Our Story
Some of the best things in life are just never planned. This could definitely be said for my husband's (Shannon) and my (Hannah) involvement with McKenzie's Doodles. My husband started gaining experience in 2014, working alongside my parents, but he had no idea just how much that would shape our current lives. Truthfully I didn’t either. I was a young teenager when McKenzie's Doodles began in its infancy, never realizing how this "hobby" of my mother’s would eventually be a blessed and fruitful business that our family is so passionate about. As things grew from its small start, my father joined my mother's grand adventure, growing closer together as they grew their business.
I however was off to see the world! I had lots of dreams and aspirations. I can't say dog breeding was one of them. When I came home I met and eventually tied the knot with my best friend Shannon. This is where our dog adventure really began! Once we were settled in our home, I started taking on one female at a time whelping and raising the puppies on my own. This began as a test run and would not have succeeded without the invaluable support and guidance of my parents. Even though this was not my first time, having grown up with dogs always in the background and pitching in wherever needed, it was not the same as when the entire responsibility and the lives of the puppies rested in my suddenly green feeling hands. I will always be grateful for their constant support and wisdom that is given at all hours of the day and night! It is such a comfort when the inevitable and gut wrenching losses come, and they show up, knowing exactly what we are going through…and being in it with us as family does, even if the loss never gets easier. Through the joys and the losses, I was hooked. In my experience there just isn’t another job like this one. The caretaking and the raising of dogs is a grand adventure, one I could never say no to.
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Professional Dog ShepherdI had lots of dreams and aspirations, but I can't say dog breeding was one of them. I started taking on one female at a time and whelping and raising puppies in our own home as a test run. Through the joys and the losses, I was hooked.
This work is.. magical.. exhausting.. demanding.. heartbreaking.. and the most rewarding!
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Professional Dog ShepherdWhat was originally temporary turned into several years of working alongside Jim, learning firsthand what it is to be a puppy shepherd. Now the household whelper and taking great pride in bringing our pups safely into the world, even when that means staying up for over 24 hours to do so!
Shannon’s adventure began at first as a trial period of only a few months. What was originally a temporary position turned into several years of Shannon working alongside my father, learning firsthand what it is to be a “shepherd”. I can't think of another soul that would be better suited to teach this than my father. He has always approached his work in this way and it was very important that my husband could too. When my husband began his work with McKenzie's Doodles he was squeamish about all the unpleasant aspects of delivering puppies into the world. It can be a shock to realize how hands on this job can be, and just as shocking as what and where you put your hands into! When my parents were done with him he was whelping puppies, bottle feeding, resuscitating pups mouth to mouth, taking rectal temps, and was texting me pictures of suspicious looking dog poop that he was concerned about. Not my favorite texts. Shannon was my dad's right hand man at least five days a week, gaining incredible experience all along the way. Now he whelps every litter and takes great pride in bringing our pups safely into the world, even when that means staying up all night to do so. He has become a fine puppy shepherd with a tender heart for the comforts of his pups and dogs.
It’s the Heart
In 2018 we welcomed our dear son Alasdair into the world and I decided that I needed more help with the breeding program that I was developing in our home. This is when we began slowly shifting towards operating our own breeding program as a family, establishing O’Shannah’s Doodles. O’Shannah’s is very much and always will be a part of McKenzie’s Doodles. We are dedicated to carrying over the traditions and values learned from my parents. We represent the same core, the ethics, business practices, and the same family focus. Everything That enriches our lives is what we aim to share with you. We often talk about how it's the heart behind the work. It's everything. And when the heart is gone, so are we. I'm not sure our customers realize how important it is to us to meet everyone in person on puppy take home days. Sharing in their joy of welcoming a new family member is such a gift. We have discovered that what we do is so much more than a business. It's about relationships, whether that be between us humans and our beloved dogs or between the people we meet through this business. What O’Shannah’s and McKenzie’s Doodles do is exactly that, grow and spread relationships. This is the heart.
We often talk about how it's the heart behind the work. It's everything. And when the heart is gone, so are we.
To call these past eight years working with and alongside McKenzie's Doodles an adventure does not do it justice. This work is… magical… exhausting… demanding… heartbreaking… and so very rewarding! When tiny little creatures depend on you for everything, it is both terrifying and enchanting. It's work that demands you’re very best, even when you're not sure you have that to give. Simply saying Shannon and I are grateful for the lives we have and work that we do, doesn’t fully encapsulate the way we feel. It is work that reinforces relationship and work that demands to be shared with others. It’s the adventure we take on as a family and an invitation to you to join us in it.
It really is a family affair. Our son and two furry son's (Mowgli and Carl) do an excellent job at helping us socialize all our puppies. I (Hannah) am the one you will be talking to by email or over the phone, discussing your future puppy and scheduling all the particulars with. I’ll also be meeting you on puppy take home day to finally attach faces to names and puppies to hands. In between Shannon and I are shepherding newborn puppies alongside our grown dogs making sure everyone is happy and healthy. When it comes to our family we all try to do our best to be good shepherds to each other. Jim and Sue (Mom and Dad), and Shannon and I have not only been supporting each other along this challenging journey, but have grown a priceless and deeply meaningful relationship along the way. We are incredibly grateful to God that we've been so blessed! We're very proud to be a part of something so special, providing you with loved ones that will bring joy and friendship to you in all the adventures of life.
