FEMALES

We place a great deal of importance on the quality of bitch we are willing to keep as part of this breeding program. While talking dog with many well-intentioned breeders, we learned about the concept of "Breeding Up". The idea is that one must never keep a mediocre dog for breeding, but it is ok to keep a mediocre bitch. The logic behind this concept is that one can always breed the mediocre bitch up to a great sire and improve on her, as great sires are readily available.

Perhaps we're just naive, but we don't buy into that. Having a quality bitch is just as important, perhaps even more so, as breeding to a quality dog. A dam carries her pups, whelps them, and rears them. They contribute 50% of the genetic material that make up the final sheltie, but contribute 100% to the puppy's first experiences. Whelping is an undertaking more effectively performed by a sound bitch in good physical condition. Raising a litter of puppies is better done by a sound bitch with good temperament. Beautiful puppies generally do not have ugly dams, and if they do, they are more likely to produce ugly puppies in the future.