Choosing a Puppy

There is always an element of luck when choosing a puppy and it is always a sensible move to see the parents working. You will need to decide if you are happy with a non-ISDS registered pup or one that is registered and whose parents can be traced back five generations. If you will be looking at Trialling your puppy at some future point then there is no choice but to go for the registered pup.

puppy with dam

In either case you need to see how the parents behave both towards sheep and away from sheep. This will give you an idea about the potential temperament and natural ability of your puppy. You need to recognise if the parents are given to being trained easily understand their work role and in seeing them work you can ascertain their stamina. Depending on how old it is, you might even see your potential pup working or at least if it has an interest in sheep.

I remember taking a not yet 3 month old pup amongst some sheep (yes, on a lead) and he sat down and watched them! As he got older, this continued to be a favourite occupation. Just sitting and very obviously observing and thinking. He was never in a rush to ‘get at them’ as is the case with most young puppies. 18 months later this young dog continues to demonstrate his thinking ability and he is destined for the Nursery's next winter!

border collie puppy

Sometimes a puppy will choose its handler! That will be the one that sits contentedly on your foot and gazes upwards!

For more formal information please access the International Sheep Dog Society website where there is a list of breeders from all over the country – there will be one near you!

Visiting sheepdog trials is another method of seeing breeding animals in action. One of the purposes of trialling is to gain prestige for working sheepdogs so that good prices can be obtained by the owner for the progeny of the champions! Well, that is what I think!

Semi- or part- trained dogs are favoured by some but this again needs to be carefully viewed by the complete novice. The animal could turn up with some unfortunate habits and intense training needed to bring the dog into line. On the other hand you can start training straight away, not needing to wait for your young dog to grow into himself.

Those ‘farm dogs’ might be limited on width of experience but good on depth. For example a farm dog might have the ability to gather a flock and drive them to a yard but that is all. But there are some trials dogs that can do all ‘the clever stuff’ and would be flummoxed if faced with a flock of more than 20 sheep! Working a large mob would not be an option for this type of dog.

Always remember that there are several strands to the choosing of a new dog.
How many sheep have I got, am I likely to significantly increase my flock?
What do I want my dog to do? Is it to be a field or yard dog? Or multi purpose?
Whom do I know that can advise me?
How far am I prepared to travel to find my new dog?
Will a new older dog fit into the already established canine hierarchy at the farm?
How will I house a dog?
Do I know how to spot the dog that is going to be too strong for me to handle?
What time have I got to spend training a puppy every day?
Realistically, how much experience of training a dog have I got?
Am I able to allow the ‘bonding’ process to emerge, or do I think this is a load of nonsense?
Do I understand the ‘pack’ instinct of the dog hierarchy?
Am I prepared to be ‘top dog’?
Do I understand about the various diseases that can beset a dog?
Do I realise that certain lines of dog carry genetic disorders that cannot always be readily rectified?
Do I know how to find out about these disorders?
How much can I afford?

border collie pup Well, not so easy after all! Not a question of buying one at the farm gate, then!

There are some lovely stories about folk who have bought a puppy from ‘someone down the road’ and it has turned out to be brilliant at everything and then they have gone trialling and found it to be a shame that it is not registered - this can be done through ISDS but it is a long and arduous process - as breeding from it would be a good idea. But this is a rare occurrence

What you do need to do is to give the matter as much thought as though you were buying a new tractor. After all, this ‘piece of kit’, this dog is going to be entrusted with the welfare of your sheep and be with you for at least 10 working years, so you want the best deal. Getting a new working sheepdog is an investment.

Choose wisely!