The Family behind “King Family Ranch”
Sean and I were both raised around farm animals and they have always been a part of our lives. Sean spent a lot of time on his grandma’s farm and helping out where he could. His Grandma raised horses, cows and some dogs but most impressively she built her own house in Northern California. I grew up in Northern Minnesota with every farm animal under the sun and was the oldest of 13 children. My summer days were spent training horses and driving tractors. From early spring through late fall I enjoyed helping my dad and grandpa put up the hay and combine the grain. In the winter and early spring I enjoyed the physically exhausting task of delivering calves and other farm animals… it meant many sleepless nights but it also meant a warm barn, cozy mittens, and hot cocoa by a warm fire. Best of all we got to witness the miracle of life! I learned many life lessons while spending quality time with my Dad and Grandpa on the farm and I loved the ranch life but I knew I needed to spread my own wings.
It was 1999 when I graduated high-school and I decided I wanted to learn how to train horses using a gentler method than the typical cowboy way. I wanted to set myself apart and see what more was out there. After extensive research and reading and listening to any type of books or videos I could get my hands on–I fell in love with John Lyon’s Training techniques. I also loved that he was a Christian man with good morals and he was trusted around the world as “America’s Most Trusted Horseman”. I would watch him work his blind Horse “Zip” and thought: “If his blind horse can trust him like that, then I want to learn his ways” I longed to have that type of relationship with my own horses! So, I signed up for his course and headed to Colorado!
Learning from Josh Lyons and John himself was one of the most profound and memorable experiences in my life. Not only did I learn how to train horses, I learned how to teach people so they could better train their own horses. Training horses wasn’t about “breaking” them but building trust and a relationship. I had no idea I’d be learning so much about their psychology. I began to see my horses differently and I learned a lot about myself. My horse went from being confused about how I wanted him to perform to wanting to perform and even enjoying it! I was teaching him things that I NEVER knew were possible for ME! I was continually in AWWW of it all. In the fall I graduated top of my certification class and decided to train horses full time for the next four years until I moved away to California. My training would take the back burner over the next 14 years. My equine, cattle and ranch life experiences would help me land my next job in 2004 working with an Equine Veterinarian. I moved to California with my dog Bear at the time and two of my horses. It was there at church where I met my wonderful husband Sean. We were married in 2005 and had our first son in 2006, our daughter was born in 2008 and then in early 2009 when I was pregnant with our third child my husband decided to join the Army! After 3 and a half long years of service by the end of 2011 we decided to move to Arizona. During those army years our wonderful friends in California took care of our 4 horses. Now that we were finally settling down we could bring our animals HOME and start our mini Ranch as a family! I can not tell you how excited I was to finally be able to share a glimpse of ranch life with my own children. A place where we could make memories, the kind of memories I had as a child. We finally purchased our first home just this year.
After moving to Arizona and getting back to my roots I realized that growing up on a cattle ranch I always had cattle dogs. They were such intelligent and loyal companions and I missed having a pal…… a herding dog, a co-pilot and a gate guard. My friend Tina who I had met in Colorado was raising a litter of Aussies and when I saw Macie’s photo, I just HAD to have her! She was the perfect first addition to our dream of raising cattle dogs. She far exceeded our expectations of intelligence and loyalty.
After meeting a couple Aussiedoodles and falling in LOVE…… we decided to raise them as well. Macie would be our first Mama. We loved that they didn’t shed as much and knew anyone else that met one would fall in love as well. A farm or ranch can be one of the best places to raise dogs. Not only do we have the space, but the other animals here and life experiences for our dogs is exactly what we envisioned. It’s the perfect setting of open space where our dogs can enjoy the great outdoors while being a part of a family who loves them! As I get back into training horses the dogs enjoy tagging along.
After being on a long waiting list, we finally brought Topaz and Lady home. Shortly thereafter we added our first couple Mini and Moyen Poodle Moms. Over the next couple years we added our first Poodle stud and a couple new Aussie Moms. We are a small program and have never had more than 7 breeding females at one time. We continue to raise these beautiful family dogs that so many enjoy. Poodles and Aussies are active, working dogs; if you don’t live an active lifestyle, this may not be the breed for you. They require much stimulation and outdoor activities, but due to their lower shedding qualities they make great pets for people with allergies. All of our dogs are allowed in our home and even though they LOVE to be outside, they also enjoy being lazy and snuggling with us at any opportunity. A great choice for people who live in Arizona, especially since we can spend so many days of the year enjoying the outdoors.
Our three children enjoy playing with the puppies and assisting with early neurological stimulation and socialization. Meeting the prospective families is always a highlight for us and we look forward to providing your family with life long furry friends.
