Category Archives: Uncategorized

Oops confirmed …week 3, and Sue’s gone off her food. A 7-mo-old male isn’t supposed to be able to do such things …I thought (incautiously).

So, $#it happens! Unintended line breeding. At least it is nice Jenkins-McCloskey lines + a shot of Hutchinson. I was hoping for / needed a break. Not going to happen. Termination can impact future fertility, so I deal with it.

Stunning looking Fluff, by Caolan Byrne’s Jack out of Martin Feeney’s Meg, went to a new home on the Maine Coast (Blue Hill Bay) for Christmas. Fluff’s human companion is Tony is a retiree who still coaches football locally. He keeps in shape with the help of a series of border collies. Tony has had 3 rescue collies over the years and is indulging himself with a pup this time.

I turned down something over 20 people interested in Fluff before said yes to Tony. It has to be right, for all.

In an update from the trail, Tony reports Fluff is learning to ski with him, still on a lead until he can be sure of her recall, but what a happy life for Fluff! A person all her own to do things with. That’s what it is all about.

Not all my pups end up on working farms. A Christmas update from Julian on her Venti (Nel x Clwyd Bob):

“Just popping in to say Merry Christmas and give you an update on Venti! I can’t believe it’s already been a year since he came home with me.

We moved to Boston for school and he’s been thriving with a balance of hiking, playing with dog friends in the common, and frisbee. We get plenty of comments on his appearance and athleticism, but what I love most about him is how loyal and deeply intelligent he is. He just keeps getting better and better as he matures. Thank you for trusting me with him.”

Pups look so smart when they are washed up and groomed. Venti lives a dream life with Julian.

The last of the very special ‘Three Witches’, Witch #3, Willow (né Jill), is off to her new home with Brian, Meg & son Myles on Cape Cod. Brian and Meg are devoted dog people who recently lost their exceptional border collie, Cooper. Willow is going to work to fill the big gap left by Cooper.

I say yes less and less easily to new homes. But Brian & Meg made it easy to say ‘YES’ for Willow. They are just what I want for one of my working collies.

Witch #1, Faye, stays on a while with me. Witch #2, Annie, is with Nicholas, in MA.

The natural world is becoming emptier and duller.

Bernadette Cochrane’s Skye from Ireland has a new home with Vangie and Dave in New Hampshire. Dave recently retired from life around the world, and Skye is going to keep him young and fit at his home in the White Mountains.

Skye let Vangie & Dave know from the moment they arrived that she was going home with them.

First frozen collection from my top dog, 16 mo. old Pete, this past weekend. Beautiful, healthy 4 breeding doses (each with 150+ million post-thaw sperm).

Pete is everything I ever wanted in a dog. Perfect (for me)! Serious dog people who come to visit and see Pete in action are gob-smacked. Pete is what a ‘working’ collie should be, on and off the pitch.

Thank you James McCloskey (Nel) and Dewi Jenkins (Clwyd Bob). What a pairing!

Renowned sheep dog trainer, Katy Cropper, from Wales, did an interview with Robin McNaught. I thoroughly enjoyed the hour-long conversation and getting to know Katy, because we share similar views on training …and it is always nice to have positive reinforcement from someone as highly regarded as Katy.

I have sent the interview on to people who have taken pups from me here in the USA …for the same reasons it appealed to me. It reinforces and expands on things I have told them.

Like Katy and Robin, I spend a lot of time getting the dog – human fit right with pups. I love my dogs and our rapport is the basis of our training. Even if we are not working sheep, we are work on our relationship daily.

The dogs have to fit the culture / temperament of the farm and the rest of the pack. If a pup/dog is not going to fit, I try to take care of that early on, like Katy finding a better place for the dog/pup. As Aled Owen has said often, it generally isn’t the dog that is bad, but the fit. A dog that doesn’t work for me could be a star for someone else. And very every dog/pup deserves the best home possible.

Here is Katy’s interview with Robin. Thanks to both of you for making it and sharing it with the worldwide sheep dog community on YouTube.

Martha sent along a photo of very handsome Rain. What a life he has with Martha & Ed! A little bit of sheep and a lot of love.

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Martha also sent along a training video of Rain with Ed, ( I think ) just to let me know it isn’t all soft cushions for him. Rain has just the style I thought he would have: confident, calm and businesslike. Got to get the business done so he can get back to his soft cushions!

New year 2025 update from Martha:

This past weekend, I had breeding first: a returned puppy ...and thank the universe she was returned.

Sweet 5 month-old Jules came back to me after 2 weeks away in an unsuitable situation and a failed transition from life here on the farm. I put 40% of the blame on me for letting her go and 60% of the blame on her new owner for not protecting her and giving her a stable transition.

Working collies are highly intelligent and sensitive. Their breeding focuses on herding skills, so life inside the home can be a challenge.

I was not aware of the scope and scale of the household Jules was going to until the final minutes before her departure after papers and money had been exchanged. It was going to be a big transition, dependent up on her primary care taker to make it work.

The new owner was not up to the challenge to a working collie. Lesson learned for the next time(s) …take the re-homing process slow and get it right.

Happily, fate gave Jules a second chance. I’m so glad I got the call to take her back.

NICE TO HAVE YOU HOME JULES ! I’ll do better next time. Promise!