Breeding

Introduction

This page is meant for all kind of short writings about Shetland Sheepdogs and my thoughts about them. For now there are my breeding ethics and goals. Check back occasionally, as more stuff will be added when the mood strikes me.

Ethics

Every breeder has some guidelines which he or she follows. Here are some thoughts of mine considering the breeding, in the shape that they are at the moment.

Health

Breeding is no easy matter. It is not enough that the sire and the dam are good representatives of the breed, they also must complement each other. Even in the most carefully thought-out breeding some of the puppies may grow too big or become ill. There may be some surprises in the genotype of the dogs which will surface only after many generations. These might be for example different recessively inherited illnesses like PRA or EPI (the dysfunction of the pancreas). The breeder may not have a slightest idea that her lines are carrying those illnesses before it is already too late. The safest way is to breed dogs who are not close relatives and who are free of any known hereditary problems. This means that the dogs must be health checked regularly.

I think that more than just the breeding dogs should be health-checked. It tells a great deal if their brothers and sisters in other homes all have A/A hips, or if only one is checked, and that had D/C. The more checked the whole family is, the safer it is to breed, because then you know at least something of what you are going to get. The kennel database KoiraNet is a great help here. However, you notice fast when surfing the KoiraNet that most of the dogs have no tests done. The tests may be quite costly and the people who want just a pet puppy may not even know that they exist. I recommend strongly that all Sheltie owners test their pets at least for CEA and PRA when the dogs are mature. This test is quite cheap and it is also easily and fast done in the bigger clinics. More testing is of course better. To encourage the testing of my own puppies I repay a part of the purchasing price if the dogs' hips and eyes are checked after his first birthday, regardless of the result. Many other breeders who are concerned for their breed do the same thing.

Character

A healthy dog is not enjoyable if he is so shy that he hides beneath the furniture when someone is visiting or if he barks constantly in your home. The character of your pet is as important as his health, and even more important than some minor diagnoses which will not interact with your daily life in any way (for example CRD). The character is also somewhat hereditary and the puppies will learn a lot from their dam during the first eight weeks of their life. For this reason I try to only breed those dogs who sport a super temperament as well as health. This is not an easy task to accomplish, and I try to ask a lot of question when choosing a suitable stud. He should be happy and attentive to his owners, never shy, and easy to live with.

I hope that my puppies will find the most suitable homes for them. For this reason they are puppy tested before going to their new families. Puppy testing is a great tool for evaluating the puppy's strengths. Of course I learn to know them when they grow up, but a puppy test may tell things which will not show before the puppy is much older, even an adult. When people are, for example, looking for a serious agility partner, a puppy test can be really useful.

Looks

A breeder works with a breed, and this is quite obvious. It means that no matter how healthy the dog is or how enjoyable a character he has, he also must look like a representative of the said breed. A Shetland Sheepdog is originally a working dog, and that should not be forgotten. Even though he is small, he should be strong, fast and have a good stamina. His movement should be easy with an effortless gait. His back should be slightly longer than his height and his ribs should have room enough for strong lungs. This is the basic structure of a sheepdog who runs the whole day with his flock. It is also important in today's Shelties, even though they don't herd daily anymore.

Other important things in Shelties are the head, which is detailed faithfully in the breed standard, and the coat, which should be double layered to prevent the dog from freezing in the cold and from getting too hot in the summer. The coat needs some work to stay in top condition. If you want to become acquainted with the standard more closely, go here. Note that the American and the English standards are a bit different. In Finland Shelties are judged by the English standard. To compare my dogs with other Shelties I take them occasionally to conformation shows. In the shows the judges will give every dog a short written assessment highlighting his strenghts and weaknesses. You can find all the assessments our dogs have received on their own pages.

Goals

To sum up all that is said before, my goal is to breed healthy, happy and active Shelties which bring joy to their owners' lives and are able to be trained and to compete successfully in as well utility as conformation shows. To achieve this goal I choose carefully the dogs which will be used for breeding. They must be health-checked and they must have good temperaments. I follow and respect the requirements set by the the Finnish Kennel Club and the breed club considering breeding and the individuals used.