WHAT DO I BREED TOWARDS?

My goal is to breed versatile, healthy Border Collies. While there may be some variations in goals across different litters, the ultimate objective remains consistent: to aim for strong, healthy, well-balanced, and courageous Border Collies. Being a versatile breed, Border Collies exhibit individual differences, but the overarching aim is to breed dogs that excel in various sports. I hold a deep affection for this breed and am committed to doing everything within my power to nurture and enhance its qualities.

I desire my Border Collies to possess a resilient nature, capable of enduring moderate pressure from the handler without getting stressed. While I do not breed for overly sensitive Border Collies, it is essential to acknowledge that a certain degree of sensitivity is inherent in this breed, and it should not be entirely eliminated.

Good nerves is the paramount focus of my breeding goals, ensuring that the dog can live normal everyday life even when there may not be so much training around. I firmly believe that a dog can effortlessly adapt to daily life, even if it has great power for sports. Attaining a strong on-off switch is an incredibly vital characteristic, although I acknowledge training also plays a role in there.

I never breed for looks, but I appreciate dogs that possess a balanced, tough, and agile appearance. I don't want to breed towards any extremes and hope that my puppies will be normal looking basic dogs without anything exaggerated. We should strive to stay true to the breed's origins. (Like Wiston Cap and Old Hemp.) Balanced structure will help the dog in the long run and will manifest as beautiful jumping technique, fast turns and powerful working ability. Dog must be nice to look at and it's movement needs to be effortless and beautiful.

I think it is crucial to preserve natural instinct in border collies, even tough I don't breed towards pure herding lines. Both my dogs have herding line ancestry and all my breeding dogs will be tested on sheep at least once. 

I love dogs that are greedy for food and have strong play drive. It is my sincere hope that my puppies will possess and inherent eagerness to work with their people, embodying the true spirit of Border Collies. Always ready to play! A high prey drive holds huge significance as it greatly contributes to success in various sports.

CHOOSING THE PARENTS

Every dog I select for breeding undergoes meticulous scrutiny and thorough health testing. All of my breeding dogs have their hips, shoulders, and eyes evaluated at the minimum, and often additional tests, such as spinal evaluations. All of my breeding bitches will have spinal evaluation both as puppies (unofficial) and later on as adults (official). I refrain from using dogs for breeding if there in imminent risk for OCD or epilepsy. All my breeding plans are and will be thoroughly calculated to minimize risk for any known health issues for the breed. Dog breeding is never risk free, but I try to do my best with the knowledge and abilities I have. 

I am dedicated to acquiring comprehensive knowledge about the pedigrees, hereditary diseases, and potential risks associated with breeding my dogs. To facilitate this, I have created a detailed Sheets- chart encompassing all available health information regarding my breeding dogs and their relatives. However, it is essential to understand that not all information may be accessible, and it is impossible to possess complete health data for every dog. Despite my regular checks on the health results of my breeding dog's relatives, the chart may not always be up to date, resulting in occasional minor inaccuracies. If you happen to possess knowledge of any health risks concerning my breeding dogs that are not listed in the provided format, I kindly request you to inform me so that I can address the situation promptly. Sharing information is of utmost importance for breeders to make informed breeding choices, and I hope that other breeders can also benefit from the information I have collected.

My goal is to use only balanced and cooperative dogs for breeding. I prioritize breeding dogs that have proven themselves in at least one sport, although I don't necessarily require them to actively compete. I place trust in the owners' descriptions of their dogs. It's important to note that a good stud may not always excel in competitions, and the best competition dogs may not always make the best studs. The nature the puppies will inherit is unpredictable, making it impossible to guarantee specific outcomes from a litter. Therefore, I never make promises that my puppies will become future sports stars.

I aim to use dogs that possess strong character and can overcome obstacles. It is crucial to me that the dogs have a high drive and can handle distractions effectively. I highly value dogs that exhibit ease in everyday life, knowing that training is just small part of dogs life. Furthermore, dogs that are not sensitive to sounds or surfaces are of great importance to me. I never breed dogs that struggle to face thing that are part or every day living. 

I cherish diversity in my breeding program as I am not inclined towards extensive inbreeding. I try my best to prevent certain dogs repeating in the lineage. Unfortunately, there tends to be a considerable amount of repeating dogs within many Border Collie lines. While using certain dogs with numerous offspring can contribute to predictability, overusing the same lines in rarely necessary.

I try to avoid using studs that have already sired more than three litters or that are planned to be used a lot. I might consider a stud with multiple litters if everything else checks out and I'm sure they can benefit my breeding program. While I certainly value the production of healthy offspring, I do not feel compelled to rely on "trending studs" in my breeding program. Instead, I prefer to work with inexperienced males over dogs that have already fathered many litters. Furthermore, I never breed dogs that are under three years old, typically favoring older males for breeding. 

I consider it of utmost importance that dogs are able to breed naturally, without excessive human intervention. While the female can be securely held during mating to ensure the safety of the male, I firmly believe in minimizing assistance throughout the process, even if both dogs are breeding for the first time. I'm against any form of coercion or excessive interference when the goal is to produce a litter. The female is only introduced to the male during the appropriate days, and if things are not progressing as expected, the plans can be postponed, tried again later, or an alternative stud can be considered. I firmly believe that no combination is worth forcing, as I trust that nature will guide us if the pairing is not suitable.