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Breeding for work - another example


urge to herd
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I find the statement about show kelpies being misrepresented as working dogs most interesting. This is the potential fate of our breed. We already have a PR problem with ranchers and farmers, thanks to the irresponsible breeding and sale of pet Border Collies as potential working dogs. People buy these dogs, find them useless or worse than useless, and give up on the whole stockdog idea as not applicable to their operation - that Border Collies that trial are just "trick dogs" with no relevance to real stock work. When in fact the opposite is true.

 

Now there is a whole new generation of breeders that offer "champion" dogs with the kennel club "stamp of approval". Again, people who don't do their homework will be tricked into thinking these are representative of the breed. The dogs produced under that system, whatever they will be like (and the ones I've seen have had less than average dog common sense and just enough nuttiness to drive the average owner bonkers), will de facto become the representatives of the breed.

 

Can you say, "sheltie" - anyone? When was the last time anyone said, "Hey, I'm going to get a sheltie because I'm REALLY serious about working livestock"?

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This is quite relevant to the topic of the poem where a breeder's website is mentioned. She gives words to herding as work, but no "real work" proof of her dogs ability and is affiliated with AKC. There is a great discussion of this on another board also. Thank you Rebecca for adding your comments.

Caroline

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That was a fascinating page about the show versus working Kelpie. Too bad that same situation has been repeated over and over again as good working (or hunting, or other useful) breeds of dogs have become Kennel Club breeds.

 

I have attended both USBCHA trials and certain other venues that cater to breeds and lines of dogs that at not strictly working bred but are generally show or pet bred. The very thing that was discussed in the webpage is painfully obvious.

 

Thank you for posting this website. It summed up much of what will happen to the working Border Collie if dogs are bred for things other than the work - conformation, color, coat, pets, sports, etc. Fortunately, there are people who are working and breeding to preserve, improve, and prove the working Border Collie.

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That is a great page from a very comprehensive website. From an Australian perspective I would say that the working kelpie over here is a lot safer as a breed than the Border Collie. Most people still picture the working bred type when they hear the word kelpie. Breeders have taken enormous steps to ensure that the kelpie as it is will not be lost and are very proud of their heritage.

I think it also helps that there is such a clear definition between the 2 breeds by way of colour differences.

 

Most people over here, when they think Border Collie, think B&W show type appearance as they seem to be the majority and there are still many people that don't even know that 2 types of BC's exist. I often get the same comments regarding my 3.

 

1. What a beautiful BC (show bred)

2. That's a BC, right? (half show half working)

3. WOW, look at the way that dog moves, what is it? (working bred).

 

We were trying to count how many breeds in the world still, for the most part, are performing the function they were originally bred for...not many as we discovered.

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Zenotri, your comments on how people comment on your dogs makes me think of the response I get from people who see my dogs! Both of my dogs are from working lines, traditional black and white, medium silky coat, and lean with long noses.

 

A lot of folks who have or are familiar with the AKC conformation type of dog ask, "What kind of dog is that?" or sometimes "Is that dog part Border Collie?" Another comment has been, "I have never seen a Border Collie with a nose like that!" Sometimes, they even re-ask the question because, when I say they are purebred Border Collies, they don't believe their ears (and eyes).

 

Twice, men have insisted that they were part Greyhound! "You can tell by the build, they are so lean and long."

 

People who have grown up on farms with working Border Collies or who have dogs from working lines, have no problem identifying them as Border Collies.

 

I have finally adopted the technique of answering that they are purebred "working Border Collies". Some folks take this at face value, others ask what I mean (a good teaching opportunity), and others are still confused because they are sure the dogs can't really be Border Collies!

 

Then, when I say that these two smallish (male, 40#, and female, 35#) work cattle, these same folks (who don't believe I know what I am talking about when I say they are Border Collies) are sure that I am just plain crazy!!!

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great article and very intresting to see that Kelpies have pretty much exactly the same problem as Border Collies.

 

I know with Happy and Misty, everyone can easily indentify Happy has a Border Collie, her sir is show bred, or dam is working bred, and she is sport bred lol she tends to get a lot of praise from all 3 crowds lol well more from the sport and working crowds then the show crowds because of her build she is VERY light boned and looks super skinny, even though she is porky right now. more often then, working people see her and admire her style. but anyone on the street can intedify her as a border collie. Misty is another story lol she is only 18" tall, s smooth coat, prick eared, split face. Misty was bred for herding cattle but her lines only one generation back from her parents are bred for sheep, and are winning trial dogs. on the street nobody pins her as a purbred BC I regularly get "she is gorgous! sheperd mixed with what?" uhhh, she is a purbred border collie *shocked looks here* lol but because Misty is only in working mode at the sight of stock, and Happy is always in working mode, Happy tends to get a lot more intrest about her then Misty does lol Misty gets all the "pretty" comments from everybody exept show people for obvious reasons lol

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I have two Yorkies at 6lbs and 8lbs. My aunt visiting from England patiently explained to me that real Yorkies looked like them but weighed about 40lbs and chased rats in the mines. Apparently I have relatives in Wales with proper Yorkies who earn their keep. My little dogs could get beaten up by field mice.

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LOL Bounce bite your tongue.... Chicwawwa( sp dh hide my dictonary again so spelled like it sounds) will take on and win fights with bigger dogs and with people. I know a 6-8lb Maltese that runs a whole househole including the lab ( 80lb). Her sister the 12lb has no clue she is the size of the Rottie's head that she is charging. So don't count the little guys out.... Just think they can get into the hole that much farther to ferret out the varmit. :rolleyes:

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