Today we’d like to introduce you to Allie Hoth.
Hi Allie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My birthday happens to fall on National Entrepreneur Day, so I guess that means I was destined to be one! My business and breeding program, Oodles of Doodles UT, started in 2020. I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and I have actually prescribed medication for it. I had always grown up with dogs, but at this time I needed them more than usual. The dog has special love that only a dog can provide. You are their whole world and they will love anyone no matter what their circumstances are.
I wanted to share this. I had seen the love and companionship that dogs can provide and share with you in my own life and I wanted to share it with others and as many others as I can. Our sweet Hazel was our first mom in our program. When it came time to breed her, I wanted to research everything I could. I wanted to breed her the right way and I wanted to prepare the puppies for their future homes and lives. I have since then found the Bad Ass Breeder curriculum, Puppy Culture, and many more that I have incorporated in my program. I want to produce the best possible puppies for your family.
I wanted to produce puppies that will help others as much as my dogs have helped me. I created a daily curriculum from all the mentioned programs to prepare my puppies for anything that comes their way, but I did not stop there.
I recently started a program called, Doods with a Purpose, where the program goal is to donate a dog to a home that could use the puppy for an ESA, Therapy Dog, Service Dog, and much much more. We currently have had many puppies placed in homes and they have been used as Service Dogs, ESA’s, and even one that is placed in a home to hopefully become a diabetic alert dog for a very deserving little boy. Once again, I started this program because I want to share the love and companionship a dog has to offer.
The feeling of placing a puppy after it has been evaluated with a family is priceless to me. Getting updated pictures of the puppies makes me so happy as well. I love my job with all my heart and I could not have asked for a better one. I do not believe in coincidences and every puppy family, fellow breeder, or anyone that has been placed in my life during my breeding career has been on purpose.
I could not do it without them. I would also not be the person I am today without my breeder career and the experiences that have come because of it. I could not have done it without my husband and my family supporting me as well. They have sacrificed many sleepless nights to help me achieve my goals and dreams.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think that any small business or entrepreneur route is easy. You have to have determination and grit to succeed in the small business world today. There are so many big businesses that can tower over us small businesses. It is hard, but you can succeed.
That has been the hardest part for me is that I have this desire to share the love dogs have, but there are bigger programs, there are bigger people out there that tower over me. Sometimes, I feel like my program will go nowhere and that it is getting too hard. I let my doubts get into my head when I shouldn’t.
After those thoughts, I shortly realize how many amazing people have been brought into my life because of what I am doing. I think about all my puppy families and how much joy and happiness the puppies have brought them. I think about the incredible friends that I have made in the meantime. I have also been able to partner with and support other small businesses and it has just brought me so much joy. That is why I keep doing it and that is why I need to stick with it. Do not let your doubts get to you and do not let anyone tell you that you can’t.
You also need a support team to combat negative thoughts and doubts. I honestly can not thank my husband enough for supporting me and putting his trust in me the way that he does. He gives it his all, even when he might not know what is going on. My mom and family have also been an incredible support to me. I wouldn’t have been able to do what I do without them.
Power through and build the business of our dreams.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Oodles of Doodles UT?
We begin human interaction and development exercises from the moment the puppies are born and continue throughout their stay at our breeding facility. We provide gentle daily handling from the day the puppies are born which has been shown to improve their ability to thrive by many studies.
To help the puppy develop into a calm and confident dog, we provide the puppy with many different situations, stimuli, and exercises. We also introduce our puppies to new scents and smells. Puppies’ eyes and ears are not open when they are born, but their nose is. This helps the puppy use its nose. We do not use smells that are appealing, as, in smells like a treat or dog food, we use chives and herbs. The sole purpose of this is to help the dog learn to use its nose, but not to appease its taste buds.
We provide our puppies with an environment enriched with different things. We do this comfortable to introduce the puppy to something new and foreign, but to not cause fear. We also work with our puppies with crate training. We want our puppies to know that no matter where they are, the crate is a safe place.
We also believe in training our puppies for transportation. We practice in cars and other transportation to get our puppies used to the different ways of transportation that you use. By doing this we help the puppies with any anxiety they get during transportation and let them know that it is safe. We also prevent issues with any of these things in the future by addressing them in a controlled environment.
Do you know what ENS stands for?
ENS or Early Neurological Stimulation is when we introduce the puppies to mild stresses in a controlled environment. We do this because the stresses cause the neurological system to be stimulated and overall improve the growth and development of the puppy. The puppies are gently handled using a series of exercises to produce brain wave activity that would not naturally occur otherwise.
It is over the course of two weeks and it takes about 3-5 seconds per puppy per day. They are as simple as rubbing a QTip over the puppy’s paws. We base this off on the U.S. Military’s “Bio-Sensor” program. Once again ENS can and will have significant and last effects on the puppies. We do this because we have seen the benefits of our puppies. We want them to flourish and grow into the best puppies and dogs that they can be.
Being a groomer myself, I believe that this next step is very necessary. We touch all parts of the puppy from the time they’re born in an effort to desensitize to touch. Because many animals have a dislike or fear of grooming, we begin by making it a very positive experience. By the time our puppies leave, they are comfortable with bathing, brushing, ear cleaning, teeth brushing, nail clipping, and more.
While it is important to work with the litter as a whole, we also work with each puppy individually. We believe that to properly assess each puppy as a whole, we do it individually, with the litter mates, and with other approved dogs.
We continuously watch body language and monitor heart rate for signs of stress during all of these exercises, situations, and stimuli that we do. From week three to week twelve of a puppy’s life is an important period. This period of development is associated with the development of many social behavior patterns and a great deal of learning about the environment. Much of what is learned during this early period is permanent and provides a foundation for behavior patterns throughout their entire life.
To decrease the possibility of fearful responses as a puppy develops, it is essential to expose them to many people, places, and things during the socialization period we also introduce friendly, rock-solid adult dogs for the puppies to interact with, so they learn appropriate “doggie language” from others in addition to their mom and other dogs in our home.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
The happiness that I get to share with others. That is what brings me joy in my business plain and simple.
Contact Info:
- Email: oodles.of.doodlesut@gmail.com
- Website: www.oodlesofdoodlesut.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/oodles.of.doodlesut
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/oodlesofdoodlesut
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMwEOLSdO0eozztnhg6Rzog
