ALL ABOUT US
We are located under the desert sky of Southern Utah (2.5 hours from Las Vegas, Nevada, 45 minutes from Cedar City, Utah and 45 minutes from St. George, Utah). While rain and moisture are not abundant in Southwest Utah, I can always count on a beautiful desert sky!
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Our family has deep roots in agriculture and animals. My husband and I both have a lifetime of experience with animals in addition to studying animal science in college. There wasn't an animal science class in college that I didn't like, but my very favorite was about genetics and selective breeding. Not everything is learned in a classroom, but I have found that my formal education gives depth and added perspective to discerning fact from fiction in a breeding program—especially in a world where misinformation moves quickly on social media platforms.
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In addition to our dogs, we raise show sheep and mentor 4-H youth in the Jr. Livestock program. I also help lead a 4-H dog program in our community where youth develop skills in dog training. We work on basic obedience skills, rally, and agility.​​
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Standard Poodles have been a part of the family since 2009. Our logo is an artist rendition of my first Standard Poodle, Gemma. I fell in love with the Standard Poodle when I was working as a Veterinary Assistant when I was in high school and college. This was before the popularity of doodles, so Standard Poodles were not very common. I was impressed by every Standard I worked with. I was blown away by their versatility and good nature. They had every good attribute of a small dog (non-shedding, clean, and an "off" switch) AND they could get out and hike, run, fetch, and play. I had to wait a few years to graduate college and get settled, but you can bet a Standard Poodle was my next dog.
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Our current poodle pack has been selected for size (small and average sized Standards), health, structure, and temperament. The AKC describes the Standard Poodle as, "...eager, athletic, and wickedly smart dogs of remarkable versatility...the best all-around athlete of the family that can be trained with great success." Trainability plays a huge role in the overall experience of having a dog in the family. We strive to showcase the trainability of our dogs through dog sporting events such as obedience, rally, and agility.
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Our "Why"
I have always loved dogs, but my passion has deepened as I've seen what a good, trainable dog can do for a kid's confidence. This is my "why" for our breeding program. We live in a challenging world where kids need to believe in themselves. They need to practice learning new skills, find the value of a good mentor to learn from, and then feel that elated feeling of their efforts paying off. Whether you are looking for a companion for a child in your family... or you want to be a kid at heart with your dog, I'd love to discuss if a Desert Sky Poodle is your perfect match.
Our Values & Ethics
Among the many characteristics to look for in a breeding program it's important to find someone who matches what you believe is ethical in a dog breeding program. Ethics are moral principals that govern our actions. Ethics are not a math equation that is simply right or wrong in all situations. I encourage all potential puppy buyers to support and buy from breeders who share their ethics and values. Some elements to evaluate include size and scale, well-being of dogs and puppies, and quality of life for breeding dogs throughout their lifespan. See why it's important to explore the ethics of a dog breeder.
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We believe in having a breeding program that doesn't exceed our ability to feed, love, and train our breeding dogs. I'm not talking just "come" and "sit" to allow co-existence in the back yard or kennel area... I'm talking a life that is enriched through continued training and sports that increase bonding and allow dogs to engage their brain and be challenged in a fun way. Each of our dogs are working towards earning titles, most of which will be earned with Jr. Handlers (my kids). Our dogs participate with my kids in the 4-H dog program where they participate in Showmanship, Rally, Obedience, and their favorite... Agility!
There are many dog breeding programs that produce FAR more puppies than we do or ever will, but our values lie in showing by EXAMPLE the value of the human to dog bond and producing puppies for others to do the same.
Just scroll through our Facebook or Instagram feed to see the lifestyle of our dogs in our family. If you value any of these qualities, choose a breeder who does as well! You have to dig deeper to find them, but they are out there!
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We also believe in careful selection of breeding dogs with consideration of structure, conformation, and genetics. We use tools like genetic testing and health certifications and aim to understand the benefits and limitations of each. We strive to educate puppy buyers about the breed, its grooming and care, and encourage fostering a good relationship with a vet to ask questions face-to-face rather than relying on social media "education."
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