A Lifetime in Livestock

I grew up on a ranch in Montana. I got my first horse when I was two years old; I have always been involved with livestock. While I was still in Montana I discovered that I had a talent for leatherwork. I have worked in saddle and leather shops in Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona. Now my family lives in Oklahoma, and I own my own company. Learn more at Nelseena.com.

Our family got into raising toy dogs when our children Hunter and Oakley were little. My husband Kurt and I thought we might raise a little money, but more importantly, we wanted to teach our children responsibility and to think about something other than themselves.

Our Program

Our program now is primarily a joint effort between Kurt, Oakley, and me. We have never been a typical AKC household. We are ranch people who raise great little dogs. We believe that it is our primary responsibility to ensure that every animal in our program has a suitable disposition, superior genetics, and correct conformation. We invest all that we have learned about animal husbandry and stewardship into raising exceptional dogs that are born with a very important job to do and all of the qualities they need to do it for a lifetime.

We select our breeding stock with the same priorities as we do our cattle and horses. Disposition is most important because these dogs must be family-friendly. When evaluating any dog for our program, I do thorough research, but my final decision comes down to prayer and intuition. I seek guidance from the Holy Spirit, and if he says no, I move on.

From Our Family to Yours

Among our toy Aussies, there isn’t a single one that does not have a service dog disposition. Our long-haired miniature Dachshunds (we call them ‘weenies’) are fun-loving and playful. They become incredibly dialed-in to their people and always want to be right where we are. Case in point: when we go to bed at night, they love to burrow under the blankets. It’s not at all uncommon for us to have four or five weenies in our bed with us on any given night.

We put our heart into our little dogs. It is our joy and our privilege to offer them to families like ours who would not be complete without a fuzzy little buddy (or two, or three) to amp up their daily adventures and remind them that life is supposed to be a whole lot of fun.