How Lakeview Puppies Began...
For Christmas 2013, we decided to finally get a puppy for our family. One of our children was terrified of dogs, so we wanted to change that! After a lot of thought, we decided it would be a fun learning experience for our kids if we raised a few litters. Stephen's dad used to raise and train hunting dogs, so Stephen was familiar with the whole breeding thing. Well, instead of getting one puppy, we got four! Boy were the kids surprised!
Well, after a couple of months, with baby #5 on the way, Sarah decided that having four puppies was just too much to handle. So, they gave two of them away to some friends. A few months after baby was born, more dogs were purchased, as well as a home out in the country snuggled in the beautiful hills on the edge of "lakes country" in western Minnesota... a great place to raise kids and puppies! What started out as a simple Christmas idea quickly turned into an obsession.
We have learned so much since we first started this adventure. Breeding has been so much harder than originally anticipated... as every good breeder will tell you. We put a lot of time and thought into deciding which dogs to breed and which ones to pass on as pets. Hours and hours have been spent learning about health, pedigrees, whelping, nutrition, etc.
We are extremely grateful to Ef, Vern and Diana, Debbi, and Angela for helping us get started with such beautiful puppies! Thank you so much for all of your support and guidance as we started out! We also owe a huge "Thank you!" to our friend, Lynette, who has taught Sarah a lot about showing and also what a Bichon is supposed to look like. On the Shih Tzu end, we are also very thankful for RosaLee, who has been a constant support and friend.
A Short Story...
There once was a little boy. He was very angry. He grew up in a home without a father. His mom worked hard, but she didn't make much money. He had no friends at school. Many of the kids made fun of him for one reason or another.
One day, as he was walking to school, the boy caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He saw a dog, watching him from a neighbor's yard across the street. The boy didn't give it much thought and kept on walking. On his way home, he remembered the dog and glanced that direction. The dog was lying there in the grass, watching the little boy pass by. The next morning, the boy looked over to see if the dog was out. Sure enough, he was watching. On the way home, there he was again. Every day the boy went to school, he looked to make sure the dog was there. Every day, he was. Every day the boy walked home from school, he looked to make sure the dog was there. Every day, he was. A few weeks went by. The boy started to feel like that dog was a friend, even though he had never touched or even spoken to him.
One day, as the boy was walking home from school, he said to himself, "I'm going to go over and talk to that dog." He was so excited to see the dog, he didn't even notice the car coming up behind him. All of a sudden, the boy saw the dog rushing towards him. He freaked out and started running the other direction. The driver, who had been distracted with something, saw the dog rushing towards the car and slammed on the brakes. But, it was too late. The boy, heart pounding, turned around and saw what had just happened. That dog had saved the little boy's life by giving up his own.
Though this isn't a true story, it could be. Many dogs would happily give their lives to protect their people. Jesus has done the same for us. Every day, I mess up somehow. Every day, I do things that I wish I wouldn't have done. I try hard to be "good"... but I fail so often. I'm so thankful that God's love for me doesn't change based on my ability to do the right thing all the time. Paul put it this way:
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. I Timothy 1:15 (NIV)
If we're really honest with ourselves, we know that it's impossible to be "good enough". Jesus came to save sinners... sinners. He came to SAVE sinners! Jesus came to save YOU.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NIV)
Following Jesus doesn't just mean going to church, giving money to help others, trying to do the right thing all the time, or praying before a meal. When you realize who God is and what Jesus has done for you, those things are usually the result of having a changed heart. Those things aren't done out of duty, but out of love and thankfulness, realizing that God has given and continues to give us so much more than we could ever repay.
Dogs are amazing - always there to encourage, love, and comfort. Our hope for you is that you would realize how much God loves you. It doesn't matter if you're having a bad day or have made some pretty awful choices in your life. Jesus came to this world for YOU. He died for YOUR sin. He came back to life, conquering death, so that you can spend eternity in the presence of Almighty God, instead of being forever separated from Him! His great love for people is something that we cannot fully understand. Stephen's grandparents used to say, "Keep the most important thing the most important thing." If I sell people puppies but neglect to tell them about the love of Christ, I would be failing indeed.
Our goal is to provide puppies that bring joy for many years to come. Every time you get a puppy kiss, we want you to remember how much God loves you.