We are starting our summer break living off the grid in the lodge and the pup personalities are really shining.

If you ask me when we're in the neighborhood who our most outgoing dog is, I would say Stella, hands down.

But with a change of scenery, Sadie has taken over and is leading the pack! She's seeking out every adventure she can find, exploring every trail, sniffing every scent, and making the most of lodge life. 🐾

Sweet Sadie Jade can finally relax!
The babies have all made their way home, and the house is feeling a little quieter these days. We’ve been so grateful to receive updates from families. We have heard many have learned lots new tricks, started "school", received excellent health check-ins at the vet, have met lots of new people, and experienced adventures both big and small. 
Goodbyes are never easy, but we are incredibly thankful for the time we got to spend with each puppy, and for the trust families placed in us to help bring a new member into their home.
While having a litter of 9 puppies in our home was definitely exhausting and a little chaotic at times, it was also so much fun and brought our family more joy than could ever be described. These are the moments we’ll reflect on for many, many years to come.
And we already can’t wait to do it again.
Here’s to hoping we have some Portuguese Water Dog babies in our home soon. 🤍

Princess Peach is living her best life! She is the sweetest, happiest girl around. We are obsessed with those floppy ears and tangling tongue.

She has learned how to fetch, she is walking pretty well on a leash, and is sitting when requested with about 75% accuracy! House training is going super well. We take a lot of trips outside, but haven't had any poop accidents in the house in a few weeks and pee accidents are pretty rare.

We are loving the extra time we're getting to spend with this sweet little lady.

The final three.

Triple the fun, triple the potty breaks, triple the snuggles, triple the zoomies, triple the love… and somehow negative three on the downtime. Ha! Ha!

We’ve received lots of updates on the rest of the pack over the past week or so, and it sounds like everyone is doing wonderful in their new homes. They’ve been making new friends, starting training, learning new tricks, trying new treats, and settling into their new homes.
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This week we are excited for Miss Sadie (the second) to meet her forever family, while the final two keep soaking up the cuddles here just a little bit longer.

I have said from the start, these babies were born hungry and they are always on the lookout for clues that it might be snack time. They can hear the crinkle of the bag from across the house, sniff out a dropped piece of kibble like tiny detectives, and they definitely know exactly what that bag looks like.
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I know this video isn’t anything super cute or special, but all of those wagging tails, the little voice proudly declaring “this one loves me,” and the love and joy filling the room… it’s these simple, ordinary moments that I want to remember. These are the moments that make raising puppies so special.

The pack is shrinking!

11 weeks looks like cuddles, chaos, and naps. When they play, they play hard. When they nap, there really is no waking them!

They are all full of life. They can find joy in anything… an old toy, a lonely sock, a crunchy plastic water bottle. You name it, and it certainly looks worthy of a sniff, taste, and pounce!

Most of these pups already have families counting down the days until they get to meet. One sweet Toller boy is still waiting patiently for the perfect family to find him. 

And while the house will feel a little quieter soon, we’re hoping it won’t stay that way for long. If mother nature cooperates, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a spring litter of Portuguese Water Dogs to keep our hearts and home full again. 

It’s been a rainy week here, but playtime never stops! Even though it’s only Wednesday, we’ve already hit some exciting milestones.
The babies had their second round of shots yesterday and were once again deemed healthy, happy, and thriving by our vet!
We’ve also made it several days with zero poop accidents in the house (yay!).
Since all the rain has slowly turned our backyard into a muddy marsh, we moved playtime to the cul-de-sac today. The puppies loved the change of scenery and had so much fun exploring!

First video: Miss 1 and Mister 5 (our last available puppy)

Second video: Miss 3 and Luka

Ten weeks old already. This week feels full in every way. We have our second vet appointment coming up, two more goodbyes ahead of us, and so much love left to pour into these babies.
Our head count, which we do about 500 times a day while bringing puppies in and out from trips outside, is slowly shrinking. The line of crates is getting shorter, and somehow the days are moving faster and faster.
They’re playing with toys and chewing on bones like seasoned pros. They chase, tackle, cuddle, and sniff out kibble like it’s their life’s calling.
Even with fewer pups, at ten weeks the house feels louder and a little messier. Chores are pushed aside for potty breaks, extra snuggles, and one more round of playtime.

Our hearts and hands are still very full. I say it often, but it never feels like enough... We are so blessed to have the opportunity to love on these babies for their first few months of life and forever grateful for every person who trust us to help them grow their families!

There is truly nothing sweeter than puppy ears flopping in the wind as they give it their very best effort to run straight into our arms.


At 9 weeks old, their confidence is growing more each day. They know our voices. They come when called. They follow us around the yard like tiny shadows.
Not much has changed in the big milestones this week… but somehow everything feels different. They aren’t just little babies anymore. They’re bold, curious, playful, and so ready for their forever families.


These last few days together feel extra special. The kids are spending lots of time in the puppy pen, soaking up snuggles while watching TV or playing video games, laughing at the zoomies, and cheering on those determined little runs across the yard.
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We’re soaking in every floppy ear, every wagging tail, and every tiny paw sprinting our way.

Per my 8 year old's request, we purchased this giant duck yesterday for the puppies for Valentine's Day! He also thought it would be a wonderful idea if we snapped a group photo of the three puppies who are still waiting for their people to find them with the giant duck, just so everyone would know they are definitely DUCK Tolling Retrievers. Ha! Ha!

Goodbyes have begun! Two sweet pups have officially made it home and are settling in beautifully with their new families. We love getting those first updates and seeing how quickly they bond.

The puppies here (and even Momma!) haven’t seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary. Everyone is content, playful, and completely at ease.


The weather has been absolutely gorgeous, which means we’ve been taking full advantage of outdoor time. House training is coming along nicely, and we’ve continued nightly crating with a buddy. The puppies are adjusting so well to routine and structure. We plan to move pups to individual crates in the next day or two!
On Monday, the litter had their first round of vaccines and they did fantastic. Not a single fuss from anyone. The veterinary staff even told us they were their favorite patients of the day. We’ll proudly take that honor.
It’s such a joy watching their personalities continue to develop. Each one is growing in confidence, curiosity, and connection. This season of raising them is always bittersweet... full of excitement for their futures and gratitude for these sweet weeks we get with them.
We can’t wait to see where each of these little hearts will land.