who is Grace?
I've often received comments about my previous website, mentioning that it was all about the dogs and that there was very little about the human behind the dogs. In an effort to correct this here is a bit of background about myself.
Nature has always been extremely important to me; I would even say it's a vital part of my life. Nature has a very special way of making me feel absolutely in sync with my environment. When Nature catches my attention; whether it is a spider making its web, a baby snake emerging from its egg, or the beauty of a leaf in the sunlight, everything just seems to come to a standstill. I feel totally calm and in harmony with my surroundings, more than in any other situation; I feel at peace.
As a child I had very few pets, even if at every Christmas and birthday I wrote the same wishes on my list: a dog, a cat, or a horse. The closest I got for a very long time was a bird... although I had snakes, frogs, turtles, even a snail. I would sneak them into the house and watch them for hours. I was fortunate to spend my summers in the country where I could "borrow" the neighbours cats and dogs. As a young adult I became the human Mom for many animals; parrots and monkeys, hamsters and mice, and obviously cats and dogs; they all had a special place in my heart. Even if animals were so very important to me, life seemed determined to put a distance between us. My career in the travel industry came with the obligation of often being on the road, and I didn't feel it was fair to an animal to be at home waiting for my return for days, weeks and even months. For a long time work came first and my desire to be surrounded by animals was put on the back burner. A restructuring of the company I was working for faced me with two options: remain with the company I'd been with for the last twenty five years and move to a big city, or take an early retirement. The choice was easy to make. I'm the kind of girl who will choose the country over the city any time, so at last I was finally going home, back to my roots. A little house in the middle of the woods is where I now live with my partner, six Picards and four cats. I am now in harmony with my surroundings; I feel at peace.
Obviously, after spending twenty five years without a dog I felt I had some catching up to do. I enrolled in the Advanced Dog Behaviour Science program with a specialization in fearful and aggressive dogs at Companion Animal Sciences Institute. I spent numerous weekends at seminars on canine behaviour, reproduction, health, and nutrition. I also worked as an apprentice trainer for two years to apply this newly learned knowledge and earn my dog training levels. The understanding of animal behaviour had made such a tremendous leap forward in twenty five years, that it was like learning a new language, a new way of communicating. It enabled me to become more than an observer; it gave me the tools to communicate in an effective and respectful way.
Taking care of my aging pack, spending my days playing with and training dogs in boarding, rehabilitating abandoned dogs whose trust in mankind has vanished, spending evenings writing articles to help people understand, trying to keep up with the National Breed Club agenda where I've held the seat of president for the last five years; all of this has become my daily business, and very honestly, bringing the "DOGS" back to the center of my life couldn't have made me happier. It was well worth the wait!
I always feel very privileged when an animal gives me his trust; I feel grateful, as trust is so fragile and precious. Trust must also be deserved. Much of my time is spent gaining that trust, whether it is stray cats or fearful dogs, every little step is a huge success for me. I've always felt I have a deep connection with animals and I think with it comes the responsibility of helping as many as I can.
So this is who I am... the lady that would much rather have a home full of dogs and cats rather than a tidy house!
Nature has always been extremely important to me; I would even say it's a vital part of my life. Nature has a very special way of making me feel absolutely in sync with my environment. When Nature catches my attention; whether it is a spider making its web, a baby snake emerging from its egg, or the beauty of a leaf in the sunlight, everything just seems to come to a standstill. I feel totally calm and in harmony with my surroundings, more than in any other situation; I feel at peace.
As a child I had very few pets, even if at every Christmas and birthday I wrote the same wishes on my list: a dog, a cat, or a horse. The closest I got for a very long time was a bird... although I had snakes, frogs, turtles, even a snail. I would sneak them into the house and watch them for hours. I was fortunate to spend my summers in the country where I could "borrow" the neighbours cats and dogs. As a young adult I became the human Mom for many animals; parrots and monkeys, hamsters and mice, and obviously cats and dogs; they all had a special place in my heart. Even if animals were so very important to me, life seemed determined to put a distance between us. My career in the travel industry came with the obligation of often being on the road, and I didn't feel it was fair to an animal to be at home waiting for my return for days, weeks and even months. For a long time work came first and my desire to be surrounded by animals was put on the back burner. A restructuring of the company I was working for faced me with two options: remain with the company I'd been with for the last twenty five years and move to a big city, or take an early retirement. The choice was easy to make. I'm the kind of girl who will choose the country over the city any time, so at last I was finally going home, back to my roots. A little house in the middle of the woods is where I now live with my partner, six Picards and four cats. I am now in harmony with my surroundings; I feel at peace.
Obviously, after spending twenty five years without a dog I felt I had some catching up to do. I enrolled in the Advanced Dog Behaviour Science program with a specialization in fearful and aggressive dogs at Companion Animal Sciences Institute. I spent numerous weekends at seminars on canine behaviour, reproduction, health, and nutrition. I also worked as an apprentice trainer for two years to apply this newly learned knowledge and earn my dog training levels. The understanding of animal behaviour had made such a tremendous leap forward in twenty five years, that it was like learning a new language, a new way of communicating. It enabled me to become more than an observer; it gave me the tools to communicate in an effective and respectful way.
Taking care of my aging pack, spending my days playing with and training dogs in boarding, rehabilitating abandoned dogs whose trust in mankind has vanished, spending evenings writing articles to help people understand, trying to keep up with the National Breed Club agenda where I've held the seat of president for the last five years; all of this has become my daily business, and very honestly, bringing the "DOGS" back to the center of my life couldn't have made me happier. It was well worth the wait!
I always feel very privileged when an animal gives me his trust; I feel grateful, as trust is so fragile and precious. Trust must also be deserved. Much of my time is spent gaining that trust, whether it is stray cats or fearful dogs, every little step is a huge success for me. I've always felt I have a deep connection with animals and I think with it comes the responsibility of helping as many as I can.
So this is who I am... the lady that would much rather have a home full of dogs and cats rather than a tidy house!
NOBLE PICARD KENNEL
copyright 2022
