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Protége Belgians

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Mitchell, SD
Protége Belgians

At Protégé Belgians, our goals focus on health, temperament, drive, and adherence to the breed standard.

06/17/2026

Happy 3rd Birthday Athira! We are so thankful to have you in our lives. I can't wait to see what this year brings.
Thank you to @605 Dog Project and Caren for the amazing photos.

05/11/2026

Happy Mother's Day from our home to yours. We hope all the Mother's out there no matter where they are at in their journey are having a wonderful day.

05/08/2026

Athira is posing wondering if she could get sponsored by her favorite dog food someday. We choose NutriSource because of the high-quality nutrition, focus on gut health, and how amazing their coats and body condition are on it.

05/05/2026

We received a wonderful update on Xena previously Midge she is doing fantastic in her new home! We also received an update on Kylah and she is also doing amazing and doing some nose work type activities! So proud of both these girls. Photo is of Xena.

02/17/2026

The 24-Hour Silence Experiment

Two weeks ago I asked a few of my customers to try something slightly radical:

Stop talking to your dog for 24 hours.

No narration.
No constant cues.
No “who’s a good boy?”
Just silence, aside from genuine safety needs.

And here’s what most of you discovered…

Your dog was calmer.

Not shut down. Not sad. Just calmer.

Because voice carries energy. Dogs don’t understand English the way we imagine, they read tone, pitch, tension, rhythm. Constant chatter keeps the nervous system ticking over. Remove the verbal clutter and you reduce stimulation.

Many of you noticed:
• More resting
• Less pacing
• Fewer attention-seeking nudges
• Better lead flow
• More eye contact

When you stopped talking, your dog started watching.

They shifted to their natural language, spatial awareness. Shoulders, hips, movement speed, direction of travel. And funnily enough… it worked better.

Some of you got an extinction burst at first:
Nudge → paw → bark → dramatic sigh.

That’s not emotional damage. That’s a behaviour losing its automatic reward.

The biggest surprise?

Some of you felt uncomfortable. A bit guilty. A bit mean.

Which tells us something important:
We often talk to regulate ourselves, not the dog.

And here’s the kicker, when you did use a cue, it worked better.

Because it wasn’t diluted by repetition.

“Come” means more when it isn’t said 43 times a day.

This experiment isn’t about never speaking to your dog. It’s about deliberate communication.

Say less.
Mean more.
Use your body.
Keep cues clean.
Remove emotional leakage.

Leadership isn’t louder.

It’s clearer.

And sometimes the most powerful thing you can say…

…is absolutely nothing.

01/16/2026

What does fulfilling your Belgian look like for you?

01/04/2026

Happy 5th Birthday Journey 🎂 🥳

01/03/2026

Behind the scenes, 2025 was a rough year, but I'm so excited for 2026! 🐶 I can't wait to continue doing dog sports and learning new things with our amazing dogs. If you're ever interested in learning more about dog sports or our program, please feel free to reach out! I currently don't have any breeding plans for the future, though I can usually recommend other programs to you. I hope you all have had a great start to the new year and your year is full of good health, happiness, and everything you could want! ❤️🐾

12/25/2025

Wishing a Merry Christmas from our family to yours! 🎄 We hope you have a happy and safe holiday and a happy new year! 🥳

12/19/2025

Athira and Forest both acquired their HRAT title last weekend at Minnesota's First Happy Ratter trial with Paws Ability Dog Training.

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Mitchell, SD
57301

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