Today we’d like to introduce you to Jami Miller.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Most adults who find themselves in a profession working with any type of animal will tell you that they have always had a love for animals. My story is no different. Growing up, my family always had pets in the house. In fact, I don’t ever remember not having multiple pets in our home. We had several dogs, cats, ducks, and even a pot-bellied pig. While my mom tolerated animals, my dad was the one who really loved them. It wasn’t uncommon for him to bring home an abandoned baby rabbit, bird, or raccoon. We would spend time feeding these animals until they were ready and well enough to be released, or if we weren’t able to help them, we would take them to the local shelter/vet. I remember stopping on the side of roads to rescue slow-moving turtles and snakes so they would not be hit by passing cars. We also had this snake that lived under our porch for the longest time. When my mom wasn’t home, my dad would catch it and bring it in the house for my sister and I to pet. We even named him Benjamin. To this day, I’m not sure if my mom ever knew about this. (Sorry, Mom).
When I became an adult and had a family of my own, it was just natural to have a dog in the house. We ended up choosing just a small breed while our 2 sons were young and we were living in a small home. Once our 3rd son came along, we had moved into a new home, and the older boys wanted another dog! At this point, my husband and I ended up telling them no because I would be the one having to take care of it. After a lot of debate, the boys wanted to prove that they would indeed be the ones to care for the dog. We compromised, and the boys started raising Lionhead rabbits. It was a great experience for them. It taught them a lot of responsibility, how to care for their own pets, how to speak to adults who wanted to buy their rabbits, and money management skills once all their rabbits were sold. After a few litters of rabbits, my boys had an envelope full of cash and were ready to purchase their first dog.
We spent a lot of time going over different breeds and ended on the Portuguese Water Dog. We loved the personality of the breed, the non-shedding and hypoallergenic was also a plus for us. We picked up Gertie on March of 2021, the day after we got home from a vacation. She acclimated so well to our house, boys, and other pets.
While Gertie was growing and maturing, I was busy educating myself. I had gotten together with a dear friend of mine, and she happened to mention that she was going to start breeding her family dog as well. She told me about this small group of people in our area that she had recently starting meeting with who all do the same thing. My boys and I began attending the meetings as well. This group was one of the best things we did to get started in our breeding program. We would meet about once a month and just learn from one another. We would discuss best cleaning products for our kennels, best nutrition for our dogs and puppies, social media accounts, handling procedures of puppies, puppy contracts, reservation protocols. You name it, we discussed it! These group meetings were so helpful. Meanwhile, I began taking online courses through Jeanette Forrey. I also attended one of her conferences in person. Her puppy curriculum focuses on empowering each individual puppy, helping the puppy gain confidence as it grows to ensure happy, less anxious adult dogs. We’ve used this curriculum for each of our litters and are very happy with the results.
During all this education, we learned the importance of genetic testing. We decided to have Gertie tested by two different reputable facilities. The main purpose for genetic testing in dogs is to recognize any potential diseases or disorders your dog may be a carrier of. It’s considered unethical to breed your dog if they possess any such pre-disposed problems. Any of our families have full access to Gertie’s, as well as her mate’s genetic tests. All of Gertie’s testing came back clear, and we were ready to move forward with our first litter of puppies!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have definitely been challenges along the way. Unfortunately, the word “breeder” has many stereotypes to it. We’re not going to tell anyone how or where you should buy or adopt a puppy/dog. What I will say is please do your homework on the breed of dog you plan to get. Know that dog’s temperament and the care it’s going to need as a puppy and adult. Likewise, do your homework on the breeder, pet store, or shelter that you are purchasing your puppy from. What are their protocols, what’s in their contracts, did someone refer them to you, etc? Knowing that they are ethical and can be trusted should be important.
Another challenge we’re constantly dealing with is social media scams and bullies. We will post videos and pictures of our two pets, and companies will bombard those threads or our inbox with products they want our dogs to model. We understand they have a business they are advertising, but we’re deleting their posts from our page almost weekly. The same goes with social media bullies. We’re posting pictures or videos of our pets or puppies, and people from all over the world, usually adults, will comment with very insulting or nasty language. I don’t expect everyone to agree or even like what we’re doing, but if you have a concern or questions about our program, please ask us directly. We would love to share what we’re doing and why we’re doing it with anyone who asks.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Lucky Pup Kennels?
We only have 8 short weeks from the time the puppies are born to the time they leave to go home to their families. In that time, it’s our goal to raise confident puppies through a very deliberate curriculum that starts on the third day of their life. From days 3-16, we do Early Scent Introduction (ESI) with each puppy. Puppy’s eyes are not open for the first two weeks of their life, but they are able to feel and smell. Starting on day 3, we introduce a new smell to each puppy. Some of the smells we use are garlic, an orange peel, pine, oregano, etc. The puppy will have either a positive, negative, or neutral reaction to the smell. This is all charted. The puppy can’t see but is sniffing; the brain is triggered, and mild stressors are introduced, which prompt the neurological systems. It’s basically a kickstart to the brain saying, “Wake up and start developing!”
Also, during days 3-16, we’re doing Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) Exercises with each puppy. This is very similar to ESI, but here we’re focusing on touch. We’re performing 5 exercises, held for 3-5 seconds, on each puppy. First, the puppy is held with its head erect, then head pointed down, and supine position. We then use tactile stimulation, where we take a Q-Tip and run it between all of its “toes.” Finally, we use thermal stimulation, where we place the puppy on a cold pack. Each of these exercises is providing mild, healthy stressors for the puppies. It gets their blood flowing and their minds working, and research has shown that doing these exercises improves their cardiovascular performance, provides stronger heartbeats and adrenal glands, and gives great resistance to stress and diseases!
During week two, we start a 10 step handling process. This process starts very gentle where we start at the top of the head and work our way down the body of the puppy. We touch the ears, cover the eyes, open its mouth and rub along its gums, rub its belly, rub down its back and down its tail, we touch all four paws and its nails, we touch its neck and run our fingers under its collar, and we touch its nose. We do this procedure on every puppy, every single day, until it goes home, each day with a little more force and pressure. If we know a puppy is going to a family with young kids, that puppy has to be prepared for ear tugs and possible unpleasant tail tugs. These puppies will go to the groomer, so having their nails and paws touched is so important.
Our curriculum also exposes the puppies to many different loud and sudden noises. We want the puppies to be familiar with vacuum cleaners, drills, pots and pans, videos of babies crying, loud trucks, etc. We introduce the puppies to new toys on a daily basis as well. This starts with soft, stationary toys that they can explore and sniff, then gradually builds to movable things like ball pits and obstacles like steps and teeter-totters. We’re building their confidence through play and reducing their startle response.
We do preparatory crate training, an introduction to potty training, and leash walking; all of our puppies are microchipped unless a family indicates otherwise, and of course, every puppy is vet checked, up to date on vaccines, dewormed, and dewclaws removed. These puppies require daily, constant care. They are live creatures that rely on Gertie and then us for that care. We really take pride in what we do and the time we invest in each one of them.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to us is seeing the puppy leave our house and do so well with its new family. One question we get a lot is, “Isn’t it hard to see the puppies leave?” It’s definitely a bittersweet day because we’ve invested so much time and energy into them. But puppies also bring so much joy to people, and that’s something we get to see over and over. We’ve met a lot of great families, and we’re grateful for those connections.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @portie.pups
- Facebook: Lucky Pup Kennels
