Monique's story doesn't start with a kennel—it starts with a childhood spent in barns and pastures, learning to read the language of horses and dogs before she could fully articulate why it mattered. That instinct, honed over more than two decades, is what separates Reinem-N-Kennels from breeders who work purely from a pedigree chart.
Long before Reinem-N-Kennels existed, Monique was already known locally as the person who could calm a spooked horse or bring an unmanageable dog back into focus with nothing but patience and presence. That reputation as a horse whisperer and dog trainer grew into a full-time calling: breeding, raising, and developing Australian Shepherds whose instincts are shaped by real work, not just good genes.
Ruther Glen, Virginia gave Monique the one thing no textbook or seminar ever could: 750 acres of open, working land. Here, on real pasture with real livestock, her Australian Shepherds do the job they were bred to do—moving cattle, holding a line, reading a herd's mood before it turns. This is what makes Reinem-N-Kennels a genuine working herding dog breeder rather than simply a show kennel with pretty pedigrees. Every dog in our program is evaluated not just on conformation, but on instinct, drive, and the ability to think independently around livestock.
That distinction matters enormously to ranchers and farm owners searching for a puppy that can actually work. A dog with generations of proven herding ability behind it—and hands-on early exposure to stock—develops instincts that simply cannot be taught later in life. It's a difference you can see the first time one of our puppies meets a herd of cattle: no hesitation, no confusion, just an inherited understanding of the job.
Reinem-N-Kennels calls Caroline County home, and that sense of place shows up in every litter we raise. As a dog breeder based in Ruther Glen, Virginia, Monique has built her program around the land itself—open pasture, ponds for swimming, wooded trails, and daily contact with horses and cattle. Puppies here aren't confined to a kennel run; they're out experiencing the sights, sounds, and textures of a working farm from their earliest weeks.
Local families and farm owners in and around Caroline County are welcome to visit, meet the parents, and see firsthand how the dogs live and work. For competitors and ranchers further afield, Monique ships puppies nationwide with the same transparency—video updates, health documentation, and honest conversations about temperament and fit—that local clients receive in person.
"I don't breed puppies to sell—I breed dogs to place with families and working operations I believe in, for life. Every single one carries my name and my reputation with it, so I treat each litter the way I'd want my own next dog treated. That means health testing, honest evaluation, and staying available long after the puppy goes home. Breeding is a lifetime commitment, for me and for you."
— Monique, Founder of Reinem-N-Kennels
Decades reading horse behavior taught Monique to read dogs the same way—recognizing hesitation, drive, and confidence before they're ever visible to the untrained eye.
Puppies are exposed to cattle and other livestock early and often on our working farm, developing genuine herding instinct instead of simulated drills.
As an AKC Breeder of Merit with Best in Show winners and nationally ranked dogs, Monique holds every litter to a standard proven in the ring and on the farm.