Yankee-doodle pups

09/04/2026

🚨 Taking things away can teach puppies to guard them — here’s what to do instead.

Resource guarding isn’t something you have to wait for before you start teaching your puppy that people coming near their things means good things happen. ❤️

These simple exercises help build trust, confidence and a positive association with your hands and presence.

1️⃣ Practice the trade
Offer your puppy a safe item, then use a high-value treat to encourage them to drop it. Say “trade,” reward them, and when appropriate, give the item back. This teaches them that giving something up doesn’t mean losing it forever.

2️⃣ Hand-feed sometimes
With a new puppy, hand-feed part of their meal while they’re calm. You can also ask for something simple like eye contact or a sit before offering food. You’re teaching them that hands around food bring good things — you don’t need to hand-feed their entire meal.

3️⃣ Add treats while they eat
Calmly walk by while your puppy is eating and drop a few tasty treats into their bowl. Don’t reach into the bowl or take their food away. You want them thinking, “People coming near my food means something even better is coming!”

Keep it calm, positive and consistent. And never punish a growl — it’s communication.

Build the trust before you ever need it. 🐶❤️

Save this for your next puppy!

09/03/2026

Five weeks of pure Care Bear cuteness ☁️💕 Our little F1 Medium Bernedoodles are getting fluffier, sweeter, and more personality-packed every day! 🐾✨

We’re officially in our “stare and compare” era because choosing a favourite is basically impossible. 😂💗

So… who’s your favourite Care Bear? 🌈🐻

09/01/2026

Crate stuff matters. 👏🏼 And so does teaching puppies that being alone is SAFE.

Yes, this can be controversial, and it may not be the right approach for every dog or every puppy. Every dog is an individual, and training should always be adjusted to their needs. But just like kids, a lot of puppies genuinely thrive with structure, routine, boundaries, and predictable downtime.

And here’s the part we often forget…

Puppies need SO much sleep. 😴

Sometimes we hang out with them way too much simply because they’re adorable and we want to soak up every second. 😂 But learning how to settle, nap, and be content without constant access to us is a HUGE life skill.

With my puppies, we start creating that safe spot right away — whether that’s a crate or puppy pen. If I can’t actively supervise them, they have a safe space. And naps? Built into the routine.

The goal isn’t to isolate them.
The goal is to teach them:

✨ I can relax here.
✨ I’m safe when my people aren’t right beside me.
✨ Alone time is normal.
✨ Rest is part of my routine.

And apparently, my son has decided he’s joining the puppy nap crew. 😂🐶

Structure isn’t about taking away freedom. It’s about giving puppies the skills to handle freedom well.

responsiblebreeder breederlife puppydevelopment raisingpuppies dogbreeder

08/31/2026

Preparing for my Netflix documentary about what really happens when a breeder decides to “just start training the puppies early.”

Because apparently I thought teaching one puppy “go to your spot” would be simple.

Spoiler: it’s not.

But here’s the part people don’t see 👇

I’m not waiting until a puppy is older to start teaching life skills.

I’m teaching Spot that his bed is a place to settle, that calm behaviour gets rewarded, and that going to his spot is something he can choose to do — not somewhere he gets sent as punishment.

Short sessions. Lots of repetition. Reward the behaviour you want. Reset when they get up. Then try again.

These little moments seem insignificant now, but this is how you build the dogs everyone wants to live with later. 🐾

And yes… apparently this is Netflix-worthy. 😂

Save this for when you’re teaching your puppy “place” — and send it to someone who thinks puppy training starts at six months.

08/30/2026

08/29/2026

Before puppies trust the world, they learn whether new people feel safe.

I don’t see our puppies every day from birth. My mom and sister help with the breeding and early raising, and the puppies usually come to me once they’re weaned.

At four to five weeks old, they’re incredibly impressionable and may be entering an early fear period. To them, I’m still a new person—so before I start picking them up, taking photos and introducing everyday experiences, I begin with something positive.

At this age, it’s a little yogurt from a syringe. It’s simple, but it helps them associate my voice, scent, hands and new people with something safe and rewarding.

These tiny moments matter. They help build puppies that can trust, adapt and recover as their world gets bigger.

Follow along to see the intentional little things we do to prepare our puppies for real life.