Hidden Gems: Meet JoLynn Mecham of Mecham Family Kennels

Today we’d like to introduce you to JoLynn Mecham.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Oddly enough, my husband and I both grew up with parents who bred and still breed dogs. We were a huge part of loving the adults and puppies. We helped our parents with whatever care was needed such as cleaning up after and playing with them. I had my own dog that was mine to care for and train. I showed her in 4-H dog shows and won 1st place in obedience training. I have always loved animals and wanted to become a vet, but my life took a different turn.

My husband began breeding frenchies before we met, over 26 years ago. He fell in love with the breed and kept his program very small, but had a great reputation. When I met him I couldn’t believe he had dogs that were small and had smashed faces, haha. I grew up with large breed dogs and couldnt imagine having a small breed. After we married, I quickly fell in love with these quirky small dogs with big dog personalities. He asked if I wanted to take over breeding the dogs and make it my business so I could be home to raise our blended family while he worked out of the home.

I hadn’t helped with breeding dogs since I was a kid, so I admit I was nervous and I hate trying to sell anything, but I quickly learned that I didn’t have to work too hard to find great homes for these puppies, they sell themselves. There were a lot of things to learn about breeding French Bulldogs. They are not your typical breed or for the weak hearted. They don’t just do everything themselves like breeds I grew up with. They may need to be artificially inseminated, have to have a C-section, and mom and pups need lots of attention, especially the first couple of weeks. I get up every 2 hours to put puppies on to nurse and to make sure they are all doing ok. It’s like having a newborn all over again, but the tireless nights are worth it!

I worked with my in-laws to create a website and a family kennel across a few states. They shared their expertise and we have been able to collaborate, it’s been fun working together and sharing ideas.
I started learning about social media, how to take pictures of wiggly puppies, and how to make this a real business without making it feel like one. I have found that I really enjoy taking creative and fun pictures and videos of our adorable pups and adults and love to cuddle up with our babies!
It’s definitely been an Adventure!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have had our ups and downs over the years, like sick puppies, no pregnancy, loss of pregnancy and other losses. We lost a momma last year, we loved her so much, it was so devastating, we still feel that loss. That part never gets easier! Just when I think I’ve seen it all, something happens, but we have learned a ton through it all and have become better breeders because of it. I think what I’ve learned the most is that I could do everything right, but I’m not the one in charge, no matter how much I think I am. Despite the hardships. We have also been so blessed. We pray for our puppies and moms to be healthy and strong. We pray for the right person with the right home for one of our puppies to find us. It’s crazy watching this happen over and over again. We do all we can and put our trust in the Lord. We’ve seen the miracles over the years. I believe we are where we are today because of Him!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Mecham Family Kennels ?
Our family has bred healthy French Bulldogs for over 26 years. Our dogs are family first, puppies are a huge bonus! Our dogs do not spend their days in Kennels, they sleep with us in our beds at night and run around through the house and yard during the day. They go to pick up the kids in the car or go on trips with us. We keep our numbers of adults small so we can ensure they all get the attention they need. Our kids help take care of puppies and some have their own dog to train and care for. We also have a guardian home that cares for some of our dogs to keep numbers in each home small. It has worked out wonderfully!

Our main focus is the health of our adults to ensure healthy pups. I genetic health test and OFA test our adults so we can decide on the best pairings to create the healthiest pups possible. It requires a lot of time, testing, and money, which I guess is why most breeders of French Bulldogs don’t do it. It’s honestly really sad for the breed and frustrating when working with other breeders.

We focus on producing pure bred puppies that can be registered through AKC. I had to decide where I stood on all of these exotic fads a few years ago. Breeders were coming out with all of these French Bulldogs that had crazy colors or hair types and some dogs that had clearly been bred with other breeds claiming they were purebred. They were charging an insane amount for these dogs and getting it. I had to decide what I wanted to be known for. Was I a breeder or a greeder? I decided the health of these dogs was more important than any fancy colors or coats we could produce, so we try to steer clear of popular “Fad” and “New” colors and hair types that could potentially risk the health of the dogs or may not be pure bred.

I’ve spent several years searching and learning about ovulation times, genetics. Color panels, and the health tests for these dogs. It’s so fascinating! I love it! Breeding has been way better than becoming a vet! I learn new things all the time.

My program is well known for making the process from beginning to end as easy and enjoyable as possible. Families get to watch their baby grow up in real time. I also send home a starter kit that includes AKC documents, health records, document with tips and tricks to help the transition to a new home go as smoothly as possible, a goodie bag that has a blanky with mom and sibling scent on it, toys, bed, puppy t-shirt with our logo on it, transition bag of food, and of course I continue to be a support for them afterwards as well.

I’m known for sharing fun pictures and videos of our adults and fur-babies from birth until they go home and any news after on our social media platforms like instagram. I share the good, the bad, and the really heart breaking experiences as well.

What matters most to you?
There are 2 things that are the most important to me, the health of our dogs and puppies and finding loving homes for our puppies to go to.

Pricing:

• Our pricing varies by coat color. The more rare and harder color to get, the higher the cost and that is because it costs us more to get those colors into our program.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://MechamFamilyKennels.com
• Instagram: @mechamfrenchies
• Facebook: @mechamfamilykennels
• Youtube: Mecham Family Kennels