the Drover's Dog

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Collies in History

There is much speculation as to the origins of the Collie dog, but most likely Scottland and Wales were the main contributors to this breed. They were a hardy dog used in the highlands to help protect and herd sheep, and in the lowlands they would drive sheep to market. The word ‘collie’ is difficult to trace as well, with several spellings (Coll, Colley, Coally), and generally accepted to mean the color black.Typically, the dogs in the highlands had a ‘rough’, abundant coat to protect them from the elements, while the lowland dogs would have a smoother coat. These dogs were bred with great care and used for centuries as a sheepdog, assisting their masters with herding and guarding the flock.The English fancy took to the collie in the late 1800’s, thanks to Queen Victoria’s fascination with them. They were first exhibited in 1860 a the Birmingham, England dog show in the generic class “Scotch Sheep-Dogs”. It is believed that at some point they were crossed with Borzoi to give them the longer, classic collie face we now know.

During WWII, collies were actively recruited to serve in the army, bringing aid to wounded soldiers on the battlefield.Collies were once found on nearly every small farm in America. Talk to your grandparents and they’ll recall their childhood friend.While we do not see collies so often anymore (and you'll hear this each time you take one for a walk through any town), they are still the sweet, faithful friend they've always been.

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Breed a Better Dog

“Oh, what a cute puppy!”
It’s easy to get drawn into those sweet eyes and puppy breath, but have you given thought to what went into creating the pup that has you so enamored?Dedicated, ethical breeders spend countless hours and sleepless nights seeking out the right bitch for their program, evaluating her against a breed standard, determining if her temperament is suitable for passing on, and performing health tests to see what may be missing and needing to be improved upon.They raise her, campaign her, love her, feed her the best food and provide all the veterinary care she needs to grow up healthy before they ever breed her. And THEN they seek out a stud dog who can balance out her weaknesses with his own strengths, who has also been well cared for and scrutinized before being placed into a breeding program.Creating a breeding program is much like building a three legged stool. If one leg is too short, your stool is tipsy. The same is true with breeding. There are three main points I like to focus on when breeding: Conformation, Genetics, and Temperament. While no dog will be perfect, as a breeder it’s our responsibility to find a suitable mate who can bring qualities that are lacking in our own dog.And on paper, it seems SO easy. But in reality, you need to decide what you will sacrifice with each mating, because while you may be looking to improve your genetics, you may also want a dog who can improve upon your program with something like better feet, or stronger hock. Finding the dog who has every strength where your girl is weak is like a needle in the haystack. Sometimes you need to say ‘weakness A isn’t a priority with this breeding because weakness B needs more attention. So maybe you get your stronger hock, but you still are a carrier for MDR1. And perhaps you want your energy level higher, as well as COI lower, but you can’t find a stud who brings both so you sacrifice one for the other.When puppies come, you will start your evaluation process all over again, picking the pup to remain in your program who offers the most balance and improvement on the previous generation.

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Puppies

At Woodpecker Farm our goal is to produce a moderate to high energy working collie, one with good structure, strong genetics, and good temperament.High energy does not mean we want pups bouncing off the walls with no off switch, but those who can go out with you and help you drive sheep, cattle, or what have you when it’s needed, and then sleep at your feet when you’re done for the day. Or dogs who love to run the agility course, lure coursing, or other competitive events that may require speed and stamina.Within each litter there are individuals who will fall anywhere from low to high energy, however, so don’t pass us by if you’re looking for that super sweet therapy dog!

In addition to parents being gentically tested, we test all pups before they leave us. We do not guarantee results will be ready when pups go home, but it does take the pressure off from you covering that expense.Being farm raised, puppies will have a wide variety of experiences with livestock, giving us a good idea of which ones will be better suited to future farm life, or a more quiet life of apartment dwelling.Pups are guaranteed healthy when they leave the farm, have had their first set of vaccinations and microchipped.