About Us

I couldn't have a dog when I was a kid, so of course I adored them. Growing up in the 70's, my best friends neighbor had a miniature poodle that I loved visiting. That's when I got hooked. As a teenager I poured over dog books and studied every breed. I dreamed of having a show dog and doing my own grooming and handling. When I was finally able, in 1982, I got my first poodle, a beautiful apricot miniature out of an AKC top champion producer. I had big plans for Jake and me, but it was not meant to be at that time. Without the internet, it was a lot harder to find information, instruction, mentoring. And I had to work and provide for my son as a single mom, and my show dreams didn't happen. I did breed to some outside champion lines and kept Jakes line until his last descendant, Summer (Sapphires Summer Dawn Rhapsody), left us in 2017. That's 35 years! During that time I had toy poodles as well. And then in 2016 I got my first standard. Jess.

I thought I'd have fun with a few sports and maybe some conformation shows since I quit working weekends and had more time in my life. There was a lot to learn, for me and the dogs (still is). So, we began training and I took Jess to his first UKC conformation show at 10 months. We met some great people and had a lot of fun. Jess seemed lonely so, shortly after his first birthday we brought home Scarlett, and with the two of them we just tried any sport we could. These poodles will do anything! They aim to please!

I'm having the time of my life, and am just thankful that I got to realize a tiny piece of my childhood dreams. I'm so lucky to have found these wonderful dogs, and now we have their offspring as well, making us proud. I'm also incredibly blessed to have a wonderful, supportive, husband, Greg, who often travels with me to shows, and handles all the dogs in weight pull. When he doesn't go he holds down the fort at home and lets me run the roads to shows. I am so very, very blessed.

Greg, and I live with our 5 standard poodles, Jess, Scarlett, Ivy, JuJu and Sylvie. They are all house pets.

Where "Sapphire Poodles" Began.

I didn't have a kennel name when I got Jake in 1982. Or when his breeder offered me an unrelated female to breed with him (Jenny). But I had to decide on a name by the time my first litter arrived. My son's birthstone is a Sapphire, and I got Jake on his 3rd birthday, and...it just sounded pretty, so Sapphire Poodles was born. My first Sapphire Poodles puppy was "Sapphire's Sea Breeze Sabrina" or "Bree" born in February, 1985. And the rest is history. I've had poodles in my life every day since.