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 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.