Border collie coat genetics

[waffles]

There is a sports breeder near me who sells her Border Collies for $1000. I thought that was crazy.

 

I just can't imagine paying that for a dog whose parents do agility really well and have long flowing coats. Just does not make sense to me.

[mum24dog]

I keep hearing that BC breeders with lots of varying colors in their breeding program are to be avoided.

So what about the hobnob border collies? They have all sorts of colors and it almost seems to me that they breed for certain colors at times too.

They seem to strive for more of the sporty dogs rather then working, but nonetheless, still produce dogs with great temperaments and she cares for the puppies dearly.

 

Is she also considered to be one of those BC breeders to be avoided?

 

I've never heard of them, being from the UK, but not getting a dog from someone who is in any way concerned with appearance is good advice whether you want a working or a sport dog.

 

Appearance isn't important whatever you want to do with a dog.

 

I would never buy a dog from a breeder of any kind, especially just to compete in dog sports (which I do), but if anyone really wants to go down that line I'm definitely with those who say go to a working breeder.

 

However, I'm not as hard line as some and I don't think you'll be damned to hell if you go to a responsible sport breeder who has temperament, performance and health as their main breeding criteria, and who doesn't consider appearance as relevant at all (except for double merle combinations, of course).

 

But my views are those of someone in a country where good rescue dogs are quite easy to find and no journey is too long by North American standards. Plus we have an awful lot of BCs to choose from and working and sport types can exist side by side without the sport side having an adverse effect on the working side. Overlap comes when a sport breeder wants to back track a bit and inject some working blood back into the dogs they are producing - not to work, just to beef up performance. Why not go the whole hog and get a 100% worker if those qualities are so desirable I don't know, but nobody made me queen of the world yet so I can't control the decisions others made.

[Cumulus Cloud]

Thanks for the replies...

 

When I saw that hobnob charges 1500 for a puppy, my mouth dropped. Their parents don't even seem to have any worthy titles so why so much for a single puppy?!

 

Breeders these days.....

I also know a german shepherd breeder who sells their puppies for 3000. A PUPPY!!!

 

*shake my head*

[Rave]

Yeah I question the motivation of people who charge that much for puppies and are producing a very high number of litters each year. It can't be to improve the breed.

[mum24dog]

When I saw that hobnob charges 1500 for a puppy, my mouth dropped. Their parents

don't even seem to have any worthy titles so why so much for a single puppy?!

 

Because that's what some people with more money than sense will pay.

 

A dog is worth the price the market it is aimed at will stand.

 

I guess that there are plenty of people who think that paying £4000+ for a working dog is ridiculous too.

[Sue R]

Not that I am questioning the breeder, I respect them very much, I'm just wondering through all this complicated genetics.

I don't respect this breeder at all. Lots of good genetics in some of the dogs but the market is sport and pet, and the breeding reflects that. I have never heard anything positive about this breeder in the working Border Collie community outside of her (their) own associates. Enough said.

 

PS - And the same for Hobsnob, who was once a supporter of the working Border Collie but now produces a lot of high-priced pups for the AKC/sport/pet market (and that's where the money is).