For more than
40 years we have taken great pleasure in sharing our knowledge of
how the border collie dogs are used in the agriculture business. We
have been breeding and training what we refer to as the "Cadillac"
of herding dogs since the mid-60s. My fascination with the breed began
in 1946 when, as a 10-year-old boy, I saw a sheep-herding demonstration
at the International Dairy Exhibition in Indianapolis.
Our training
facilty has a 40 X 88 foot indoor arena that is ideal for training
border collie dogs. We can also partition off a 40 x 40 foot area
that works great for training border collie pups. Outside we have
a one-acre fenced area where the Border Collies can work livestock.
It's important
to have livestock on hand to begin training just about as soon as
the pups get out of the whelping box. Pups are started out on ducks
because ducks are slower and that gives the dog and handler more time
to work on problems. The breed was developed to herd sheep
and that is what they are happiest doing. But even with that inherent
instinct, the way a puppy is introduced to livestock is crucial. A
strict but mild manner of training produces the dedicated and gentle
herding animals we feel are important. If you spend 10 minutes a day
with them at the end of a year you'll have a dog that can earn his
keep. They will continue to improve for every additional 10 minutes
you work with them. A dog's disposition is extremely important, to
obtain that you have to study pedigrees and you have to study the
dogs.
~Jim Bob