Sun-Kissed Doodles OIB

06/17/2026

Yesterday I mentioned that Zero grew up alongside my grandson… and I realized I’d never shared this little memory. 🥹💛

He truly thought he was one of the kids. From the very beginning, he wanted to be part of every game, every adventure, and every moment🥰.

Some memories are just too sweet to leave sitting on my phone. 🐾

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06/16/2026

A quiet, gloomy☁️ Tuesday morning on the back porch…and one of those moments when everyone was simply content🐾

Watching Luna, Zero, and Kahuna together, I can’t help but notice how many little traits they share. Same curious glances, same love of a ball, same calm companionship.

These are the moments I treasure. 💛🤎💚
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06/16/2026

☀️💋SUN-KISSED TIP 🐾☀️

With “feels like” temperatures 🌡️climbing into the triple digits across North Carolina, and many other areas, it’s a good reminder that our dogs feel the heat 🥵 too.

Just because your pup 🐶 wants to keep playing 🎾doesn’t always mean it’s safe to do so.

💧 Provide plenty of fresh water
🌴 Seek shade whenever possible
🐾 Be mindful of hot pavement and beach sand
☀️ Limit strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day

Watch for signs of heat stress:
🥵 Excessive panting
💧 Heavy drooling
😴 Lethargy
🚨 Weakness or disorientation

When in doubt, keep them cool 🧊and give them a break⛱️.

Kahuna seems to have already figured that out. 💚😴

Stay safe out there 🐾!

06/10/2026

PSA 🫧

Uproot Washing Machine Cleaner Pro

06/08/2026

💚 Every Monday morning, Kahuna seems convinced he’s part of Dad’s work team.

The moment he hears the keys and sees the work bag, he’s ready to head out the door too. 🐾💼

Unfortunately, Dad didn’t have an opening for a four-legged assistant today.

So Kahuna reluctantly accepted a position supervising me in the craft room instead. 🎨✂️😂

Not his first choice…
but he’ll make it work.

☀️💋🐶

06/07/2026

One of my favorite things about puppies is getting to experience the world through fresh eyes. 💚🐾

This morning, something on the porch completely captured Kahuna’s attention🫣.

What I loved most wasn’t what he was watching… it was how he watched🤔.

He didn’t bark📢.
He didn’t charge over to investigate🔍.
He simply sat and observed👀.

Once he decided it was worth a closer look, the search was on. 🦎😂

It’s the same thing I loved watching when my kids were little. Things we’ve seen a hundred times are still brand new and fascinating to them🥰

And honestly, I could sit and watch him all day. 💚

☀️💋🐶 Sun-kissed Doodles OIB

06/06/2026

Here’s what we shared in case you missed it!

This topic recently came up in our Sun-kissed 🐶 puppy family chat, especially as we’ve been walking through it ourselves with PapaZero 🦮, and it made me realize it’s something a lot of dog owners start wondering about at some point🤔.

I’m not a vet 👩🏼‍⚕️, but I do try to take the time to look into things and learn 📚so I can make the best decisions for our dogs — and share that along the way in case it helps someone else too 😉.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, but for larger breeds like Goldendoodles and Golden Retrievers, many veterinarians now recommend waiting until dogs are closer to physical maturity before spaying or neutering.

Hormones 🧬play an important role in bone growth, joint development, and overall structure, which is why timing can matter more for larger breed dogs🐾.

Typical guidance often looks like:
• Females: around 12–15 months or after first heat
• Males: around 12–18 months

Just something to be aware of 🤓and talk through with your vet when the time comes. ☀️💋

06/06/2026

WE’VE RESEARCHED & SHARED INFORMATION ON THIS PREVIOUSLY AS WELL… but don’t take our word for it, research and have a conversation with your vet 

🚨 Because someone has to say it……

As a Golden Retriever breeder with 15+ years of experience we are begging you - STOP letting your vet spay or neuter your dog at 6 months. Please read this before you make that appointment.
We have watched this happen over and over again. A family brings home a beautiful, healthy Golden puppy. Their vet recommends spay/neuter at 6 months. They follow the advice,because why wouldn’t you trust your vet right?

Then at age 3 their dog tears an ACL.
At age 5 they’re diagnosed with bone cancer.
At age 7 they’re gone.
And the research is now screaming at us that EARLY spay/neuter is a massive contributing factor in Goldens specifically.
UC Davis studied this. The results were shocking. Golden Retrievers spayed or neutered before 12 months had SIGNIFICANTLY higher rates of:
🔴 Hip dysplasia
🔴 CCL tears (ACL equivalent in dogs)
🔴 Lymphoma
🔴 Hemangiosarcoma
🔴 Mast cell tumors

These are not rare conditions. These are the exact things Golden Retriever owners deal with every single day. S*x hormones are not just about reproduction. They regulate bone growth, joint development, and immune function. Cut them off too early and you are robbing your dog’s body of what it needs to develop properly. Yet millions of vets across America are STILL routinely recommending 6 month spay/neuter because that is what they were taught in school 20 years ago. The science has moved. The recommendations haven’t caught up. Find a vet who will have a real conversation with you about timing. If your vet dismisses this conversation entirely, get a second opinion.

Your dog cannot advocate for themselves. You have to do it for them.
Vets, we respect you and we know many of you agree with this. Speak up in the comments. Dog owners, what did YOU do? Did your vet talk to you about timing? Did you experience health problems after early spay/neuter?

***these are just personal opinions based off actual facts and scientific research- however we do understand that having and unfixed dog can cause problems and sometimes there aren’t any other options other than getting the dog spayed/neutered sooner rather than later!

06/06/2026

🐾 One month ago, I wrapped up a combined total of 10 days of caring for Sully/REEF🧡and KALANI💜 while their families were away.

Looking back, these photos make me smile🥰… and if I’m being honest, they make my heart miss them a little too🥹

There were naps 💤together, neighborhood watch 🚨duty, shared spaces, and reminders that family is still family☀️💋🐾

But there were also shifting dynamics, moments of friction, and a level of supervision that I underestimated.

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that loving each other and living together aren’t always the same thing 😏.

Adding even one adolescent dog back into an established household changes the dynamic. Adding two, even for a short time, required far more time, energy, management & oversight than I expected 😰.

If I ever did it again, I’d approach it differently. Not because anyone did anything wrong, but because successful pack management requires planning, structure, flexibility & realistic expectations.

The bruises & exhaustion eventually faded, but the lessons stayed🤓🐾✨

Most of all, these photos remind me how much I love these dogs💗. Whether they’re sleeping in my house or someone else’s, they’ll always have a piece of my heart♾️

And to the families of Sully/Reef🧡 and Kalani💜, thank you for trusting me with dogs that mean so much to you💝. That trust is never something I take lightly, and it means the world to me that I still get to be part of the ☀️💋🐶lives as they grow🥰🐾

💚 Kahuna
🧡 Sully (Reef)
💜 Kalani

Thank you for the memories.
Thank you for the lessons.
And thank you for reminding me that growth isn’t always comfortable, but it’s always golden☀️💋🤎💛

05/26/2026

Somewhere along the drive home tonight, I realized how much I’ve missed my little buddy. 💚🐾

I can’t wait to climb into my own bed and have Kahuna curled up beside me again tonight. Even if he does somehow manage to take up 87% of the space. 😂

Sometimes a few nights away reminds you just how much “home” includes them too.