‘Sleep of the Innocents’ after breakfast and 4 hr romp on a cold, wet Vermont morning.

Nel x Bran pups [4] in the big kennel. Gail pups Faye & Annie in the crate to the right. Jazz’s Julie behind right by herself. Gail’s pup Jill not in view.

Martha sent me an early October video of 4 month-old Rain working sheep with her son Ed. Rain has nice pace and calm, unlike my lot. Rain is a 3 on the power / intensity scale. Mine are 4’s and 5’s.

3’s are good for most small farm purposes. They are also better all around dogs, doubling as companions. 4’s and 5’s are pushy, intense dogs that require holding back, harder to train, and best suited to demanding work.

Martha writes of Rain:

“He is a beaut. And a perfect personality. Warm, sweet, diplomatic, and smart as a whip.”

Peter is the reason I chose to breed border collies …so I could my perfect match. Pete is everything I want in a dog.

Andrew has had Jess for less than a week. He was very kind to write to me this weekend to tell me how she was doing.

NB: Jess is ‘untrained’. This was her first time on sheep. The power of breeding and the right partnership!

7 month-old Jess is a quietly strong and capable female (daughter of a world champion) who was stymied by the ‘big bitches’ here on the farm, she’s just a 2 on the 5 point power/intensity scale. Jess needed a more singular relationship with a partner she could trust. She needed Andrew.

Jess actually ‘chose‘ Andrew & Stephanie when they arrived. Looks like Jess chose her new home / partner well !!

Llangwm Jess joins Andrew and Stephanie on their sheep farm in Pennsylvania today. Andrew & Steph drove all the way up thinking it was a different pup they would return home with, but the bond with 7 mo. old Jess was mutual and immediate.

Jess will be the only sheep dog on the farm …badly needed when Andrew’s old dog could no longer work.

My 11 year-old Llangwm Bryn, a dog I brought over from Wales as a pup, left us today. He was riddled with early onset arthritis (for the past 4 years). A fall a week ago resulted in an injury that made going on impossible. He could no longer walk and was in excruciating pain.

Bryn was the noblest and bravest of dogs. A perfect companion. Never any trouble. Always game. Smiling, smiling, smiling.

I will miss you my Bryn. Thank you for 11 years of happiness and delight.

Young Rain (né Bill) is off to his life on a working sheep farm here in Vermont.

Jett (brother of Nico and Rob) left today for his new life with Andrea and her family in New York State. Andrea is a passionate sporting events competitor with her 9 year-old dog Kody. Jett will train to be a future champion with Kody and Andrea.