At Crestie Charm Cottage, the phrase “raising with heart” holds quiet significance. It’s not a motto we printed on business cards or a catchphrase made to impress. It’s simply the truest way to describe what we do here every single day—with our dogs, with our puppies, and with the people who eventually welcome them home.

This little cottage of ours is filled with the rhythm of daily life—grooming brushes and tail wags, tiny toenail clippings, soft blankets, silly zoomies, and quiet moments curled up together. For us, raising puppies isn’t just about genetics or pedigrees, though those things matter too. It’s about intention. About care. About love that’s felt as much as it’s given.

The Heart of Our Home

Our dogs are not just “breeding stock”—they are family. They sleep on the couch, they follow us from room to room, they steal socks, they make us laugh when we least expect it. When it comes time for a litter, it’s not a transaction—it’s a season of preparation, nurturing, and wonder.

We believe dogs thrive in an environment where they’re seen, understood, and adored for exactly who they are. That’s the environment we strive to create here—not just for the puppies we raise, but for every adult dog who shares our home.

Thoughtful Beginnings

We plan each litter with patience and purpose. Only after careful consideration—of health, temperament, lineage, and compatibility—do we decide to move forward. Our breeding decisions aren’t rushed. They’re quiet conversations over tea, a little bit of hope, and a whole lot of responsibility.

When puppies arrive, they’re met not with gloves and kennels but with gentle voices and warm hands. From the very first breath, they are held, loved, and carefully observed. We learn their personalities, their quirks, their little sounds. And they begin to learn us, too.

Daily Life, Hands-On

Our days revolve around the smallest things: bottle feedings when needed, quiet naps under fleece blankets, supervised play, early socialization, and gentle grooming. We expose puppies to the rhythms of real life—kitchen sounds, lawn mowers, doorbells, and laughter—so they grow confident and grounded.

We also begin crate training, grooming desensitization, and handling from a young age. Not because it’s expected, but because it’s what we’d want if we were welcoming a new pup into our lives.

Letting Go (And Holding On)

Perhaps the hardest part of raising with heart is the letting go. When it’s time for a puppy to leave, we don’t hand them off with a smile and move on. There’s always a moment of pause—a last snuggle, a whisper in their ear, a teary walk to the gate.

But we let go with peace, because we’ve poured everything into those first few weeks. And we know that their new families will carry that love forward. Many keep in touch. Some become friends. And every message, every photo, every update is a little thread back to the heart they came from.

What It Means, Really

To raise with heart means we love harder, we grieve a little more when they go, and we celebrate every milestone like proud parents. It means we see our dogs as souls, not silhouettes. It means we aren’t perfect, but we are present—and deeply committed to the well-being of every pup we welcome into the world.

Thank you for being here. For reading this. For caring. Whether you’re a fellow dog lover, a future puppy family, or someone who’s just wandered into our little corner of the internet—we’re glad you’re here. There’s more to come, and we’d love to share the journey with you.