Our Story

Lively Acres

Animals have been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up on a small 15-acre farm with a couple of pigs named Jack and Jill and a Jersey cow named Mabel. I was in 4-H with both dogs and horses; my beloved dog was a German Shepherd named Heidi, and we were incredibly close. When I left for school, Heidi couldn’t come, but my horse was accepted into the college equestrian program, so I never had to be without her. Even with the distance, my bond with Heidi never diminished. My mom swore that when I came home from college, Heidi knew I was near before I even pulled into the driveway. Over the years after Heidi passed, there were many other animals in my life, but that early mix of animals taught me how much good care and thoughtful training really matter.

Since those early years, I’ve always stayed close to the land. I now live on a smaller farm—3¾ acres—where my daughter was also raised. Over the years we’ve had horses, goats, cats, dogs, and chickens, all framed by fruit trees, lush grass, and gardens. As an adult, I raised and bred Miniature Pinschers and owned an Australian Shepherd and an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. We have both grown up surrounded by animals and the rhythm of country life, and it has shaped who we are and how we care for our dogs. All of that experience with animals and training turned out to be essential when my family needed help the most.

Many years after my daughter left for college, my mother developed dementia and was going blind, so I brought her to live with me. She had always been fiercely independent, and I knew that if I could find the right dog, I could train a service dog to help her move safely around the house and get to and from the restroom on her own. In the middle of that search, I also discovered that I was allergic to most dogs, so finding a breed that didn’t trigger my allergies felt like a small miracle.

That search led me to Beverley’s Rutland Manor Cobberdogs. I was both astonished and hopeful about what this breed promised, so I ordered a puppy for my mother. She arrived at 12 weeks old and was incredible from the start. We placed her in a double recliner beside my mother’s hospital bed. She could easily have climbed out of her kennel and off the chair, but instead she chose to stay on the empty half of the recliner, pressed up next to my mother the entire time—even at just 12 weeks old. Unexpectedly, my mother passed away shortly after Bliss joined us. I am deeply grateful that my mom was able to enjoy her for about a month and a half, and that this little dog, whom we named Bliss, made her final days so gentle and full of joy.

After my mother passed, I never imagined that I would be the one to need a service dog. I was battling undiagnosed, debilitating hepatitis C, so I began training Bliss to be my own service dog. Her intuition, steadiness, and quiet willingness to help carried me through one of the hardest seasons of my life. She kept me steady when I couldn’t find my balance, pulled me when my energy was extremely low, and alerted for help when I fell. When panic hit and I felt helpless, she lay with me and helped me slow my breathing.

Eventually, we discovered that hepatitis C was the root cause of my serious health issues. I have since been cured and no longer need a service dog, but I will always be grateful for what Bliss did for me.

Because of Bliss, I fell head-over-heels for this remarkable breed. Cobberdogs are intuitive, easy to train, low-shedding, and simply delightful to live with. I even enjoy grooming them and trying out different hairstyles—it’s one of my favourite quiet rituals with them. Now, breeding Cobberdogs alongside my daughter, I get to blend a lifetime of farm-raised animal care with a deep respect for what a good dog can mean to a family. Watching these puppies grow, matching them with the right homes, and knowing the comfort they’ll bring feels like a dream come true.