Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose & Chris Day.
Hi Rose & Chris, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Our journey began in January 2018, when our first litter of goldendoodle puppies were born. We made the decision to breed a few months prior because we love goldendoodles and our foundation dam Stormie was the perfect pet. At that time, we were doing our best to ride the raging waves of raising our three teenagers. The puppies brought a sense of peace and seemed to settle the seas. It gave our family a common purpose and we all worked together to help the puppies thrive. I watched in amazement as the same teenagers who couldn’t remember when it was their turn to wash the dishes, were willingly cleaning up puppy poop. We were hooked. This first litter inspired our family’s passion for puppies, and now five years later, we are so glad we took the leap. We’re focused on producing low shedding, allergy friendly goldendoodles, bernedoodles, shihpoos, maltipoos, and toy poodles.
We enjoy meeting our new doodle families and hearing their stories. From young couples looking for their first puppy together, to families adding a furry best friend, or retirees who finally have the time to devote to a pet. We never imagined our program would grow to the size it is now. Our doodle families become part of our extended family. We have an exclusive Facebook group for our doodle families with almost 400 members.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our road to a successful breeding program has not always been easy. One of the hardest aspects to accept, and one that is rarely talked about, is how unpredictable nature and the circle of life really is. We’ve had failed pregnancies, stillborn puppies, pregnancy complications, lost puppies soon after birth, and other unexpected and unplanned results. We’ve grieved over these losses. In the beginning, we beat ourselves up when something went awry, looking inwardly at what we could have done differently. I think the most important lesson is to always take the opportunity to learn from each situation, whether positive or negative, and take that knowledge to improve, flex, and grow.
We’ve learned so much in the last five years and we are constantly adding to our program to ensure we provide the best care for our puppies and breeding dogs. We have professional Veterinary grade equipment, including an ultrasound machine, incubator, blood analyzer and other neonatal critical care tools. We provide around the clock care for our puppies and their mamas.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We strive to build a community with our breeding program. Our families connect with each other from all around the world through our Facebook Families Group. We are still in touch with most of the families from our very first litter!
We include virtual puppy training classes with each puppy which gives the new families an opportunity to connect in class for the first six weeks their puppy is home. We also have two annual events for our families, Doggie Secret Santa and Stormie’s Doodles Annual Family Romp. During the holiday season, we have 40-50 families participate in the Doggie Secret Santa. Participants are assigned a dog, mail their gifts, and post a picture of their dog with the gift they received in our Families Facebook group. Our Stormie’s Doodles Annual Family Romp is our doodle family reunion. We host a dog-party for the dogs and their families and provide an open bar, caterer, and dessert truck. The event is FREE for our families, and we average 100 family members in attendance each year.
We are fortunate to have amazing Guardian Home families in our program as well. We place breeding quality puppies in their home to live as pets. When it is time for breeding, the dogs come back to us for those associated tasks and return to the Guardian family when their puppies go home at 8 weeks of age. Once their breeding career is over, ownership is transferred to the Guardian family. It’s a truly awesome group who not only support us by caring for the dogs, but they also support each other by offering dog sitting, advice, and supplies when needed. A few of our local Guardian moms regularly help us with puppy socialization and picture day. We even have a guardian mom who shares her passion for crafting with us by creating the custom bandanas and dog tags that go home with each puppy. Occasionally she surprises us with the cutest handmade props and accessories for picture day.
Lastly, we are committed to supporting fellow small businesses including our veterinarian, Courtney Animal Hospital, natural pet food store Pet Pros Rockledge, poop scooping service Poopsie Whoopsie, groomer Luv on a Leash, and trainers Paws Academy Dog Training and BiscuitTraining.com.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
During the COVID-19 crisis, we were able to match many new families with puppies. All of a sudden, folks found themselves working from home and the puppies were good medicine to combat loneliness and lethargy!
Operating during this time was a huge challenge. Due to supply shortages, we often faced purchase limits that affected our ability to feed our dogs and puppies a high-quality raw meat diet. We had to switch our litters to kibble, which increased our workload for cleaning and changing out their pens. Raw-fed dogs produce 70% less poop than kibble-fed dogs.
Dog-breeding is definitely not an easy industry. Even in a stable economy we are constantly faced with unexpected challenges: operating costs are high, it is extremely labor intensive, and buyers can change their mind. Through it all, we stay focused on the principles of our program and the wonderful community we’ve built along the way.
Pricing:
- $1600 – $2000 Shihpoos
- $2100-$3000 Goldendoodles
- $2600-$3300 Bernedoodles
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stormiesdoodles.com
- Instagram: @stormies_doodles
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/stormiesdoodles
- Other: @stormies__doodles on TikTok
Image Credits
Alicia Olink
