No "side thing"

Breeding and training dogs is no side thing for me.

I’ve spent over a decade researching, learning, gaining experience. I’ve committed my life to dogs, particularly behavior and reproduction. I have no side job! My process has been developed over litters and years, seeing dogs I’ve produced grow to adulthood, knowing my lines and their behavioral predispositions, consuming different puppy raising protocols like Puppy Culture and AviDog, attending seminars, reading books, listening to experts in the field lecture, as well as my own professional background in dog behavior and thousands of hours spent training and working with a huge variety of dogs.

Long before a litter is even considered, I am preparing my dogs for breeding. I control their diet and supplement intake very specifically based on where they are in their estrous cycle, their physical fitness, their mental state and levels of stress. I monitor their circadian rhythm and photoperiod. I get my prospects from dams that are good broods, because reproduction IS hereditary. This isn’t solely up to chance for me! I put in a lot of effort to make sure things goes as smoothly as possible. Mother Nature is a wicked mistress and bad things do happen but I do my best to stay on her good side.

For me, as a breeder and dog professional, it can be insulting when someone asks me for in depth advice/instruction over the internet, particularly on breeding. I’m always here for “easy” questions, questions geared towards the health/survival of a litter, behavior of an individual’s dog - I will even hop on a phone call to discuss what’s going on. I’m always here for things like that! Think product recommendations, training, breed related questions, etc. But when it comes to how I breed dogs, which is a very broad topic and what all goes into everything that I do, it’s not so easy. So much behind the scene goes into how and why I do things the way I do.

One of my dreams is to write a book one day, so I can share my methods and process. I would also love to be in a position to take on apprenticeships and mentor someday, while always continuing to learn myself. I’m nowhere near the completion of my dream!