Where the Wild Dogs Grow

03/01/2026

Day 2 🖤 another Group 3, 2 more BOB with comp, 2 more coursing Qs, and 2 more Total Dogs. He’s leaving the weekend with 5 breed points, which will put him in the Breed Top Ten (at least for now)! What a good boy. I am so so grateful to everyone on Team Boowoo who helped make this possible and helped him succeed. While I wish I was there, I’m thrilled he had fun and made good impressions.

02/28/2026

The golden boy has been successful on his first day at the UKC Southern Classic. 2 Total Dogs, 2 CH wins, a BOB and a Group 3! Good boy, Jinkies 🥹 I’m so proud.

02/05/2026

🍃🌱🖤💕✨
Had the absolute best time today building terrariums at ! Absolutely lovely shop, lovely owner, and such a special place. Beautiful, accommodating, just absolutely everything 🥹 10/10 recommend

01/25/2026

Wild’s Memento Mori “Styx”
Winter storm Fern is here, and freezing us out. Styx would rather be inside. Where it’s warm. And dry. Thank you. 😒

(Me, too, Stickbug.)

01/21/2026

Happy fourth birthday to my first litter, the Gods and Monsters, out of Neno x Kobalt. I’m so proud of all of you. 2022 was a rough year, and you were the best things that came of it. I learned so much and slept so little, and I’m still so in love with every one of these babies. I’ll be getting updated stacks of everyone I can as soon as possible.

01/15/2026

Being asked to do this interview on my breed and give insights into my kennel and thought process was a privilege. Seeing it spotlighted and seen by so many, and being supported by so many people, is an honor. I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been in my corner and supported me every step.

Thank you. All of you.

Photo is of Salem, me, and Drama.

Interview with Mercury Steele, breeder behind Where the Wild Dogs Grow, on preserving the rare Carolina Dog as a true landrace breed.

01/13/2026

2026 so far. The sky’s on fire. But I have like, so many plants.

11/24/2025

Babysitting me 😅 Good dogs make sh*tty days better, and I am blessed to have great dogs.
I don’t post a ton about my disabilities. I don’t like projecting them as much as I did previously because I feel it detracts from my mission with my dogs. However, sometimes, it’s important to remind ourselves to take care of ourselves, and not overdo it. I, unfortunately, have a habit of overdoing it, and not listening to the signs to slow down. My body will absolutely make me. Jinkies and Salem are there to tell me off when it happens, and babysit me through the aftermath. I couldn’t be more grateful for them. I’ve been sick for over a month now, and have been stagnating at “almost better”. I got really sick and had a flare this past weekend, unfortunately, and I shouldn’t have pushed as hard as I did.

Will it happen again? Yes. Will I ever learn? No, probably not. Am I endlessly grateful for Jinx for always being there when I need him most during flares like this? Entirely.

09/29/2025

2 mile hike in our local state park 🖤 Nike was solid and, as always, the comedic relief. She did think posing was dumb, and I was dumb for asking, though. So not many pics 😂

09/07/2025

🐾 It's National Service Dog Month. Do you know the difference between Service Dogs, Emotional Support Animals, and Therapy Dogs? 🐶✨

In Summary:

👉 Service Dogs: specially trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability (like guiding, alerting, or interrupting behaviors). They have full public access rights.

👉 Emotional Support Animals (ESAs): provide comfort and companionship just by being with their person. They are not task-trained and do not have public access rights like service dogs.

👉 Therapy Dogs: work with their handler to bring comfort to many people in settings like hospitals, schools, and nursing homes. They’re there to brighten others’ days!



Each plays an important role, but they are not the same. Respecting these differences helps people and pets alike.

09/06/2025

I was trying to come up with a cute artsy caption, but nothing comes to mind. Styx is steady and sweet, and just wants to be in my skin. He loves training and he loves disc and he loves showing and he loves sunshine and dragonflies and our rabbits and me. Especially me. I see so much of his mother in him, but I also see both of his grandsires, Kobalt and Hero. He’s just a Good Boy.

08/13/2025

Stop and watch the zoomies 🖤 life moves a little too fast sometimes.