Life With Our Dogs: The Heart of Our Program

I’ve been a little stuck on what to write next for our blog. Then I started thinking about what I personally enjoy reading when I’m learning about other breeders. The things I’m always drawn to are hearing about their dogs, their daily life, and the “why” behind their program.

So I thought I would share a little about our life, why I love breeding, and some of the adventures that come along with it.

A Busy Home Full of Life

We have three kids, and that alone keeps us very busy! Life in our house is always full of activity. But breeding dogs has truly become a passion of mine. I absolutely love my dogs, and I love knowing that every puppy that leaves here is going to a family where it will be deeply loved for its entire life.

Every puppy ends up helping a family in some way. Sometimes they help someone heal after losing a beloved dog. Sometimes they become a best friend for another dog already in the home. Sometimes they become a travel companion, a snuggle partner, or the dog that makes the kids laugh after a long day.

In some small way, the puppies that leave here change someone’s life for the better. And I love knowing that I had a tiny part in that by carefully choosing dogs with wonderful temperaments, personalities, and health so we can bring amazing puppies into the world.

Learning the Reality of Breeding

Now, being a breeder isn’t all fun and cute puppies — although there is certainly plenty of that! When I first started, I knew it would come with its challenges. There are sleepless nights, lots of cleaning, and plenty of juggling to keep life running smoothly with dogs, puppies, and kids.

With three children already keeping our home busy, adding a litter of four to six puppies into the mix can make life wonderfully full and a little chaotic at times. But over the years I’ve learned what works best for our family and our dogs. Planning ahead, staying organized, and creating simple systems has helped everything run much more smoothly so the dogs and puppies get the care and attention they deserve.

One thing that has helped the most is keeping everyone on a routine. The dogs stay on a regular schedule for baths and grooming, and I keep up with the daily laundry that naturally comes with raising dogs and puppies. I also make sure our favorite food and treats are always on auto-ship from PetSmart — which has been one of the best plans ever! Having these little routines in place keeps our home running smoothly and ensures the dogs and puppies always have everything they need.

Our oldest, James, has even started earning allowance by helping with some of the simpler tasks. It has been such a blessing to see how much the kids love being involved and how much they truly adore the dogs. Now, James absolutely cannot handle poop-scooping — he has no stomach for it! That part always makes us laugh. His little sister, on the other hand, happily helps me clean the dog yard while James stays far away.

I love that this has become something our whole family shares. Each of us finds so much joy in the dogs, and it never really feels like a job — it just feels like we have a house full of beloved pets. The puppies grow up right in the middle of this busy, loving household, getting used to kids, everyday sounds, and lots of gentle handling along the way. I truly believe that when breeding is done thoughtfully and kept small, the joy only grows over the years.

Creating a Home for Happy Dogs

One thing that has always been important to me is that our dogs are pets first. They are truly part of our family.

We installed a doggy door so the adult dogs can go in and out whenever they need to. Our backyard has become a little dog playground. I’ve even bought some of those toddler toys you might see at a daycare — slides, tunnels, and little climbing toys.

And yes, the dogs absolutely love them! They run up and down the slides, crawl through the tunnels, and bounce all over the yard together.

When I look at other breeders online, the setups I’m most drawn to are the ones where the dogs clearly live as loved pets. Where they have a yard designed for them to play and explore, and where they can come inside and curl up on the couch whenever they want.

Spoiled in the Best Way

Our dogs are spoiled in the best way. They have good quality food, cozy fluffy beds, and more toys than they probably need.

I’m always shocked at how much we spend on things like bully sticks, yak cheese chews, and good beef jerky treats. And every time I walk through Ross, TJ Maxx, or HomeGoods, I somehow come home with new stuffed toys for them.

But it’s completely worth it when all the dogs are racing around the yard playing with a new toy that quickly becomes everyone’s favorite.

The Peace Dogs Bring

Dogs have always brought me an incredible sense of peace.

Kids are wonderful, but parenting can be challenging. They are growing up, learning about the world, bringing home new ideas and experiences from school every day. As parents, it’s our job to guide them, teach them, and show them how to be kind and good people.

Dogs, on the other hand, live such simple and joyful lives. They don’t carry the worries of the world. They are happy with the little things — playing in the yard, going for a walk, getting a pup cup from the coffee stand, or curling up on the couch at the end of the day.

They somehow always know when someone needs an extra snuggle.

They know they are loved. They know the kids need them sometimes as their safe place. They know Dad will always take five minutes to scoop them up and tell them how special they are.

The Hardest Part of Breeding

One thing I truly was not prepared for when I started breeding was the reality of retiring my dogs.

Early on, a mentor of mine explained something that really stuck with me. She told me that when you breed dogs responsibly, you eventually have to retire them and find the very best home possible for them. Otherwise, over time you could end up with far more dogs than is fair for them. Dogs deserve individual attention and a person who is truly dedicated to them. So at some point you have to make a choice.

That realization was honestly earth-shaking for me.

My first two beloved dogs were incredibly bonded with each other, and my brother ended up being the perfect home for them. They adored him and his family, so it made the transition much easier. I still get to see them often, they come over regularly, and I still groom them. Knowing they were going to such a loving home made that first retirement easier.

Over the years, we have also had a few younger dogs that didn’t meet the health standards we require for our program. Those situations were easier emotionally, and I actually found a lot of joy in finding the perfect families for them.

But the hardest ones are the dogs that have been with me for years — the ones that have been my shadows and my daily companions. Those are the ones that truly become part of your heart.

I have been very blessed that many of my good friends and family members want my retired dogs. That has made this part of the journey a little easier, knowing they will always be loved and cared for by people I trust deeply.

There are also a few dogs that will always stay here with us. Cowboy is already retired and is strictly Maddie’s boy now. And when Ginger retires, she will stay with our family as well. She has a very special role in our home as a therapy dog for my firefighter husband and a comfort dog for our little boy. She has truly earned her forever place here with us.

In 2024, we also added a personal family dog. I was going through a difficult season, and our oldest son was having a hard time with the idea of some of our dogs retiring. As a family, we decided it would be good to add a dog that would be spayed and simply be our family dog.

We let our oldest son help choose the right one, and we ended up bringing home Hershy Bons, a sweet little Mini Australian Labradoodle. James really wanted a dog around 18–20 pounds and had his heart set on a doodle.

We absolutely love her. She has brought such a sense of peace to our home. She is the sweetest girl — definitely more active than our Havapoos, Poodles, or Havanese — but our kids love to run, and James wanted a dog who could run for miles with him. She fits right into our family and has been such a wonderful addition.

Even though it is exciting to welcome new puppies and continue the program, there is always a little bit of sadness when a dog moves on to their retirement home. But it is also part of doing this life the right way — making sure every dog has a home where they are deeply loved and the center of someone’s world.

Why I Love This Work

Dogs may be pets, but to me they have always been so much more. And that is a huge reason I love what I do.

I don’t mind the sleepless nights when a litter of puppies arrives. I don’t mind the plans we sometimes miss because I stay home to make sure everyone is safe and doing well.

From the moment these puppies come into the world, I am there every day making sure they know nothing but warmth and love.

They need to feel safe, secure, and deeply loved so that when they leave our home, they can give that same love to the families waiting for them.

And that is truly the heart behind everything we do here.