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Lewiston dog breeder sees puppies as family members
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By Mikaylie Kartchner
March 22, 2005 | LEWISTON -- Kim
and Karren Cutler have seven kids, one granddaughter
and 13 dogs. They are all just part of the family.
Karren and her family started breeding dogs
about two or three years ago. She said they started
out wanting to breed a couple of Wheatens and
ended up trying to make better family dogs.
"We were so disillusioned with these so-called
professional breeders in the sense that they don't
socialize the puppies," Cutler said. "It's very
important to us, because they are members of our
family, to be socialized."
Cutler said professional breeders keep a very
tight lid on specific breeds and don't allow them
to be family dogs. They also don't play or socialize
the pups at all, which makes it hard to bring
them into a family.
When Karren breeds her dogs, they are played
with, loved and socialized. They have been around
other dogs, cats, and kids. Some even have a basic
understanding of house training when they leave.
She said she is in the business of producing family
members.
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WHAT A FACE!: This
Wheaten terrier is pregnant and due in April.
/ Photo by Mikaylie Kartchner |
"I thought this was something I could do at home,"
Cutler said, " still do something that I love and produce
something that is a family member."
Cutler is right there when the puppies are born and
from then on she and her family do almost everything
they can themselves from grooming to shots, which is
not only good for the dogs, but also a little cheaper
for the family, she said, and her family, for the most,
loves it.
"The younger kids love it," she said. "They absolutely
love it and they help like none other. The older kids
were mostly gone, but they still love coming home and
playing with the puppies."
The people who take the dogs love them too, Cutler
said. She said she is always getting updates and pictures
over the Internet of families and their dogs. She said
she even gets Christmas cards. She said even her vet
has bought a couple from them.
Karren has a new breed of puppy in her home called
a Fuzzy Cow Dog, which is cross between a Healer and
a Wheaten. She said, they were very popular and all
gone in the first weekend because they are smaller and
don't shed.
"I'm finding out that dogs that don't shed and the
smaller dogs produce more money," she said. Karren said
her first batch of Wheatens made $5,600 for the family,
but they didn't do nearly as well on the second batch
because the dogs are not very well known.
According to a document put of by wordpress.org, professional
breeders can make between $75,000-$100,00 a year, but
Karren said her family isn't anywhere near that amount.
"I'd like to meet the people that make that much money,"
she said.
The family breeding business has recently come to
the attention of the Lewiston Planning and Zoning Commission,
which is requiring the Cutlers to get a kennel license
and license each of their dogs. The fee for the license
is $250 a year, plus $25 per dog for individual licensing.
Karren said it doesn't bother her too much. Even though
the law has not been in full force until recently, she
said she has no problem "becoming official."
The dogs have a kennel in the backyard, that is heated
and insulated, and equipped with a doggy door so they
can go between the kennel and their fenced off play
area. Karren said that all the puppies are born in the
house in a small mudroom off of the kitchen or downstairs
in walkout basement.
She said she hopes to have the backyard and deck finished
this spring so the grass can be put in and the dogs
with stop tracking mud in the house. She also said she
would someday like to look in to dog obedience training
and setting up a permanent agility course if that was
something the community was interested in.
This heeler puppy is about six months old. He'll breed
when he's older. / Photo by Mikaylie Kartchner
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