. Water: the fresh morning dew or new fallen raindrops collected on each blade of grass clean a dogs coat while rolling on it as they often do; Sun: chlorophyll provided by photosynthesis thanks to the sun may provide benefits to skin and coat as it does when taken internally; Air: the characteristic scent of cut or crushed grass may stir “life-is-good” feelings;  Rest: oh, how delightful it is on a warm day to snooze in the shade on a soft cushion of cool grass! And what about the grounding influence of simply being outside in direct contact with the earth?

Who would’ve thought humble little blades of grass could offer so many healthful benefits! Low in stature and often overlooked, perhaps, but lowly in importance, never.