Vertical pedigree for Rogue, born May 23rd, 2008:

Dual Ch Borderfame Mystery Label
PC Storybook Sorceress of Oz CD HT NA NAJ TDI

Aust Ch Danbeth Black Label
Aust Ch Borderfame Mystic Power
Altricia Deal
PC's Mega Party Girl NA OAJ

Ch Candleriggs Cadmus CDex
Ch Borderheath Maggie May
Ch Borderfame Heart N Soul
Ch Borderfame Forever Magic
Altricia Blue Diamond (blue merle)
Altricia Shannon (tri)
Kiss Me Cal (blue merle)
Ch Blacktie Irma La Spot (b/w) ROM

Ansavon Tiki
Marglo Black Velvet
Ch Sheermyst Sonofa Tart
Finestyle Fancy Nancy
Ch Khayoz Sail Deep CDex
Borderfame Token O Love
Ch Borderfame Bravo
Borderfame Red Supa Star
Altricia Silver Dollar (blue merle)
Altricia Hazie Miss (blue/white)
Blue Lad (blue/white)
Altricia First Love (tricolor)
Passims California Blue (blue merle)
Mojo (red/white?)
Ch Blacktie Bailey (b/w)
Rosaltess Blossom From Oz (b/w)

As you check out any litter of puppies and any breeder's website, don't be swayed by photos and markings, alone. The right match of puppy to owner is based on temperament, drive, and structure matched to the activities the dog will do when it matures, the home environment, and the experience of the new owner. By the time a puppy is ready to go to its new home, the breeder will have hundreds of hours of play and observation to inform decisions.

Each litter will usually be comprised of puppies with different levels of activity, boldness, and drive. There may be one puppy who is calmer than the rest, one puppy who is needier than the others, or one puppy who just needs to be thinking and working and solving all the time. A responsible breeder should be able to work with prospective owners to match the right puppy to the right home. With a responsible breeder, you may not be the one to choose the puppy. It may be chosen for you. You need to work with someone you can trust, however, believing that the pup placed with you matches what you need, not what the breeder needs to have placed in order to have homes for all of the pups.

A responsible breeder may make you wait because no pup from a litter matches what makes sense for you. An irresponsible breeder may place an inappropriate puppy with you, wanting to sell all of the puppies, and hoping it all works out. A low drive pup may go to someone who actually wants a high drive pup, and an over-the-top active pup may go to a pet home that is not equipped to deal with it. Do your homework and develop a rapport with someone knowledgeable.

It is likely to be a year or more until our next litter, but we welcome inquiries and requests for information. Satch is available at stud to approved females with excellent temperament and health clearances. There is a thoughtful network of Border Collie breeders across the country, and we are happy to share information about this wonderful breed.

Rogue has spent part of the summer of 2010 maturing in agility, and she now is now in Excellent A JWW and working on qualifying out of Novice B Standard. It turns out that the new rubberized footing on some contact equipment is unfamiliar and unsettling; she can't slide into a stop at the end of it. We'll need to find places to practice that have that type of equipment.

Over the July 4th weekend, she won a first and second place in Open JWW, with very fast times against professional agility handlers. It is exciting to have a youngster with drive and direction.

Rogue will be OFA xrayed this summer and she is CEA/CH/CL clear through Optigen testing of her sire and dam. I hope to find a suitable sire for a litter during the summer of 2011. She'll be bred to a dog with exceptionally outgoing temperament and excellent health clearances.