In this first episode in our 2025 12 Day of Breeders, we talk to AKC Breeder of Merit, Kim McGuirk of Newbliss Chicago Lagotto, who built explosive business success by focusing on radical customer service and smart delegation. Kim shares the secret to her longevity: building an incredible community of owners through fun bi-annual social events, and the brilliant management strategy she uses to prevent burnout—including a puppy socialization hack using high school and college students on a shift spreadsheet! You'll learn how Kim's anti-snob approach to treating clients with respect attracted buyers fed up with poor communication elsewhere, and why the Lagotto Romagnolo is the ultimate purebred alternative to a Goldendoodle. If you're ready to pivot from stress to success, this episode is mandatory listening.

Breeders are some of the toughest people out there—but grit alone won't move you out of burnout. In this episode, I reveal the small hack that shifts you from survival mode into intentional growth mode. You'll learn how to feel real progress, how to stop moving the goalposts on yourself, and how to make better decisions with less emotional load.

This one mindset shift has changed how I run my program… and it can change yours too.

In this episode, I discuss my own personal year of dog breeding, what worked, what didn't go so well, and how I plan to change things going forward, plus how you can use my insights to start evaluating your own program. I also cover new updates for the Honest Dog Breeder Society and give you a sneak peek at all the exciting things I'm working on for 2026.

Feeling overwhelmed? Can't seem to catch a break? Your program feels more like herding cats rather than breeding dogs? It happens to us all! In this episode we'll go over the two kinds of breeders, which one you are, how to transition if you're not happy about which one you are, and how immersing yourself in a solid community of intentional breeders can give you the edge you've been looking for.

Learn more about the community here: honestdogbreeder.com/community

Ever sold a puppy to a buyer and regretted it? Many things can happen when working with the general public and dogs, sometimes we get it wrong. In this episode we'll discuss what can happen to make it go wrong and help you determine which of these situations makes you a bad breeder and what you can do about it.

Looking for a community of breeders who will support you through the good and the bad? Join the Dog Breeder Society, the only place where breeders genuinely support each other in all aspects of their business. We have everyone from new breeders to seasoned breeders who have been breeding for decades. Learn more at honestdogbreeder.com/dogbreedersociety

Puppy buyers are changing, they're asking for more from us, and they have new boxes they want us to check before buying. There's also a dark side of this movement that has buyers publicly coming after breeders. Today I'll talk about what they're doing, what to do if you're a victim, and how you can adapt your program so you're serving this new evolution of puppy buyers.

Discounting older puppies is tempting. Discounting is what stores do as the seasons change. They'll have sales for summer clothes as summer comes to an end. Yet, does it work for puppies? The answer? Well, sometimes, but not usually.

In this episode I'll discuss the problems with discounting your older puppies, when it makes sense, when it doesn't, and if you do decide to discount a puppy, how to handle offering a discount in a way that is best for you, your buyers, and your dogs.

Parvo was one of the most stressful challenges I faced as a breeder—until I found NeoPar. In this episode, I share my journey and how NeoPar has worked for me to protect puppies against parvo at a very young age, even before they leave for their new homes. Because it bypasses maternal immunity, it gives puppies protection right when they need it most, and it's one of the few things that lets me sleep better at night knowing they're safe. This isn't a sponsored episode—it's simply my story and the solution that finally gave me peace of mind.

Ever wonder how to plan and budget for your facility upgrades? In this episode I'll share my best tips and tricks for facility upgrades, whether its the little stuff while you're just getting started, an intermediate DIY project or room remodel, or a large exterior facility. I'll also give you some guidelines for how to plan the budgeting for it and when to invest in a facility so that you aren't waiting too long, but in a way that doesn't capsize your finances either--no one wants to be "forced" to produce so many dogs.

Over the last few episodes we've discussed ways to build a financial future, whether or not it includes dogs. In this episode we'll discuss whether your should invest in your facilities, so you can grow your breeding business, or whether you should invest in your future. I'll give you all the criteria you should review and answer to make the best decision for your business, your future, and your family!