Hi, I’m Sara Gaines!
She/Her/Hers
My husband, David, and I live an hour north of the Nevada border in the growing town of Twin Falls, Idaho. I’m an owner-trained Service Dog handler and work as a trainer at a local kennel. I saw my first Standard Poodle on a road trip the summer I turned 10, and it was there that my love affair with poodles began!
We welcomed our first poodle, Edgar, just 3 days after moving into our first home. Shortly after, Oliver joined our family. Oliver began showing signs of health problems at a young age, which motivated me to learn all that I could about health and prevention in breeding. I became passionate about improving and preserving this breed and producing dogs that live long, happy lives with their families. My journey led me to Pirouette and CoCo, who form the foundation of my program.
I strive to be not just a breeder, but a fancier, of the poodle breed. A fancier takes an interest in learning the intricacies of the pedigrees, genetics, temperament, disease, and structure, and is constantly working to develop their eye and deepen their understanding of a breed. This drive to learn supports the true fancier’s goal of contributing to their breed in clear and recognizable ways in order to move their dogs and their breed forward. To a fancier, the breed is the hobby, rather than the breeding.
I attribute my love of learning and of mastery to my grandparents who worked as dairy farmers when I was a young child. I have fond memories of summer vacations on their small farm where I explored the sheds, climbed the machinery, and examined the plants and bugs. But my favorite memories were formed with my grandparents at my side.
I spent hours in my grandpa’s shop as he narrated his progress on woodworking projects. I was always intrigued by the fragrant beauty of Cedar, but my grandpa explained that there was more than met the eye. Cedar was indeed beautiful, but it had an especially important quality — strength. This strength is what gives Cedar its timeless beauty and resilience.
Where my grandpa was patient and methodical, grandma was a bustle of warmth, decisiveness and skillful delegation. Her ancestors founded Cove Fort in Utah and I grew up on stories of their hospitality and determination. Cove Fort was a refuge, and I was always struck by the unassuming strength that existed both within those walls, and within my family tree.
While my grandparents have since passed on, their values are deeply rooted in me. Cedar Cove is the culmination of legacies past, present, and future. It is a legacy of beauty, warmth, safety, resilience, family, and strength. These traits are ones you can expect to find in my program and in my puppies.