06/02/2025
So we don’t want to introduce you to Joy, our standard poodle mama who’s expecting f1 Bernedoodle’s very soon… we will let her guardian mama do that!!! See the sweet, heartfelt introduction below:
Our Tale of One Poodle
I have always loved animals, and my son has followed in my footsteps, “oo-ing” and “aw-ing” with me whenever we’d encounter dogs out in the community. Ever since he was a toddler, this now 9 year old son of mine has begged for us to get a dog (I don’t use the word ‘begged’ lightly– His pediatrician described his persuasive tendencies as “a lawyer mentality”). Every time my son would plead with me for us to get a dog, I’d reply with some variation of validation that his desire was real and strong and that I also wished we were able to get a dog. I’d follow this up with a brief review of the barriers to our getting a dog: I am allergic to most dogs, my other child has non-verbal autism and has been overwhelmed by dogs in the past, our income is limited by my need to stay home during the week to transport my daughter to many appointments, and finally, I’m a happy but weary single mama and I already struggle my way through most days without the added responsibility of caring for a dog.
One day, around the time that my son turned 7 years old, he was once again expressing his desperate longing for us to have a dog. This time, mostly out of my own desperation to get him to stop begging me, I encouraged my son to pray for a dog. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I felt terrible for having said it, thinking to myself, “Prayer is well and good, but our family has a laundry list of reasons why we should not get a dog, and no amount of praying is going to change that”. My son prayed aloud, right then and there, and then we went on with our lives.
Fast forward to about a year later, on a day that my little attorney, I mean son, asked me to make an “emergency” stop at a local playground that we were passing on our long and exhausting drive back from taking my daughter to her daily skills program. I distinctly remember that I did not want to go to the park, but that I chose to make the detour out of kindness for my son who has spent countless hours in our van as I drive his sister around to appointments. While at the park, I noticed a couple who had two dogs which appeared to be some sort of doodle. I approached the couple and asked them about their gorgeous and well-behaved dogs. No sooner did I ask these parents (who shared my deer-in-headlights, drained-from-the-week expression) than they perked right up. They happily told me that they had gotten their dogs from a local breeder of bernedoodles, saying, and I quote, “We can’t say enough good things about Becky who is the owner of the business!”. After listening to them rant and rave about Bernedoodle Boutique, I thanked them and later went home to look up BernedoodleBoutique.com – To my amazement, as I scrolled through the pictures of this family-run business, I recognized Becky as the mother of children who go to the same school as my son.
On a whim, I sent Becky a message through her website inquiry section, and basically wrote out all the reasons that my family should not have a dog. I fully expected Becky to either not reply, or to say something like, “You are right. It sounds like a dog is just not in the cards for your family. Bummer.” (After all, who wants to waste their time with someone whose spiel is desire and then a list of prohibitive factors). Well Becky replied that same day and asked if I would have time to speak via phone. “She wants to let me down gently” I thought to myself.
To my surprise and utter delight, Becky was respectful of my very valid concerns, but also not at all dismayed by them. She and I spoke on the phone for over an hour as Becky listened to the ins and outs of my complicated life, and as we worked together to troubleshoot and find a way my family could have a dog.
Becky shared that she felt her guardianship program may be a good fit for our family. I had never heard of a dog guardianship, so Becky walked me through the ways this program would fit into our life. We settled on a plan for our family to do a trial period with a 1 ⅕ year old poodle named Joy. Joy was known for wanting to be lovingly on the heels of her humans from morning until night (or better yet on their laps), but also being a cautious doggy. Becky recognized that this caution on Joy’s part could work well because she would almost certainly avoid my daughter during behavioral meltdowns (we needed a dog who would get out of the way and who would never ever become aggressive with my daughter in response to her behaviors). Becky also shared that Joy was, in layman’s terms, “One of those fancy schmancy, healthy, non-allergenic standard poodles” with the genetic testing to confirm it. All of my other concerns were addressed and solutions were found. And ultimately, with the peace of mind that Joy would go back to Becky’s nurturing home if she turned out to be a poor fit for our family (or vice versa), I made plans, with the constant support of Becky, to welcome wonderful Joy into our home.
Spoiler alert: It is 1 ½ years later, and Miss Joy is sleeping at my feet as I write this, our basically miraculous story. Joy is, exactly as her name says, a total Joy. She is the answer to my son’s prayers, a loving companion who gives far more than she requires, and a perfect fit for navigating the unique challenges of my daughter. She has also gained new human grandparents, whom I often overhear whispering to Joy and saying things like, “Joy, you are so cute.” and “Joy, you are the only dog I like”, or “Joy, you are my favorite grand-dog”.
Rarely does a day go by that my son and I don’t turn to each other with huge smiles on our faces and amazement in our tone, and say, “We have a dog!”. I am forever grateful to Becky of Bernedoodle Boutique, for hearing me and wanting to help our family. I can say with total confidence that you will be hard-pressed to find a dog breeder as passionate, knowledgeable, and as invested in what is best for humans and dogs alike, than Becky of Bernedoodle Boutique.
Gratefully,
Poodle Mama courtesy of Bernedoodle Boutique
P.S.
Joy is no longer an only doggy… 😉🥰
📣 📣 We breed bernedoodles specifically to be healthy, human-focused companions. 🐾Waukesha, WI
