Our Story

OUR STORY

Love God. Love People. Love Dogs.

The story of the Smeraglia family, and how Sherri Smeraglia introduced one of the world’s most popular dogs.

The Smeraglia Family

I could have never in a million years foreseen how incredibly rewarding it would be-- living life on the farm, raising and training my little Teddy Bear Goldendoodles, Teddy Bear Schnoodles and Teddy Bear Twoodles alongside my family. My husband Judge and I raised our five children (Lauren, Jacob, Lukas, Joseph & Natalie) right here at Smeraglia farm.

I feel so blessed to have placed puppies in the homes of some of the finest people in the world. Our puppies have saved people from death, increased the quality of many people's lives, and have become best friends to many who just needed a friend. This is truly a divine calling that I take very seriously.

A bit about myself

Ever since I was a child I’ve loved dogs, but my Mama wouldn’t let me have one. She was a “super neat freak” and could not bear the thought of cleaning up after a dog. When I was six years old, we were having the discussion (again) about why I couldn’t have a dog. I was so upset with the whole situation and angry at Mama, I put my hand on my hips and said, "When I grow up I am gonna have a house full of dogs!" To which she responded, "Well, I won't be coming to your house."
I laugh when I think about that day, it turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy! I now have all the dogs that I want but I’m obsessed with cleaning as well, thanks to my Mama.
I may have rubbed off on her a bit too. Mama does come to my house, every day. She is starting to like dogs just a little, and she’s been caught cleaning up after them from time to time. My Daddy also works here at Smeraglia Farm, the staff all call him Pawpaw. We all owe a lot to these two, without them there would be no Doodles for us to love!

OUR STORY

The First Teddy Bear English Goldendoodle

The English Golden Retriever was my passion for many years, I spent most of the ’90s, raising my two oldest children and my amazing English Golden Retrievers. They are one of the most beautiful dogs in the world. They have incredible laid-back personalities, which make them excellent companions. The only problem, they shed buckets!!

When my third child was born he developed allergies to dogs. Obviously, this presented a significant problem for our family. My son could not breathe around my English Goldens. I had known many, many people over the years that desperately wanted an English Golden but had the same problem–dog allergies. 

Around this time I was introduced to the American Goldendoodle, a less allergenic American Golden Retriever and Poodle breed; but my passion for years was the English Golden Retriever, I actually bred and showed them.  English Golden Retrievers look different from American Goldens. They have a large blocky head, soft plush face, broader shoulders and a softer coat. Surprisingly, no one had ever bred an English Golden with a Poodle. 

I may have never entertained the idea before my son was born, but once we found out about his allergies to dogs we knew we had to find a solution for our problem. I began contemplating breeding my amazing English Golden Retrievers with the Clownish Intelligent Poodle to create the English Goldendoodle. 

It was a scary time, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this new breed. What’s more, I had lots of friends in the breeding world that were strict pure breed advocates. Would they turn their backs on me, once I’d “crossed over?” 

In the end, after much discussion with my husband and friends and lots of prayer, we decided to go in the direction our heart was leading, and I bred the world’s First English Goldendoodles.

Big Dreams

My husband and I wanted to create the perfect breeding and training program while keeping our dog-allergic children healthy. We envisioned a one-of-a-kind resort-like facility to raise our doodles and a beautiful office to meet with our clients. We wanted to have a place that would simulate our home, as this would be the place where I would be spending most of my time. I wanted it to be an amazing place for our staff to work, our clients to visit and our dogs to live.

Well… it worked out. Amazingly.

Smeraglia Farm Today

I can honestly tell you that you can go all over the world and you will never find a place like Smeraglia; this place is as unique as our name, and our dogs are just as unique. “You can spot a Smeraglia dog a mile away” — said by most everyone that makes the trip to here to meet us.

We are dedicated to the research, development, and training of our dogs. We are 100% committed to producing healthy, sound, well-tempered, and well-trained puppies that will become beloved, Service Dogs, Therapy & Companion Dogs, and family members for years to come.

The Nursery

As a mother of five children, I’ve spent a lot of time in labor and delivery rooms. I wanted my puppy nursery to be just like the baby nurseries I’d been in, and that's exactly what it is.

Our elaborate, state-of-the-art nursery is the perfect home for our parent dogs to bring their babies into the world. Our birthing room is decorated like a 50's Diner, totally pink & black and very cute. With roomy private birthing areas, washer and dryer, large plasma T.V, and staffed with 24-hour surveillance, we have spared nothing when it comes to our dogs. If they need it, we get it.

Clean, Clean, Clean

In case you missed it before, I’m a bit of a clean freak. I was in Dentistry before I decided to go full time with my breeding program, and was meticulous about infection control.  In fact, I have a bit of a reputation for being obsessive about cleaning. That’s one reason why we employ so much around-the-clock help. 

I want my puppies to be clean, cute, and healthy at all times. We wash puppy pads and clean up after our puppies all day & all night. I also want all my parent dogs to be groomed and beautiful at all times. That’s why we have a fully-equipped grooming room. It’s also pink and black and charming. 

We have a fully equipped medical office, complete with an ultrasound machine and full lab,  where our veterinarian can vaccinate and examine our dogs. 

Everyone tells me I should have gone to vet school, and although I do run things like a medical practice, I get to do all the fun stuff, and my vet gets to do the “less desirable things.” I love the reproductive side and we do lots of ultrasounds. It’s so precious to see the babies before they are born.

A Note From Sherri

It’s a labor of love for me

Since this became my full-time profession, it’s been a lot of work– but it is truly a labor of love for me. I love taking care of these precious little ones. I know that it’s important for you to be able to see where your puppy was raised, so we’ve included lots of pictures and videos for you to learn more about us.

With the huge growth in the popularity of our Teddy Bear English Goldendoodles, there’s no way that I could do it without my dedicated staff. Check out the Our Staff page to meet the dedicated people that work alongside me.

There was a time when I couldn’t even return all my calls about puppies because I was so busy with my dogs, puppies, and family. Thankfully, God sent me the help that I needed. My clients can always get the help that they need, even when I’m not available. I am always here for my clients, but I’ve also spent a lot of time training my staff and they are truly an extension of myself. They get to know every puppy on a personal level, so they will be to able to answer any questions you may have.

As you can see, our all of our doodles are truly amazing. We love them, and it’s this love that has driven us forward. I know that you too will fall in love with our beautiful puppies if you haven’t already. Thank you for taking the time to read our incredible story and letting me share my heart with you.