23/10/2024
So this post is going to be a little long, but I wanted to share some thoughts I had today before they left me. So this is Hazel, I picked her up today because she is being bred and this will be her first litter. I've seen her before multiple times but now she has grown into herself as an adult, so I see her differently.
I see her mother.
I see her grandmother.
Her grandmother, Emma, was one of my foundation girls. She had the first litter I ever whelped almost 7 years ago. A litter of 11. Not many people know this story but one week before all the puppies were set to go to their homes, there was an accident and one of the puppies' legs was broken. The puppy had to be in cast for weeks with weekly changes as she grew. Given this, we held her back and took care of her until she fully healed. During that time we carried her around like a baby most of the time or she was confined to a pen where she couldn't reinjure herself. As we got to know her, this puppy was different. She willingly cuddled in our arms. She settled when she had to. She was sweet, and calm, and still playful and whimsical. I was new, but I knew enough to know that she had the qualities that I wanted to bring to a program. So rather than letting her go as a pet, we decided to keep her as a breeding prospect and place her in a guardian home at 4 months old. That puppy is Hazel's mother Georgia, who went on to have 27 puppies in her breeding career and was such a huge influence in my program. She also has a family that could not love her more.
Georgia's last litter was hard for me. I knew that was the end of our contract. Georgia had been a part of my life since the beginning and though we'd still keep in touch, I wouldn't be seeing her here anymore at my home, helping her take care of her babies and snuggling with her.
But today I saw Hazel. And Hazel is her mother. And that's the beauty in this for me. All those wonderful qualities that make our dogs our dogs, I get to see them again in their children, and the next generation, and the next. While at the same time striving to improve the breed.
Being a new breeder is fun and exciting. But there is a rich appreciation in being able to look back and see your lines grow and change while maintaining the same unique quirks passed from one dog to the next, that can only come with time. I imagine it is the feeling you have as a grandparent.
So, thank you. Thank you to our guardians who understand and support what we do. It is not easy to deal with heat cycles or being away from your family member for 7 weeks. We could not do it without you. And thank you to our customers for taking the time to research the breed, and for choosing to trust us.
My hope in sharing this for people to have just a little bit more understanding of us, and why we do what we do.
Hope you all enjoy this beautiful day!