OUR SHELTIES

Since we are trying to build out our line, we are placing a great deal of importance on the quality of shelties that we are willing to keep as foundations for our breeding program. We have no intention of really keeping any males until they are as good or better than the studs that are available for us to use; and we are very selective with the females we are willing to keep.

While talking dog with many well-intentioned breeders, we learned about the concept of "Breeding Up". The idea is that one must never keep a mediocre dog for breeding, but it is ok to keep a mediocre bitch. The logic behind this concept is that one can always breed the mediocre bitch up to a great sire and improve on her, as great sires are readily available.

Perhaps we're just naive, but we don't buy into that. Having a quality bitch is just as important, perhaps even more so, as breeding to a quality dog. A dam carries her pups, whelps them, and rears them. They contribute 50% of the genetic material that make up the final sheltie, but contribute 100% to the puppy's first experiences. Whelping is an undertaking more effectively performed by a sound bitch in good physical condition. Raising a litter of puppies is better done by a sound bitch with good temperament. Beautiful puppies generally do not have ugly dams, and if they do, they are more likely to produce ugly puppies in the future.

Because of our belief in the importance of a quality bitch, we do not keep 'brood bitches' or anything 'not quite finishable'. All our girls are either already finished, being actively shown or about to start showing because they're adolescents. We proudly post all our girls on our web page and allow visitors to visit with them.