| Frequently
Asked Questions
Taffy
Here are answers
to some of the questions we are most frequently asked. Please
feel free to contact us if you need additional information.
1. What type of border
collies do we breed?
We breed the family pet type
of border collie, which means our dogs are lower drive, very
friendly, love children, and have an off-switch. When we say
lower drive, this does not mean no drive. Our dogs are naturally
energetic, particularly when young, but are very suitable as
companions and family pets since they are more laid back and
do not demand to be constantly doing something.
Our dogs are very people oriented and have a strong need for
human companionship and affection.
Although our pups do fine in recreational sports or herding,
they are not appropriate for serious competitive sports or stock
dog or sheep dog work as they simply do not have enough drive.
2. Are our puppies good with children?
Our puppies are very well socialized by our four daughters.
They are held and played with a lot, are wrapped up like baby
dolls, and are quite doted on by our girls. This, in combination
with the great temperament of the parents, makes our pups extremely
well suited for homes with children. We are told repeatedly
by our customers that our pups blend in extremely quickly to
their new home and family setting.
We do however say that if there are any behaviour or training
issues with the young children in a family, these issues should
be conquered before taking on a new pup.
3. What type of home do we like to place our pups in?
We look for homes that are well settled and stable
with there being sufficient family support to care for the dog
without there being prolonged periods with the dog being left
alone. The family should be united on the issue of getting a
dog and sharing in the dog’s needs. Also, there should
be a commitment to take the dog to obedience classes starting
with puppy kindergarten. The individual or family should also
be physically active enough to provide for regular daily exercise
for the dog.
4. What type of home do we not like to place our pups
in?
We do not sell our pups to young people who have not
finished their education and are not sufficiently settled in
life. It is all too possible that opportunities will open up
after school that preclude having a dog or that just will not
allow sufficient time for a dog.
We also do not place our pups into homes that do not have sufficient
living space (ie. apartments) and yard space, and where the
owners are simply not home enough.
5. What does our spay/neuter contract mean?
When you buy a pup from us you sign a contract in which
you agree to spay or neuter your pup by the time she or he is
8 months of age. You are required to send us a certificate from
the vet saying this was done.
The reason we sell on a spay/neuter contract is because border
collies and border collie crosses are the number 1 breed to
end up in rescue shelters. This is largely due to indiscriminant
breeding that produces unstable temperament and poor health.
We do not want any of our pups to become involved in such activities
and thereby add to the problem.
6. What guarantee do we give on our pups?
We give a written 24 month genetic health guarantee.
We do our best to help insure we produce healthy pups by only
using dogs in our breeding program that are tested clear for
hips and eyes and are fully healthy and structurally normal
in all other ways.
7. How old should a border collie be before participating
in dog sports?
We are often approached by serious runners who wish
to obtain a border collie to be a running companion and go on
long runs several times a week. Border collies are also the
main breed people consider for doing agility, flyball and frisbee
and thus have expectations to be able to begin such activities
as soon as the dog reaches full size (7-8 months).
We need to clearly emphasize that border collies' bone and cartilage
do not finish growing and maturing until a minimum of 18 months
of age. Although the dog looks full size by 8 months and would
more than love to throw himself into running, agility, flyball
and serious frisbee, we do not recommend that such activities
be undertaken until a minimum of 18 months of age. And when
such activities are begun, they should be gradual and sensible.
Dog sports involve an incredible amount of jumping, landing,
impact, twisting, braking, 180 degree turns etc.
We will not place a pup into a home where the dog will be expected
to do long distance running. Sports injuries would be inevitable.
We have had numerous people approach us with the full expectation
of taking their dog on 16 km or longer runs on a regular basis.
We cannot condone this.
8. What is crate training and why do we recommend it?
Crate training is the practice of putting the pup into
his crate for nighttime, anytime the pup cannot be supervised
and when the pup needs time-out. This insures the pup is safe
when alone and will also not damage the house and furniture.
It is the rare pup that does not enjoy his crate. It is his
own space with water, food and toys.
Once the pup has grown up and reached the “age of responsibility”
and no longer has the urge to chew things, you may consider
foregoing the crate if desired.
We recommend wire crates (rather than plastic) for home usage
as these offer full ventilation and view so the pup is in a
more open area rather than a darkened environment in a plastic
crate. The best size is the 42" length
ones so that it will still be big enough when the dog is full
size.
9. How often do we breed
our dogs?
Once a bitch has passed all her health clearances,
has had atleast one heat, and has reached the age of 18 months,
we will breed her in her next heat. If we are pleased with the
quality of pups she produces, we will usually breed her again
in her next cycle. Then the decision is made once again according
to the health and vibrancy of the pups and the quick recovery
of the mom. We will often breed a bitch several times as long
as our vet approves and all our pups are strong and vibrant.
(We have yet to ever produce weak or poor quality pups, as all
our customers can attest).
It is often thought that dogs should not be bred each heat cycle,
even though they, and all animals, do so naturally in nature.
Animals are made to breed each cycle and we have found that
our dogs are doing remarkably well under such a practice. We
do not always breed every cycle, but do breed repeatedly.
Our dogs are vet checked frequently and have, bar none, received
outstanding checkups by our vets. They are in wonderful health
and are extremely happy. Also, our puppies continue to be very
vibrant, both physically and mentally. Our vets have told us
that they enjoy checking our pups because they are so well bred
and raised.
We feed raw dog food to a number of our dogs according to if
they are expecting or building up after a litter, and to some
dogs full-time. They are given natural remedies and holistic
supplements to maintain their health (we manufacture and sell
these supplements). All our dogs are cleared for hips and eyes
and we don't allow any dog to be in the breeding program if
they have any health or genetic issues.
It is odd how the conception that dogs should not be bred repeatedly
came about. All livestock animals are bred each cycle, yet no
one accuses the farmer of being a "puppy mill" with
regards to his cows, sheep etc. Few people realize that cows
are bred about 2-3 months after they give birth and are pregnant
during much of their lactation. But they are made to be bred
each cycle.
And we can assure people that our dogs are cared for much better
than the majority of cows, pigs and chickens these days that
never see the light of day (most livestock these days are housed
indoors for their entire life).
We have completely fenced all of our property so that our dogs
have free run in very large areas (the largest area being over
an acre) and do not spend much time in kennels or crates except
at night. Plus they are a part of our family and have their
emotional and social needs met by playing with our children
and being with us. They are not livestock. Our dogs are very
people-oriented and have a strong need for affection and love.
This is freely supplied and they are thriving because of it.
We truly enjoy our dogs. But that is not hard to do since our
dogs are so easy to live with.
10. How does the choosing of the puppies work?
Once the puppies are 6 weeks old they are old enough
to receive visitors. This is when our customers come out to
meet the pups and make their choices. The choosing goes according
to place on the reservation list. For example, if the person
is second on the list for a male, he gets second choice of the
males in the litter.
11. Where are our puppies born and raised?
Our pup are born and raised in our house. They have
constant interaction with us and are played with regularly by
our 4 children.
12. How old are our pups when they go to their new homes?
Our pups are 7 ½ - 8 weeks old when they are
ready to go to their new homes. They are vet checked at 7 weeks.
13. What have the pups received by the time they leave
us?
When the pups are ready to leave they have been vet
checked, micro-chipped, de-wormed (two sessions with Panacur),
had first set of shots, and have been very well socialized in
a home setting by our children.
The first set of shots is for distemper, parainfluenza, adenovirus,
and parvovirus. The customer receives the vet record for their
pup.
14. What do we feed our dogs and pups?
Some of our dogs are fed a raw diet (Mountain Dog Food).
If we had our choice, we would have all of our dogs on a raw
diet, but it is simply too expensive with the number of dogs
we have. So we rotate on a need-related basis. Roy and Glen
are totally raw fed, while our females are fed raw before and/or
after a litter.
We use Costco's Kirkland Signature Lamb and Rice dog food and
Kirkland Signature puppy food. Both are high-end kibbles with
holistic ingredients and no by-products or fillers.
We are also beginning to use Orijen grain-free, low-carb kibble.
This is a fantastic, all-Canadian product (www.orijen.ca)
which is made from fresh, locally sourced, human grade ingredients
and is low-temperature cooked.
We also give our dogs North Atlantic herring oil (for coat,
skin and immune system), organic unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
(for digestion and as an excellent mastitis preventative), kefir
(natually fermented dairy product for intestinal health), and
kelp (trace minerals).
Our dogs also receive natural remedies as needed, which we produce
ourselves (www.woodlandnaturalremedies.com).
15. Which registry do we register our pups with?
Our pups are registered with the Canadian Border Collie
Association. Border Collies cannot be registered with the Canadian
Kennel Club since the Canadian Animal Pedigree Act states that
in Canada there can only be one registry for each breed. The
Canadian Border Collie Association has been granted that privilege,
which is most appropriate since it is a registry which promotes
the border collie as a working breed.
16. Can I show my dog for conformation?
No. We do not breed show dogs and our dogs are not
to be used for showing. Plus the spay/neuter contract must be
honoured and this thus precludes showing (to be shown a dog
must be intact).
We breed for health, temperament, intelligence and balanced
structure. Realistically, border collies can no longer be solely
bred for work, since there obviously is not enough work anymore
for border collies. But there is still a place for smart, biddable
border collies in active homes where they can provide loving
companionship and plenty of enjoyment in recreational activities.
History has more than proven that animals who are bred for beauty
and to conform to a breed standard in order to win competitions,
of necessity will have their health and function compromised
to achieve that end.
17. Can I leave a blanket with you so our pup will have
an easier transition to our home?
Please do not bring a blanket
or toy to leave with us. This is an old wives tale about having
the mother's smell on something so as to comfort the pup after
he leaves. Pups quickly forget about their moms and siblings
once they are in their new home (this is the normal course of
nature). Having something remind him will only tease or confuse
him and prolong the transition. Also, for bio-security reasons,
we do not allow outside things from other people into the litter
as the other pups will come into contact from germs from your
place.
Russ and Tracey Salamon
and family.
R.R. 7 Tillsonburg, Ontario N4G 4H1
Tel:519-765-4708
Fax:519-765-4744
email:
Tracey@burhillbordercollies.com
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