Being a dog breeder is kind of like being a farmer 😉 How you may ask? Well, if we are going to continue raising these adorable Cavapoos (which we plan to!) we always have to be thinking ahead, planning for the future. We have to plant that new baby tree (raise that new puppy) to grow up and start producing when the old tree stops (or an adult retires).

When a dog is finished with motherhood and transitions to couch potato status, I don’t want them to be too old. I’d like them to have a nice long retirement with their adoptive family.

Some may think it horrible that I place my adult dogs when they retire.

Let me try to explain, if I’m going to continue raising these adorable puppies for potential adopters, I have to raise more adults to be future parents. Obviously, we want our parents to have a nice life and “retire” at a nice age. So there are always more dogs around then just the current parents. All those dogs require attention, grooming, love, medical care, and space. And I only have so much of each. My house is small, so I can only fit so many in here with me at one time. If I could reasonably have all the dogs in the house with me I would! (Of course, my husband would probably move out and the kids would never visit! :P) But it’s just not possible when you have more than a few.

So I would much rather have an adult that is no longer being a parent, be spayed and retired into a home where he or she is the center of attention; a place where they will be doted on and spoiled. Where they can sleep on the couch, be part of the family activities and given all the attention they want. And I screen and place the dog into what I think sounds like the best home for that particular dog.

I consider each dog and placement on an individual basis. Some dogs will transition easier to a new home and environment. Others probably won’t so they will just retire with me. Reba, of course, will never leave here. She and I are attached at the heart. <3 Allie is another that will probably never leave. She came to me as a scared, unsocialized two and a half year old. I think I was her fourth owner. 🙁 It has taken me much time and effort to gain her trust.

Which leads me to what the current transition is. Last year, we retired Faith. This will be Jules’ last litter, then she will be retired. Jules already has her wonderful retirement home lined up with an established Pinewood family. Reba is “retired”. But since she will never be leaving me, we may have one more litter with her. We’ll see. She absolutely loves being a mother! Allie is basically retired as her heat cycles are getting a bit weird. I was really hoping for one more litter from her and Dickens. And if that does happen, I will be keeping a daughter from that match. <3

So just as these girls are entering retirement, thankfully we have the young adults stepping in to take their places; Mercy, Joy, Gracie (on left), Smudgie, Glory (on right), Hazel, and Tansy! All of these girls are now OFA certified normal heart, eyes and patellas and have had genetic testing done through Paw Print Genetics! They should give us a rainbow of colors such as red, apricot, black & tan, parti (white with color patches) in possibly tri, black & white, blenheim, and sable.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds and what darlings these beautiful girls will produce! <3