As a child I don’t remember there being a time when we didn’t have a dog in our home. When Suzzzane was little it was the dsame way and now our family still has aspecial place in our hearts for our dogs. They aren’t just pets who happen to live in our home. They’re part of our family, each with their own personalities, habits, and ways of showing us how much they love us.
When Kelli Welli reached out about her two albums, Puppy Love and All the Love, I was interested in learning more. One album celebrates dogs and the people who love them, while the other celebrates children, families, friendship, and the experiences that help shape our lives. The 2 things we are the most passionate about on GreatfulMoments.com
Kelli asked about Sandy, so I wanted to answer that question, too. Sandy is part Doberman and she’s a rescue dog. We’re grateful she’s part of our family, and like so many people who love their dogs, we know that our four-legged family members bring their own kind of joy into our homes. Just ask Bear and Pheobie.
That’s one of the reasons Puppy Love caught my attention. I also liked learning about All the Love, especially its songs about friendship, nature, feelings, and family adventures. Music can help us make memories, share experiences, and sometimes find the words for things we don’t know quite how to express.
I invited Kelli to answer ten questions for Greatful Moments so we could learn more about the stories behind both albums, the inspiration she finds in her own family, and the messages she hopes listeners will take away from her music.
Meet Kelli Welli and Her Two Albums– Kelli Welli is a songwriter who creates music for children and families. Her work includes songs about everyday experiences, feelings, friendship, nature, family adventures, and the special relationships people share with their pets.
Both Puppy Love and All the Love were released on August 26, 2026, in time for National Dog Day. Each album contains 15 tracks, but they explore different sides of family life.
Puppy Love was inspired by Kelli’s black Labrador Retriever, Piper Peach, and includes songs that celebrate the funny habits, personalities, and unconditional affection of dogs. One song, “Rescue,” received recognition in the Americana category from the International Songwriting Competition. A portion of the proceeds from sales and streaming of songs from Puppy Love will benefit the American Humane Society.
All the Love brings together songs for children and families, including music about friendship, nature, responsibility, emotions, and shared adventures. Kelli’s children, Ryan and Kira, also contributed to the album, along with other young performers and fellow children’s musicians.
Kelli kindly took the time to answer our questions about the albums, her songwriting, and the personal experiences that helped inspire the music.
Written Q&A With Kelli Welli
1. What inspired you to create two albums for two different audiences at the same time, with Puppy Love for dogs and their people and All the Love for children and their families?
I released a bi-species single — kind of like people do bi-lingual songs — “Road Trip” with a version for humans and a version for dogs. We had real dogs’ noises and trills included, the lyrics adjusted to reflect the perspective of each species. I thought it was fun. Then my Puppy Love album got delayed a couple of times, for various reasons, and I continued making other music. So in the end, I decided it would be fun to follow the bi-species song release with full albums for each species.
2. Your dog, Piper Peach, helped inspire Puppy Love. How did living with Piper and watching her personality influence the songs, and what was it like incorporating real dogs’ sounds and personalities into the music?
Thank you, this is a really great question. I think people who have dogs in their families really become familiar with their expressions and the way they do share their feelings with their humans. Piper influenced so many songs, the way kids often inspire children’s songs, by just being herself and being part of our family
. She gives me a very grumpy look, for example, every time I get in the shower, which inspired the song “Rainbox.” She slumps over to lay on a rug in the bathroom and looks at me like I’m insane for going in there, so I imagine why and what she’s thinking as she waits for me to get out.
She waits patiently in the kitchen while we eat, hoping to clean our plates after, what we call the “pre-rinse” before we wash the dishes, so that inspired “Dogs Doin’ Dishes.” She also just treats everyone in our family as if we’re the greatest, the way dogs often do with their people, so two songs are about the unconditional love dogs seem to give and how we might learn from them in that way. I could go on and on… the album is really all inspired by her and her dog friends.
3. One of the songs on Puppy Love is called “Dirty Socks.” What inspired that song, and how did you turn the everyday quirks of dogs into music that dog lovers can recognize and enjoy?
Piper likes to have something in her mouth most of the time, a toy, a ball, and often, it’s one of the dirty socks my kids have flung somewhere at the end of the school day. So… I like to say Piper wrote the song. And it’s a silly song, but we ended up giving it a lot in the production, spending too much really to make it. Then my friends and family helped by chanting Dirty Socks in a reprise version that’s out there streaming.
People who have and love dogs know that each one has its own personality, complete with some amazing quirks. The quirks honestly bring so much joy into our household, so I guess it feels pretty easy to get inspiration from them. I can’t take much credit.
4. The song “Rescue” was recognized in the Americana category by the International Songwriting Competition. What does that song mean to you, and why was it important to include a song with that message on an album celebrating dogs?
The song was originally meant to be from the perspective of a person who has rescued a dog, but the dog gives so much more back to them than they realized. It was actually the last song I wrote for this album, but my favorite, because it’s a love song to these amazing animals and a recognition of how important they become in people’s lives, how much they really do give us. I hope it’s also a good way to share that with people who might consider rescuing a dog or other animal.
Once I got into the songwriting, though, it became also about humans rescuing other humans. Or how much we really do get from helping one another in the world.
5. You have spoken about how families can be complete in different ways, including families whose beloved companions have four legs instead of two. What would you like people to understand about the special place pets hold in our lives?
My favorite aunt, who was actually my best parent and passed away, never had children of her own — human children, that is. She had so much love to give to her nieces and nephews, but she also always had dogs. And they really were her family. She had golden retrievers mainly, but also rescued dogs of various breeds.
I didn’t have children myself until quite late in life, and that was via IVF after many attempts. I know what it means to have trouble having children, but I also know what it feels like to have people say things that make others feel like there’s something wrong with them if they don’t have children. Like they can’t possibly be satisfied with their lives. That isn’t fair.
People comes in all sorts of breeds, really, just like dogs, and they’re all valid and entitled to live in ways that make them happy without this kind of judgment. I wanted to make an album for people whose dogs are their “fur-babies” and who may not have ever wanted human children.
6. All the Love features your children, Ryan and Kira, along with other young performers and fellow children’s musicians. How have your children influenced your songwriting, and what has it been like creating music with them as they’ve grown?
My children really are the reason I write as many songs as I do for children, after writing songs about all sorts of things for 30+ years. They have brought so much joy, but also so much introspection, so much inspiration, so much awe. We have written songs together since they were tiny, inspired by the things they do and say, marking moments we’ve shared together, serving as love letters to or about them.
They’ve also served as toolbox songs for me or them to learn or reinforce ideas. I’m obviously biased that my children are amazing and I could write about them all the time, but I think it’s true that children everywhere are just the coolest people, so being inspired by them is pretty easy and natural.
7. The song “Want to Be Your Friend” encourages children to express their desire for friendship. Why did you want to share that message, and how can music help children feel more comfortable connecting with others?
As a child, I don’t think I ever, not one time, approached another child to ask if they wanted to be my friend. I wasn’t super shy, but I was introverted and went into new spaces observing before I spoke much. I really, really appreciated people, like my best friend still to this day, Chelsea, who came up to me when I was a new kid, starting 2nd grade late and at a new school, and said: “We should be friends!”
I think it’s hard and helpful to model or encourage people to practice this — even adults. A lot of times new moms find themselves in the same boat, in new places and experiences now with their babies or little kids, sometimes needing new friends who are in the same phase of life.
Music was a friend for me growing up too. Songs helped me think about ideas and have focus during difficult times. I think well-thought-out songs can provide children with phrases and scenarios to show them how to do new things or process what they’re going through.
But also, music and songs can act as ice breakers or bridges for people. Enjoyment of the same song signals that people have something instantly in common. Even just dancing to the same beat signals a sense of belonging to a group. There are so many ways that music can bring out emotions, heal, or connect people.
8. Your music includes songs about nature, family adventures, responsibility, feelings, and seasonal activities. How do you balance making songs entertaining with creating music that encourages children to learn, think, and explore the world around them?
I think some songs are more successful than others at being both entertaining and teaching. I mainly try to put myself in the position of either the child listening or the grownup listening on repeat. I try to apply the same commitment I would in a song for grownups that I would for children, or as I like to say, “respecting kids’ brains.” I don’t believe in dumbing down a song for a child, because they are doing so so much each day with their incredible brains, and I really do respect that they can soak in things they don’t understand yet and grow into them.
There’s a place for simplicity and kids learn through repetition, but with a little extra time spent on lyrics, it seems like you can stay smart even in the simplest of songs. Or just go all in on being ridiculous and that can feel smart and fun too. I know how much feedback I’ve gotten from the grownups who are listening on repeat when keeping it smart for them matters.
9. You have received recognition from organizations including the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, the Josie Music Awards, and American Songwriter. How have these experiences shaped your work, and what do you hope to accomplish next as a children’s songwriter?
I think recognition from organizations like those has mainly provided some affirmation for me that the time I’ve put into honing my songwriting craft has been worthwhile and that the commitment to working with highly experienced and talented musicians and producers to make quality music for kids makes a difference. And it’s also marketing, things that help other people decide whether my work is worth giving a listen to. As a small business person and independent songwriter, we need all the help we can get to get our music our there.
10. Where can families listen to Puppy Love and All the Love, learn more about your music, and find out how they can support the American Humane Society through the Puppy Love album?
Both albums and more info on my music are available on all the streaming spaces and at my website: kelliwelli.com. And a portion of the proceeds from sales of and streaming of Puppy Love songs will go to the American Humane Society, so any time they listen, they’ll be contributing some to this great organization. Even if they don’t listen, they can donate directly to the organization at americanhumane.org. I’m not affiliated with them, but it’s always a great cause!
More About Kelli Welli0 also known as Kelli Caldwell, is an independent songwriter whose music can be heard on streaming services and children’s radio. She works with musicians, producers, fellow children’s artists, and young performers to create songs that combine humor, meaningful messages, and respect for children’s curiosity.
Her two albums offer different ways to celebrate love and connection: Puppy Love through the eyes of dogs and the people who adore them, and All the Love through childhood, friendship, family adventures, and growing up. You can explore her music and learn more through Kelli Welli’s website and press page.
I appreciate that Kelli took the time to answer all ten of our questions and share the personal stories behind these albums. Hearing how Piper Peach inspired songs such as “Dirty Socks,” “Rainbox,” and “Dogs Doin’ Dishes” reminds me that some of our best stories come from the ordinary things our pets do.
Sandy is a rescue dog, and being part Doberman and like Pheobie she is a rescue dog and tat is one part of who they are. What matters most to us is that they are part of our family. I know many readers have their own stories about rescue dogs and the ways those animals become important members of their households.
I also appreciate Kelli’s message that families don’t all have to look alike. Some families include children, some include beloved pets, and some include both. People deserve the freedom to build a life filled with the relationships that bring them love and happiness without having to justify their choices to others.
The friendship message behind “Want to Be Your Friend” also stood out to me. Sometimes all it takes is one person reaching out to make someone feel welcome, and music can be a gentle way to encourage children to take that first step. I’ve also been best-friends with my best friend Debbie since 2nd grade and yes, Charlie this was when the Donosaurs roamed the Earth.
Thank you to Kelli Welli for sharing her experiences and the inspiration behind Puppy Love and All the Love with Greatful Moments. I hope our readers enjoy learning about the albums and discovering the stories behind the songs.
Disclosure: This feature is based on a written Q&A and press materials supplied by Kelli Welli. No physical album copies were provided, and this article is an informational interview feature rather than an independent music review.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
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Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
