Oh, To Be A Dog Breeder

There are so many ups and downs of being a dog breeder, as we’ve mentioned in one of our previous blog posts, but today I want to spotlight some of the little things it means to be a dog breeder. The things that don’t really get mentioned. The things that are so easily swept under the rug of the career as a whole.

Brindy, our Instagram Manager, with Maizey, One of our Red Carpet Doodle Mammas

The Behind-The-Scenes Workers

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that just doesn’t get shown as a whole in our program. Take Kristin and Arik for example. They are both working with the puppies daily. They show up at 8 AM for “morning chores,” which is no easy-feat! They clean up after them, love on them, and are an important part of socializing each puppy. We love and appreciate all of the work they do for us, and they do a LOT! Kristin even helps me with personality descriptions for the puppies when I’m at a loss! Sometimes we’ll send her out to meet customers as she has a lot to say about some of the puppies. You know what they say about raising kids? It takes a village. For raising dogs, it takes a house full of dog lovers!

The Paperwork

At its core, being ambitious enough to become a dog breeder, requires enough knowledge about how and when to fill out paper work! For Julie and I, this is one of our primary roles. We map out when each puppy needs to see the vet, we keep vaccination records up-to-date, we send out contracts, we build files for our customers, we keep track of our parent dogs’ statistics, all the while trying our best to keep our behind-the-scenes workers in the loop on what’s needed! It can look very different day-to-day, but it can be very rewarding and very mentally taxing at the same time!

Quinn & Rover’s “Flo”

The Timeline

The timeline is so tricky to work with, both for us as dog breeders and for potential puppy buyers. As much as we can try and narrow down when a certain parent dog may come into heat, how quickly we can get a dog into their new home, or figure when certain pictures need to be taken, the timeline is always going to have it’s cracks and imperfections. On that note, puppy buyers really crave a specific timeline, so that they can know what to expect when they choose to adopt from a dog breeder!

While it’s hard to give an adequate timeline super far in advance, it definitely becomes easier once a decision has been made about whether or not they’re ready to adopt. Julie & I start putting together preparation emails, so that they’re ready to bring the puppy home, and we start scheduling a vet appointment for them to go to the vet before they go home. I wish it was as easy as being on our own timeline, but we really don’t want to overwhelm anyone with how much information there is to give, or do last-minute vet appointments when there just isn’t room for us.

Sometimes our timeline is impacted by how much we are able to do in a day. As much as I wish we could do all of it in a day, it just isn’t realistic for us. For example, I often get asked to take updated pictures outside my schedule. I try my hardest to keep our scheduled pictures as up-to-date as possible, and I have a very rigid picture schedule that I try and stick to, but of course there are some days where I’m sick and can’t come in, and those pictures get pushed further out. Other days, I’m ahead of schedule, and can get pictures out a little sooner than usual. However, it’s just so hard to judge how busy a certain puppy may keep me in a day. They all have very different temperaments. Some are extremely photogenic and easy to capture on camera, while others can be very active and playful. As much fun as they can be, some can be difficult and exhausting to get pictures of!

Elle & Frankie J’s “Coco”

The PUPdates

This has to be one of the most rewarding things we get in this industry. We love it when people send updates about their pets, and how attached they’ve become to them. But we also appreciate when customers reach out with other news about their pets, and ask us to keep them in their prayers. Nearly a year ago, one of our dog owners lost track of a retiree dog they adopted from us. He had been lost in the woods! It turns out a lady was feeding him as well as some stray cats, making sure he was kept alive while he was away from home. This week, we got another update letting us know that he finally made it back home and getting a vet check to make sure he’s in optimal health. It was so amazing for us to be able to share all of the highs and be there for all of the lows with our customers.

Puppies of the week

Ariana’s puppies have really been coming out of their shell this past week! They bring such a smile to my face. I love hopping in their little play pen and giving them love. They are all so sweet, mild-mannered, and great at figuring out when it’s time to play, and when it’s time to snuggle up. These sweet pups are ready to go in just a few short weeks! Read more about each of their personalities' below!