There are certain times in dog breeding when it feels like everything happens at once. Months of planning begin to come together, future goals start becoming reality, and suddenly the things you've been working toward for what feels like forever are finally within reach.
For us, this is one of those seasons.
Over the past several months, our focus has been divided between preparing for the arrival of Pandora, a young imported Yakutian Laika from France, and getting ready for what we expect will be another incredible litter from Reyka. This comes shortly after recently importing Nisha, our Turkmen Alabai from Hungary, so the realities of international transport are still very fresh in our minds. And as if that wasn't enough to keep us busy, we're also looking forward to the possibility of breeding Royce and Sonya later this year, pending Royce's upcoming health testing.
What makes this season especially meaningful is that none of these developments happened overnight. Every one of them has been the result of months, and in some cases years, of planning, conversations, research, and careful decision-making. While people often see the finished results; the dogs, the puppies, the photos, and eventually the health testing, the work behind those results is where the real story lives.
As we prepare to welcome a new import, eagerly await puppies, and continue planning for the future, we're reminded that building a breeding program is rarely about one big moment. More often, it's a collection of small decisions, calculated risks, and long-term commitments that slowly shape the direction of everything to come.
Months of Planning, One Big Milestone
For the past several months, we've been working toward welcoming Pandora into our program. What started as conversations and pedigree reviews gradually evolved into transportation planning, health documentation, import requirements, scheduling logistics, and countless moving pieces that all needed to align before she could make her journey to the United States.
Having recently gone through the import process with Nisha, we knew exactly what we were signing up for. We knew there would be waiting. We knew there would be moments where everything seemed to be moving forward and moments where it felt like nothing was happening at all. We knew there would be excitement, uncertainty, and more than a few days spent checking emails far more often than necessary.
Anyone who has imported a dog understands the feeling. Flights can be delayed. Paperwork can take longer than expected. Regulations can shift. Transportation schedules can suddenly change. Even when everything appears finalized, there's always a part of you waiting for the next update.
That's why receiving final confirmation that Pandora is scheduled to arrive on June 13th felt like such a relief.
We're not completely out of the woods yet. We probably won't truly relax until she's safely home. But for the first time in months, it feels like we're finally approaching the finish line of a process that has required an incredible amount of patience and planning.
Of course, getting her here is only the beginning.
The Honest Side of Importing
One thing that isn't talked about enough in the dog world is the amount of uncertainty that comes with investing in a young breeding prospect.
When you're serious about building a program, every decision comes with responsibility. Sometimes that means making choices that aren't necessarily the easiest or most universally accepted. It means looking beyond a single score or data point and evaluating the entire picture.
Pandora comes from parents who both scored PLA1 (low-risk) eye ratings. Her sire was graded with an A hip rating, while her dam graded B/C. For some people, that may be enough information to immediately form an opinion. For us, it's simply one piece of a much larger puzzle.
We look deeper.
We look at the generations behind the dog, the consistency of what has been produced, and whether desirable traits appear repeatedly throughout the pedigree or only occasionally. We evaluate structure, movement, temperament, working ability, and overall breed type. We look for qualities that are firmly established and not simply surface-level.
And just as importantly, we evaluate the dog standing in front of us.
Her confidence. Her stability. Her drive. Her willingness to engage with the world around her. Her overall presence.
These things matter.
They are not qualities you can always neatly summarize on a health certificate, and they are not qualities we're willing to lose in the name of playing everything safe.
At the same time, we are realistic about the risks involved. The truth is that nobody knows exactly what a young dog's health testing will look like when they reach maturity. We won't know Pandora's final hip evaluations, elbow clearances, eye certifications, or other health testing results until she is old enough to complete them.
That uncertainty is part of the process.
But risk should never be confused with carelessness.
Pandora will be thoroughly evaluated as she matures. Hips, elbows, gonioscopy, CAER examinations, and any additional testing we feel is necessary will all be completed before any breeding decisions are made. If she does not meet the standards we have established for our program, she will not be bred.
It's really that simple.
At the end of the day, this is what responsible stewardship looks like. It's about balancing risk with intention, making decisions based on the entire picture, and keeping the long-term integrity of the breed at the forefront. No risk means no opportunity for growth, but every risk we take must have purpose behind it.
Building the Dog Before the Dream
As exciting as Pandora's potential may be, our first priority when she arrives has very little to do with breeding.
Our first priority is Pandora herself.
Moving across the world is a significant life change for any dog, especially a young one. Everything she has known will be different. New people, new routines, new environments, and an entirely new way of life can be overwhelming if not approached thoughtfully.
Our goal is to help her build confidence and trust while allowing her to settle in at her own pace. We plan to spend a great deal of time working with her individually, helping her develop positive relationships with people, introducing her to new experiences, and creating a foundation that will support her throughout her life.
Before any future plans become reality, she needs time to simply be a dog.
Looking ahead, we'd love to explore AKC Conformation with Pandora and see how she develops as she matures. We believe she has a great deal of potential, but like everything else, that journey will unfold one step at a time.
For now, we're simply excited to welcome her home.
Reyka’s Next Chapter
As much attention as Pandora's arrival has received, she's certainly not the only thing happening around here.
In the coming weeks, we expect Reyka to welcome her next litter, and preparations have been underway for quite some time. We've been preparing the whelping area, adjusting her nutrition, fine-tuning her daily routine, and making sure she has everything she needs to be comfortable as we move closer to delivery day.
This is a litter we've been looking forward to for a very long time.
Anyone who has followed our program knows how highly we think of Reyka. Time and time again, she has produced puppies that are energetic, athletic, intelligent, structurally sound, and remarkably consistent. She has become one of the most important dogs in our program, not simply because of what she produces, but because of how reliably she produces it.
Once again, she was paired with Yeti, a combination that has repeatedly exceeded our expectations.
That consistency matters.
It's one thing to produce a nice puppy. It's another thing entirely to produce generation after generation of dogs that reliably demonstrate the traits you're striving to preserve.
We've already retained Sonya from their 2024 litter, followed by Panda and Elka from their 2025 litter. Watching those three mature has only strengthened our confidence in what Reyka and Yeti consistently bring to the table, and it's one of the reasons we're so eager to see what this year's litter has in store.
Royce, Sonya, and What’s Ahead
While we're preparing for Pandora's arrival and Reyka's upcoming litter, we're also looking ahead toward the future.
One of the things we're particularly excited about is the possibility of breeding Royce and Sonya, pending Royce's health testing on June 3rd.
This pairing feels especially meaningful because Sonya represents the next generation of dogs we've retained from Reyka and Yeti. We've watched her grow from a puppy into a young female that continues to impress us with her temperament, structure, and overall development.
Royce brings qualities of his own that we value greatly, and we're excited about what the two of them may have the potential to produce together.
Of course, as with every decision we make, health testing comes first. If everything comes back as expected and aligns with the standards we've established for our program, we'll be looking forward to Sonya's next heat with a great deal of anticipation.
The “We’re Not Keeping One” Promise
There is one recurring problem that seems to appear every time Reyka and Yeti have puppies.
We always want to keep another one.
We keep reminding ourselves that Pandora is arriving. We remind ourselves that Nisha is still settling into life here. We remind ourselves that Odyssey, Kuma, Panda, and Elka are still growing and developing. We remind ourselves that there are only so many hours in a day and only so many dogs that can receive the individual attention they deserve.
Our hands are full.
Our schedule is full.
Common sense tells us we absolutely do not need another puppy in 2026.
Then we start imagining what the litter might look like.
Every breeder knows exactly how that story goes.
So while we've promised ourselves that we aren't retaining another puppy this year, we're also realistic enough to know those promises become significantly harder to keep once puppies are actually on the ground.
We'll do our best.
No guarantees.
The Heart Behind It All
As we move into the summer months, there is a lot to be excited about at Dark Point Kennel. Pandora's long-awaited arrival is finally within sight. Reyka's litter is just around the corner. Royce's health testing is approaching. Nisha continues to settle into life here in Maine. Several young dogs in our program continue to mature and show us glimpses of what the future may hold.
It's easy to focus on the finished results in dog breeding, but the reality is that every accomplishment begins with months, and sometimes years, of planning, preparation, patience, and uncertainty. Every breeding program is built on decisions made long before the outcome is known.
Some of those decisions work out exactly as hoped. Others teach valuable lessons. All of them help shape the future.
For now, we'll continue preparing, planning, and looking forward to what's next. The coming weeks promise to be exciting, busy, and probably a little chaotic, but these are also the moments that remind us exactly why we love this life, this work, and these dogs so much.
Some stories stay with you long after you put your phone down. Learning that Sandra Moore-Doby’s entire litter of ten Borzoi puppies had been stolen from her property in Tennessee was one of those sto
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