Poet x Wylie - Fall 2026

The beautiful Poet and the absolutely incredible Wylie have been matched and I could not be more excited about the possibilities this pairing holds. We expect puppies who will grow into wonderful therapy dog candidates, delightful companion pets, and engaging sports-lite partners. The kind of dogs who are equally happy joining you for a little nosework or rally, trying their paw at flyball, visiting a classroom or seniors centre, accompanying you through daily life, or simply curling up beside you at the end of a long day. Dogs who are up for an adventure but don’t need every day to be one. A little bit of everything, wrapped up in a very good dog. ❤️ We expect these little ones to arrive just before Christmas, with go-home day in February. But before we get ahead of ourselves imagining tiny puppy feet and the inevitable chaos, let me tell you why I’m so excited about these two. First, there’s Poet. My best girl, the easiest dog I’ve ever shared life with. Poe came into my life while I was battling severe chronic illness, and she spent her puppyhood happily tucked into the nook of my knees, making even the hardest days a little sweeter. She has this extraordinary ability to simply be. Her default setting is OFF, and honestly given what life has thrown me, I have a lot of respect for that. I told her breeder at six months that I’ve never had a puppy make my life LESS stressful… but she did and she does. She redefined what an easy dog could look like for me. Housetraining? Not a single accident in our house. Sleeping loose at my feet from ten weeks old? No problem. Natural loose-leash walking and retrieving? Yep. Separation anxiety and barrier frustration? Never heard of it. She is quiet, thoughtful, intuitive, and wonderfully content to share space with her people. Both of these dogs have that special quality I can only describe as being an old soul: the feeling that they somehow understand what’s expected of them without needing everything explained. But don’t mistake Poet’s off switch for a lack of ability! When that switch flips ON, she is a force. She loves chasing plastic bags, is known as “the accountant” at nosework and delights me with her rally skills that appear out of seemingly nowhere. If her human had a healthier body, I have absolutely no doubt she’d have some titles behind her name - I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in the next year. She’s also thriving as a medical alert service dog. Her alerts are 100% reliable, and she’s about 90% of the way there with her obedience. We’re currently negotiating the very unreasonable expectation that she might occasionally have to stand up for three consecutive minutes. This seems silly to her, when she could be napping instead! 😂 She’s on track to pass certification once she’s finished her breeding obligations, in the meantime she’s been keeping me safe while completing training. Poe can be a little worried in unfamiliar environments, but resilience is her middle name. Give her a moment, a little encouragement, and perhaps a couple of cookies, and she’s generally ready to reconsider her position. She’s also not naturally thrilled about body handling, either, but cooperative care has helped her learn that grooming, nail trims, and paw wiping can be perfectly acceptable arrangements when the compensation package is appropriate. She is gentle, adaptable, incredibly easy to live with, and one of the greatest gifts life has handed me. And then there’s Wylie. Oh, Wylie. ❤️ When I had the privilege of meeting Wylie, one of the first things I realised was how much Caitlin had undersold him. Wylie is a 4.5-year-old Siberian x Border Collie c Aussie x Mixymix who seems to have arrived in the world convinced that every human he meets is a potential new best friend and every day is an opportunity to go to work. He lives on a hobby farm, accompanies his human to a veterinary specialty hospital, does animal-assisted therapy with elementary school children every week, and attends flyball practices. He has had the flyball pattern figured out for a year. His human just needs to finish school so they can get him tournament-ready. Priorities, apparently. 😂 Wylie is the sort of dog who can walk into a busy, unpredictable environment and thoughtfully figure out how to navigate it. Traffic, blaring ambulances, crowded rooms, unexpected people leaning over to greet him, children learning new skills and giving inconsistent cues… he takes it all in stride. He loves people of every age, shape, and size, and he loves having a job. Give him a human partner, a little guidance, and the opportunity to do something together, and he is absolutely in his element. He’s also an exceptionally thoughtful dog. He has wonderful dog-social skills, although he can be a bit of a self-appointed hall monitor when other dogs forget their manners. 😂 The good news is that he’s learning that he doesn’t always have to be the one to sort things out. Sometimes he can take a breath, look to his human, and let someone else handle the situation. He’s a medium-energy dog who doesn’t need to run a marathon every day, but he does want to participate in life. Training, hiking, errands, working outside, learning something new: these are the things that make him happy. And when the day is done? He’s a remarkably tolerant, cooperative dog who handles veterinary procedures and grooming with an ease that makes him a pleasure to work with. He also sports a lovely low-maintenance coat that somehow smells like a pine forest, and he has a way of making people fall in love with him. That last part is hard to explain until you meet him. People believe in Wylie. He makes real connections with people. He becomes their dog, their friend, their partner. Watch him work with schoolchildren, and you’ll see it. He lets them learn, lets them lead, and gives them the confidence that comes from having a very good dog believe in you. Watch him working through a challenge, and you’ll see something else. He can have a negative thought about a situation, take a breath, look to his person, and try again. When he understands what’s being asked of him, that uncertainty turns into a wagging tail and a dog who is genuinely pleased to have figured it out. Even with all the things they still have to learn together, Wylie’s human Caitlin summed him up in a way that really stuck with me: “I truly didn’t know dogs could be this good.” I think that says a lot. So, why these two together? Because I love the idea of bringing together Poet’s extraordinary ability to settle, her natural off switch, her quiet presence, and her resilience with Wylie’s bombproofness, his enthusiasm for people, his thoughtful adaptability, his love of learning, and his willingness to engage with the world. They share that special combination of being intuitive, people-oriented dogs who genuinely enjoy working with humans. But they bring different strengths to the table, too. Poet reminds us that a good dog doesn’t have to be busy every minute to be wonderful. Wylie reminds us how much confidence, connection, and joy a dog can bring when they’re ready to jump into life alongside you. Together, we hope to produce puppies with the potential to do a little bit of everything: dogs who can settle into family life, connect with people, enjoy learning, and perhaps find their calling in therapy work, recreational sports, or whatever adventures their future people dream up. Of course, genetics are not a guarantee, and individual puppies will grow into their own unique personalities. Thoughtful breeding is about making informed decisions, understanding the dogs in front of us, and giving the next generation the best possible starting point. While I’ve talked mostly about temperament, both dogs have had extensive health testing. Click their photos above and health and temperament testing details will become visible in full detail. The expected litter COI is 2%. I’m looking for dogs who can make people’s lives better. Dogs who can be a steady presence on a hard day, a willing partner in a new adventure, a friend to a child who needs a little confidence, or simply the reason someone laughs when they walk through the door. Poet has been all of those things for me and my people. Wylie is all of those things for Caitlin and the people lucky enough to know him. And the thought that these two might create a new generation of dogs who bring that kind of connection into other people’s lives? The opportunity to share the easy dogs that Caitlin and I get to live with every day? That’s the part that most excites me. ❤️ We cannot wait to see what these two create together.