There has been a lot of conversation lately about breeders rehoming retired dogs, and I feel it’s important to speak openly and honestly about why we do this at Dochlaggie.
In our breeding program, our females typically begin their litters around two years of age and, in most cases, are finished by four to five years old. Our males follow a similar pattern. This means they are still young dogs. A healthy Pomeranian can easily have another nine to twelve beautiful years ahead of them — years that deserve to be spent being someone’s priority, not one of many.
My true passion has always been working with, showing, and promoting the Pomeranian. Breeding is a by-product of that dedication. It helps offset the enormous costs involved in health testing, showing, importing, and maintaining dogs of true quality — though I would happily break even. My dogs do not exist to pay bills, and they never have.
If I were to keep every retired breeding girl or boy, I would quickly run out of space and the ability to continue preserving the lines we have been entrusted to protect for the future of this beautiful breed. Ethical breeding requires forward progress — and forward progress requires space, planning, and difficult decisions.
You may have noticed that we recently placed some of our beautiful retired females and males, all while they are still in their prime. This is intentional. We choose to desex and place them into exceptional pet homes rather than sell them into other breeding programs. That decision is made entirely for their happiness and well-being.
To many people, the opportunity to own a fully health-tested, titled, well-trained, and well-loved Pomeranian would be a dream. These dogs represent a significant emotional and financial investment — often tens of thousands of dollars — yet they are placed at little more than the cost of desexing. Not because they lack value, but because their value to me has never been monetary.
I have owned many of our Pomeranians since they were puppies. They have been raised in my home, loved deeply, carefully socialised, and shaped by my hands. This has never been about producing puppies for the sake of it. Most of our dogs have never been bred more than a few times. Their health, longevity, and joy have always been the priority.
These decisions do mean adapting future plans. Sometimes litter plans are brought forward so older dogs can retire earlier. Sometimes loving a dog well means recognising when they deserve more one-on-one attention than I can personally give — and choosing to let them go and be the absolute centre of someone else’s world.
Yes, there are dogs who will stay with us forever. But as new commitments and challenges arise, priorities must be thoughtfully evaluated. Rehoming a three- to five-year-old Pomeranian who has been desexed, fully vetted, and kept up to date with vaccinations is a difficult decision — but it is also a selfless one.
Every Pomeranian who leaves my home carries a piece of my heart. Every single one deserves a life where they are cherished, adored, and central — not just part of a program.
To me, that is what responsible breeding truly means.
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