Breeding

[Roxyluvsme13]

Why are you breeding Maggy..?

[bckrazy]

Why are you breeding Maggy..?

I second that. I'm not trying to critisize, I just want to know what assets she has (herding titles? health certs? temperament tests?) that makes her worth breeding, besides cuteness of course!

[Roxyluvsme13]

I second that. I'm not trying to critisize, I just want to know what assets she has (herding titles? health certs? temperament tests?) that makes her worth breeding, besides cuteness of course!

Yeah, I'm not trying to criticize either, just wondering as to if she's breed-worthy.

[Lori Jordan]

I really don't think it's about Breed worthy,My Breeder on which i purchased Maggy from hung his Jacket up.There has been lots of requests for the herding dogs,he just mentioned it to me she has good working lines in her,Now im not sure if i'm going too,But these dogs are amazing they have great temperment,there hard workers,(what these people want)Now i never said i was going to just something that has been run by me,And it is totally not up too me it will be my Husband,He don't work full time and i do.I really have no time and since he has been hurt,he can no longer work due to his condition..But if i was to go ahead it would not be to breed just to breed,I have done it before never had complaints im set up have a kennel have the room,have the money to get these dogs shots etc etc.I'm not irresponsible my dogs have only the best.

[Giselle]

I really don't think it's about Breed worthy,My Breeder on which i purchased Maggy from hung his Jacket up.There has been lots of requests for the herding dogs,he just mentioned it to me she has good working lines in her,Now im not sure if i'm going too,But these dogs are amazing they have great temperment,there hard workers,(what these people want)Now i never said i was going to just something that has been run by me,And it is totally not up too me it will be my Husband,He don't work full time and i do.I really have no time and since he has been hurt,he can no longer work due to his condition..But if i was to go ahead it would not be to breed just to breed,I have done it before never had complaints im set up have a kennel have the room,have the money to get these dogs shots etc etc.I'm not irresponsible my dogs have only the best.

Okay, I don't want to get emotional but I want to scream out of frustration and envy every time I hear of these "I guess I'm going to breed", "We're thinking about breeding but...", "I think I want to breed..." comments. The decision to bring numerous lives into this world should be well thought out and planned in advance!!!

People breed because they LOVE THEIR BREED. They do it out of pure passion! They dedicate their lives for the procreation of a breed that they have sacrificed everything for. When I hear comments like, "Yeah, I guess we're gonna breed her after the vet gives an okay", I want to scream because they're tricking themselves into a false sense of security. Just because you go through all the vet visits and your vet gives you an okay to breed, it DOES NOT give you a license to introduce new lives into an extremely overpopulated world.

Your vet is only there to secure the life of your dog. He does not care whether your dog is mixed, pure, titled, etc. He doesn't know what pedigree your dog came from. He doesn't know whether or not your dog is a carrier of genetic diseases. He can't give you his opinion on the ethics of your breeding plans. That's YOUR job. Quite frankly, I don't think many people realize the work and passion that is put into these breedings.

Why do I envy the aforementioned "breeders"? I envy them because they get to breed without going through any of the pains that I did. I spent countless hours simply studying the history of my breed, studying names that I've never heard of so that I may appreciate the modern Pekingese. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to drive to dog shows so that I may see which kennels were producing which dogs and which dogs were "type-y". I spent weeks and months understanding what type was! I envy those who can breed without going through the pains that I did. At the same time, I pity them because they are going to be blamed for the introduction of new lives that will very likely end up unwanted. And yet, despite all the labor that I went through, I still am not fit to breed.

*sigh* People... just leave breeding to those who are REALLY passionate about it and know what they're doing.

[bckrazy]

I completely agree with you, Sophie!!! Completely!

Lori Jordan, I'm not trying to be negative. I'm only honest with my concerns. I am in love with Border Collies. I have fostered a BC puppy, I have a BC, and I help out at BC Rescue events every summer. I see *countless* Border Collies who CAN work, who probably have good working lines, and who are sweet dogs, who die in shelters or cannot find a suitable working home because of the excess breeding of this breed. Please, for your dogs sake, at least get her hips tested and the same for the sire... hip dysplasia is running rampant in the breed, even in young dogs who seem ok. For a real working rancher, a dog with some working lines doesn't mean crap. If the dog does not work daily, has titles, has clearances, and is proven, the dog is not suitable for breeding - period. I've been around enough dedicated working dog people to know this as a fact. If you/your husband wants to breed her that badly, at least put fourth the effort to get her HIC and get her into herding lessons to prove her ability. I would never consider breeding a Border Collie unless they had exceptional drive, eye, and working ability, exceptional conformation, very biddable and a great temperament for the breed. Of course the necessary time, space & money is needed, but to breed healthy pups you need more than "shots". If everyone who could afford shots and a kennel bred their friendly dogs with "good lines", imagine the MILLIONS more homeless dogs that would be in this world. Gonzo is registered & has notable lines, has been through more herding & dog sports than your bitch has, and has decent conformation... does this mean I should've bypassed neutering him and bred him? No. Why? Only the best, of the best dogs need be bred when 4-6 million die every year. I do not consider him exceptional for his breed, at all. By exceptional I mean able to work all day, able to independently work livestock out of range of the handler, able to trial & take on unexpected events in training or on their own property, beautiful structure and excellent hips & elbows, superb, confident, loyal temperament that is called for in the breed, and superior intelligence that allows them to go from herding to flyball to obedience to hanging out with their family. Imagine if everyone just bred their dogs based on lineage. Sure, it's an indicator, but the only real indicator is working the dog yourself and proving she works like a Border Collie; which is most important in the breed, that they work like a BC should. If everyone bred based on lines alone and not working merit, how many dogs with poor drive (such as chasing instead of circling) would end up being bred, or dogs with no eye or dogs with very little drive at all? I also hope you'll be selling pet pups on spay/neuter & return contracts.

That is being honest & up front about the problems facing our country and what responsible dog owners NEED TO do about it, if it seems "negative", well, overpopulation and backyard breeding isn't exactly a positive thing.

[cloverfdx]

No never, i have no desire to add to the canine population.

I'd say yes we might be breeding Maggy in the spring

What working experience has Maggie had? having come from good working lines does not mean much.. My Elvis comes from some awesome working lines and does not work that well (Probably lack of time on my part aswell). There are so many wonderful working dogs being PTS every single day.

And then there are the people who are passionate about their working dogs and improving working ability, they put their hearts and souls into what they do.

If you are serious get out there and get Maggy working, go buy her a farm and then consider it .

[Vela]

I completely agree with you, Sophie!!! Completely!

Lori Jordan, I'm not trying to be negative. I'm only honest with my concerns. I am in love with Border Collies. I have fostered a BC puppy, I have a BC, and I help out at BC Rescue events every summer. I see *countless* Border Collies who CAN work, who probably have good working lines, and who are sweet dogs, who die in shelters or cannot find a suitable working home because of the excess breeding of this breed. Please, for your dogs sake, at least get her hips tested and the same for the sire... hip dysplasia is running rampant in the breed, even in young dogs who seem ok. For a real working rancher, a dog with some working lines doesn't mean crap. If the dog does not work daily, has titles, has clearances, and is proven, the dog is not suitable for breeding - period. I've been around enough dedicated working dog people to know this as a fact. If you/your husband wants to breed her that badly, at least put fourth the effort to get her HIC and get her into herding lessons to prove her ability. I would never consider breeding a Border Collie unless they had exceptional drive, eye, and working ability, exceptional conformation, very biddable and a great temperament for the breed. Of course the necessary time, space & money is needed, but to breed healthy pups you need more than "shots". If everyone who could afford shots and a kennel bred their friendly dogs with "good lines", imagine the MILLIONS more homeless dogs that would be in this world. Gonzo is registered & has notable lines, has been through more herding & dog sports than your bitch has, and has decent conformation... does this mean I should've bypassed neutering him and bred him? No. Why? Only the best, of the best dogs need be bred when 4-6 million die every year. I do not consider him exceptional for his breed, at all. By exceptional I mean able to work all day, able to independently work livestock out of range of the handler, able to trial & take on unexpected events in training or on their own property, beautiful structure and excellent hips & elbows, superb, confident, loyal temperament that is called for in the breed, and superior intelligence that allows them to go from herding to flyball to obedience to hanging out with their family. Imagine if everyone just bred their dogs based on lineage. Sure, it's an indicator, but the only real indicator is working the dog yourself and proving she works like a Border Collie; which is most important in the breed, that they work like a BC should. If everyone bred based on lines alone and not working merit, how many dogs with poor drive (such as chasing instead of circling) would end up being bred, or dogs with no eye or dogs with very little drive at all? I also hope you'll be selling pet pups on spay/neuter & return contracts.

That is being honest & up front about the problems facing our country and what responsible dog owners NEED TO do about it, if it seems "negative", well, overpopulation and backyard breeding isn't exactly a positive thing.

You voice this very well, and I agree with you, unfortuantely you are wasting your breath=(