PNW based breeder of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. AKC, DNA, OFA , 5yr Health Guarantee, Insured.
03/23/2025
🗓️ National Puppy Day 💕
For some, today is all about puppy kisses and squishy faces. And yes, those are the rewards. But behind every happy puppy photo is a breeder whose life is built on sacrifice.
Breeding is not a hobby. It’s not a side hustle. It’s a full-life commitment.
It’s wiping p*e off the floor ten times a day, scrubbing spit-up out of couch cushions, replacing chewed furniture, and constantly rotating bedding that just got cleaned. It’s catching every p**p, every sneeze, every tail flick that might mean something's off—because you’re trained to see the signs before they become problems. It’s living in a permanent state of vigilance.
It’s remembering every vaccination date, OFA appointment, deworming schedule, grooming rotation, ear check, heat cycle, teeth cleaning, and wellness exam—for every dog in your home. But still forgetting your own dentist appointment for the third time.
It’s learning—always learning. Reading genetics papers at midnight. Following global breed trends. Researching historic pedigrees to protect the future. Evaluating every puppy, not for cuteness, but for structure, temperament, health. For potential. For legacy.
It’s praying—hoping the families you’ve hand-picked will love your puppies as deeply as you do. It’s handing over your heart at 10 weeks old, smiling through the ache in your chest. And when that ache hits again later—when it’s time to retire a Cavalier you raised from birth—you hold back tears because they deserve a soft landing, even if it isn’t in your arms.
It’s missed holidays, skipped weddings, sleepless nights with a fading newborn, failed breeding after thousands of dollars spent, and show weekends that end in silence, not ribbons.
It’s answering dozens of “How much?” messages from people who see puppies as price tags. It’s dealing with "adopt don’t shop" critics who’ve never seen you cradle a gasping pup at 3 a.m. It’s social media algorithms that punish your quiet days, as if your grief, exhaustion, or integrity is something to be penalized.
And it’s the pressure and bullying—from breeders who think your program should look more like theirs. From strangers who think breeding is easy. From the USDA, AKC, city officials, and a world that too often treats you like a "greeder", not the guardian.
But still—we do it.
Because puppies deserve to be bred with purpose. With heart. With knowledge and care. And because when the stars align and the puppy thrives, and you get that update months or years later, with a happy family and a dog living its best life... it matters.
🎩 We want to tip our hat to the families who get it—who see the sleepless nights, the science-backed decisions, the decades of planning and passion behind every puppy. Families who don’t just ask “how much?” but ask “how can we honor the life you started?”
👏🏻 We want to applaud our fellow breeders who show up—not just online, but in the midnight messages, the emergency calls, the whispered “what would you do?” when something goes wrong. The ones who aren’t threatened by someone else’s success, because they care more about the future of the breed than their own ego. The ones who advocate, educate, and protect what we all love most.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about puppies. It’s about purpose. It’s about people. And it’s about leaving the breed better than we found it.
🥂So today, we raise a toast to every breeder giving their all. And to every puppy who made the hard parts worth it.
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West Coast Cavaliers: Where healthy and happy puppies thrive!
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