That all guided my decision.ĪMANDA: That’s wonderful. But I thought a Poodle would be great, and Old English Sheepdogs are also very intelligent. I hadn’t had a dog since childhood, so I didn’t feel emotionally prepared for a Border Collie. So I was looking for really smart breeds! Poodles and Border Collies seem to be the two smartest breeds, purportedly. I understood that training was a really good way to build trust and communication. I’d been doing a ton of research, and my goal from Day One was to have the most connected bond possible and the best communication. I was also really invested in the training process. I have some allergies, so having a “hypoallergenic” dog was important to me. I said, “Bunny has to be mine!” When she was two months old, I flew out to get her, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.ĪMANDA: That really is a beautiful story! How did you know you wanted that specific breed mix?ĪLEXIS: She’s one-quarter Old English Sheepdog and three-quarters Poodle. It sounds silly, but it was magical and beautiful. I cried and thanked Domino for the gift she was giving me. So that was the first time we met, and it was beautiful and amazing. Then Bunny, who was this little potato, the runt of the litter, came up and laid in the crook of my arm for the entire two hours. I sat down in the whelping pen, and the mom, Domino, laid her head down on my lap. When she was about a month old, I went to Spokane to meet all the puppies.

I was lucky enough to be able to watch Bunny being born.

I spent a lot of time on the phone with them - more than anyone ever had, they said - but they loved it. Every year, they donate dogs to service dog trainers. They started breeding to get a service dog for their granddaughter, Kayla, who lost both her legs to childhood cancer. I started doing a ton of research, and I found a breeder I really liked in Spokane, Washington - small, family-owned and operated - Kimra, from Kayla’s Sheepadoodles. ALEXIS: I’d been wanting a dog for a long time, but it just wasn’t the right time… finally, my husband didn’t say no, so I took it to mean yes!

Bunni how we first met working