Buying a Puppy

You need to know as much as possible about the parents. If the stud dog is not available to be seen then you should be given contact details for the owner so you can either go to see it or find out more about it.

There are more genes influencing the litter than just the parents and grandparents; uncles and aunts also contribute to the gene pool, so information on the ancestors will help you have a better picture of the type of puppy you will be taking home with you. If you are buying a registered puppy it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are buying from compatible lines. The breeder should be able to show you the breed lines and even if you don’t know the dogs in the ancestry you will be able to see if one dog or bitch has been used too much causing inbreeding.

As custodians of this remarkable breed we must think very carefully about what the future holds for it, as we may be in danger of losing the quality of breeding our ancestors have provided for us over the past century. A quality that is as precious as the very air this magnificent breed breathes if it is to retain its wonderful qualities.

The collie we all know and love is a sheepdog, this is what it was bred to do. Years of developing that wonderful brain, enabling these dogs to work on their own initiative, to solve problems and to give their all for man can be destroyed by careless, thoughtless breeding in a few very short years. A well bred working dog is also a wonderful companion and soul-mate.