Arlo's Story

After losing our first two Dobermans, Red & Charlie (just two weeks apart) in 2022, our hearts were absolutely shattered.

Our home felt so unbearably quiet without them and the weight of their absence was heavy. We missed their presence in every aspect of our daily lives.

In 2023, while still coping with our loss, we came across a picture online of the sweetest Doberman puppy.

There was something about him that instantly pulled at our hearts. We reached out to the breeder and learned that he had originally been spoken for, but the family had changed their minds and backed out. How lucky we were for that to have happened! He was the biggest in his litter and the last one left.

The breeder shared more about him. He was super chill, had been raised around other dogs, cats, and children, and had the most loving personality. As we watched countless videos and pictures, we couldn’t help but fall in love. Without hesitation, we made the trip from Alberta to Saskatchewan. The first moment we saw him in person, we knew – he was meant to be ours.

Searching for a name took us weeks. We just could not figure out something that seemed to suit him. Eventually, my husband came across the name “Arlo”. The name dates back to the Middle Ages and means “fortified hill” – it seemed like a strong name for our boy. It also happened to be the name of a security company, which seemed fitting for a guard dog. From the moment we said it out loud, we knew it was meant to be.

After losing Red & Charlie, one of our biggest regrets was not having more videos of them. Those few clips we did have brought us so much comfort after losing them. So with Arlo, we decided that we would document everything! We started his Instagram as a place to store memories and essentially create a digital scrapbook of our life with him.

What started as a personal collection of precious moments with Arlo soon became something more. His page began to grow, and all his silly antics seemed to resonate with others who share a love of Dobermans.

Arlo is so much more than a dog to us. He is a reminder of love after loss, of the joy in everyday life, and of the connections that bring us all together.

He is our family and while his journey is still unfolding, we are so grateful to be there for every step of it! Thank you for sharing Arlo's journey with us!

~ Jess and Brian