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Fillingame
Kennels is now located in beautiful central Alabama. After living for
too many
years in Southern California, we have moved now to Alabama to be
closer to our families. Hi, my name is Michelle and my husband's name
is Phillip, and our love for this
breed is why we are here. I started in Poodles over 29 years
ago, because of my daughter’s severe allergies. Advised by my
daughter’s pediatrician, and the wonderful childhood memories of a
pair of show Poodles my parents owned, I researched all I could about
the breed. I found that Poodles do not shed or have pet dander, and
were a perfect choice for families where allergies are a problem. I
spent two years looking for a line that I wanted to start my
foundation from. I found a wonderful lady named Bessie Fogle. She had
been a breeder, handler, and judge for over 40 years. Her dogs were
not only impressive, but their temperaments were warm, loving and
gentle. I was so impressed by both Bessie and her dogs, I bought three foundation females, and
that is how I began. Bessie has now retired and is no longer breeding,
judging, or showing Poodles, but her devotion for
excellence in confirmation and temperament still lives through the
bloodlines of many of my dogs.
Our human babies are now all grown and on their own,
but our “other 4 legged babies” will always be at our sides. They are
born, raised
and live in our home with us. The puppies I
produce, from the moment I tie and cut the umbilical cord, are loved,
handled, and spoiled shamelessly. I take GREAT care in finding the
best, most loving homes, for my little ones, which will show them the
same level of love and devotion they have received from us since their
birth.
I talk a lot about the temperaments of the
puppies we raise. Temperament is very important to us. You can have a
"drop dead gorgeous" dog, but if they have a nasty temperament, I
don't care how pretty they are....they are not a good Poodle. We tend
to keep our mothers with their puppies much longer then most other
breeders would allow. Here we listen to our mommies, they let us know
when they are ready to leave their puppies. We also provide an
abundance of toys that hang from the tops of their play pens for them
to play and swat at, as well as toys and chewies for them to chew,
shake, and play tug-of-war with their siblings. We have found that
providing them with these environmental stimulants, it makes for a
more inquisitive, smart, but calmer more contented puppy. Our babies
get an abundance of human interaction all day long, each being held,
played with, talked to, cuddled and kissed. The poor things even get
to listen to my husband and I sing along with the radio as we clean
their areas. We keep all the puppies of toddler age in our
kitchen/dining room area so they get used to all the household noises
and chaos. We do this not only because we enjoy the interacting with
our babies, but it also makes for a more socialized and friendly
puppy.
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