About Us
Meet Jim & Sue
“Both Jim and I were raised on farms growing up and both have backgrounds that involved medical work, so we have a deep love of all that is living and lovely, as well as a sure sense of what is required to keep them that way. After leaving home and getting our degrees, we found ourselves back on the farm doing what we love best. Although it is a great deal of work and at times very challenging, the facets of puppy breeding have been warming to the heart and soul and a true adventure!”
– Jim & Sue Brown, McKenzie’s Doodles
Jim the Puppy Shepherd
After 22 years of breeding, Jim now calls himself a ‘puppy shepherd’ instead of a ‘dog breeder’ because it comes closer to saying how he feels about this work. He is the consummate ‘dog whisperer’ and he has never met a dog that did not instantly bond to him, trust him, and take him on as a kindred spirit. He is always patient and loving with them and they respond in kind.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking Jim is only good with dogs, though; he loves to meet everyone who comes to the farm, from customers who have placed their faith in him that they will receive a cherished and gingerly-raised pup, to wonderful Guardian families who he trusts with his own “flock” of pooches. Friendly, inviting, and unabashedly West Virginian in his earnestness and neighborly spirit, Jim is the leather-handed and blue-eyed soul of the business.
Sue the Great Hostess
Sue, a former nurse and stay-at-home mom who raised six hillbilly children, (mostly boys, God bless her) is the primary communicator, customer support agent, and Guardian coordinator for McKenzie’s Doodles. Over the years, she’s also been their primary for litter planning, parent pairings, vet visits, Take Home Day, and late-night births… all at the age of 50! Okay… 70. Alright, 73, but you didn’t hear it from us, we don’t want her thinking everyone’s massively impressed by her hard work!
Sue has an enormous heart for her family and the 12 grandchildren “pups” of her own. When Jim and Sue were searching for this property and discerning what kind of house could feel like the home where they could perch their hearts, the primary question on her mind was “What house will best allow me to host my children and grandchildren?” That’s who Sue is and that focus on family guides everything she does. Humorous, witty, kind, and gracious, Sue is a true friend and tirelessly inviting hostess to everyone she meets and every puppy she raises.
McKenzie’s Doodles’ Breeding Style
Jim and Sue view every little puppy life they foster into this world as precious and use “pairs of puppy eyes” (or, the immeasurable value and required effort behind one well-bred puppy) as the ultimate metric for measuring worth, because that’s the highest order of value to them. Parent-selection for family-friendly dispositions, mom-led weaning that supports solid temperament, high-performance canine diet, holistic and naturopathic dog treatment, and intentional and personal relationships with their customers are the primary thrusts behind Jim and Sue’s program. They also perform ENS, ESI, sound desensitization, and wood-chip early potty training on all of their litters.
Family Business
Over the years, our children and their families have participated in the family business to varying degrees. Some have committed to this labor of love as a full time occupation while others have used their gifts to support this family endeavor. We love every second of seeing our grown children and grandkids love and adore our pups as much as we do. It’s safe to assume we are our dogs’ biggest fans, and you will be too!
O’Shannah’s Doodles
A McKenzie’s Doodles Clan
What began as a hobby flourished into a full time venture. Through the invaluable support and guidance of my parents, we started down a path and have never looked back. Although the responsibility of having the lives of these little creatures in our hands can weigh heavily on us both, it is a magical and rewarding journey. Being a part of this exciting family adventure and the relationships that have been cultivated and deepened through this experience is priceless to our whole family! Shannon is the backbone of our family’s clan and has taken over a great deal as our little family continues to grow. He’s learned from the very best (Jim) over many years about how to be a loving puppy shepherd and it shines through with our puppies. Having a child on the spectrum, we are forever grateful to both be as present and nurturing to our amazing son as we have been, and this profession has allowed us to do so. We couldn’t ask for better than to raise our family surrounded by puppies in the Virginia countryside!
– Hannah & Shannon Barbe-Brown (daughter & son-in-law of Jim & Sue)
Red String Farmstead
Son and Daughter-In-Law of Jim and Sue
We were in the middle of rewarding traditional careers; Isaac, a Marine Corps Sergeant and a federal officer pursuing his masters degree. Kayla, a financial analyst with George Mason University and a masters-level graduate. One day, while spending parental leave at Jim and Sue’s farm, we went for a long walk as a young family. We’ll never forget that soft sunset in the Shenandoah countryside, where Isaac had an epiphany: Nature. Family. Animals. Spending every day together. Our children knowing their grandparents. Working the same job together as coworkers. Teaching our children about life through Creation. These things are far more important than any dream job, benefit, or personal accolades.
After staring at our sleeping daughter and imagining a life that would have required somebody else to take her throughout the workday, Isaac finally asked Kayla: “Why don’t we become breeders?”
Now, Isaac grew up in McKenzie’s Doodles. He knew what went into Doodle breeding and what it would require. Kayla did not, but in full faith and total relinquishment of the life we had built in favor of something better, she said: “Let’s do it.”
Red String Farmstead’s Breeding Style
Being heavy researchers, we believe in health-testing and early enrichment. Not only are our breeding moms and dads always tested at or above the American Kennel Club’s CHIC-level or above, (this is certified health testing criteria that is defined by that parent breed’s club) but Isaac has authored a rigorous in-house early enrichment regimen called “Wooby’s Early Life Program,” which ensures all of our puppies receive ENS, ESI, sound desensitization, body massages, potty grate training, temperament testing, and much more within an 8-week take-home context. We love educating customers on our process, so please ask us about our health testing and early enrichment!
Why “Red String Farmstead?”
McKenzie’s Doodles had a tradition… the smallest pup in each litter wears the “red string” to signify its strength despite its small size. We chose this symbol as our namesake because we have so much in common with our red string puppies! Isaac was always the smallest Marine in the room. Kayla was born 4 months pre-mature. Our beautiful little daughter has had weight and size issues since she was born, and, despite heavy developmental delays, she has caught up with every milestone along the way. Even our beloved Abner (the red string of his litter!) was resuscitated at birth and was so small, he ate his first meals from a mason jar lid.
We know first-hand that, sometimes, the ones that require a little extra help in the beginning might surprise you later! We are honored to be a veteran-owned clan of McKenzie’s Doodles where we get to help all puppies go on to do big and mighty things!
We are a family of red strings. We are Red String Farmstead.
– Isaac and Kayla Brown
