🐾 Meet the Breeder: Isabella Varkentin | Heavenly Puppies to Love 🐾
Hi, I’m Isabella Varkentin, the heart behind Heavenly Puppies to Love in the great PNW, WA! My journey with dogs began in childhood when my brother and I begged our mom for a dog. That small dream turned into a lifelong passion, and with almost a decade of experience, I’ve been dedicated to breeding and raising amazing companions.
Breeding isn’t just a job—it’s a journey. There’s always something new to learn, whether it’s genetics, health testing, or better ways to raise well-rounded puppies. It takes careful planning, research, and constant growth to improve with every litter. No matter how much experience you have, there will always be surprises and challenges, but that’s part of what makes it so rewarding. I’m always working to do better, learning from mentors, my own experiences, and the dogs themselves. This isn’t something you ever truly “master”—it’s a lifelong process, and I’m committed to always growing in my program.
The dedication that goes into breeding is immense, and I take a hands-on approach at every step of the way. From the moment a puppy is born, I am right there with them, ensuring they get the care, attention, and socialization they need to thrive. This means sleepless nights, carefully monitoring the puppies’ health, and making sure that every moment is used to help them develop into well-adjusted, loving companions. My dogs are not just pets—they are family, and I form deep personal connections with every one of them, from the adults to the puppies.
Every puppy is raised in our home, and I believe in giving them the best start in life. Early socialization is a priority, and I work to expose the puppies to new experiences and sounds to help them grow into confident, adaptable dogs. From the very beginning, I am involved in their development, and it’s rewarding to see the little things, like when a puppy has its first playful interaction or takes its first steps with its new family. These are the moments that make this journey so special.
Breeding is filled with its challenges. It requires constant learning and adapting, especially when curveballs are thrown your way. From managing the health of the mothers to the unpredictability of births and the individual needs of each puppy, there’s never a dull moment. But through all of this, there’s so much reward in seeing the puppies grow, seeing their personalities unfold, and watching them thrive in their forever homes. It’s the most fulfilling part of what I do.
My focus has always been on health, temperament, and quality. I breed Cockapoos and Cavapoos because they stole my heart, but I also have a deep love for Poodles. Standard Poodles specifically were my first love and will always be, thanks to my mom’s breeding program☺️, which was inspired by our family’s need for hypoallergenic dogs (since most of my family is allergic to dog hair). After doing extensive research, my mom fell in love with the Poodle breed and got our first purebred dogs—Toy Poodles and a Standard Poodles. From there, I knew I wanted to continue this passion and start my own program.
Beyond breeding, I have a passion for grooming and have learned to groom my own dogs(also a great skill that I learned from my mom who is self taught herself!). It’s something I truly enjoy, and it allows me to keep my dogs looking and feeling their best. I love the freedom of creativity with each groom that I do, I find it relaxing, calm and fun. I also have a deep love photography (especially capturing my dogs!)photography is one of my passions that I’m still learning and I’m enjoying every bit of it! Art and spending time in nature—whether it’s camping, hiking with my dogs or just enjoying the beauty around me.
Nature is one of my happy places❤️.
Faith is at the core of everything I do. My journey as a dog breeder has brought its share of challenges, but one thing that has remained constant in my life is God. When life gets tough and the journey feels uncertain, my faith is the steady rock that keeps me going. In every decision, every action, I strive to honor God and trust in His guidance. My faith is what helps me persevere through the difficult moments and gives me peace and strength in the most trying times. Through it all, I know God has a plan, and He has always been by my side, guiding me on this path.
One of the verses that has always said stood out to me and kept me going in hard times is
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:5-6
As I continue on this journey of breeding, I remind myself of Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This verse has been a reminder that even in the toughest times, I am not alone. With God’s help, I can face whatever comes my way and continue to improve and grow in all aspects of my life, including my breeding program.
God is our firm foundation. In this journey, I’ve learned that nothing in life is truly certain except for the unwavering consistency of God’s love and guidance. Our future is in His hands, and we cannot rely on our own human desires or understanding. When challenges arise, it is God who steadies me and guides my every step. I may not always listen to what he is saying to me, and there’s times of struggle where I do you fall no one is perfect which is okay. But I must I trust that He has a plan for me and with Him, I can face every obstacle with faith and confidence, knowing He will always lead me in the right direction.
✨ Health & temperament-focused breeding
✨ Raised with love & care in a home environment
✨ Dedicated to responsible breeding, grooming & lifelong learning
✨BAB
Breeding is more than just what I do—it’s who I am. Every dog, every puppy is a reflection of my passion and dedication. The joy of seeing the puppies bond with their new families and knowing I’ve played a part in that is what drives me to keep improving my program.
My journey with dogs started in childhood, but it was always about more than just loving animals—it was about family, resilience, and finding comfort when I needed it most. My mom was a single mother raising four kids—me, my brother, and my two younger sisters. Life was never really easy, but she always gave us everything she possibly could. No matter what, she always provided us with unconditional love, and one way she did that was by giving us our dogs—our family. With most of our family being allergic to dogs, she needed to find a hypoallergenic breed, and after extensive research, she landed on Poodles. Our first purebred, genuine dogs were Toy Poodles and Standard Poodles, and from there, my mom started her own breeding program.
Before that, and even during the early years of her program, we were also rescuing dogs. Ironically, one of the first dogs that was truly my responsibility wasn’t a Poodle at all—it was a little Chihuahua named Bella and her four puppies. Bella stayed with me for a while, and we worked hard to find loving homes for her puppies—all but one. One of them, Peanut, stayed with us. She was a great dog, but deep down, I always knew she loved my mom more than me. And I was okay with that.
Another rescue that found her way to us was a little Shih Tzu-Yorkie mix I named Kika. She had been through a lot—abused, mistreated, and in need of real love. I poured my heart into her, and I knew she loved me too. But as much as I wanted to keep her, I also knew we couldn’t provide the kind of home she truly needed. Then, someone came along who had just lost her Yorkie of 15 years, and she fell in love with Kika instantly. As hard as it was, I knew in my heart that this was the home Kika deserved. Letting her go was one of the hardest decisions I had made at that point, but it was the right one.
Around that time, Marseilla came into my life. Looking back, I know without a doubt that God knew I needed her. Even when my faith was lacking, even when I struggled to see His hand in my life, He still gave me this incredible blessing. Marseilla was my bright ray of sunshine when I needed it most. She gave me hope when I felt hopeless and strength when I didn’t want to keep going. She became my rock, my heart dog, and the one I could always count on. Even now, she’s still that for me. I’m so grateful to God for giving me Marcella, and I pray that I have many more good years ahead with her as she enjoys her retirement, living a happy life by my side.
I’ve experienced a lot of bad things—many unfortunate events that no child should have to go through. It’s something I still struggle with even now. I’ve always had a hard time seeing the good in people, and trusting others has never come easy to me. I’ve always put up walls, protecting myself, keeping my distance. It’s always been easier to love animals than people because I’ve experienced the worst from people. But through everything, God has been healing me—not through people, but through the incredible gift He has given us: animals. My dogs.
My trust in people has been slowly mending, little by little. Seeing my puppies go to such amazing families, connecting with these kind and loving people, and hearing how my puppies bring so much joy, laughter, and love into their homes—it’s changed my outlook. It’s been healing my heart in ways I never expected. Being able to be part of such a wonderful community, despite its downsides, has been an incredible blessing. Through it all, God has been there for me, even when I didn’t want Him. Even when I turned away, He never left me. And without me even realizing it, He’s been slowly healing the relationships in my life through the dogs He placed in my care. I am so incredibly grateful—for my dogs, for this journey, for the ability to continue doing what I love.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.”
—Psalm 34:18-22 (NIV)