On the Lamb/Robin Elliott

[junebugs]

Hello. I am considering getting a puppy from On the Lamb which is a working farm in CA run by Robin Elliott. I am not interested in herding personally but rather sport (casual agility) and hiking focused, but want to get a pup from working parents. I was wondering if anyone could share experiences and whether they consider this farm to reputable. They seem great, they health test, know their dogs well, etc. Feel free to PM if you prefer. Thanks.

[Journey]

Something tells me Robins dogs are all AKC registered, pretty sure she also works for AKC.  

[amc]

Robin started out many, many years ago in USBCHA/ABCA open field trialing and was quite successful with a number of very good dogs.  Since that time she's migrated to AKC herding and has developed a successful business model in Southern California.  I don't know her current dogs or breeding stock but I do know she understands what makes a good working dog.  Since you asked, I would say that I consider Robin "reputable" and based on my past knowledge I would expect her to be honest in her dealings.  She and I would disagree on AKC registration of working Border Collies but I understand that people make life choices based on their own needs and beliefs that may not be like mine.

As with any breeder, you should ask to meet the parents, see what their temperaments are like, and note the way in which they and the other dogs are kept.  And remember, regardless of health tests, contracts, etc., there is no such thing as a "Good Housekeeping" guarantee when you purchase a pup from anyone.

Good luck in your search, and don't forget that there are really nice Border Collies in rescue desperate for good homes. 

Take care,

Amy

[GentleLake]

Based on the ethics of the organization that founded these Boards (the now disbanded United States Border Collie Club) there is no such thing as a reputable breeder of border collies who breeds and/or registers with ACK. If you haven't already, please read the Read This First article that was recommended when you initially joined the Boards. (I haven't been able to link to it directly, but a link to it near the bottom of this page: https://boards.bordercollie.org/)

If you haven't already read it, you may find A Short History of the Border Collie and the AKC to be informative. A couple other worthwhile reads on Border Collie Politics also. Donald McCaig's The Dog Wars is a classic.

[D'Elle]

The Very First Thing I saw when I opened their website is "AKC Breeder Of Merit". This is an indication you should not get any puppy from this breeder.

[SS Cressa]

NM it took forever to load so I didn’t catch it. 

Edited May 14, 2020 by SS Cressa

[kaileyh]

A little bird told me she tried to Co-Own dogs in her herding program without permission or something along those lines. Not too sure of her breeding program.

[Broken Glass]

On 5/14/2020 at 12:21 PM, GentleLake said:

Based on the ethics of the organization that founded these Boards (the now disbanded United States Border Collie Club) there is no such thing as a reputable breeder of border collies who breed and/or register with ACK. If you haven't already, please read the Read This First article that was recommended when you initially joined the Boards. (I haven't been able to link to it directly, but a link to it near the bottom of this page: https://boards.bordercollie.org/)

If you haven't already read it, you may find A Short History of the Border Collie and the AKC to be informative. A couple other worthwhile reads on Border Collie Politics also. Donald McCaig's The Dog Wars is a classic.

Why was the United States Border Collie Club disbanded?

I didn’t know all this about AKC when I purchased Randy, but I am not breeding him anyway, in fact he is neutered. 

 

Broken Glass

[Sue R]

From this website's home page, All About Border Collies was originally established by the United States Border Collie Club, Inc. (USBCC) in January of 1999. The USBCC was dedicated to preserving the Border Collie as a working stock dog; opposing the showing, judging and breeding of Border Collies based on their appearance; promoting only careful breeding for the preservation of working ability and the avoidance of genetic defects; and helping Border Collie owners and the public generally to better understand and appreciate the traditional Border Collie, bred for work. This site was intended as a service to the public with these aims in mind. In the spring of 2016, the USBCC decided that the recently formed ABCA Health & Education Foundation, Inc. (HEF), was a better vehicle to accomplish these aims, and dissolved its corporate existence, transferring its assets to the HEF. The dog in the USBCC logo was adopted into the HEF logo, signifying the continuity of the two organizations' mission. Since then, this site has been privately maintained by Eileen Stein and Heather Nadelman.

[Broken Glass]

Thank you, Sue

[powerfulgazelle]

Wow, Sue, I had not been here regularly in that time period and missed that!  And, thank you, Eileen and Heather, for maintaining.  These boards are a tremendous resource.