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Up
Coming Breeding's 2009
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1-519-395-4355
AN OPEN LETTER TO A PUPPY BUYER
I’m an average sort of dog breeder, I guess. I have too many dogs, love
every one of them and wish I could have more. I spend more money on dog
shows in a year than I do on five year’s worth of clothes. My doctor
had been retired for three years before I found out, but my
veterinarian’s phone number is more familiar than my own. In fact when
he adds to his clinic, the new wing will be named in my honor. After
all, without my business he couldn’t afford to expand.
The popular term for a person like me is hobby breeder, but
I kind of
think that obsession describes it better. A hobby sounds like something
you pick up in your spare time, like stamps or ceramics, but dogs
aren’t a sometime thing. About this hobby breeder business though. It’s
probably called that because hobbies are usually something on which you
spend money rather than make it and boy does that describe dogs!
Oh, I know some people are bound to think, “Humph, with
the price of
purebred pups, some of those breeders are making a bundle!” But there’s
a saying in my hobby – that if you’re making money, you’re
not doing it
right. There are a lot of expenses like vet bills, BAER testing, OFA
testing, Thryroid testing, dog food, stud fees, tattooing,
microchipping, registration and advertising. If you start to think of
it as a business, you start trying to shave expenses and show a profit
– and the dogs suffer for it. So you think of it as a labour of love
and damn the expenses!
A TOP DOG FANTASY
Then why breed dogs at all? Maybe it’s because puppies are such pure
delights that to have a litter playing around the house is like living
in a Disney movie. Maybe it’s because I think my breed is so great that
I like to see other nice people enjoy their company too. Maybe, it’s
because this could be the litter that contains that one perfect pup
with all the special ingredients to become the best show dog ever.
Other women fantasize about being shipwrecked on a deserted island with
Burt Reynolds. In my own special fantasy, I’m being handed the Best in
Show Ribbon at New York City’s glamorous Westminster show while this
magnificent dog that I’ve bred stands in the spotlight and charms the
crowd with her poise and presence. Maybe that dog is in the next
litter.
So I breed a litter every now and then. Not too often, because
you
can’t run off to shows when you’ve got a litter of pups looking
to be
fed four times a day. They take a lot of time and work and don’t leave
you many spare moments. But I think they’re worth it.
“How can you bear to part with them?” people ask.
And truthfully, it
isn’t easy. The pups are born in a spare room and as they grow their
territory expands until they’re old enough to join the mainstream of
the rest of the household.
I get to watch each developing personality and to know each
one’s
nature. I watch them change from deaf, sightless, twitching blobs into
positive characters that explore their territory with the tenacity of
Cortez or Balboa. After eight weeks of constant companionship, I’m not
anxious to hand them over to just anyone. I really try to find the best
homes possible for my pups. That’s why I screen buyers.
AN “INVENTORY” OF LOVE
It all starts when they first call. Nothing irritates me more than
callers who begin as though they were connected to the order desk in an
auto parts supply store. “Hello. Is this the kennel?” Do you have
any
puppies and how much are they?”
Do you have any pups? Unless you still believe in the Stork
Delivery
Service, the question conjures up a picture of a stock department with
shelves of merchandise. Cold. I usually reply, “Yes, and the price for
you sir just went up $50.00.”
“I want a dog for my husband’s birthday. I’d
like a black and white
female who’ll be eight weeks old on April 23.” Sure, back to the
stock
room again where I’ll check under B for Black and F for female.
I often sound like don’t want to sell the pups. I tell
the people how
much exercise they require, how much they eat and remind them that
they’re not the quietest animals in the world. If they’re still
determined, I invite them out to my place to meet the gang.
It’s really a sort of trial by fire when they show up
at my home. First
they have to drive fifty kilometers or more to get to my place. The
dogs greet them with all due enthusiasm leaping and licking faces and
while I’m chatting away with the visitors, I’m watching for all
sorts
of little telltale things. Does one member of the family shrink back or
push a puppy away? Is one person wildly enthusiastic while the other
seems cold and disinterested? Does someone seem a little disturbed to
find a dog hair decorating his or her clothing? It could be that a pup
could be a bone of contention in the family.
Innocent words can be a warning. If someone remarks that they
hate to
see dogs ‘cooped up’ and think they should have their freedom, they’re
not likely to end up with one of my pups. I don’t want to see one of my
pups clobbered by a car while roaming the roadside, or choking on a
chicken bone from raided garbage.
One couple arrived at a our home while I was out in the back
yard
beating the bejabbers out of our living room rug. Standing in the midst
of a dense cloud of disrupted dust, I blithely remarked, “That’s
the
sort of dirt four furry feet can bring in.” I was exaggerating
slightly, since the dirt had actually been brought in by sixteen furry
feet, but the lady looked slightly aghast and murmured, “Well, we could
always keep the dog in the basement.” "No way!” I said; “I
sell dogs
for pets, not basements.”
SUITABLE CANDIDATES WELCOME
You know the kind of people I like?
-I like the ones who ask lots of questions, the ones who want
to see
all my dogs and the ones who ask if there are any books they can read
to learn more about the breed.
-I like the ones who ask me to suggest training classes or show
them
how to groom the dogs.
-I like the people who speak fondly of dogs they have had that
have
passed on, tell you of the clever things they did and show pictures
slightly tattered from much handling and perhaps a tear or two.
-Most of all, I like the people who will love the pups as much
as I
do...and that’s a tall order!
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TEMPERAMENT and GENETIC SOUNDNESS are our top priorities. Whether you are purchasing a collie for Show, Obedience, Therapy or as a Family Companion, we believe, it is most important that this new addition to your family should be of sound mind and body. It is for this reason that we take special care in the selection of our breeding stock.
As long-time breeders of Champion Show dogs, one of our main goals is the breeding of our collies for proper conformation and movement so that they may be competitive in the Show Ring. We feel, with careful planning and selective breeding, this can be done without the sacrificing of temperament and health.
We ensure that all our collies, to be used for breeding, are of a stable and loving temperament and that they are, to the best of our knowledge, free of genetic defects and disease. There is no exact science when it comes to genetics and breeding and even the most reputable breeder cannot say, with certainty, that there will never be that one puppy that will develop health issues. That is why we offer and stand behind our written guarantee.
All 'Glasgowhill' puppies, prior to their placement, have received all necessary health care, age appropriate vaccines and proper socialization since the day of their birth. We ensure, to the best of our ability, that they are free of any congenital or hereditary defect or disease. Each puppy is individually identified by either a tattoo or micro chip, and will be individually registered with the CKC.
Limited numbers of collies in our home allows the time to spend with everyone.Who needs carpet when the living room is littered with lounging collies .Puppies are raised in the house with lots of human contact crucial for imprinting and proper social behavior.
Our devotion and dedication to the collies that we have bred continues on throughout their lives. We are always available, to our puppy buyers, to answer any and all questions and to help deal with any concerns they may have.