4 weeks old already!

 This weekend we are busy at a FastCAT trial, but of course I made time for puppy gazing.  They are now 4 weeks old and I’m having so much fun with them!

Morgan

I love that she has her Mama Peyton’s markings.  And she is so playful!

Rory

Rory is equally playful, and just as pretty as her sister.  I don’t know which little one will be staying with us, as we seem to change our minds daily.  We love them both so much, but we are determined to keep only one, as Addi will hopefully be having puppies in a few months and we want to keep a smooth puppy.  It’s times like these that I miss my Uncle Fran, I would love to show him the puppies and ask his opinion.  I think he would love that we are continuing in his footsteps.  I wish he could read my stories printed in The Cassette magazine and here on the collie blog.  I know he would have enjoyed seeing me writing about his beloved collie breed.  And if he were still with us, maybe he would have wanted to take one of these two sisters, and we could keep them both in the family.  But that’s just wishful thinking, as he mainly had smooth collies in the end.  I’ve been thinking about all the past collies in our family, and how his decision to get his first collie impacted all our lives.  If he hadn’t decided on a collie so long ago, would I be looking at the sweet, little faces of our two puppies?  I’ll never be 100% certain, but I think I would have still fallen in love with the collie, just look at those faces!

More puppy stuff…

I know lately all our posts have been about the puppies, but these first few weeks go by so quickly and they change so rapidly, I want to capture it all.  This past weekend the girls turned 3 weeks old, and tomorrow they will be 4 weeks old already.  I’m so thankful that they are doing well, and they both have definite personalities already!

Rory

Rory

Morgan

Morgan

Morgan

They’ve also begun playing, and have started doing play growls, which are adorable!

I bought them enrichment toys, and we will be trying them out this weekend.  So there will be lots of pictures and videos as they are introduced to new toys and go outside for the first time.  Please come back to enjoy the fun!  And thank you to everyone who took time to comment about Melanie, it was very appreciated.

10 days old!

The puppies are doing well.  They are healthy and strong, and gaining weight.  Peyton is such an amazing Mom.  She’s very careful and gentle with her puppies, and watching her with them, you can see how much she loves them.  

I was on vacation for the last 10 days, and didn't get much done.  All I wanted to do each day was sit and watch Peyton and her girls.  There is something so peaceful about watching the puppies nurse and sleep. 

Now that they are 10 days old, their eyes will soon be open.  And once that happens, they soon begin exploring and playing.  We are already beginning to see glimmers of their developing personalities.

They grow so quickly, and seem to change overnight. So we are trying to enjoy every moment with them, and have been using the ENS exercises detailed in previous posts.

These girls are so tiny and so perfect, I can’t wait to see how they develop over the upcoming weeks!

Peyton updates!

I’m sure everyone is waiting for an update about Peyton and her puppies.  This past weekend we started to feel the puppies moving!  I’m spending a lot of my free time feeling them bump and stretch, their movements are getting stronger each day.  

Peyton doing FastCAT last year, as there won’t be any FastCAT for her this Summer!

On Monday Peyton has an appointment with her vet, so we can get an accurate puppy count.  Which is good, as we suddenly have a lot of people interested in the puppies.  I’ve been spending time communicating with the families, getting to know what they are looking for, and they all seem so nice.

And Wednesday is (most likely) the day the puppies will arrive!  It’s been hard waiting, but it also feels like the weeks have passed by in the blink of an eye.  Fingers crossed that Peyton has a quick and easy delivery of her puppies.

I thought it might be fun to share some “Peyton Facts.”

• Peyton’s pedigree includes some of the top collie kennels, and some of the top collies.  In her pedigree are collies from Marchello, Creekwood, Countryview, Kirkhaven, Pleasant Acre, Fantasy, Signet, Devinwood and Marnus.
• Peyton’s sire, Damit, GCHP Creekwood Lochlomun I’ll Be D’amned, ROM, FDC, was the 2025 CCA Best of Variety and Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed winner, and Best Veteran.  He was also the #1 collie in the country in 2020.  
• Peyton’s Great Granddam, Angel, CH Marchello’s On Angel’s Wings, was Winners Bitch/Best of Winners/Best Puppy at the 2000 CCA National.  And she was the #3 smooth in 2002, as well as winning Smooth Best of Variety and Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed at the 2002 CCA National.  And interestingly, Best of Breed at the 2002 CCA was CH Southland’s Bowen Island.  He is in Beckham’s pedigree, so Peyton’s puppies will have both the smooth and rough 2002 CCA winners in their pedigree. (Beckham is the sire of Peyton’s litter)
• Peyton, unlike most collies, enjoys the water.  Her littermates did as well, when they were puppies, not sure if this is still true.
• Peyton is very observant.  She recently noticed that her Aunt Sophie would ring the bells on the door to go outside.  Without any prompting from me, she started ringing the bells to go outside too!
• Peyton, like Scarlett, has a white spot on her nose.  This isn’t common in our line of collies, only two others had that white spot, and they were many generations back.  We love when the collies have that white spot, and can’t wait to see if any of her puppies will inherit it!
• When competing in FastCAT Peyton would chase the lure then stop part way and return to me or my daughter. We finally learned that she would only chase the lure if we asked a stranger to release her, and she knew we were waiting at the other end of the track.  She’s nothing, if not loyal to us!

We have 4 days until her due date, please check back for more updates!

The importance of Early Neurological Stimulation

 

There are many ways to raise a litter of puppies.  Some believe in letting nature take it’s course, allowing the mother to care for her puppies in the first few weeks.  Others follow a carefully regimented plan of care for raising puppies with no deviation.  We believe in providing a healthy diet, proper socialization and in following many of the established protocols of the Puppy Culture program.  

There has been a lot of discussion about the benefits of early neurological stimulation, or ENS.  According to research, starting ENS when puppies are 3 days old is important because this is when the period of rapid growth and development begins.  Between days 3 and 16, puppies experience a surge in brain development, which makes them highly receptive to the gentle manipulations of ENS.

The first step in ENS is to remove each puppy, individually, from the Mom, for up to 3 minutes. (No longer) As puppies cannot regulate their body temperature, they cuddle up against their Mom and/or littermates to stay warm.  By removing them for a very short time, they experience a slight drop in temperature.  This mild form of stress is enough to stimulate their hormonal, adrenal and pituitary systems.  When these same puppies are tested as adults, they were better able to withstand stress.  These individuals were also found to be more resistant to certain forms of cancer and infectious diseases.  According to the research, ENS is found to help dogs cope, adjust, and adapt to new or stressful situations as adults.

There are five additional exercises in the ENS program.  They are only performed once a day, and only for 3 - 5 seconds each.  The study advises that overstimulation of the nervous system can have a negative effect, so these should not be performed more than once a day, and for no longer than a few seconds.

The handler starts with one pup and stimulates it using each of the five exercises. The handler completes the series from beginning to end before starting with the next pup. The handling of each pup once per day involves the following exercises:

    1    Tactical stimulation (between toes)

    2    Head held erect

    3    Head pointed down

    4    Supine position

    5    Thermal stimulation

How to perform the exercises:

1 Tactile stimulation - holding the pup in one hand, the handler gently stimulates (tickles) the pup between the toes on any one foot using a Q-tip. It is not necessary to see that the pup is feeling the tickle. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds.

2 Head held erect - using both hands, the pup is held perpendicular to the ground, (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail. This is an upwards position. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds. 

3 Head pointed down - holding the pup firmly with both hands the head is reversed and is pointed downward so that it is pointing towards the ground. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds.

4 Supine position - hold the pup so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. The pup while on its back is allowed to sleep. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

5 Thermal stimulation—use a damp towel that has been cooled in a refrigerator for at least five minutes. Place the pup on the towel, feet down. Do not restrain it from moving. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

According to the research, these are 5 main benefits that have been observed in dogs that were exposed to the exercises:

1 Improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate)

2 Stronger heart beats

3 Stronger adrenal glands

4 More tolerance to stress

5 Greater resistance to disease

The research goes on to document additional findings.  They claim the puppies who have had gone through the ENS protocols are “more active and exploratory.”  They also claim that these puppies were able to navigate mazes with less stress and fewer errors.   Based on the results, following the ENS protocols can greatly improve a dog’s ability to adapt to new situations with less stress.  As the studies have been around a while now, and as the exercises have been successfully adopted by many dog breeders,  introducing ENS seems to lead to beneficial neurological development in puppies.  When raising puppies, we want to give them every advantage, helping them to become not only healthy and well socialized, but able to problem solve and handle stressful situations.  ENS seems to be the first step in raising happy, well adjusted puppies.  More to come…

(These puppies and their Mom are not our puppies.  My daughter whelps litters for other collie breeders, so I’m getting to spend time with these cuties while they are in her care.)

How do you choose?

Someone asked why we chose Beckham as the sire of our next litter.  There were a few reasons, all equally important.  First, we have been carefully developing our own line of collies.  Although not closely related, Beckham comes from the same lines as Peyton’s sire, Damit.  And Beckham is also the sire of our beautiful rough, Rosie, so his and Peyton’s puppies will tie our future pedigrees together.  So not only were we carefully planning this litter on paper, we wanted to choose a stud dog that produced healthy puppies with beautiful expressions and lovely coats.  Beckham was fully health tested, like Peyton, and also has his championship title.  

Peyton as a puppy 

We haven’t had a litter in so long, we kept delaying while we focused on earning titles with our collies.  But it was finally time, and after carefully researching pedigrees, looking at the results of the health testing  of possible stud dogs, we narrowed down our list to three stud dogs.  What made my final decision was Rosie herself.  I just love her sweet, beautiful expression and gentle temperament.  So we discussed this with Beckham’s owner, and she immediately agreed that it would be a lovely breeding.

I wasn’t sure if I was even going to share this news on our blog until after the puppies arrived. But we are so excited, I just couldn’t wait any longer.  Peyton is due around June 27th, so the countdown has begun, 25 days to go!  

On this short video you can see one of the puppy’s heart beating in the center of the video.

Down the Rabbit Hole I go…

Lately, I have been reviewing the pedigrees of our collies.  It started when I created pedigrees for our current collies, and I was looking back through the pedigrees of  the sires of our Addi, Rosie and ZuZu.  I can lose all track of time while researching all the collies that helped create our current generation, as I find it pretty fascinating.  This is a quiet time of year for us, as there aren’t many dog shows, and Winter weather limits our travels.  So researching collie history is a great way to fill the time during these long, cold, dark Winter days.  As I’m sure I will be writing many posts in the upcoming weeks on the subject, I thought I might begin by sharing one of my first blog posts, written back in May 2012.

I've written previous posts about how I traced our collies back through the generations to the first collies imported to America, and all the way beyond to the first collie, CH Trefoil.  And so to prove it, here is just one of the ways I can trace my collies back to these famous collies, as they can be traced back through many of the dogs in their pedigrees.

Our Abby, as a puppy

CH Marchello’s Seraphim Song, Abby (CH Signet’s Twice is Nice, ROM  x CH Marchello’s On Angel’s Wings)
CH Signet's Twice Is Nice, ROM (CH Marnus Golden Ruler, ROM x CH Signet's Hopelessly In Love, ROM)
CH Marnus Golden Ruler, ROM (CH Overland Everlasting II x Marnus Golden Rule)
CH Overland Everlasting II (CH Clouddawn's Grandeur Promise x CH Overland Imari)
CH Clouddawn's Grandeur Promise (CH Twin Creeks Grand Master x Clouddawn's Promise O' Twin Oaks)
CH Twin Creeks Grand Master (CH Twin Creeks Head Master x CH Twin Creeks C.O.D.)
CH Twin Creeks Head Master (Twin Creeks Post Master x CH Joius The Last Farewell)
Twin Creeks Post Master (CH Twin Creeks Post Script x CH Joius Amber Dream)***
CH Twin Creeks Post Script (Ch Twin Creeks True Grit x CH Twin Creeks Nitty Gritty)
Ch Twin Creeks True Grit (Ch Lochlomun's Interlock x CH Lee Aire's Amazing Grace)
Ch Lochlomun's Interlock (Ch Vi-Lee's Myster Mac x Lochlomun's N Lee Aire's Virgo)
Ch Vi-Lee's Myster Mac (Vi-Lee's Classic Contender x Vi-Lee's Tenth Thyme)
Vi-Lee's Classic Contender (CH Vi-Lee's Jubilant Jonathon x Vi-Lee's Jovial Jewell)
CH Vi-Lee's Jubilant Jonathon (Ch Vi-Lee's Redd Robbyn x Vi-Lee's Jeanne Belle)
Ch Vi-Lee's Redd Robbyn (Vi-Lee's Country Chipper x Bonneja's Trooper)
Vi-Lee's Country Chipper (Vi-Lee's Parading Chieftain x Vi-Lee's Tweedle O'Twill Parade)
Vi-Lee's Parading Chieftain (CH Silver Ho Shining Arrow x Lodestone Bandolieara II)
CH Silver Ho Shining Arrow (Honeybrook Big Parade x Silhouette of Silver Ho)
Honeybrook Big Parade (Ch Future of Arken x Honeybrook Helen)
Ch Future of Arken (Ch El Troubadour of Arken x Nymf of Arken)
Ch El Troubadour of Arken (El Capitaine of Arken x Gailly Arrayed of Arken)
El Capitaine of Arken (CH Eden Emerald x CH Halbury Jean)
CH Eden Emerald (CH Poplar Perfection x CH Eden Elenora)
CH Poplar Perfection (Ch Magnet x Pickwick Peeper)
Ch Magnet (Tonge Admiration x Southport Seal)****
Tonge Admiration (Clarksfield Superior x Clarksfield Countess)
Clarksfield Superior (CH Seedley Superior x countess of Clarksfield)
CH Seedley Superior (Seedley Squire x Seedley Constance)
Seedley Squire (CH Squire of Tytton x Southport Sissie)
CH Squire of Tytton (CH Balgreggie Baronet x Helle of Boston)
CH Balgreggie Baronet (CH Wishaw Clinker x Old Hall Duchess)
CH Wishaw Clinker (Heacham Galopin x Last Rose)
Heacham Galopin (Ormskirk Galopin x Wishaw Dolly)
Ormskirk Galopin (CH Ormskirk Emerald x CH Ormskirk Memoir)
CH Ormskirk Emerald (Heather Ralph x Aughton Bessie)
Heather Ralph (CH Stracathro Ralph x Apple Blossm Heather Ralph)
CH Stracathro Ralph (Ch Christopher x Stracathro Fancy)
CH Christopher (CH Metchley Wonder x Ch Peggie II)
CH Metchley Wonder (Sefton x Minnie)
Sefton (CH Charlemagne x CH Madge I)
Ch Charlemagne (Trefoil x Maude)

Trefoil


***It's through CH Joius Amber Dream that I can trace my collies back to the Sunnybank collies.

****Southport Seal is a dam, and this pedigree above only goes back through 40 generations, tail-male.  This doesn't even begin to cover all the collies that my own collies are related to through the bitches.

Southport Seal (Parbold Picador x Leyland Lucy)
Parbold Picador (Master Willie x Moss Hill Vera)
Master Willie (CH Anfield Model x Sweet Mary)
Ch Anfield Model (CH Parbold Piccolo x Bellfield Beauty)
CH Parbold Piccolo (CH Wellesbourne Conqueror x Parbold Pinafore)
CH Wellesbourne Conqueror (Wellesbourne Councillor x Wellesbourne Beauty)
Wellesbourne Councillor (CH Southport Perfection x Wellesbourne Chirstabelle)
Ch Southport Perfection (CH Edgbaston Marvel x Tabley Rose)
CH Edgbaston Marvel (Ch Christopher x Sweet Marie)

And this is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.  There are hundreds of other collies in our pedigree that I haven't begun to trace!

Trefoil, born in 1873, the ancestor of all collies

CH Charlemagne, born in 1879, a son of Trefoil

CH Metchley Wonder, born in 1886, grandson of CH Charlemagne

CH Christopher, born in 1887, son of Metchley Wonder.  All collies trace back to Christopher, and through him, back to Trefoil.

Finding a responsible dog breeder…

A friend and I were discussing Addi’s new championship title, and she remarked on how nice it is to see a collie with titles on both ends of her name.  This started me thinking, and gave me an idea for a new post about choosing a new puppy or dog breeder.  Thank you Anne for the inspiration!

I have always felt that both the prefix and suffix titles are equally important.  The CH, or Champion title, before a collie’s name proves they meet the breed standard.  Champions are collies that are not only beautiful, but are sound and have all the physical qualities and traits that make them suitable for reproducing the next generation of puppies.  But the championship title isn’t the only thing to consider, the titles at the other end of the name can be just as important when choosing to breed a dog, or purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder.

The titles at the end of a dog’s name are often overlooked, but can provide significant information about the dog, and also about her or his family line.  When you see that the collie has earned performance or working titles, it proves that the collie has the correct temperament and intelligence inherent to the breed.  If you are looking for a puppy that may excel in herding or obedience, then searching for a collie with those titles might be your first step.

In every dog breed you will see less than reputable individuals trying to sell litters on social media.  If you ask to see the puppies’ pedigrees, and they either don’t have one available, or if you see many generations listed in the pedigree without any titles, you may want to look elsewhere for your next puppy.  You should also check with the National club for that dog breed, to see what health testing they recommend, as it is different for each dog breed.  For the collie, you would check with the Collie Club of America, to see what tests they recommend.  If the breeder hasn’t done those tests before breeding their collies, we recommend looking for another breeder.  For collies, they should be tested for MDR1, PRA and DMS.  When all three tests have been performed, the OFA will give the collie a CHIC certification.

The first mission of the CHIC program is to provide recommended guidelines for health testing. If a dog has the required testing submitted to the OFA, it gains the “Canine Health” or CHIC certification, showing that all appropriate testing has been submitted to the public OFA databases. DNA testing results do not have to be clear/normal to obtain CHIC certification. The only implication is that all relevant breed screenings have been submitted. The dogs must also be identified permanently, via a microchip or a tattoo. In addition to the parents having their CHIC certification, collie puppies should also be seen and examined by a certified canine ophthalmologist, and a copy of the test results should be given to the new families.

When looking at the titles and health testing, you will also want to make sure the dog breeder is a member of the National club, as Collie Club of America members have to follow a code of ethics.  We also recommend that the breeder is a member of a local breed club as well, which shows they are actively involved in the breed.  Members of local breed clubs are typically the ones who are involved in hosting dog shows and trials, helping when a collie is in need of rescuing, and promoting the breed by educating the public.

There is a lot to consider when choosing a puppy from a responsible, ethical dog breeder.  Identifying these 4 things should assist you in choosing the right puppy for your family and for your lifestyle:

1) Titles, both the conformation title of champion or Grand Champion, and the performance/working titles found at the end of the dog’s name.

2) Health testing, all breeding dogs should have their CHIC certification from the OFA.  All puppies should be seen by a regular veterinarian and a certified canine ophthalmologist prior to being sold.

3) Membership - the breeder should be a member of both the National and local breed clubs.

4) And ideally, unless they are just starting out, the dog breeders should have earned the title of AKC Breeders of Merit.

It can be difficult to decide on one, specific breeder, but that relationship can be invaluable throughout the dog’s lifetime.  It’s important to choose the right breeder for your new puppy.  The breeder can be a reliable source of information about feeding, training and caring for your collie, and they are always happy to hear updates over the years.  We love seeing pictures of our collies with their new families, watching as they grow, learn new tricks, earn new titles,  celebrate birthdays and just enjoy their lives.  Hopefully this post, and the  others we’ve written, will help you find the preservation breeder that is just right for you.

Where have all the collies gone?

 Collies have this remarkable ability to make people smile.  When older people see a collie, the rough variety in particular, they are transported back to their younger years.  They often remark, “I always watched Lassie on Television, never missed an episode!”  Others will talk about going to the movies, to watch the old Lassie movies on the silver screen.  Some will tell us stories of their childhood collie, back when the collie breed was more popular.  Invariably they will say, “you never see collies anymore.”

It always makes me wonder, if people have such fond memories of collies, why aren’t they more popular? Is it that people don’t know how to find a collie rescue group or a reputable breeder?  I do know that there aren’t a lot of collies available through rescue, at least in comparison to other dog breeds.  This is due, in part, to not being one of the more currently popular breeds, so there aren’t as many litters produced each year.   Since there is a high demand, you will see a lot of advertisements for litters of yorkies, labs, goldens, French Bulldogs, and so on.  But I think it’s also because there is such a strong network among collie breeders that whenever a collie ends up in a shelter word goes out immediately, and the collie is pulled from the shelter.  The Collie Rescue Foundation’s motto is “all collies belong to you and me,” and this is a reflection of how collie owners and breeders feel about our breed. 

As for obtaining a collie puppy or adult from a reputable breeder, I’m beginning to think people just don’t know where to look. A couple years ago,  I was at a park with a couple of my smooth girls, and I was surprised to see a stranger enter with a blue Merle, smooth collie!  I didn’t know anyone else in my town had a smooth collie.  I immediately approached her to say hello, and we began talking about smooth collies.  As I know all the collie breeders in our State and surrounding areas, I asked her where she got her boy.  She told me she drove down to Tennessee to get him, as she couldn’t find any collie breeders up here!  I was shocked, as the East Coast in particular has always had more collie breeders than any other area of the country.  So why was it so difficult for her to find a reputable collie breeder?

Last week I was at a nearby pet supply store, which has a few do-it-yourself dog bathing stations.  I had my Scarlett in the tub, giving her a bath, and other customers kept stopping by to comment on her.  Some wanted to tell me she was beautiful, some couldn’t believe how good she was being, some wanted to know what kind of dog breed she was…and one couple wanted to talk “collies.”  They were long time collie owners, and were excited to see another collie.  They said they had an 8 month old collie puppy at home. I asked where they got him, and they named a town about 40 minutes away.  I knew of this breeder, and he wasn’t someone I would recommend.  He doesn’t health test, he doesn’t put any titles on his dogs and doesn’t belong to any breed clubs.  (I’ll get to why that is important in a moment.)  So how did this very nice couple end up getting a puppy from him?  He was the only collie breeder they could find!

Unfortunately, these type of dog breeders are the ones advertising their litters in local papers and on Craig’s list.  Both are sources that reputable breeders avoid, as they want to ensure their puppies end up in safe, loving homes.  So breeders who do not health test or title their dogs, or belong to collie clubs, are where the general public are finding their new puppies.  Health testing is important, as you don’t want to find yourself with a dog that has a genetically inherited (and preventable) health problem.  There is no way to predict all future health problems a dog may develop over his or her lifetime, no one can foresee every possibility, but this is a good place to start.   And a breeder that has titles on their dogs has proven a few things. One, their dogs have good conformation, meaning they meet the breed standard. Two, they have good temperaments and can compete in herding, obedience, agility, nose work, pet therapy, or many other sports and activities.  You can find these well bred dogs by looking for reputable dog breeders who have earned the AKC title, “Breeder of Merit.”  And finally, it’s important that a dog breeder is a member in good standing of their National Breed Club. Breeders who are members of the Collie Club of America have to adhere to a code of ethics that others do not.

There are resources for finding a reputable collie breeder, which I will share below.  I hope they will help aid others in finding their future collie, as they are out there, just waiting to meet you!

How to find a collie:

Collie rescue is always a great option, especially if you are looking for an adult collie. Here is a link for the Collie Rescue Foundation’s website: https://collierescuefoundation.org/   They have links to collie rescue groups all over the country on their website.

The Collie Club of America has district directors for different regions of the country.  They can often provide contact info for CCA collie breeders who have puppies available.  You can find the list of district directors here: https://collieclubofamerica.org/contacts.html

You can use AKC’s website to search for Breeders who have earned the title of “Breeder of Merit”  by clicking here: https://www.apps.akc.org/apps/breederofmerit/breederofmerit_list.cfm

You can try the breeder’s referral page on Colliesonline:

Breeders Directory

You can also reach out to your local collie specialty club, as they will know who has puppies, adults, or upcoming litters planned.  I don’t have a comprehensive list of local collie specialty clubs yet, but I may try to put one together.  You can usually find them by searching online for “local collie specialty clubs,” and many have Facebook pages (***I want to specify these are collie club pages, not Facebook groups) where they announce their upcoming shows and events.

***I do want to caution you against utilizing the various Facebook groups as your main source.  I have seen people recommending collie breeders with poor reputations or limited experience with the breed, and trying to convince others to buy their next puppy from these individuals.  While I do believe they mean well, this is not an ideal way to find a heritage breeder. 

Saying good-bye

 

 



Being a dog breeder is never easy.  You carefully plan, choosing the best stud dog for your bitch.  Sometimes there are difficulties, and you end up spending thousands to produce that highly desired litter.  And then even after all that time, planning and expense, you end up with either no puppies or a singleton.





 

 

 

You bring your puppy home, and you take turns sleeping in shifts for the first two weeks.  You don't dare leave that precious puppy alone for even a minute, because even the best dog mom can roll over and smother the tiny pup or accidently step on him and break a leg or worse.  So you grab a few hours of sleep when you can, and watch your pup grow.  You watch his eyes open, you watch him learn to walk and play.  You watch  him become confident and begin to explore his surroundings.

 



 

 

 

You wean him from his mother's milk to the best kibble you can buy.  You take him for whatever health checks are required for your breed, because you are a responsible, reputable breeder.  You socialize him, play with him, guide him and love him.

 

 

 

 

And then, no matter how perfect and adorable he is, if he isn't exactly what you need in continuing your line of collies...you have to let him go.  Because you know you can't keep them all.  So you choose the best home you can, and with pride in the beautiful puppy you have produced and sadness in your heart, you hug and kiss him good-bye. 

 

 

 

Today was little Tate's 3 month birthday.  And today Tate left us to live with his new mom, and his new collie brothers and sisters.  But he was sold on a co-ownership, so he will make appearances on the collie blog from time to time, so it isn't really good-bye.  But the house is so quiet without him, we sure miss our little man.

 

Breeders vs rescue

Depending on how active you are on certain social media websites, you may have read the story about a little sheltie and the battle over her fate.  The sheltie lived with her mom, who was also her breeder.  She was a show dog, but she was also her owner's beloved companion.  From what I have read so far, the sheltie was being cared for by a friend, while her mother was out of town.  While her friend was caring for the sheltie, she lost her, and it took a few days to locate her.

While people were looking for the lost sheltie, she was picked up by animal control as a stray.  And after the mandatory stray hold time was up, she was pulled from the shelter by a sheltie rescue.  It was at this time that the woman discovered that the sheltie was picked up by animal control, and when she contacted them, she was told the sheltie had already been released to a rescue.  Both the woman caring for the sheltie and her owner began contacting the rescue, and this is when the battle began.  The rescue refused to return the sheltie to her owner.  They demanded proof that the sheltie actually belonged to the owner, which she provided.  However, the rescue claimed that the AKC registration, pictures and veterinary records were not enough.  And even though the sheltie was microchipped, because the owner hadn't registered the microchip, the rescue continued to refuse to release the dog.

And ongoing legal battle began, with the rescue refusing at every turn to release the sheltie.  After months, a decision was finally reached by the courts.  Finally, on Wednesday, a judge ruled that the sheltie was to be immediately returned to her owner.  However, when the sheriff arrived to pick up the sheltie, the rescue refused to relinquish her.  They have been given five days to turn her over to the sheriff’s department, which means they have until Monday to produce the sheltie.  When I visited the rescue's Facebook page, I read that they are refusing to discuss the case, and they are tired of being harassed over this issue. 

Now, I cannot give enough praise to rescues and the people who tirelessly work to save the lives of dogs, cats and other animals.  But I have started seeing a trend where some rescue groups are demonizing all dog breeders.  This just is not fair, as reputable, ethical breeders genuinely care about the animals they breed.  We have our puppy buyers sign a written contract, in which the new owners promise to return the dog, at any age, to us if they cannot keep the animal.  Many dog breeders are members of their local breed clubs and they too work in rescue.  And they are involved with their chosen breed because of a deep love for that particular dog breed, they are not simply "in it for the money."  In fact most dog breeders barely break even, as every dollar from the sale of their puppies gets funneled back into the expense of caring for their dogs.  So when I read of a rescue group refusing to return a dog to its owner, just because the owner is involved in showing and breeding dogs, it breaks my heart.  Both the rescue groups and the dog breeders are involved with dogs because of their love of dogs, so shouldn’t everyone be working together?

Which brings me to my next story.  Two days ago a fellow collie breeder wrote a post about a smooth collie puppy that was surrendered to a shelter by his owner.  The owners left him there, along with his AKC registration papers.  A few of the collie breeders in the area of the shelter have contacted the staff, concerned that this could be a puppy from their kennel.  The shelter is refusing to let them know if they are listed on the registration as the puppy's breeders.  Even after someone explained to the staff that when a breeder sells a puppy it's with a contract, which states the puppy will be returned to the breeder and not surrendered to a shelter, the manager refused to cooperate.  The shelter manager said that it would be an issue between the breeder and the puppy's owner, and that it does not concern the shelter, and the breeders should contact the puppy's owners.  But if the staff will not release the name of the collie's breeder, then how is anyone supposed know if he is a puppy they bred, and thus contact the puppy's owners? 

It is very disheartening when people continue to vilify dog breeders, and refuse to work with breeders for the benefit of the dogs involved.  What do you think?  How should these two situations have been handled?

And just so this isn't only a sad post, here is a cute puppy belly!

Look what the wind blew in...

Two years ago today, following Hurricane Irene, three little puppies were born.  Two were little boys, and both were rough collies.  The third puppy was a little girl, and she was a smooth collie.  The first puppy born was larger than the other two and his sweet collie mother labored for a long time to whelp him, but he was stuck.  On the way to the animal hospital, while riding in the car, he was finally born, and so his name became Ryder. 

  

At the animal hospital his sister, Kori, and his brother, Luke were born.  Ryder and Kori stayed with their collie mother, Abby, and their Aunt Holly Collie.  Their human mom and sister decided to keep them both.  Luke, was deeply loved, but he had a job to do.  He went to live with a family who were grieving over the death of their beloved collie.  Luke is now the best friend of two little boys, who love him very much.

Kori (left) and Ryder (right)

Their 1st birthday, and the story of their birth

Happy 2nd Birthday Ryder, Kori and Luke!  You make us so happy, and we love you all very much!

Today Holly the happy collie had her surgery!  She is home and resting, with her paw wrapped in a pink bandage.

Collieday!

Yesterday was Mom's day off from work.  So we kept her day busy with our errands, so she wouldn't get bored!  BOL

First Scarlett had mom take her to the veterinarian, for her vaccines.  She has dog shows coming up, and needed to make sure she was well protected!  Our veterinarian loves us, and was so happy to see Scarlett!  Our vet is a very special lady, she even teaches a dog hanlding class once a month!  So we get to see her at class too!

Then Scarlett came home, to rest after her vaccines.  So I, Ryder, took mom to Petsmart to buy some more kibble!  I noticed we were getting low on our Blue Buffalo!  Then we went by her job, so mom could show me where she goes when she leaves me us.  I couldn't go inside, but two of her co-workers came out to meet me.  They loved me, of course!

We then went by my human sister's college, since she was done with her classes for the day.  She was so happy to see me waiting in the car for her!

We drove home, and then mom decided that Kori, Abby and Holly deserved to go somewhere too.  After they put their heads together, they decided to go to the dog park.  Mom kept telling them that it would be muddy, but they wouldn't listen!

They had a great time, but came back so muddy!  Their pretty white paws, a collies' pride and joy, were black!  But mom said that was nothing compared to the golden retriever, Sam, that they met at the park.  He was covered from nose to tail in black mud!  Now collies don't like to get dirty, we avoid it whenever possible.  Abby and Holly ran around at the park, but they avoided the large lakes puddles.  But Kori loved Sam so much that she ran with him - RIGHT THROUGH THE MUD PUDDLES! 

"What the Woof, Kori?  You should know better!"

"At least I didn't roll in the mud like Sam!  Give a girl a little credit!"

Even mom and our human sister came home muddy!  I wish I had gone to the park with them, but mom said she is very grateful I wasn't there!  She said with all my fur, I would have needed a bath after a visit to the mud pit park!  I guess I should be happy I didn't go, I'm not too crazy about baths!

Last evening we all took turns snuggling with mom on the couch.  So I think we did a great job filling her day with lots of collie fun!  We are counting the hours until the weekend, so we can begin our next adventure with mom!  What are your plans for the weekend?