FrenchieKings 2025 Year in Review: A Year of Growth, Grit, Grace, and More Dog Hair Than I Ever Imagined

 As 2025 came to an end, I can look back with equal parts amazement, exhaustion, pride, and amusement.

This year was transformative - not just for FrenchieKings as a breeding program, but for me as a person.

2025 was the year of new beginnings, hard lessons, big dreams, deeper connections, and a whole lot of dog hair (collected by four different vacuum cleaners that still didn’t blow me away).

Here’s the journey that shaped us this year.

A Fresh Start: Moving Into Our New Home

January brought a huge milestone: the move into our new home in South Carolina.

This wasn’t just a personal move - it was the official beginning of FrenchieKings establishing its roots in a new state. With new surroundings came new opportunities, new routines, and the chance to build a stronger foundation for the future of our program.

It was both overwhelming and exciting, and looking back now, it was exactly the push forward we needed.

Finding Our Place in South Carolina

2025 was all about settling in and expanding outward.

I spent the year meeting other dog lovers, breeders, and community members. I learned the local show schedules, connected with clubs, and slowly carved out FrenchieKings’ presence here.

It was a year of showing up, shaking hands, asking questions, learning, and building belonging.

A New Website and the Birth of the FrenchieKings Blog

One of the biggest evolutions this year was the launch of our new website - a clearer, cleaner, more accurate representation of our program and our dedication to health-focused, ethical breeding.

With that came something I never expected to create:

The FrenchieKings Blog.

Writing has allowed me to teach, advocate, connect, and be transparent about what responsible breeding truly looks like. It brought out a creative side I didn’t know I had and gave me a platform to speak openly about the dog world in a way people can understand.

Expanding Our Network: New Clubs, New Shows, New Mentors

This year, I joined another kennel club, further legitimizing and strengthening my program. I also dove headfirst into the dog-show world - not dipping in a toe, but diving straight into the deep end.

I met incredible breeders, made new friends, found mentors, and grew my network in ways that will shape FrenchieKings for years to come.

I took more classes, sponsored trophies for a dog show, and embraced every new learning opportunity. It was a year of saying yes to growth.

Major Shows: Greenville and Royal Canin in Orlando

Shows I attended and The BIG show I was hoping to attend, but not everything works the way we hope.

- The Greenville Dog Show

- The Royal Canin National Dog Show in Orlando

Both events were packed with world-class dogs, inspiring handlers, and unforgettable moments. Being surrounded by such excellence fueled my vision of what I want FrenchieKings to represent in the show ring and in the breed as a whole.

Finding and Hiring a Show Handler

A huge milestone:

I officially hired a professional show handler.

This decision marked a major step in elevating FrenchieKings. It was an investment in my dogs, my goals, and the standard I want to uphold. It symbolized stepping from learning and watching into participating and progressing.

Growing Our Program: Welcoming Another Frenchie

2025 blessed us with another beautiful addition to the FrenchieKings family. Each dog added is intentional and full of promise, and this new addition represents hope for the next generation of healthy, well-structured, well-tempered Frenchies.

The Vacuum Cleaner Chronicles of 2025

Now for the comic relief...

I purchased four vacuum cleaners this year.

Yes, four.

None of them are life-changing. None of them solved every shedding problem. All of them kind of get the job done.

If there’s ever a Breeder’s Equipment Survival Guide, I’ll write the vacuum chapter myself.

The Hardest Part of 2025: Making Business Decisions When Emotions Are Involved

This year also brought one of the most difficult realities of responsible breeding into sharp focus:

You cannot keep every dog you fall in love with.

And that truth breaks your heart, every single time.

There were moments this year when I had to decide whether to keep a dog I adored, or to rehome them into a loving family where they could thrive - all while knowing that my kennel space, program goals, and future plans require structure and purpose.

A responsible breeding program must grow.

And growth sometimes means letting go.

I spent time reflecting deeply on what it means to make decisions for the good of the program while still honoring the dog.

These decisions are never made lightly. They are made with grief, love, responsibility, and long-term vision.

This year taught me that loving a dog doesn’t always mean keeping them.

Sometimes it means making the hard choice that benefits them more - and helps FrenchieKings continue to rise.

Personal Growth: The Quiet Triumph of 2025

Beyond the shows, the website, the networking, the classes, and the business decisions, 2025 was the year I worked on myself.

I learned:

- To look for the positive before the negative

- To inhale before reacting

- To exhale before responding

- To protect my peace with a layer of emotional Teflon

- To let hurtful opinions slide off instead of sink in

- To embrace self-improvement as a requirement, not an option

And in the middle of all this growth, I also learned to use AI and ChatGPT to elevate FrenchieKings’ social media, writing, branding, and communication. It became a tool that amplified my voice rather than replaced it.

A Year of Reflection, Responsibility, and Rising Higher

2025 was not easy.

But it was meaningful.

It was the year FrenchieKings grew in professionalism, visibility, purpose, and stability.

It was the year I deepened my knowledge, strengthened my resolve, and aligned myself more closely with my long-term vision.

If 2025 was the year of building, then 2026 will be the year of blooming - and I am ready.