Breeding Philosophy
H. I. T.
Health... Instinct... Temperament...
Health... Instinct... Temperament...
- Health
Without good health a dog can not be a good pet or working dog; which makes health the most important part of my philosophy. My dogs are DNA tested before breeding to ensure I am not producing any totally preventable genetic conditions. Historically, due to the environmental factors contributing to hip dysplasia and it not being a cut and dry yes or no like DNA testing, I have not had OFAs on my list of breeding requirements but moving forward I am working towards getting all breeding dogs OFA'd. I keep in mind the untestable conditions which may have an inherited nature such as epilepsy, allergies, EPI, etc. and do my best to study pedigrees and keep them out of my kennel.
- Instinct
An instinct to work stock is something that all too often is overlooked by breeders of Border Collies. The working ability of the breed is what makes a Border Collie a Border Collie. The actual method of working in Border Collies varies wildly between individual dogs, but all breeding dogs at least have the natural ability to move stock in a quiet manner, display a willingness to work with the handler, and have enough confidence and bite to change the mind of a cantankerous animal.
Often these attributes are ingrained in the dog's temperament and bleed over into their day life. A dog that runs wildly on adrenaline, chasing and scattering stock* is often the same dog that has obsessive compulsive behaviors and can't settle down in pet life. Likewise the dog that works in a calm, quiet manner is typically the dog that is much more chill and has a more natural off switch in the house.
*Note-many working dogs do this as puppies and untrained. Once formal training on stock work takes place the dog should settle down and work in a calm fashion.
Often these attributes are ingrained in the dog's temperament and bleed over into their day life. A dog that runs wildly on adrenaline, chasing and scattering stock* is often the same dog that has obsessive compulsive behaviors and can't settle down in pet life. Likewise the dog that works in a calm, quiet manner is typically the dog that is much more chill and has a more natural off switch in the house.
*Note-many working dogs do this as puppies and untrained. Once formal training on stock work takes place the dog should settle down and work in a calm fashion.
- Temperament
The first hurdle a dog has to pass to enter into my breeding program or even to stay on my farm, is temperament. Without a good temperament a dog is usually at best, a nuisance, and at worst, downright dangerous. My dogs must not show aggression towards people and be at least tolerant of other dogs. They must be friendly, confident, willing to work with me, and have an off switch. They must have a stable mind with little to no anxiety or OCD type behaviors or reactivity.
All that said, every single thing on this list is influenced by training. I train and socialize my dogs properly so if these behaviors still show up there is at least some genetic predisposition to instability in the nature of that dog. Therefore such dogs do not enter into my breeding program. It doesn't mean that such a dog is a bad dog or won't do good in another home, but I am out to produce dogs that the average Border Collie owner can handle. I do not care to breed and produce dogs that have a bad temperament base and require a highly skilled trainer to maintain a proper mindset and live a healthy life. I am extremely picky about the temperament of my breeding dogs.
All that said, every single thing on this list is influenced by training. I train and socialize my dogs properly so if these behaviors still show up there is at least some genetic predisposition to instability in the nature of that dog. Therefore such dogs do not enter into my breeding program. It doesn't mean that such a dog is a bad dog or won't do good in another home, but I am out to produce dogs that the average Border Collie owner can handle. I do not care to breed and produce dogs that have a bad temperament base and require a highly skilled trainer to maintain a proper mindset and live a healthy life. I am extremely picky about the temperament of my breeding dogs.