Shilohs suit my soul…

I first learned about Shilohs from a dog breed book I had in junior high. I still have that book, with my original highlighter marks… knowing that I would come back to it someday! Sure enough, I did just that in 2018, when my husband first suggested we look in to adding a Shepherd to our pack. I carefully studied back up on Shilohs, King Shepherds, various German Shepherd lines, Wolf hybrids (like the one I had in high school), & even Caucasian Shepherds. The Shiloh checked all my boxes… having the structure I preferred, stringent standards, & bred for versatile companionship. Like breed founder Tina Barber said, “Shilohs are the total dog… bred for beauty, brains, & brawn!”

I met my first Shiloh by complete surprise, over a busy holiday weekend in Moses Lake, WA. There were crowds of people, boats, other dogs, & overall chaos ensuing… but this dog instantly drew me in with his massively majestic, gentle, & calm presence. I asked if I could pet him (a rarity for me), & when the owner told me his breed, I immediately recognized it from my readings. If I was smart, I would’ve asked who the breeder was (still kicking myself)! That dog was unlike any dog I had met before… exuding a brilliantly balanced energy.

I’m a canine enthusiast by default… one could even say that I was raised by dogs! Many recognized my gift at an early age… as I ran my own dog training, walking, & sitting business in junior high. That came full circle when I operated a specialized dog daycare facility from 2019-2025. This gave me invaluable experience particularly with various types of large & giant breed dogs. The vast majority of my time is spent studying all things dog. Analyzing how canines communicate & coexist in natural pack dynamics fascinated me early in life, which eventually led to pursuing a Canine Behavior certification. Another area of expertise is the result of battling endless health issues with my previous dogs & tracking trends among my daycare pack, which enabled me to heavily study & implement canine nutrition, holistic, & homeopathic care. As I’ve entered the realm of responsible breeding, topics like structure/movement, phenotype/genotype, & pedigree/COIs have dominated my interest level.

I’m always hungry to learn more from the experts! If I don’t know the answer, I usually know where to find it from a reputable source… & I love the questions I can’t answer, because its another opportunity for me to expand my own knowledge! For this reason, I’ve created the Canine Chronicles Blog (coming soon), where I’ll do my best to share my own knowledge/experiences for reference. The rest of my “free time” typically goes to exercising/training/competing my dogs, outdoor adventures, hobby photography, the gym, cooking, & movie nights with the hubby.

I’m here for my fellow dog nerds, under the mentorship of Wilderness Kennels & in training with the International Shiloh Shepherd Alliance (ISSA). My promise is to always aim for ethical preservation & betterment of our amazing breed. I value building lasting relationships both in & out of the Shiloh community… for the purpose of fully supporting my puppy owners & furthering breed development.

Dogs are my passion, but Shilohs have become my purpose...