About

I am an animal lover who has grown up with both German Shepherds and Papillons and find them to be complementary breeds. I have a strong interest in genetics, which has inspired my Papillon breeding program with the primary focus of healthy population genetics and maintaining low inbreeding levels while promoting desirable traits. My husband and I are both engineers and this is our project of passion and love for the breed and our dogs. Every puppy I produce I would go to the moon and back for, and we consider them a part of our family for their lifetime.

In Papillons we look for good health, outgoing temperament, solid structure, and performance potential where there is food and/or toy motivation sustained into adulthood. Before breeding we attain documentation of clear luxating patella, NAD and PRA-1, as well as CAER and cardiac tests. All of our Papillons undergo Optimal Selection DNA testing to determine level of inbreeding and carrier status for other diseases.

Our puppies are raised like a large breed, and we pay special attention to building confidence in the puppies using the same methodologies one would use with a protection breed. We want to see our puppies heartily and confidently greeting any new situation. You may also notice throughout our gallery that we operate a small goat and sheep farm, which is a source of excellent exposure and confidence building for our puppies.

As far as my breeder’s education, I have read the work of and attended seminars by Dr. Carmen Battaglia (“Breeding Better Dogs” and “Breeding Dogs to Win”). On the opposite end of the spectrum I follow studies and literature on canine evolutionary, behavioral and hereditary genetics. I have started keeping track of the best papers on the subject I’ve found here. Early 1900s literature on livestock breeding by pioneers Sewell Wright and Jay Lush have helped to refine my understanding of modern livestock breeding science and strategies to propagate and enhance desirable traits whilst keeping inbreeding levels low.

I have years of experience whelping and raising litters and round the clock care of fading newborn puppies. Our kennel is fully equipped with a puppy incubator, oxygen concentrator and nebulizer, and a large stock of medical supplies. I also maintain a guide on my latest findings with care for very low birthweight or premature neonate puppies.

Sablewings is the name my husband and I have chosen for our kennel as a play on a Papillon’s sable colored butterfly wing ears. We are currently breeding to produce well-tempered companion Papillons with an emphasis on excellent health through low kinship coefficients, and occasionally we will have puppies available.