Minnie’s first week
Finding my calling.
This new chapter began in January of 2020. I decided I wanted to learn how to raise puppies the right way, and be able to offer others the opportunity to experience the power of a dog for themselves. Having no idea how major the plot twist that was 2020 would become, I went straight to my mentor, Terry Jester of Powder Valley Poodles, where Minnie was born, and asked her to teach me.
Nowhere else would I find over 50 years of experience to learn from. Thank God she said yes! I spent the better part of the pandemic learning about genetics and health testing, whelping, personality profiles, vaccinations, daily puppy care, some of the business side, client relationships, how to run a very busy Go Home day and WHY having a Board Certified Reproductive Vet on your team is paramount. I will never be done learning from Terry!
ABOUT ME
Welcome to Willow Tails!
I’m Sarah Wright and I am the pack leader of this crew. I grew up with Golden Retrievers and have always loved their loving, loyal temperament. About 15 years into my dental hygiene career, I had the opportunity to raise and train a miniature Goldendoodle named Minnie as a therapy dog for our dental office.
It was then that I got to witness the power of a dog first hand. Not only did she help patients with their anxiety about the dental office setting, but
she also brought a ton of laughter and entertainment to our everyday routine. As my hands became increasingly fatigued from practicing hygiene, my focus began to shift to the next chapter in my story.
New Adventures!
During this time, I also stumbled upon Jeanette Forrey of 4E Kennels. Enter mentor #2. She knows all too well how the world views the practice of breeding
dogs, and how negative it can be. Her program revolves around ethical breeding, including genetic health testing, temperament testing, exceptional care of the parent dogs, assisted delivery and daily dam care, neonatal care, and Early Neurological
Stimulation and Early Scent Introduction. As a former teacher, she also developed a puppy curriculum that helps to shape these little lives, grow their confidence, and teach them that the world is safe, people are kind and dogs are friendly. By testing temperaments, she is able to determine what type of
environment, be it a family or facility or school, will allow each of her puppies to thrive in. Having tried all the ways to raise puppies the right way, she offered to take those of us with the same goals on this journey with her. Instead of viewing other breeders as competition, we help each other be better, we whelp at midnight together, we cry and celebrate together. We are a tribe.
I am eternally grateful to these two women, for their knowledge and expertise, their impeccable standards of excellence and willingness to teach me.
