Who We Are
We are the Brenneman family! Christine and I (Alvin) have been happily married since 2000. That makes 23 years! The Lord has blessed us with ten children: Grace, Adam, Charity, Joy, Clara, Rebekah, Ella, Conrad, Geoffrey, and Madelyn.
Where We Live
Our family resides among the peaceful hills of Jay County, in Portland, Indiana. On our 50 acres with woods, our dogs have plenty of room to play and run.
What We Believe
Soon after our marriage, we found ourselves making a mess out of our lives. In desperation, we began searching for a purpose in this life, which soon led us to giving our lives to Jesus Christ. We can testify nothing has ever been the same since that day. The Lord has richly blessed our lives, and we are forever indebted to God for giving us eternal Hope.
Wet-Nose Moments
Our Story
It all began in 2005 when we brought home our first English bulldog, Bonnie. Over the next few years we added more bulldogs to our breeding program. The children were young, and many nights after work and dinner found us spending family time together, caring for our dogs. Those were busy, fun days.
English bulldogs are a special breed that take much care, and as more children were added to our family, we knew someday we may need to find new homes for our bulldogs. We began keeping an eye out for a breed that is still a great family dog without all the special devotion our bullies needed.
In 2014 we were introduced to the Goldendoodles. Our girls took an instant liking to the cuddliness and warmth of a doodle puppy. After some consideration and research, we decided the Goldendoodle breed was a good fit for our growing family. We were thrilled when our very first litter of Goldendoodles arrived.
Our attention became foused on improving the health and quality of the Goldendoodle breed. With the Golden Retriever parents for our Goldendoodles, we decided to raise a few litters of Golden Retrievers throughout the year. We instantly took a liking to the Golden Retriever’s mellow, gentle personality. We decided to keep breeding Golden Retrievers.
We began finding new homes for our English Bulldogs, even though a part of us was sorry to let them go. But we realized we did not have enough time and energy to invest as they deserved. Although we still miss their rolls and wrinkles and even their snores, we believe we made the best decision for their and our family’s best interest.
As our children grew older and capable of helping with the puppies, we began looking for another doodle breed to add to our dog family. In 2020 we added Bernedoodles to our breeding program, after realizing the wonderful, intelligent breed they are, not to mention their cuteness. We are excited to be expecting our very first puppies in late summer 2021.
Our Kennel
In 2018 we relocated one hour south to be closer to our church community. A few steps from our own home, we built a state-of-the-art kennel on a rolling hill in the countryside. Our dogs have free access to the outdoors, and indoors is climate-controlled with heated floor in the winter. They enjoy daily socialization and playtime with each other in our large doggie play area. The grass and hills outside provide plenty of space for them to romp and roll.
Our puppies are born in our quiet whelping area with heated floors to keep the puppies just right, and monitors help us keep an eye on the newborns 24-7. After the puppies are old enough to be weaned, they are moved to our puppy nursery, where they are started on basic crate training. They have daily playtime with other puppies and a variety of toys.
We believe a great start in life is a happy one. Our goal is to place adorable puppies into good homes — puppies who are compassionately raised and have healthy parents.
Our on-call, trusted veterinarian visits our kennel every Monday and ensures each of our dogs and puppies are being kept in good health. We are USDA and state licensed and receive numerous unannounced visits by the USDA staff and other organizations, who ensure our puppies and dogs are being given the proper care and devotion they deserve.
The Team
ALvin & Tina
Owners
In 2005, the Brennemans purchased their first dog, and from there Elite Quality Puppies grew into what it represents today. Over the years, their experience has taught them many things. Through the tough times and the good times, their purpose has been to offer healthy, happy puppies to good homes.
Grace
Sales
If you contact Elite Quality Puppies, you will most likely get a response from Grace. Since she was old enough to handle office responsibilities, she has made it her duty to give adopting families a premier experience – because who wants something as exciting as adopting a puppy to be stressful? She enjoys iced coffee, sunny days, and spending time with family and her best friend and fiancé Enos.
Emily
Photography
When Emily is not snapping photos of bouncing puppies, she may well be found wearing a kitchen apron or honing her writing skills. She misses the beautiful bullies who first captivated her, but finds the challenge of photographing any puppy to be thrilling. Simple pleasures Emily finds joy in are an excellent photo, the title of “aunt”, all things poetry, and unexpected humor.
Miriam
Kennel Manager
Some people make such a beautiful impact on your life that you can barely remember what life was like without them. Miriam is one of those. She is an integral part of Elite Quality Puppies. Many duties beckon her attention daily – her co-workers admire her quick wit. When she is not supervising the kennel, she enjoys cheesecake, softball, and a good book.
Ernestine
Kennel Assistant
What is a kennel without an avid puppy lover? Ernestine can often be found carrying a little one with her as she goes about keeping the moms and babies comfortable. Her sunny spirit has been a blessing in many ways. She delights in a good laugh, Chinese food, and fishing, and any activity out-of-doors beckons her.
Charity
Kennel Assistant
The second oldest daughter in our family, Charity plays a big role in keeping things in top shape in the kennel. Her vivacious zeal for life and energetic personality is just the boost our kennel thrives on. She enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, hunting, and playing ping-pong with friends.
Barbara
Kennel Assistant
Count on Barbara’s cheerfulness, sunshine or rain! Elite Quality Puppies has flourished since she first began helping with the many duties of doggy care. Whether bathing a puppy, supervising the daily playtime, or cleaning up after puppies, Barbara is sure to do her responsibilities well. When she is not caring for little ones, she likes singing, being with friends, and outdoor activities.
We keep continued education as a high priority.
