Julie & Leo 

We lost our 13 year old Maltese in a traumatic situation back in November 2017. This dog had been with me through so many triumphs and tribulations in my life- a true partner in crime, and his loss left me with  a huge hole in my heart that time didn't completely repair.

After taking the time I needed to heal, I began doing research on dogs, hoping to find a breed that was more playful, friendly and smart than my previous dog who had lots of anxiety, and wasn't great with new people or dogs.  I was playing around on Instagram when I came across Pax's profile.  I instantly fell in love. While it was clear that Pax's Mom was a hilarious and brilliant writer, you could see the gentle nature and fun loving spirit shine through the photos, and we decided to put our deposit down to get a minigoldendoodle.  After a few months of anticipation, we finally got our Leo.  Leo was definitely a challenging puppy the first 6 weeks (surprise, nothing like the pics we saw on IG), and my husband was concerned we made a mistake- adding to our already full plates.  Regardless, we put in the work and dedication to his training and here we are 2.5 months after bringing Leo home-our lives have dramatically changed for the better.  Leo is smart and loves learning, so our training efforts showed immediately within his demeanor and personality and we now have the dog we have always wanted.  

Leo has brought humor, a friendly playful spirit, and an innocent unconditional love into our home.  He has brought our family together and brought joy into every day situations.  Leo's energetic personality has led us to frequent dog parks and take walks frequently which has led us to meet some wonderful neighbors.  While Leo isn't much for cuddles on the regular, in the moments he is, I feel my heart healing from my loss and developing a strong love for this new addition to our family.  In the moments where I feel down, I spend a few minutes playing with our new puppy and I'm smiling again.  Leo's instagram profile has led me to meet wonderful Puppy Mama's who also balance a busy life, work, kids and family.  Within a few short months, I feel connected to my community and continue to meet and be inspired by all the Puppy Mama's out there!