As A Breeder…

I experience  the joys of bringing a new litter of precious English Shepherds into this world…

From the moment of their first sip of Mama’s milk to the day they leave with their new forever families…knowing I have made great placements thru videos, visits to the farm, emails, phone calls and photos…What fun it is to see each puppy’s advancement as they grow up and become awesome dogs! 

I have never taken the privilege of being a breeder lightly. NEVER!  I believe that each litter is a gift from God placed in my care and entrusted to me to do my best WITH… in all ways …I stand behind my breedings and am here no matter the need. 

I love knowing how well my puppies are doing, and have made many wonderful friends all across the United States thru my puppies.

TODAY …was different for me…as a breeder…and hard so very hard to bear as a friend. I witnessed up close and personal…the pain my friends felt when they lost their very sweet precious girl. 

Les and I were privileged to be part of their private family laying to rest (on the highest point of their property) of their sweet, sweet girl. 

I saw love at its best. Each family member mourning in their own way and being allowed to express their love and pain of their loss… for this sweet dog. I was given the honor or riding with her up the hill for her last “Ranger ride” to her final resting place. The moment I stepped into the Ranger I saw into this family’s heart and soul. The depth of their love for each other and their dog and the depth of their loss. It broke my heart for them …I had a difficult time holding myself together. I quickly realized as the breeder I was the cause of this pain…oh not intentional…but as a breeder something I must seriously consider…but the cause nevertheless…I also know they would never trade one sweet precious moment with her because of the pain they are now going thru…

When the first shovelful of dirt hit her casket I asked if I might say a few words… of what I hoped would start the healing. 

“To everything there is a season. A time to be born”…The father said ” I can still see her playing in the dirt under the stacked lumber in your shed…I saw her and I knew she was the one and the best one for us !” The family started to remember and the tears, good times, and simply “wow this was a good dog, not many like her…she was a good one”… heartfelt words were said. 

As I write this… I see the beauty of the chosen place, by the daughter to lay her to rest at. A beautiful tree in an area where the dog loved to go and run. The big beautiful fields of grass and wildflowers that surround it. The view of the entire farm. She surely has as fine a resting place… as good a place as she had to live her life in. 

My friends have truly lost a family member that they love dearly. She will never be replaced. Hopefully the love and pleasure she gave will be built upon by another English Shepherd sometime in the future.

Until today I did not truly know and understand…the hard part of being a breeder. This loss of a precious four legged friend and companion is serious to everyone… I knew this personally thru my own dogs passing…I experienced it from afar as a breeder when people let me know their dog had passed. Up close…being there …it feels so different…when people say how can you let puppies leave you? It must be so hard… this is the truly hard part of being a breeder…

Rest in peace, up on your mountain…What a fine life you lived…and were dearly loved… you had the most awesome life with your wonderful family.

You left way to soon…

Sweet Baby Girl …12/19/2009…5/15/2020