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Breeding PHilosophy |
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Whether you are
seeking a promising Agility, Obedience, Search & Rescue partner
or a highly-prized companion with which you share your
recreation time, it's our opinion that a Border Collie should be
bred to meet the herding-working standard for the breed.
There is no room to compromise in this regard. A Border Collie
is a herding dog, first and foremost. We believe that dogs bred
with high quality herding-work as the primary goal will make
superior competitors in most any other performance event. Dogs
bred without serious consideration of their herding ability may
not always make the best performance dogs, as they may lack the
incredible work ethic for which Border Collies are known. Even
more importantly, dogs bred to "ideals" other than the herding
working standard can result in a general "dumbing down" of the
breed, which is a very sad situation. Frankly put, if you
want a black and white Golden Retriever, you should get a Golden
Retriever. |
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What Defines a Border Collie? |
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Proper
Temperament: |
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Good working Border Collies are not hyper nor
fanatical |
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Willingness to Work with a Handler: |
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A
well bred BC wants to please but can work
autonomously, too |
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Character: |
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Border Collies should have calm confidence |
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Intelligence: |
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Excellence in this trait sets the breed apart
from all the others |
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Physical Soundness: |
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Reliable bodies are critical to perform herding
work |
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Endurance: |
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A
properly bred Border Collie should be able to
work all day long |
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Agility: |
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Speed, ability to turn on a dime and stop
instantly are critical |
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Herding Prowess: |
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The
true defining feature of a BC, no other breed
does it better |
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Stock Sense: |
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The
ability to learn about livestock and make good
judgments |
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Work Ethic: |
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Most humans are humbled by this breed's
dedication to it's task |
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Our Commitment to the Breed: |
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We are
dedicated to the maintenance of the Border Collie as a working
breed. We believe that anyone who will love, properly care for,
adequately train and adore a Border Collie should be able to
take advantage of the breed's incredible work ethic and relish
in the joy the dog will bring to one's life. However, we will
not place into a "breeding environment" a DarnFar puppy unless
it meets physical, mental and herding working standards. You
should assume that determining a dog's true herding ability will
require several months of focused attention on herding training
in order to make a proper assessment of your dog's abilities.
Although we recognize the commitment it requires to train a dog
for performance events, and we are proud of our puppy buyers who
excel in those venues, we do not consider Agility, Obedience or
SAR as proof of "working ability" in the Border Collie breed. |
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Pups with Working Parents: |
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A DarnFar bred
Border Collie will have working parents that we believe will
have a positive impact on the breed as the world's premier
herding dog. We treat each puppy as if it is the one, special
pup we choose for our very own. We strive to provide early
socialization and familiarization to a varieties of
environmental experiences. Our puppies are well socialized,
healthy and gregarious and promise to be your friend and
companion for life. Since we often only breed because we want a
puppy from a specific cross for ourselves, the wait for one of
our special puppies may be long. We happen to believe it is
worth the wait. |
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Are you right for a DarnFar Pup?: |
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Who
are our preferred puppy buyers? We will consider placing a
puppy with anyone who has a good understanding of the breed
type, has knowledge of the odd quirks that Border Collies are
known to have, can provide a loving, safe, secure home and who
can offer a Border Collie the type of mental and physical
stimulation that one requires to remain healthy (both
emotionally and physically). Border Collies require
leadership, not just activity. We appreciate hearing from
folks who have done their homework, have conducted thorough
research and who have confidence that a Border Collie is the
right dog for them. Performance type homes (like folks who are
interested in Agility, Obedience, Hobby Herding, Search &
Rescue) are often well suited for Border Collies. However, we
have found that our puppy placement process also results in
great matches with folks who simply want a superior companion
and are dedicated to the needs of such a highly intelligent and
physically active breed. |
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What is a Border Collie? |
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A
well trained Border Collie does not have to be an overly active
dog, especially indoors. People often comment about how calm my
dogs are. I know that they could also be spastic and neurotic
if I were to allow them to become that way. It's very much
about providing clear boundaries and limits for their behavior,
especially when they are young. Then, they can and do develop
into very relaxed, happy companions. Of course, they are best
served with some sort of job, which can be any number of
activities that challenges their minds, first, as well as their
bodies. |
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As
herding dogs, Border Collies can begin to displace their herding
instinct onto "non-herdable" entities, including small children,
cats, other dogs, automobiles, bikes, toys and balls, even
insects or shadows. So, it's very important to nip that
potential behavior in the bud as soon as it begins to happen. A
good correction (not a "redirect") for any "eyeing" or
"crouching" behavior may be necessary at some point in the pup's
life. It may seem to be very comical and entertaining, but it
can and most often it does turn into highly unwanted, often
dangerous behavior. Correcting displaced "herding" behavior
will not hamper the dog's ability to work real livestock, if one
were to entertain that diversion. The dogs can make a
distinction between between livestock and non-livestock if the
human helps them make the distinction. |
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If
you are the sort of person who believes you have the right and
the responsibility to impose your will upon a dog, then you'll
probably be fine with a Border Collie. However, if you prefer
to believe that dogs should be allowed to have free-will and
develop into the "person" they are destined to become (without
your establishing expectations for behavior), you will be better
off with a breed that will not find it quite insulting to exist
with a weak leader. It is a breed that needs leadership, but it
is also a breed that aches to please. So, you don't have to hit
the dog over the head with a 2x4 to get your point across. But,
you will be expected (from the dog's perspective), to establish
and reinforce rules so as to take away from the dog the need to
set the rules, herself. Otherwise, she may take matters into
her own hands, and the resulting behaviors are most always
destructive or unwelcome. |
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Pertinent Articles: |
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Cute Videos: |
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