SuomeksiBREEDING ETHICS
We all have different views about the perfect Border Collie depending on what suits our personality best and how we interpret the breed standard. Even though those views might differ a lot there are many things that we can learn from each other. I do not mean that we should change our opinions of the perfect Border Collie but I wish that we could free our minds and get rid of the prejudice. I do not think it is very wise to judge a dog by the way he looks or by the line he is from. Being from a certain line does not automatically make a dog "bad", or "good" for that matter, and I think it is a great shame that people sometimes seem to think so. Frankly, I think that those who keep criticizing other people's dogs or breeding are being naive and cannot possibly be perfectly happy with their own situation. If you have a great dog, may be even perfect in your opinion, be happy about that. If other dogs are different it does not mean they are worse than yours, they might be perfect for someone else!
My "Perfect" Border Collie
My ideal of a Border Collie is based on things that are most important to me in a dog that I work with. My view has also developed after meeting Border Collies with different ways of working, different kind of pedigrees etc. My goal is to breed versatile Border Collies willing and able to do many different sports.
As far as I am concerned, a Border Collie needs to be physically and mentally strong. He has a structure and health that gives him the ability to jump high up, run fast and keep on going for hours. He is humble to his handler but will not stop working under pressure. He can fight for what he wants and will not give in easily. He can stand a lot of disturbance and will not react to gunshots or other loud noises. If he is frightened by something he recovers fast. He can handle different situations and is friendly towards people. He knows when the work is done and is able to relax. He can do the job he was ment to do - herd sheep. Looks is of less importance to me but I do prefer a dog to look like a Border Collie and fill the requirements of the breed standard. The beauty of a Border Collie is not in the way he carries his ears, the length of his coat or the colour of his eyes but in the way he moves and works.
Choosing breeding stock
I put temperament and health above everything else in breeding a Border Collie. A dog can be extremely beautiful or work amazingly well but if he is not healthy there is not much he can give to our breed, the sad thing is that you cannot select only certain qualities to be passed on to the next generation. Also if a dog is perfectly healthy and beautiful but does not work the way I would like the puppies to work I would not choose him to be the father of my litter. How well the perfect dog passes on his perfect qualities to his offspring is another question.
Temperament
After doing several different dog sports it is obvious to me that there are a lot of qualities required from a good, versatile working dog (by working I mean doing working trials, obedience, herding...).
I want a dog to already be motivated when we start to work, I do not want to spend an enormous time to get my dog to the right "mood". I want the dog to have a strong fight drive, this makes training a lot easier and tells about the dog's persistance in both physically and mentally demanding situations. Being able to concentrate on the job is important, too. If the dog can work well in familiar surroundings but is overly stressed of working in a strange place he might never be succesful in trials. Poor training can be a reason for this but it might as well have something to do with nervous system. Nervous system is tested for example in working trials and character tests and those results can tell far more about the dog than obedience and agility results. I believe that it is difficult to get dogs with poor nervous system to succeed in the very top of these sports but it is not impossible for an experienced handler.
I want to be able to see the dog's reaction to gunshots if I am interested in using him in breeding, even though he had passed the character test. Personally I do not put that much weight on character test's gunshot sequence after seeing dogs that loose the ability to continue working after hearing shots (one of these being my Sinna), pass the test. In character test they do not test whether the dog is able to work after those shots. Only extreme cases of gunshy dogs do not pass this test. In working trials, however, the dog is expected to continue working after the shots. When considering a herding dog in breeding a perfect situation for a gunshot test is when the dog is working sheep, the dog should keep on working after the gunshots.
The parents' titles are not passed on to the puppies but I do appreciate some sports results from dogs that are used in my breeding. No results at all does not mean there is something wrong with the dog but I want to have some proof that the dog can work in different situations. In addition, the owner of a pet dog will not be able to tell as much about his dog as the owner of a sportsdog can.
Health
In Finland the number of medical examinations done on Border Collies is high and it is quite easy to get to know a lot not just about a dog but also his relatives. I examine the medical results of the dog I am interested in, his parents and litter mates and possible offspring and all other relatives that I can find. I think it is not only hips we should have examined but also the elbow joints. Problems with in the front legs can be much more disabling for a working dog than mild cases of HD. Examining the eyes for CEA, PRA, HC etc, is, of course, a very important thing. I think it is not enough to test only the breeding stock, whole litters should be tested to get informative results.
Testing the puppies
Eyewitness puppies are tested in different situations before they leave to their new homes. The puppies live in a room in the middle of our house where they have a lot of room to practise playing and move around. The puppies get to see many different people and be handled by them. As soon as they start to walk around they get to go out in the garden. I let the puppies run free as much as they want from early on and let them play in the garden. I do not want to be too protective over the puppies even when they are small, a healthy puppy will not be harmed by meeting strange people or playing in the garden. If there is something wrong with the puppy, if he is weak in some way, I'd rather find it out myself than let the future owner have a puppy who is sick all the time.
I want to see myself how the puppies react to strange situations, loud noises and gunshots. The first times the puppies hear shots they are with their mother. Once the mother does not react to the sound the puppies won't either (unless there is something wrong with the puppies' nervous system). If a puppy did react to gunshots the puppy would not go to an owner who is interested in Working Trials and the owner would be informed. The mother is the most important example for the puppies and that's why it is extremely important for me to only breed with kind, healthy bitches with strong nerve structure.
The puppies get to spend time also with other adult dogs before they live to their new homes. I think that puppies can learn a lot of doggy language before they turn 7 weeks and it is important to give them good experiences. They learn how to approach adult dogs and rely on themselves to be able to handle these situations. Living in a big pack is natural for the puppies already when they go to their new homes.
A puppy test is done on Eyewitness puppies at the age of 6-7 weeks. Test is done by a person unfamiliar to the puppies. The results help me decide what kind of homes the puppies need. I am also able to tell more about the puppies to their new owners and give them advice on how to train with that particular puppy. Puppies are tested for co-operation, sound sensitivity, recovering from scary situations, ability to learn new things, dominance etc.
I have all my breeding stock hip and elbow scored and screened for eyediseases both as puppy and adult. Eyewitness litters are officially screened for CEA at about 7 weeks of age and the owners are recommended to have their dogs hip and elbow scored.
I intend to publish all health records of my dogs and Eyewitness puppies. Even though it hurts to get bad news it is always best to let the information out. Nothing good will come out of hiding things, that way many will get hurt.
Selecting the owners
Giving the puppy the right kind of home is just as difficult as making the right decisions in breeding. It is important that a sensitive puppy does not go to a loud owner with a quick temper. Also I would not like to have a very dominant puppy go to a person who that is very quiet and "too" kind.
I think that every Border Collie puppy deserves a home where he is loved, well fed and taken care of, but also a home where he is provided with enough work, whatever it is. I do not expect everyone to compete and succeed, I just want all puppies to be able to waste their endless energy on something useful. A Border Collie (like any other dog) should be able to get to run free everyday, that is the best kind of exercise.
I am very interested in the puppies development and want to stay in touch with the owners for the dog's whole life. That's why it is important that I get along with the owners and they feel they can get in touch with me whenever they feel like it. I invite all owners and their dogs to a training weekend a couple times a year, it is nice to see all the owners and compare how the puppies have developed.
All Eyewitness puppies leave for their new homes with a booklet containing information and advice about feeding, healthcare, training etc. I recommend all owners to take their puppies to see as many different places, people and dogs as possible when the puppy is small, early socialization is extremely important. It has been said that an undersocialiced dog is more dangerous than a wild animal.
The advice and tips the new owners get about (obedience etc.) training is just that, advice and tips. I do not expect everyone to train the way I do. I like to help the owners to find their own way of training and the kind of training group where they feel comfortable.
One of the most important thing I want a puppy to learn from the beginning is to relax in between training sessions. I like my dogs well motivated and keen when working and calm when the work is done. When teaching new things to a puppy I want the puppy's level of stress to be quite low. I teach the puppy to concentrate and do punctual work from the very beginning. That does not mean that the puppy does not have a great time, not at all. I just want to teach the puppy to do things correctly from the very beginning and make that fun. The practises are always very short and the puppy gets well rewarded. In the beginning of teaching for example heelwork I like to use tidbits to calm down the puppy and make it easier for him to concentrate. In some sequences like recall I do use a toy as a reward from the very beginning.
In conclusion
I have found out that there is no way you can ever please everyone. No matter what kind of choices you make in breeding or training, there is always someone who does not like what you do for one reason or another. I want to do my best to breed dogs who make their owners happy, and find each puppy a home where he can live a happy, active life.
I am always interested in making new contacts all over the world, feel free to get in touch!
jenni(at)leinolaw.fi
