Divinity Poodles

15/07/2025

I am a huge advocate for keeping dogs intact or keeping their hormones for as long as medically possible. I will discuss it with anyone willing to listen and have even written an article about it.

I have 2 females that have OSS (o***y sparing spays) and have noticed a huge difference in their overall health and well-being.
This video is very informative and brings up what may be an even better alternative to OSS - tubal ligation.
We should all be doing our due diligence before so drastically altering our pets.

The updated spay & neuter guidelines! Get the 411 from Judy!💚 Don't Miss a Video, Subscribe, it's FREE ► https://www.youtube.com/DrJudyMorgan/Need more kno...

14/07/2025

Storm is 13 weeks old and her swimming is coming right along 😀🐩

13/07/2025

THIS!!

Best in Show ≠ Best for the Breed

Why Top Show Dogs Aren’t Always Top Breeding Dogs

It’s a question that often divides breeders, judges, and fanciers alike:

Are the best show dogs really the best breeding dogs?

The answer—when stripped of glamour and ribbons—is often no. And not because show dogs lack quality, but because the system rewards what catches the eye, not always what sustains the breed.

Let’s unpack that.

The Problem with “The Look”

The show ring often favors flash. A dog with exaggerated features—whether it’s coat, reach and drive, head size, or extreme angulation—stands out under the lights. Judges, like all humans, are susceptible to what looks impressive in motion or in profile. This doesn’t mean they’re failing—it means the system favors visibility over subtlety.

But exaggeration often comes at a cost:
• That ultra-long neck? May compromise breathing or balance.
• That extreme rear? May lead to joint strain or instability.
• That massive head? May affect whelping ease or overall mobility.

These dogs may excel in competition, but that doesn’t mean their genes will move the breed forward.

Breeding is Bigger Than a Rosette

Breeding should prioritize:
• Correct structure, not just dramatic movement.
• Stable, predictable temperaments suitable for the breed’s function.
• Health, fertility, and longevity, not just short-term wins.
• Function over flash—especially in working or performance breeds.

When a breeder uses a top-winning dog as a stud just because it’s a Champion or BIS winner, they may be breeding toward a show image—not toward the breed’s future.

When a Title Doesn’t Mean Competition

Here’s a hard truth in dog sports:
You can finish almost any dog if you’re willing to travel, spend money, and play the system.

That’s why we can only talk about meaningful wins when:
• The breed entries are large enough to create real competition.
• The dogs defeated are of known, high quality.
• The judges have a reputation for prioritizing breed type over showmanship.

A Champion title earned in a sparsely entered ring or against mediocre dogs doesn’t prove breed worthiness—it proves effort, money, and strategy.l

So, What Makes a Dog “Breed Worthy”?

Not just a title. Not just a win photo.

But a total evaluation:
• Structure, health, and temperament.
• Pedigree depth and predictability.
• Ability to contribute something meaningful to the next generation.

Sometimes that dog is a Champion. Sometimes it’s a moderate, sound, unremarkable mover who will never catch a judge’s eye—but will consistently produce puppies that are better than herself.

That’s breeding.

Dog shows can be a valuable tool. But they are just one piece of the puzzle. A great show dog may sometimes be a great producer—but only when paired with purpose-driven, honest breeding decisions.

If the ribbons are blinding you to faults, if the glamour outweighs the genetics—it’s time to step out of the spotlight and back into reality.

Because a breed isn’t built on what wins today.
It’s built on what thrives tomorrow.

Copied and shared from Sakari Joenväärä's post. :)

10/07/2025

Happy 4th Birthday Sunshine!

07/07/2025

A day late but Happy 8th Birthday to the Autumn x Chaos litter!

30/06/2025

Storm meets daddy Knives off leash for the first time. No drama and he pretty much ignores her after the initial greeting.

19/06/2025

First ‘full’ body shave today!
Storm got into sap and was a little fluffy for swimming so we did a touch up on her face/feet/tail and then used a 3/4” comb on her body. Not bad for one handed and a squirmy puppy lol.
She also got her nails dremelled again.
Small steps 😊

12/06/2025

We welcomed Storm (Knives x Wicca) into the family on Monday. Registered name is pending.
She is one of the best puppies I've brought home. Travelled like she'd been doing it all her life, came into the house and greeted the 3 adult kids that were here with tail up and happy wiggles and even met her dad. He intimidated her just a bit lol (he's a lot when he is excited to meet a dog although he is excellent with puppies).
She's very opinionated and has no fear of telling you all about it but generally accepts that there are boundaries. She takes correction from her grandmother, Autumn, very well, makes an apology/appeasement and off she goes with tail up. She seems to understand that Rain is not to be teased or antagonized and we are working on Rain accepting Storm into the pack... so far so good.
She's ok in her crate after loudly complaining for a bit LOL
She's also growing like a w**d. She gained about 1/2 a kilo (one pound) in less than a week and I had to lengthen her collar after 2 days. I can actually see that she's grown since coming home.
She has decided that I'm her person and follows me everywhere so we are working on her having to stay in her crate or tethered without me and she settles rather quickly.

Jac did an absolutely amazing job with teaching the basics of impulse control, potty training and even being on their own. Thank you so much for all your hard work Jac! This was a stunning litter and Storm is a stunning puppy!

10/05/2025

Hard to believe these guys are already 4 weeks old!
First face shaves and playing outside before napping in the box lol
Knives x Wicca 2025

10/03/2025

Thank you K9 Seekers Trailing Club and Canadian Canine Trailing Association for a great first trial!

Rain earned her 'Walk in the Park' Instinct title with a time of 2:50:90 (2 minutes 50 seconds 90 milliseconds) on a 270m trail aged for 33 minutes. She didn't want to approach her victim but strongly indicated and since we had 30 minutes to complete the trail and we found them in under 5 minutes, I gave her a minute to decide that the weird person standing with their hood up and a big jacket on was actually just fine to walk up to lol.

Knives decided that although he knows how to use his nose, all the critters and other smells are more fun than actually letting David know that the person standing right there is who he's looking for 😂 Trying to convince him that a person is what he's hunting rather than a bird is proving to be an interesting experience.

06/09/2024

Knives earned his RATS title (Senior) at the Fraser Valley Ratters Labour Day Weekend trial. This was a last minute decision to attend and David did a fantastic job running him since Megan didn't come with us. Knives got a HIC and was the only dog to pass his first run and in the second run only 3 dogs passed and were separated in time by hundredths of a second. This dog loves to work and you can see it in his face 😄

Divinity's Delicious Creamsicle RATI RATS CRN CA NS 🐩🐀

Thank you to Laurie, Erin and all the volunteers and judges for a fantastic trial.
Thank you Emily Weeks for the lovely photos.

06/09/2024

Hopefully this helps.

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.