BOB MENTZ AND LACY'S MERLIN
THOUGHT PROVOKING TIMELESS WORDS OF WISDOM
DESIDERATA GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. AS FAR as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. SPEAK your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. AVOID loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit. IF you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. ENJOY your achievements as well as your plans. KEEP interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. EXERCISE caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. BUT let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. BE yourself! ESPECIALLY, do not feign affection! NEITHER be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. TAKE kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth! NURTURE strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. BUT do not distress yourself with imaginings. MANY fears are born of fatique and loniliness. BEYOND a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. YOU are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. AND whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. THEREFORE be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations! IN the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. WITH all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams it is still a beautiful world! BE cheerful! STRIVE TO BE HAPPY!
SERENITY PRAYER
GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE, THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN, THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!
TWO DAYS TWO DAYS There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept from fear and apprehension. One of these days is yesterday, with it's mistakes and cares, it's faults and blunders, it's aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is beyond recall. The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow, with it's possible adversities, it's burdens, it's large promises, and perhaps its poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn. This leaves only one day - today. Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burden of those two awful eternity's, yesterday and tomorrow, that we break down. It is not the experience of today that drives us mad. It is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday or the dread of what tomorrow may bring. Let us therefore do our best to live but one day at a time.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE BORDER COLLIE by Dr. Karen T. Lacy The border collie is not only the most versatile breed in function, but also in it’s appearance! The border collie breed has two coat types, which are smooth-coated (short) and rough-coated (long). The various colors found in the breed are: black and white, black and white with tan (black\white tri colored), red and white, and red and white with tan (red\white tri), blue and red merles, and blue colored border collies. The various ear sets found in the different individual border collies are prick (German Shepherd-like), collie tip (erect and tipped to the front at the ends), 3\4 drop to the front, fly away (up and out to the sides), and they can have one ear up and one ear down. Their eyes are generally brown ranging from light to dark, with red dogs having amber colored eyes! Likewise, border collies can have one or both eyes blue, or just a fleck of blue in one or both eyes, and from the herding standpoint this is considered fine, since some top winning trial dogs have had one or more blue eyes or a fleck of blue in one or both eyes. border collie markings also enjoy a wide-range of types. When it comes to white or tan markings the variations are endless ranging from a predominantly solid colored body with very little white markings to a white body with black or red markings. Facial markings vary from a white blaze up the face, a white snip on the end of the nose, a 1\2 white head to an all white head. However, the classical markings are a solid body color with a full white blaze up the nose, a full white collar around the neck, four white legs, and a white tip on the tail, however this look is not the rule by any means, because as I've already mentioned the coat types, color and markings, ear sets, and eye color variations can boggle the imagination. This statement holds true for the size of border collies, which can range in height from 18" to 23 with an average of 20", and their weight can range from 30 to 75 pounds with an average of 40 to 45 pounds. Needless to say, with the wide-range of physical characteristics found in the border collie breed, that there are people, who mistake them for a mixed breed of dog. However, people who know the breed will invariably recognize them from their willing attitude and overall attentiveness. In fact, one need only be around a well-bred and well-trained border collie a short while before they'll notice how acutely aware the dog is of his or her surroundings, and whatever task is at hand. At the same time, they will also notice the border collie's tendency to crouch or creep when focusing on livestock or an object, which has caught their attention at the moment. Border collie owners, who appreciate the dog's instinctive herding abilities, biddable nature, and unsurpassed intelligence in the canine world often quote the appropriate mottos illustrative of the well-bred working\companion border collie, which states that they were bred for FUNCTION NOT FORM OR BRAINS NOT BEAUTY. These mottos in the herding world of border collies are relatively true to the origin and purpose of the border collie breed. A type of herding dog developed in the mid 19th century by shepherds and farmers in the border country between England and Scotland, hence the origin of the "border" part of their name, while the "collie" part comes from the fact, that it means working in gaelic! These shepherds began with the dogs that were available, who demonstrated the herding characteristics they were seeking, and from this humble beginning they continued to breed selectively for the herding qualities they desired. And today conscientious breeders of herding border collies continue to refine the qualities that are necessary for them to be efficient farm and or competitive trial dogs. Three of the most crucial qualities, that make the border collie, a supreme herding dog are the hypnotic eye or simply "the eye" which is it's ability to stare intently at the livestock until it or the group submits to the dog's will (presence), a natural outrun, which compels the dog to leave the handler's side running either clockwise or counter-clockwise to the opposite side of the livestock, where they then commence to fetch them to the handler, and the depth of heart, which gives birth to a confidence and biddable nature, and this is what enables the border collie to have the courage to standup to difficult livestock, while obediently honoring their handler's verbal or whistle commands. These are the most profound of the herding characteristics sought in the ideal border collie, and they are qualities, which aid in giving the border collie the reputation of being number one in the canine world in trainability, and an all around working and companion dog.
With this in mind, I'd be remiss if I did not mention, that the Border Collie Breed was recognized and accepted into the Official Stud Books of the American Kennel Club in 1995, whereupon it was given a breed standard denoting a formalized quideline of physical characteristics deemed acceptable for showing the Border Collie in the Breed Show Ring. This has led to some disputes between many diehard herding\obedience\agility enthusiasts, who fear the lost of the instinctive border collie herding and working characteristics, and those wishing to produce a standardized border collie look, that is easily recognized and can be utilized to compete in the breed ring with other individuals, who most closely meet the required look! We’ve registered some of our dogs with the American Kennel Club (A.K.C.), because we have been honored to have some outstanding agility, obedience, and flyball competitors buy our pups! However, we will not breed to A.K.C.’s breed standard for breed ring competition, rather we’ll continue to breed versatile border collies, who are capable of performing whatever is required of them while giving their heart and soul to their human partners! The A.K.C. Stud book remains open to border collies registered in the ABCA, AIBCA, and NASD registries until 2006!
ABCA\AKC ISSUE
AMERICAN BORDER COLLIE ASSOCIATION AND\OR AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB THE ABCA NEEDS YOUR THOUGHTS ON ABCA/AKC DUAL REGISTRATION! ABCA Members: Please Read, Consider and talk to your ABCA Director or join the discussion at www.bordercollie.org (follow the links to BC Boards and scroll down to "ABCA Members" at the bottom of the page). Background When the AKC recognized the Border Collie in December 1994, it said that Border Collies could be AKC registered through January 1998, after which the AKC studbook would close and no further non-AKC dogs could be registered. Disappointed with the small number of registrations received, the AKC later extended the open registration period for another three years, through January 2001. When the BCSA (the AKC's Border Collie breed club) requested a further extension, the AKC Board was at first reluctant, because the first extension had not produced many additional registrations. It agreed at the last minute to a 5-year extension, only after charging the BCSA to increase the number of dogs registered. The studbook is now scheduled to close in January 2006. Early in March 2002, the working Border Collie community learned that the BCSA's AKC Registration Increase Committee proposed to attract traditional handlers to register with AKC by such measures as cash awards for AKC-registered dogs placing high in the USBCHA/ABCA National Finals and other Open trials, getting their clubs to hold USBCHA-sanctioned events in conjunction with AKC events, and giving prizes of AKC registration at USBCHA trials. The BCSA obtained USBCHA sanction for a trial to be run at Gray's Summit, Missouri on October 14, 2002, the "Welcome Day" for their AKC National Specialty at that site. The BCSA Committee also decided to request the AKC to extend the open studbook for another 20 to 40 years. When this news leaked out, the working Border Collie community was outraged and the ABCA appointed a committee to look into the matter. The committee included Denise Wall (Chair), Candy Kennedy, Eileen Stein, Penny Tose, Jeanne Weaver, and Donald McCaig. What follows is that committee's preliminary report. The ABCA Board of Directors has voted to present it to the membership for discussion until December 1, 2002 after which the committee will re-examine the issue and prepare a final report for ABCA Board action. Brief History of the AKC The AKC is the second oldest and largest US dog registry. In 2001, they registered more than a million dogs from 150 breeds and had revenues of 50 million dollars. They publish the oldest and most influential dog magazine, the AKC Gazette, spend more than a million five each year on publicity and have full time Washington lobbyists. They are foremost a dog show organization; only dog show winners can be AKC "Champions" though they offer hunting, herding, obedience and agility titles as well. They advocate breeding for conformation. Once the AKC begins registering a useful breed, historically there have been two outcomes. Either (a) there's a total split between the conformation and working sectors, with occasional instances (mainly in the hunting breeds) where working ability is maintained in small pockets of non-conformation AKC-registered dogs. Or (b) in other breeds, the conformation breeders so dominate the breed that working ability as defined by the working breeders is completely lost. For example, the AKC Cocker Spaniel was once a hunting dog and the AKC Collie once herded sheep. The loss of working abilities is rarely acknowledged by show breeders who will assure you with a straight face that their Old English Sheep Dog hasn't lost any of its herding ability. "He's always herding the kids." Many AKC breeds originally came from single-breed registries, which ceased to exist after show breeders sought AKC recognition and gave their studbooks to the AKC. During the recent AKC expansion, the Anatolian Shepherd, Australian Shepherd, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Jack Russell Terrier were, like the Border Collie, "recognized" by the AKC despite the wishes of the majority of these dogs' breeders. The Anatolian registry collapsed and its working lines are now registered by the UKC. Many Cavalier owners dual registered with the AKC and they are presently voting to accept some AKC only dogs into their own registry. It's hard to see how the Cavalier registry can remain independent. ASCA, the Australian Shepherd Registry remains financially healthy but most of its working handlers dual register with the AKC and it is more difficult to find a good working Aussie than it was. The Jack Russell Terrier Club (JRTCA) resisted the AKC fiercely and has forbidden dual registrations. Of these breeds, currently only the JRTCA and ABCA registries still control the future of their breeds. The ABCA The ABCA registers about 20,000 Border Collies yearly with an annual revenue of $200,000. Its Directors are directly responsible to the registry members who include 2500 life members plus those who renew their memberships whenever they have dogs to register. 7200 members were eligible to vote in the last election. ABCA has from its inception been the guardian for the working Border Collie. Since breeders and owners cannot be expected to share the same goals, it is up to the registry to provide some structure for maintaining the breed as we know it. Any registry's main job is recording dog births and ownership transfers. The ABCA has been unusually efficient and economical. The ABCA currently contracts with Patty Rogers to keep the paperwork flowing. The ABCA also returns money as state grants, funds the National Finals and funds important genetic research, all to benefit the working Border Collie and preserve its integrity. If the ABCA is to continue as it has, it must retain or if possible increase its registrations. But ABCA registrations are off -- by about the same number as the AKC's Border Collie registrations, which have steadily increased since AKC recognition. The Working Border Collie Community The great majority of ABCA registerers are farmer/rancher/ pet owners who are not active in the registry. Some of these chose ABCA because they actively prefer a working dog registry dedicated to the Border Collie breed, others register with the ABCA because that's the papers they already have. A much smaller group -- most are Open trial handlers -- are more influential in the registry and it is from this group that ABCA Directors are usually chosen. The working Border Collie Community is generally opposed to conformation breeding of their dogs but is divided as to how strong a threat conformation breeding is. It is largely unaware of the threat from versatility breeding. The Border Collie Community tends to be "libertarian" and despite major recent disagreements about Finals Qualification and Judged Cattledog trials, prefers to decide policy by broad consensus. Although few ABCA registerers have experience with the AKC, a small but growing minority of trial handlers have come to traditional trials from AKC performance events and a handful compete their dogs in both AKC and USBCHA venues. A Clear and Present Danger With the AKC's increased presence in the explosively growing sport of agility, its reputation with uniformed pet buyers who see "AKC reg" as a guarantee of quality, its enormous budget and sophisticated PR staff, and its intent to increase registration of Border Collies, the AKC is a formidable rival. If it keeps its studbooks open and entices Border Collie owners to first dual register their dogs, then register AKC only, it may very well marginalize the ABCA to the point where the ABCA is no longer viable. Obviously, the working Border Collie as we know it cannot survive without a registry dedicated to its preservation. But even if the ABCA were to survive as a registry, the working Border Collie as a breed will be endangered by a growing acceptance of dual registration. Dual registration creates a single breeding pool of AKC dogs and ABCA dogs. Because the AKC advocates and rewards conformation breeding, the number of show-bred dogs-which are useless as stock dogs according to many who've tried to train them-will steadily increase in this pool. Moreover, the BCSA's ideal, and the secondary ideal of the AKC world (its primary ideal being conformation) is the versatile dog-the dog who can excel at every title-winning activity including conformation and herding. This means that working breeders who wish to sell excess pups to the AKC market will be influenced to breed dogs who meet show ring fashions. While there are such dogs among good working dogs, selecting them for breeding in favor of others who don't meet current show ring tastes distorts the working gene pool. It also means that AKC owners will be motivated to breed their show and sport dogs to real ABCA working dogs to get the "herding credential." This co-mingling can only lead to the lowest-common-denominator dogs being marketed by AKC people as "ABCA working dogs." And it means that the AKC becomes the definer not just of their dogs but of ours, increasing public confusion about what a real Border Collie is and dragging down our dogs with each future generation of AKC-inspired breeding. Right now, ABCA-registered Border Collies greatly outnumber AKC-registered border collies. ABCA dogs are the "normal" Border Collie; AKC dogs are the exception. Only a small minority (possibly 5%?) of Border Collie people currently dual register with the AKC, generally because they hope to sell pups to AKC obedience and agility competitors, or as a marketing tool to pet buyers. But if dual registration continues, the balance will gradually shift the other way, as it has with other breeds. The committee believes that the number of working Border Collie owners who dual register has increased in the last couple of years, and will continue to increase unless attention is focused on the threat this presents to our breed. The committee further believes that without a large pool of dogs bred for work, the few that are kept and worked by top trial handlers and commercial livestock raisers will not be sufficient to keep the working breed viable. The Border Collie will become a jack of all trades and master of none. As the following tables show, AKC registrations have been steadily increasing over the past five years while ABCA registrations have been even more steadily decreasing. Continuing to allow dual registration would only exacerbate this effect, since once a dog is dual registered, in all likelihood that dog's progeny will only be registered with the AKC. The registration data below support this interpretation, roughly indicating that for every registration gained by AKC, ABCA has lost three. ABCA versus AKC Individual Dog Registration, 1997-2001 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 ABCA 21,375 21,467 20,542 20,736 20,031 AKC 1,344 1,401 1,410 1,911 1,796 AKC versus ABCA Changes in Registration from Prior Year, 1998-2001 1998 1999 2000 2001 TOTAL CHANGE ABCA 92 - 920 194 - 705 - 1,339 AKC 57 9 501 -115 452 *Note: Though Individual Dog Registrations of Border Collies with the AKC decreased between 2000 and 2001, AKC Litter Registrations of Border Collies increased (as they have every year since recognition), from 327 to 392. The committee unanimously feels that the ABCA must act to discourage dual registrations, and that the time to act is now. Should the practice spread further it will be much more difficult to restrict it. Committee Discussion The committee discussed strategies at length and although we regretted not having better options available than the six outlined below, most of our attention was devoted to two possible rule changes, B and C below. A) De-registration Under this proposal, dogs registered with the AKC would be excluded from the ABCA registry, and no AKC-registered dogs would be accepted for registration by the ABCA in the future. Members would be notified of the policy, and the ABCA registrations of dual registered dogs would be cancelled. Advantages: A complete separation between ABCA dogs and AKC dogs. Disadvantages: Has the effect of punishing people who registered with the AKC without knowing that it could result in loss of their ABCA registration. B) Future Ban Under this proposal, anyone who, after a specified future date, registered a dog, bitch or pup with the AKC would have his ABCA papers for that dog canceled. The ABCA registration application would require a statement that the dog is not registered with AKC, and a statement that the dog's sire and dam either are not registered with the AKC or were registered before the cutoff date, and the applicant would be informed that if the dog should later be registered with the AKC, its ABCA registration will become void. Grandfathering: Owners of presently dual-registered dogs would retain ABCA registration privileges so long as none of these dual-registered dogs' future offspring was knowingly registered with the AKC. Advantages: Makes the statement that AKC registration is inconsistent with preserving the working Border Collie. Ensures an eventual separation between ABCA and AKC Border Collies. Clarity and ease of execution. A simple statement on the website and a change in wording of registration and transfer applications would be all the extra work the registry office must do. The committee did not feel that policing this would be much of a problem. High profile ABCA working dogs -the key breeders - would likely be exposed should they attempt dual registration with AKC. Disadvantages: Would completely cut off those who wish to compete with intact ABCA Border Collies in AKC agility, obedience, etc. Many dog sport competitors prefer pups from working lines and although they AKC register in order to compete in these events, they still support the ABCA. The libertarian Border Collie community might protest, arguing that breeders should be free to do what they like with their dogs even if the end results are bad. If the owner chooses to go ahead and register with the AKC anyway, the AKC gains a breeding prospect and the ABCA effectively loses a dog. C) Breeding Limitation The ABCA would allow dual registrations, but AKC-registered dogs would be designated by ABCA as non breeders (NB). The ABCA would not register the offspring of these dogs/bitches. Applicants for ABCA registration (including transfers) would be required to sign a statement to the effect that if the dog is, or becomes, registered with AKC, the owner must notify the ABCA office and have that dog designated a NB. It's important to differentiate this new NB policy from the current NB policy which requires the breeder to assign NB status to dogs. In this new NB option, the responsibility for assigning NB status is between the owner and the registry. Grandfathering: Same as with future ban. Advantages: It is thought that the NB limitation may be more acceptable to the Border Collie community than the future ban. Participants in AKC performance events who did not wish to breed could still support ABCA through maintaining registration if they desired. Disadvantages: Since AKC would not honor the NB status assigned by ABCA, the AKC gains a breeding prospect and the ABCA loses one. D) Two tiered registration system This entails having two levels of registration papers. The A list contains working dogs only - definition to be determined. AKC registered dogs (and non working dogs?) would automatically receive B papers. Pups from a dog with B papers could only receive B papers even if it bred to an A papered dog. Anyone wanting to move their dogs from B to A would have to go through the registtration on merit procedure. Advantages: Would not exclude any dog from ABCA registration. Papers would automatically designate whether the dog was a true "working dog." Disadvantages: Would be difficult to reach consensus on the ABCA definition of "working dog." More administrative work required of the ABCA staff. E) A Loyalty Oath to the ABCA Mission Statement A signed statement included in the registration and transfer papers which pledges loyalty to the goals of the ABCA as a working registry. Exact content to be decided. Maybe something like: The objectives of the ABCA are to register, maintain and verify the pedigrees of Border Collies; to promote and foster the breeding, training, and distribution of reliable working Border Collies; to monitor and maintain the genetic health of the breed to preserve its genetic diversity. The main goal of any modern Border Collie breeder should be to produce sound, useful working stock dogs.. Registering a puppy with the ABCA means you accept these objectives. Sign name. Advantages: Requires people to acknowledge the mission statement. Hopefully, the statement will make signer understand AKC goals are counter to ABCA breed goals to the point of making them choose. Holds people to their honor rather than forcing policy on them. Disadvantages: Would probably have little effect. F) Taking No Action Advantages: Avoids controversy and the risk of making anybody mad. Disadvantages: Permits the situation to continue to deteriorate in a way that threatens the wellbeing of our registry and the breed. COMMITTEE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. After much discussion, the committee majority recommended either the future ban (B) or the NB (C) plan. Those who favored one remedy could probably live with the other. It was recognized that either option might cause the loss of some registrations, but that in the long run it would save more than it would lose. The outright ban, Option A, was considered too harsh, and unfair to those who had already innocently registered dogs with the AKC. The two tiered system, Option D, was discussed briefly but generally not favored. Option E, the loyalty oath, was added when it was felt more options should be considered. There was no support for Option F. 2. The committee believes the Directors should post this report on the ABCA website, in magazines and call attention to it so that the community can discuss these options with each other and with their ABCA director. A specially created forum will be available on the BC Boards at www.bordercollie.org for community discussion of this issue. 3. After debate closes on December 1, 2002, the committee will present its final conclusion to the Board for their debate and decision. Respectfully submitted, Denise Wall Candy Kennedy Donald McCaig Eileen Stein Penny Tose Jeanne Weaver
The following is in response to an individual, who was in favor of ABC adopting proposal B, which states the following: FUTURE BAN: Under this proposal, anyone who, after a specified future date, registered a dog, bitch or pup with the AKC would have his ABCA papers for that dog canceled. The ABCA registration applicaton would require a statement that the dog is not registered with AKC, and a statement that the dog's sire and dam either are not registered with the AKC or were registered before the cutoff date,and the applicant would be informed that if the dog should later be registered with the AKC, its ABCA registration will become void. Grandfathering: Owners of presently dual-registered dogs would retain ABCA registraton privileges so long as none of these dual-registered dog's future offsping was knowingly registered with the AKC. My response is: I appreciate your emailing me your stance, and respect your thoughts! May I share mine! I've been breeding, training, and working stockdog border collies for over 31 years! Prior to working border collies, I was trying to work my australian shepherds, and then saw a border collie working and the rest is history! I mention this solely to let you know that I'm a long time devoted stockdog person!
It saddens me that two "keepers of the pedigrees" are in so much contention! "Keepers of the pedigrees" should do simply that and educate people on the merits of striving to keep the working characteristics in working breeds! Nevertheless, it's breeders that do damage to a working breed in conjunction with whatever is popular with the public! Several years ago when abc decided not to register any solely akc registered dog, I said to Tom, my husband well that is admirable, and if that's the case then they should send out an inspector and see the parent's at least do novice work before they'll register a litter! Otherwise, it's a sham, because abc registers pups everyday, whose parents don't, and in some cases haven't worked for a number of generations, and I know this firsthand! ABC would be far better off continuing to register purebred border collies, which means accepting dual registration, and letting the public choose to buy from breeders, whose dogs truly work! ABC should spend the money on educating the public and breeder's on the merits of breeding only herding parents, and that it's these dogs, that also produce the best sport dogs! Recommend to stockdog breeder's, of the merits of limiting registrations to pups, that they don't think will be suitable for working, and if in the meantime, they turn out to be a good stockdog, then they can obtain full registration on merit after proving their working ability to an abc stockdog inspector! Likewise, if an exclusively akc registered dog can prove it's working ability, then by all means register it! Our genepool is limited enough as it is and we all had better be more concerned about the health issues, that are becoming more frequent in our beloved breed!
The following is my response to another email concerning the abc\akc issue:
You're right to realize that not all border collies can go to working stockdog homes! I, too hope that abc\akc can become partners as 'keepers of the pedigrees'! In addition, to the abc\akc issue there has been an issue between the exclusive cattle & sheep people! Some cattledog trial people have gone so far as to wanting to have an exclusive border collie cowdog registry! Ultimately, it'll be up to stockdog people to keep breeding working farm\trial dogs, whether cattle or sheep, and not registeries!
One comment in an email was how much harm, that akc had done to other working dog registries, and they gave the example of the Anatolian Shepherd! They went on to say, "that the little Anatolian Shepherd Club could not compete with the huge akc in registering dogs, and many problems were incurred causing fragmentation! The lady, I bought my anatolians from brought the first anatolian's into the country, and was one of the first members of the anatolian shepherd club! She told me, that "it was the in house bickering and politics, that caused the anatolian shepherd club to have problems!"
The first border collie registry in the country was the North American Sheepdog Society founded by Arthur Allen, next came the American International Border Collie Association, and then the American Border Collie Association! They're all still in existence, and AIBC and ABCA were formed, because for various reasons they felt there was a need for another 'keeper of the pedigrees' of the border collie dog! I thought perhaps you'd like a little border collie registry history!
RECOMMENDED BOOKS, VIDEOS AND INFORMATION SOURCES
OBEDIENCE\AGILITY\TRICK TRAINING VIDEOS\BOOKS 'Take a Bow Wow' and 'Bow Wow Take 2' videos! THESE TWO VIDEOS ARE A MUST FOR EVERY BORDER COLLIE PUPPY\DOG OWNER! Using the 'clicker training method' they teach skills, that are invaluable in enhancing your life with your puppy\dog! Most importantly, for the border collie is that they teach skills, which are very stimulating and rewarding to the extremely intelligent border collie's mind! A mentally stimulated border collie is less likely to become destructive! These videos can be order by telephoning 800 Bow Wow 2! For additional information just click on the link at the bottom of this page!
'Don't Shoot the Dog', by Karen Pryor
'Think Dog' by John Fisher
'Enjoying Dog Agility, from backyard to competition' by Julie Daniels (Julie also has a second agility book, that's just come out)!
BORDER COLLIE HERDING BOOKS\VIDEOS\MAGAZINES 'Herding Dogs, Progressive Training' by Virgil S. Holland's
'Come Bye and Away To Me' by Glyn Jones
FOR ADDITIONAL BOOKS\VIDEOS ON HERDING click on the Border Collie In Action link at the bottom of this page!
MAGAZINES 'The Working Border Collie' magazine, 14933 Kirkwood Rd., Sidney, Ohio 45365 - 937 492-2215
'The American Border Collie' magazine, 3765 Findlay Gap Dr., Shipman, Virginia 22971-2701 - 804 263-8022
'The Ranch Dog Trainer' magazine, P. O. Box 437, Odessa, Mo. 64076 - 816 633-5321 - ranchdog@earthlink.net
'The Working Sheepdog News', 5 Vales Crescent, Bishop Wilton, York, England, Y042 1SU - Telephone # 01759 368577 - email: workingsheepdog@hotmail.com
AGILITY MAGAZINE 'Clean Run' magazine, Clean Run Production, 35 Walnut St., Turner's Falls, Ma. 01376-2317 - 800 311-6503
AGILITY\OBEDIENCE\FLYBALL EQUIPMENT CATALOG J and J Dog Supplies, P. O. Box 1517, Galesburg, Illinois 61402-1517 - 800 642-2050 - www.jandjdog.com
BORDER COLLIE ASSOCIATIONS THE AMERICAN BORDER COLLIE ASSOCIATION, 82 Rogers rd., Perkinston, Miss. 39573 - 601 928-7551
The United States Border Collie Handlers Association, Rt. 1, Box 17A, Crawford, Texas 76638 - 254 486-2500
The VIRGINIA BORDER COLLIE ASSOCIATION - Treasurer: Dr. Pat Elliott, 23246 Clark Mountain Rd., Rapidan, Virginia 22733 - 540 854-4159
LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN DOG AND SHEEP AND GOATS INFORMATION
The Anatolian Shepherd Dog The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is one of the most majestic and noble animals in the service of man; still being used in the rural districts of Turkey as the shepherds' indispensable companion and front line of defense of his livestock from predators. Without the aid of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog, the Turkish shepherd would be less able to defend his property and flock from wild animals. Such dogs are found from the Turkish Anatolian plateau right on though to Afghanistan. In Turkey today, the breed is known as Coban Kopegi (cho-bawn ko-pay) which translates "Shepherds Dog". He is a livestock guardian dog, which lives his life in constant association with his sheep or goats and is accepted as a member of the flock. (He is NOT a herding dog). The extraordinary speed and agility of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog enable him to run down a predator with great efficiency. Turkish Shepherds equip their dogs with impressive iron-spiked collars as protection against attacking animals that grab for the throat. A large part of Central Anatolia is a high plateau of wide plains and rolling hills. Summers are dry, while winters are marked with heavy snowfalls and temperatures plunging well below freezing. Here in this environment, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a functional tool of the Turkish Shepherd. Historically, since Babylonian times, there is documented a breed of large, strong dogs with a heavy head. Some spectacular depictions of the breed dating back to 2,000 BC can be seen on the well-preserved bas-reliefs in the Assyrian Rooms of the British Museum in London. With the advent of the first domestic sheep, the dogs went from "hunter" to "protector". The book of Job, which dates back to at least 1,800 BC and is set in the region of Turkey, makes reference to the dogs with the flocks. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog of today has remained relatively unchanged from its ancestors because of the nature of its isolated existence. The Turks have for centuries been dependent upon the land for their livelihood, relying on domesticated animals as an integral part of their existence. For this reason, perhaps, the characteristics of the Anatolian have been so exactly preserved, characteristics well adapted to: Turkey's hot climate and terrain; the lifestyle of the shepherds which until modern times was nomadic; and the job of guarding the village flocks against fierce predators. The first Anatolian Shepherd Dogs to enter the United States arrived prior to the 1950s. However, the first active breeding program in the United States was the result of the importation of a breeding pair of dogs by Lt. Robert C. Ballard, USN, who was stationed in Turkey from 1966 to 1968. Upon their return to the United States, the Ballards settled in El Cajon, California, where on August 16th, 1970, their imports Zorba and Peki produced the first recorded American-bred litter. The year 1970 also saw the founding of the national breed club, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a versatile breed. Here in the United States, the Anatolian Shepherd guards everything from chickens, goats, and sheep to cattle. A few even guard miniature horses, ostriches, and llamas. Some dogs are shown in conformation, obedience, and working classes; a few are certified as therapy dogs. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are also used as pets and family protectors. Many of our Anatolian Shepherds live on small farms, suburban homes, or ranches where they fulfill a duty of family pet, livestock guardian and/or show dog. These Anatolians have the best of both worlds (a family and a job).
Tom and I have been raising, working, and breeding Livestock Guardian Dogs for a number of years! We had experienced three significant kills to our livestock from domestic dogs, and decided that we needed a livestock guardian dog! We then began extensive research of the various livestock guardian breeds, and after a year of delving into the strengths and weaknesses, in conjunction with our particular needs; we determined that the Maremma was the breed best suited to our operation! All of the maremmas in our operation have been working dogs! However, in 2002, we decided to go with a shorter haired dog, and consequently purchased our first anatolian shepherd! We now have three anatolian shepherds at our farm, and there are several on one of the other farms in our program! We've been as pleased with our anatolian shepherds, as we were with our maremmas! Nevertheless, we love our remaining and faithful maremma, Michael!
FULLBLOOD AND PERCENTAGE BOER GOATS, AND KATHDIN AND DORPER HAIR SHEEP
We've been raising goats and sheep for over thirty years, and have been concentrating on fullblood and percentage boer and sannen crossed goats, and kathdin and dorpers hair sheep in recent years! We have a disease free herd and flock, and are always striving for more quality individuals! We want individuals that exemplify the outstanding breed qualities expressed in their indivdual standards! In addition, we want good mothering instincts, excellent temperaments, and hearty physical traits!
PLACES TO VISIT
Take A Bow...Wow!! Clever Tricks & Advanced Skills Through Clicker Training! In addition, Canine Behavorial Consultation! Barbara Lockard, Animal Artist Agility By Carlson The Virginia Border Collie Association Irish Dogs Website
Dr. Karen T. Lacy and Tom Lacy 9400 Tunstall Road New Kent, Virginia 23124 (USA) 804 932-4413 prior to 9:00 p.m. EST; fax # 804 932-4636