With her coloring, it's no wonder. Are you going to breed her?

Oh well, it was a nice dream. I'm afraid 1K for a dog is probably beyond my wildest dreams. I'll probably have to do what I did with my Wolf...adopt another mixed breed from a shelter that has cattle dog, border collie, collie or aussie or something like that in the mix.

You know what? That dream is NOT dead. ALL breeders have dogs that didn't work out in the show ring for whatever reason, or who didn't pan out like they thought it would. These dogs are often offered for adoption for a nominal fee. It's worth looking into at the very least!

Once she gets her Championship on her, we'll let her mature for a bit and then with the guidance of our breeder we'll decide whether to have her bred or not.

Have you looked into breed specific rescues? Or just at shelters/rescues in general?

I understand the want for certain people to get their dogs from breeders and they may have specific reasons for doing so. Of course if someone did go that route, I'd recommend that they visit the breeder and see how the dogs are treated, etc.

Although the average person does not fit into the mold of those that have reasons for buying from a breeder. So I highly recommend rescues and shelters. Never buy a dog from a store. I found both my great dogs through rescues and although I didn't want a purebred dog, I actually ended up with a beagle but just because I fell in love with him. You can get dogs of various ages from puppies to adults and for us, young adults were what we are looking for in terms of a dog.

Plus the money you pay in adoption fees is going to a program that helps save dogs from death, spay/neuter programs, etc. One of the good things about rescues as well is your new baby will often come already spayed/neutered.

I'd like to put out a shout there that GOOD breeders give time, money and resources to rescues all the time. Most breeders that I am involved with in the purebred world often have a rescue or two that they are rehabilitating. So please don't fall into the "evil breeder" trap that so many people seem to think.

Of course I concur: NEVER buy a puppy from a pet store or backyard breeder.

Omigosh... as cute as can be!

The dogs are freaking adorable and I'm sure they'll have a loving and fun home.


I of course agree with you but I believe the point is that there are SO many dogs sitting in shelters or foster homes that may be on limited time that most people should consider adoption before purchasing from a breeder, reputable or not. We all have our different reasons for our decisions but I think people often forget that if for whatever reason they want a purebred there are plenty of rescues that have them. I'm not saying these people are evil per se, I'm sure the animals are treated well but they are contributing to the overpopulation problem and throwing money at it doesn't stop all the dogs from being killed due to lack of space and funds at shelters.
Sorry to get on my soapbox, I've seen far too many dogs/cats/rodents/etc in shelters to take this lightly.

Adorable! Congratulations!

Wasn't falling into any "evil breeder" trap, just saying that the average person has no need for a dog from a breeder as there are so many available in shelters/rescues. So if someone wants a specific kind of dog, breed specific rescues are a good place to start but I also say be open to other options :)

I am a shelter dog kinda person. I currently have nine rescue cats, and three rescue dogs, and one rescue goat. :p

But in this case, I am looking at something very specific for livestock protection, and I would be thrilled to find another mixed dog like my Wolf, but he's the only one I've seen who has the herder mentality and the size (except for livestock guardian dogs). I've never considered a collie before, but he is probably closer to a collie than any other breed, in behavior and size. Yes, I looked at rescue collies too. I wanted a rescue chocolate lab once too, when I lost my sweetheart Symphony, but could not find one anywhere near me. The closest I could find was in southern Cal, and I had to go visit the dog there. I could not afford that. Rescue's sometimes charge as much or more than a private breeder (not a puppy mill...someone who has a female dog and breeds her).

I will be keeping my eyes open for rescue Collies from now on, but I'm not holding my breath. I absolutely love tri-colored dogs (and all animals). My Wolf is red merle on white with black freckles, and I love his coloring. I really don't want just any breed or color of dog. I'm looking for something pretty specific, and it's hard to find that in a rescue. However, when I really get to the point of searching for a replacement, I will be looking most at breed characteristics and temperment so I end up with a good livestock guardian and personal protection. I live alone in the woods and my dogs have kept me safe on numerous occasions, either here at home, or hiking up in the mountains. I'm so in love with the coloring on that blue merle pup, I'd die to have a dog like that.

Dogs that are bred purposefully and for their nature are not taking homes away from shelter dogs. The amount of dogs that GOOD RESPONSIBLE breeders pump out every year is NOTHING compared to what's coming out of puppy mills and back yard breeders. NOTHING. We really have to focus on getting THOSE operations stopped and not attacking good responsible breeders that are focusing on bettering their dogs.

A really good post from a breeder friend of mine is:

http://www.intergate.com/~dougk32/shelterdog.html

she can explain the intricacies MUCH better than I can :)

And I TOO believe that if you don't have a need or a specific want for temperament or a specialized job that needs to be done then you should TOTALLY go for a rescue dog. But I'm never going to make anyone feel bad for getting a purebred from a good breeder.

Shameless plug ahead...

I have a cattle dog (aka blue heeler) and he fits the description. He lives in the city, but he is a herder. He herds the larger dogs at the dog park. He herds the dogs at daycare. He's fiercely loyal and he LOVES hiking. His herding instinct is so strong that when he sees any sort of livestock or any other animal he switches into "herd mode".

And yes, he herds our cat. We'll be watching television and the cat will trot back and forth in the living room with the dog a couple of paces behind her.

There is an excellent cattle dog rescue group here, but farms and ranches will often sell them when theirs have a litter.

This picture is him on a hike, hiking pack and all.
//End shameless plug.

Junebug, I love love love blue healers. But I'd really like another big dog like Wolf (100 lbs)...his size and aggressiveness has helped keep bad guys from hurting me or trying to rob me. Smaller dogs work too, but a couple of really big barking dogs will stop just about anyone.

I saw my first wolf dog over the summer. I would never in a million years cross it ;) It was perhaps the most formidable yet gentle animal I've ever seen. So beautiful! Where do you find them?

Dax is more of a coyote (the woman who found him thought that was what he was at first), and he looks more scrappy than anything. We live in an urban area where people aren't used to seeing working breeds and people actually cross the street when they see him coming. Must be those ears ;)

Edit: I just saw that your dog is actually named "Wolf". I misunderstood!

Ha ha...Wolf is his name, not his breed. He's an aussie mix with shepherd or husky or some other big dog. He's got the aussie coloring and some of that temperment, mixed with the size of the bigger dog, but he's very regal...lays down with his legs crossed (very long slender legs) like a Collie. He doesn't have any Collie in his face, so I doubt he's crossed with Collie.

recidivist: you should post his pic or email it to me! I am AWESOME with breed deciphering :)

and LOVE ME some blue heeler. My best friend has a blue girl Kippet. She's most awesome.