Our Lore
The Story of How We Started
The Beginning
We were in the middle of rewarding careers; Isaac, a Marine Corps Sergeant and a federal officer pursuing his masters degree. Kayla, a financial analyst with George Mason University and a masters-level graduate. One day, while spending parental leave for our daughter at the farm of Isaac's parents, we went for a long walk as a young family. We'll never forget that soft sunset in the Shenandoah countryside where Isaac had an epiphany: Nature. Family. Animals. Spending every day together. Our children knowing their grandparents. Working the same job as coworkers. Teaching our children about life through Creation. These things are far more important than any dream job, benefit, or personal accolades.
After staring at our sleeping daughter and imagining a life where she's with somebody else throughout the workday, Isaac asked Kayla:
"What if we raised Doodles instead?"
Now, Isaac grew up in the family Doodle-breeding business. He knew what went into it and what it would require. Kayla did not, but in full faith and total relinquishment of the life we had built, she said:
"Let's do it."
Why "Red String Farmstead?"
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The family business that Isaac grew up in, McKenzie’s Doodles, had a tradition… the smallest pup in each litter wears the “red string” to signify its strength despite its small size. We chose this symbol as our namesake because we have so much in common with our red string puppies! Isaac was always the smallest Marine in the room. Kayla was born 4 months pre-mature. Our beautiful little daughter has a neuromuscular disorder that caused weight and size issues since birth, and, despite heavy developmental delays, she has caught up with every milestone along the way. Even our beloved Abner (the red string of his litter!) was resuscitated at birth and was so small, he ate his first meals from a mason jar lid.
We know first-hand that, sometimes, the ones that require a little extra help in the beginning might surprise you later! We are honored to be a veteran-owned ethical breeder where puppies go on to do big and mighty things!
We are a family of red strings. We are Red String Farmstead.
– Isaac and Kayla Brown
Meet the Duo
We weren't sure what to say about ourselves, so we wrote each other's bios instead.
Isaac
Husband | Papa | Veteran
Kayla
Wife | Mama | Dogmother
"Isaac is a man of faith and integrity. He is especially skilled at navigating the unseen parts of breeding... late nights, early mornings, long drives, difficult situations, quick decisions, and heartbreak. He puts 110% effort into everything he does with extreme precision. Wooby's Early Life Program, our in-house puppy enrichment program, is a great example. He built this program entirely himself after years of research to ensure we are raising our puppies with the best start possible.
Isaac is the voice you hear in our videos, the hands making the food and cleaning daily, the feet walking the dogs and traveling to the vet, and the face you'll see on Take Home Day. He truly can do anything... except admit how great and talented he is! Isaac has the gift of leadership - I've always been amazed at his ability to encourage and teach. With his prior military experience, education, and specialized skills, he truly could've done anything, serving the world far from home. Instead, he chose to serve our family and your future puppy at Red String Farmstead... we are so blessed to have him!"
"Where can I even start with my beautiful wife, Kayla? She is a talented, orderly, thoughtful, tender, selfless, and servant-hearted woman who is always on the lookout for an opportunity to help. Let me spin you two yarns about who is mothering your Doodle puppies before Take Home Day:
1) When she was little, Kayla famously carried around a pillow case full of sweaters because she was afraid that people might become cold. To this day, Kayla is always prepared for any situation with some kind of kit or emergency bag she put together and everyone is always grateful for it.
2) Not only has Kayla been running McKenzie's Doodles' (Isaac's parents) website and social media for the last four years, but she's been instrumental in helping our extended family of dog breeders where she can because of her deep love for everyone around her. This highlights how Kayla's contributions are always foundational, humbly hidden in the background, and sorely felt when missing.
I love this woman."
"I'm the boss. Don't let the two tall ones fool you. They've been plotting a corporal takeover for years, but they don't realize that I'm the Good Boy. A total Godfather. The Biggest Cheese. My bandana is way more red than anyone else's, so the humans don't have what they need to unseat me. If anyone has an issue with those two, they can come directly to me and I'll have top dogs (not as Cheese as me) look into it.
If you'd like to see my super good life, you can follow me at: COMING SOON.
Just be sure to nuzzle the like button and smoosh notifications to defeat the algebra. Thank you."
Abner the Sheepadoodle
CEO | Founder | Good Boy