Kid's Best Doodle

Sometimes a gift says everything. ❤️ Today, a package arrived from one of our doodle moms, Wendy. Inside was Dog Songs by Mary Oliver. I opened it and almost immediately landed on a poem called “How It Begins.” It talks about that moment when a dog goes from simply being one among many to being the one somebody chooses. And I just sat there for a second. Because Wendy has done that for two of our dogs now. She first opened her home and her heart to Ringo when he was 2½ years old. She didn’t know him as a tiny puppy. She chose him as the dog he already was, brought him into her family, and has loved him fiercely ever since. And now, years later, life somehow brought the story full circle. Wendy opened her home once again—this time to Nugget, Ringo’s mama. Mother and son are together again. ❤️ That’s the part of breeding I don’t think I could ever adequately explain on a website. Yes, we are there when these babies take their first breaths. We raise them, lose sleep over them, celebrate every tiny milestone and eventually watch most of them leave our arms for the families who have been waiting for them. But sometimes their stories take unexpected turns. And sometimes, years later, someone comes along and looks at a grown dog—not a tiny puppy—and simply says, in their own way: “I want this one.” Twice now, Wendy has been that person for one of ours. Wendy, thank you for this beautiful book. But even more than that, thank you for choosing Ringo all those years ago and now choosing his mama, too. There couldn’t have been a more perfect gift—or a more beautiful full-circle story. ❤️🐾

There are updates that make you smile… and then there are updates that remind you exactly why you do this. ❤️ This is Sophie. Once upon a time, she was one of our tiny babies — sleeping in our home, being held in our arms, completely unaware of the family and life waiting for her. And now look at her. 🥹 Her family sent us these photos to let us know that Sophie officially graduated from beginner training this week! 🎓🐾 And apparently graduation called for a little celebration afterward, because Miss Sophie is now living her best Southern California life — poolside, under the lights, looking like she owns the place. 😂 But what gets me isn’t just the certificate. It’s seeing the relationship she’s built with her family. The way she looks at her mama in that graduation photo. The pride. The love. The fact that months later, we still get little glimpses into the life she gets to live. This is the part of breeding that never gets old for me. We don’t get to keep every puppy we raise. We pour everything we have into them, love them fiercely for a short chapter, and then trust another family to write the rest of their story. And every once in a while, they send us a picture like this. And you realize… She isn’t our little puppy anymore. She’s somebody’s family. ❤️ Congratulations, Sophie girl. We are SO proud of you. And to her family — thank you for continuing to let us be a tiny part of her beautiful life. This absolutely made our night. 🥹🐾

This is true love 💗

Two weeks ago they could barely hold their little heads up… and now they’re crawling over each other, giving tiny kisses, finding their voices, and attempting their very first puppy play sessions. 🥹 It’s still mostly wobbles, little growls, accidental tackles and then… nap time. 😂🤎 Watching their personalities start to peek through this week is seriously one of my favorite parts. They change so much, so fast. 🐾

Two weeks ago, Chloe fit into the palm of my hand with her eyes closed, knowing nothing beyond her mama and the warmth of her littermates. 🤎 Now those little eyes are open. She’s starting to look back at us. Her legs are getting stronger. Her world is getting a little bigger every day. And this is the part that always gets me… I’m watching her discover the world for the very first time, knowing there’s a family out there who will someday know every little thing about her — where she likes to sleep, what makes her excited, the ridiculous things she does that make them laugh. Right now, though, she’s still just our tiny Chloe. And I get to love her while she waits for them. 🤎🐾

Yesterday at 2:00 PM, Louise’s first puppy arrived. 🤎 It’s now 4:37 AM — almost 15 hours later — and I’m still sitting right here in the nursery with her and her babies. This is the part of breeding most people never see. It isn’t the beautiful puppy photos, the videos, the announcements, or the day a family comes to take their puppy home. It’s this. Sitting beside Mom through labor. Watching every puppy nurse. Making sure each one stays warm and gets its turn with Mom. Changing bedding. Checking bellies. Listening to every little sound. Watching Louise closely. Counting puppies again and again. And looking up at 4:37 in the morning realizing you’ve been right here since yesterday afternoon. These first hours are some of the most important hours of their lives. Yes, I have cameras. But during a time like this, a camera isn’t enough for me. I’m here. In person. And I’m still here. Sometimes people see a breeder charging thousands of dollars for a puppy and think, That’s a lot of money for a puppy. What they don’t always see is everything that happens long before that puppy ever goes home. The planning. The health testing. The pregnancy. The preparation. The delivery. The sleepless nights. The constant monitoring. And then weeks of raising, handling, socializing, teaching and caring for these babies before another family ever holds them. I don’t want families choosing Kid’s Best Doodle simply because our puppies are beautiful. I want them to know how their puppy was cared for when nobody else was watching. Right now, Louise is resting with her babies beside me. Momma is doing beautifully, the puppies are healthy and content, and I’m exhausted — but there is nowhere else I would rather be. Nearly 15 hours down, and I’m still on nursery duty. 🤎🐾 This is Kid’s Best Doodle behind the puppy pictures.

Their eyes are officially OPEN! 🥹🐾✨ At just two weeks old, the puppies are starting to take in their little world for the very first time — and this is one of my absolute favorite milestones. 🤎 Over the next several days, their vision will continue developing, they’ll become more aware of each other and their surroundings, and those tiny personalities will really start coming through. The fun is just beginning. 🐶✨