A Lifelong Love for Dogs
From a Childhood Dream to a Lifelong Passion
I was the baby of the family, my older brother ( 15 years older), had recently returned from the Marines and brought home three Basset Hounds. I was in love. The day we picked them up from the airport, my Grandpa let them loose in the back of the car. Buford, one of the boys, climbed onto my Grandpa’s shoulders, resting his head on top of his, and those long ears were draped down the side of my Grandpa’s face, as a five-year-old, I couldn’t stop giggling. Buford, Brandy, and Jethro began my obsession with dogs.
“Lassie was more than a childhood companion – she was my first teacher in love, loyalty, and the importance of creating a safe haven for those we cherish.”
-Julie
A Lassie of My Own:
The Dog That Started It All
My first dog, one that was all my own, was my precious Lassie. She was named after my first childhood hero, Lassie, from the popular show. At 5 years old, this all made complete sense to me, and my Lassie was just as beautiful as the Collie on TV. Guests would always roll their eyes when we’d call over Lassie and this chunky little Basset Hound puppy would come waddling in, tail wagging. My mom always stood behind my name decision, after all, “it means girl”, as she would say. Lassie was with me through it all, passing on when my first son was nine months old. As much as I loved her, Lassie suffered from epilepsy. When she was scared, she would slip into a seizure. It was heartbreaking and I remember as a child thinking that she was dying every time she had a seizure. She was my best friend and it was so scary worrying I’d lose her. Noticing it seemed to occur when Lassie was overly stressed, I felt this large responsibility to cultivate an environment where she felt safe and secure. While it helped, it was a large weight to carry.
This is me at age 5. The little girl who dreamed of having her own Lassie.
Lessons in Breeding
Heartbreak and Growth
Time marches on, and as a young teenager, I dreamed of raising my own litter of puppies, like my brother. Stemming from my love of Lassie & Bassets, I purchased another Basset Hound female from a local breeder. She wasn’t like Lassie nor the Bassets my brother raised. She was scared and unsocialized. When she whelped her first litter, she had ten puppies, and we lost all of them. She was scared, often barking at anyone who came around, and her mothering ability suffered. I found out she was lying on her puppies, unaware she was crushing them, within a few days she had unknowingly killed them all. My heart was broken yet again, and I decided to take a bit of a break from breeding. I didn’t want to go through that loss again.
A Second Attempt
Losing my first litter was awful, but after a few years, I got that itch again, wondering how could I make this better? How could I do this right and do right by the dogs?
I began searching breeds that were similar to a Basset, but didn’t shed. I was introduced to the Petite Basset Griffon Vendeen. If you aren’t familiar, they are very similar to a Basset, but have long hair, requiring grooming, but less shedding. I imported my breeding dogs from Czech Republic. I loved them, and got involved in the show world. Because the PBGV were considered a rare breed, this exposed me to the world of rare-breed dogs. Where I was introduced Coton de Tulears.
Cotons fascinated me. They had not been accepted into AKC and were a natural breed where local dogs bred with sailors dogs (Bichon is the legend), with awesome hybrid vigor at the time. They had the cute cobby structure that I love from my Bassets, but there were also long-legged – tall dogs – as well. When I discovered them, they were considered a rare breed, and Coton breed clubs were popping up all over America, each with conflicting opinions on what makes the Coton de Tulear, a Coton. Some clubs with the goal to be accepted by AKC, and others adamantly opposing this. One thing that seemed certain in this breed was everyone wanted to bring uniformity and eliminate the tall dogs… which was, in my mind, a mistake. This would drastically reduce the gene pool, and ultimaltely effect genetic diversity.
I connected with a breeder from Madagascar and she was very excited to get her bloodlines into American Shows, so we worked together. I added Cotons to my breeding program. I loved how healthy they were and how their temperaments were so balanced. Despite their general good health, I was having fertility issues with my particular lines. They were playful, but had a bit more pingy energy than the grounded energy I was in search of. The AKC was about to accept them into their registry, close the studbook, and I was concerned that they were pushing for uniformity instead of retaining the genetic diversity. I could see my time with Cotons was ending.
These are photos from our showing career. As seen in the photos, we also worked with teaching Jr. Handlers in 4-H. I learned a lot during this time, and it really helped solidify what matters most to me and how following my heart is always the right path.
Finding My Purpose
Dogs and Children with Special Needs
While I was actively involved in showing and breeding, I was also teaching children with special needs. My students would come over for one-on-one tutoring after school, and they adored my dogs. The parents often commented on how much they loved my dogs and expressed their desire to have one, but many had allergies. Additionally, my dogs, being hunting breeds, tended to be quite active due to their strong prey drive. These families needed a more suitable family companion—a dog that could seamlessly integrate into their household and was also more allergy-friendly.
I realized there was a gap—a need for a dog that was gentle, intuitive, hypoallergenic, and suited for therapy work. This insight became the driving force behind the creation of the Habibi Bear.
Our PBGV’s were such joy for my whole family, but their coats weren’t the best for my students. This photo captures the connection between my son and his pup.
Seeing the Need
Bridging the Gap Between Families and the Perfect Companion
Inspired by my students and dogs alike, I envisioned a breed that would bring unconditional love, intuitive support, and allergy-friendly companionship to families in need.
It was clear that my PBGV’s didn’t suit the need of my students and their families, and not only that, their coats were still an issue even though they did shed less than the Bassets. The hounds are my heart dogs, but they aren’t the best breed for emotional support or therapy work as they are quite primal in their hunting drives. I was noticing these contrasts at this stage in my journey but wasn’t quite ready to switch gears to a totally new breed… or shall I say to go underground and develop my own… that was to come.
The Turning Point
Integrity Over Tradition
I had a PBGV litter on the ground, and the puppies’ sire was a well-known show dog currently exhibited at a national dog show. I was so excited about his success and the prospect of having his bloodline as part of my program and I had my entire waiting list filled with anxiously anticipating families who couldn’t wait for their new puppy. Our stud at the time was exhibiting in the same show, and the handler of this well-known show dog was spotted at ringside giving him anti-seizure medication! This sire suffered from seizures, they knew it and continued to sell breeding rights anyway. They didn’t seem to care that his genetics could create so much pain for puppy owners and the puppies out of him. Not to mention….they were infusing this genetic into every breeding program as he was the #1 producer in the breed. I had flashbacks to Lassie and how scared I was watching her suffer from seizures. It lit a fire inside me. I couldn’t stand for it. I couldn’t be a part of it. I let all the famlies know of the potential and to everyone’s shock, I closed my PBGV program. I couldn’t be a part of this culture. I could never compromise my integrity nor the integrity of my dogs, just for some show wins, the price was too high. Shows are pitched to find the best dog, but what is the best dog? Is it looks? Structure? or is it temperament and the connection they share with you? What if you could have both? The dog that looks great, but is in tune with your heart while also boasting genetic diversity?
At this pivotal moment, I followed my heart and dedicated myself to my first love: dogs and their profound connection with the children I cared so much about.
My turning point happened at this famous show. This was the last exhibition of PBGVs for me. It’s such a bittersweet photo. We had such high hopes when this candid was taken. Little did I know, my whole life was going to take a new path.
The Third Try:
Schnoodles
I decided to begin with an F1 cross, so I shared my thoughts with a mentor and friend. She suggested that I try for a Schnoodle since she had been raising both Poodles and Schnauzers for years and was often asked if she would ever breed Schnoodles. I really liked her laid-back, friendly dogs. They both were allergy-friendly, which was a must have for my endeavor. Her Schnauzer line; although they were purebred, lacked many of the annoying traits that Schnauzers often have, such as excessive barking, territorial behavior, and being overly attached to one person. Her Poodles were exactly what Poodles should be, and amazing family pets. I felt fortunate to have found her and her unique bloodlines; I didn’t realize how different they were from the norm.
My dear older friend didn’t want to deal with the pressures from the dog-world for crossing her beloved purebreds. She assured me that it would work, but she couldn’t manage the reputation complications that come with breeding a cross. I thought about it and realized that my own reputation wasn’t yet established, and there was a clear need for this type of breeding. So, she sold me my foundation dogs from each of her lines, and I set out to begin my journey with Schnoodles.
The Dawn of the Habibi Bear
The Perfect Blend
Families LOVED my original Uptown Dogs Schnoodles. In fact they loved them so much that word spread nationwide. People were referring friends to us to get their own puppies for their families, and with that, my first website was born. While I liked what I was producing, I wasn’t in love with them. I realized that my friend’s Schnauzers were very different than most Schnauzers. When she retired and I had to purchase new bloodlines, I discovered this breed is NOT the same! I wanted to improve the coat of my puppies, but more importantly, these Schnauzer lines didn’t seem to possess the gentleness and in-tune nature that I admired with the Cotons. They were on guard, judging situations instead of giving with their trust. Other Schnauzer lines I worked with added terrible traits like digging, barking, and being standoffish. I decided I could improve what I was producing, making them more of what I was in search of by adding Cotons. Everyone told me no. “Don’t ruin what you’ve built! Just stick with Schnoodles!” I did it anyway. They needed some new genetics and adding Coton was my first attempt. I didn’t know what to call them, I tried for Confetti Schnoodles, but it didn’t seem to do it justice.
A new Breed for Today’s World
Finding the Solution
As my dad would say, “I kissed a few frogs before I found my prince.” Over the next fifteen years I poured over breeds, genetics, and my results playing various breeds. Some improved the coat, while others balanced the structure, yet others added characteristics that took me away from my goal. The goal was a healthy dog, with the right temperament. A patient dog that loved people and didn’t have the excessive drives for people living in today’s world, in the suburbs or apartments, no longer living on the farm with acres to run. A dog who could thrive in today’s world, easier to manage, but also finding those wonderful families who would appreciate the dog for what he is and provide him with a high-quality of life.
Witnessing Miracles
Heart Connections with Children
Many of my students had experienced trauma. While some had autism or Down syndrome, others had learning disabilities or had gone through traumatic events that affected their ability to learn. Their minds developed coping mechanisms to deal with these experiences, which made it difficult for them to process new information.
My dogs became essential to their lives. I noticed a pattern: my dogs offered the children unconditional love. This love taught the children what it meant to truly connect with someone. It allowed them to open up emotionally, relax, and move beyond the fight-or-flight reflex. They started to open up and connect!
The dogs became conduits of connection, eventually giving the children enough confidence to extend that love and trust to others. This helped break the cycle of trauma and its accompanying responses.
The heart Power of Habibi Bears
Hannah’s Heart
After witnessing firsthand the impact a dog’s love could have on a child, I realized there was a greater need out there. Many people, especially children, have a need that is uniquely filled by a Habibi Bear. With our specialized breeding and focus, our dogs are the right fit for so many, but they aren’t always financially accessible. This is where Hannah’s Heart, our sister nonprofit, comes into play. Those in need of a Habibi can be nominated to receive a Habibi Bear provided through donations.
We place over 25 dogs per year through Hannah’s Heart, spreading the joy of a Habibi. You can learn more about donating Habibi Bear and helping a child in need through Hannah’s Heart.
The Name
The Habibi Bear
My husband is Egyptian, and when I first overheard him say, “Habibi,” I had no idea what it meant, but I felt the love of it. The frequency of the word was so strong and so full of love. It literally means “my beloved” in Arabic, and speaking the word actually carries the frequency of love.
It had become apparent that we really needed a name for our breed. We were too different, too hard to explain, and so it was time to give us a name. It was a natural choice to choose Habibi, and we threw in bears to help with the understanding of the look. After all, that’s what they are: our beloved teddy bear dogs.
Why I left the Service dog world in exchange for connection
Giving dogs their voice
When I first started raising dogs, there were fewer labels—yes there were “service dogs” out there, but this was really limited to seeing eye dogs mostly. You didn’t really hear about, “therapy dog,” or “ESA” designations. It was a rare thing to hear breeders proclaim that they had raised them. My dogs simply were. They formed deep bonds, tuned in to their humans, and naturally stepped into roles that brought comfort and companionship. It was effortless, organic. Back then, people weren’t chasing certifications or following rigid training programs. They trusted the relationship, and the dogs responded in kind.
Over the years, I’ve watched the industry shift. A new trend has emerged— it seems like every new breeder now claims to be producing therapy, service, or emotional support dogs. Really? After years of being part of this world, I can’t ignore what I’m seeing. Dogs are being put through assessments, labeled as “pass” or “fail,” and it reminds me all too much of the show world—a feeling I just can’t shake. I sat through my last service dog test and walked away with a heavy heart. The expectations were overwhelming, the process felt rigid, and the dogs… they weren’t seen as individuals. They were being evaluated as tools, prescriptions for human needs, with the pressure to perform replacing the joy of connection. I saw them being pushed into roles where their own voice no longer mattered, their well-being overlooked in favor of meeting human demands. And in that moment, I knew—this isn’t what I want for my dogs. I never set out to create medical equipment. I set out to nurture relationships. That’s why I’ve chosen to step away from the service dog world. I believe that this is a special calling, and I’ve seen many of my dogs choose to step into this role, without any training to do so. Placing these super-intuitive dogs in homes that will honor their gift is my first priority. Expecting a dog to perform is an entirely different story.
I receive emails all the time from people who tell me their dog has been labeled a failure—“too shy for therapy work,” “too sensitive,” “too independent”—as if they are defective. And so, they want to try again, to get a “better” dog. But this mentality, this idea that a dog’s worth is measured by how well they can fix a person, doesn’t sit right with me. It doesn’t honor the dog. I believe every dog is special in their own way. They don’t need to be forced into a role; they need to be aligned with the right person, where they can be truly seen, valued, and loved. When that happens, they don’t have to perform—they simply become someone’s beloved heart dog. And that, to me, is the most beautiful partnership of all.
My mission is to honor the sacred bond between dogs and their people, to celebrate their individuality, and to ensure they are seen, heard, and valued—not just for what they can do, but for who they are.
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