04/01/2026
❤️ Heading to court to finalize my first puppy custody case.
With all the talk in Mississippi about joint physical custody, we thought this would be a great opportunity to share with you the details of Freya's case.
Freya is the mom of three precious pups. They came from the same litter, so you can imagine how hard it must be to have three puppies at the same time. That must be like having triplets! (Fraternal, though, as two are girls and one is a boy.) in true Bridgerton fashion, their names are Alfred, Beatrice, and Clementine.
Freya and her pup-daddy broke up about six months ago, but have spent this time discussing what their parenting situation will look like moving forward. I'm so impressed with their ability to put their puppies' feelings before their own!
Here are the top five takeaways from this successful joint physical pup-custody arrangement:
🐶 Freya and her pup-daddy agreed to live in the same doggy daycare district so that they can equally participate in their puppies' educational and social needs. Plus, Alfred really wants to play pupball, and Freya usually works nights. Pup-daddy will probably have to take Alfred to all the practices even when it's Freya's time to have custody.
🐶 If either of them meet someone on Facebook Doggie Dating, they agree not to have sleepover company while the pups are in their home. They both agree that this can be confusing for little pups who are still struggling with the emotions of their parents' break up. Besides, they will have plenty of time without pups around to do their doggie shenanigans.
🐶 They have set a loose schedule in which the puppies will spend a week with each parent, but for now, the parents are going to allow the puppies to remain stable in their home and find alternate arrangements for themselves while the puppies adjust to having only one parent around at a time.
🐶 Once they each have independent dog houses, they agree that the puppies will have everything they need at each house. They will ensure the puppies don't feel like they are living out of a pupsack. Also, if Beatrice, for example, is with mom but really misses dad, the parents will communicate and make sure she gets what she needs. Sometimes all a pup needs is a snuggle with the other parent to feel connected, loved, and heard.
🐶 Freya has been doing a lot of work on herself in therapy. She's learning to understand her triggers and how she can be a better coparent. Freya's pup daddy has some work to do, but he has also made an appointment and committed to being the best coparent he can be.
🐶 Most importantly, these doggies have recognized that their puppies are in a very fragile state, and it is their job as puppy parents to be sensitive to their puppies' needs and communicate daily, being considerate of the other pup parent's concerns and overall desires for their puppies.
Not only did this arrangement benefit their puppues, the counseling and communication saved them a ton of money in attorney's fees. Cases like these are so encouraging! I know if Freya and Pup-Daddy can do it, so can you!
*Pup-Daddy has chosen to remain anonymous, so his name is not being released. Yes, he is still paying child support, as his income is substantially higher than Freya's.
Congratulations, Freya!
