Acadia Shelties

Allie's daughter, Kiera and the grandchildren

2012-01-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

Kiera is a Rincon x Allie daughter and is the sister to Caddy and Claire. They will turn 1 year old this month. Her owner, Linda, says that Kiera is very tollerant of Linda's grand-daughter- who LOVES Kiera. This last year Kiera pasted the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test and is now training for competition obedience.

New Ch Grandgables Acadia Accolade

2012-01-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

What a Great Friday the 13 !! Today Allie finished her American championship making her a champion both in the US and in Canada. She is now Am/Can. Ch. Grandgables Acadia Accolade. Gosh- 13 days into the new year and good news to report. I sure hope it continues this way throughout 2012!

Acadia's One Very Special Puppy, MXP, MJP

2012-01-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

2011 Year In Review

2011-12-31T15:23:00.000-08:00

New Years’ eve. I enjoy this time because it is an opportunity to be thankful . I am thankful for what we have accomplished; I am thankful for the many wonderful people I have met because of the dogs; I am thankful for great owners; I am thankful for the great dogs with which I share my life. Really, I have A LOT to be thankful for, and I am.

In 2011 my work had me travel to NC for 3 consecutive weeks. I am so fortunate that the "dog community" is a nation-wide community and is just so wonderful. I was able to visit with many wonderful breeders and see many wonderful shelties. This trip ended up having a lasting impact on not just me, but my breeding program as well.

I got the opportunity to judge Sweepstakes at a Specialty in Chicago. I was able to stay with my good friends, Merrylee and Chet. I had a really great time visiting with them and getting to see so many really beautiful puppies. Ellen Erickson lives in Illinois too and she brought her Acadia bred puppy for me to see. At this same show I got to see Penny competing with Show Low in Utility. It was a great time!

I was quoted on the online magazine http://www.sheltiesonline.com/ . I found that to be thrilling.
Amy and Quill completed the coveted UD title. I am so inspired by Amy!! I want to be just like her (88 and still showing her dogs!!) I am looking forward to sharing many, many more of Amy’s successes.

Three dogs from the same litter completed their championships this year. Acadia Peace of Mind “Dove” was the proud mother of Ch. Acadia Presence of Mind, Ch. Acadia Prince of Peace, and Ch. Acadia’s Peaceful Garden.

I had a GREAT time showing Ch. Acadia Presence of Mind, “Cassia”. I showed her exclusively in the Bred-by- Exhibitor class. She won two specialty majors and really made me so proud.

Ch. Acadia’s Peaceful Garden was shown by Sue Healy and she won a Herding Group 1.

Ch. Acadia Prince of Peace placed 2nd in a huge open sable class at the ASSA National, and also won a Herding Group 2.

Sharon Bradshaw’s NATCH, V-NATCH Acadia Paint The Town, “Hannah”, passed away this year. Ch. Acadia’s Bright Idea, NA, NAJ, RA and his litter brother Ch. Acadia Rock Solid, HT also passed away this year. They are all deeply, deeply missed.

Linda Hall and Acadia’s Warrior Princess, Xena, took the top award for number of titles earned in one year. The two of them earned 9 titles in 9 months. They had 50 qualifying scores this year and about 5 more titles that are in the works, and could have possibly been completed this year if Linda had not suffered a back injury that has put her in the hospital. Linda will undergo back surgery in January- and I hope that that Xena will be there to help her make a full recovery. Linda- my thoughts and prayers are with you for a full and successful recovery.

The following is a recap of the completed titles for 2011. I am always afraid that I have forgotten someone. If you and your Acadia sheltie have earned a title in 2011 and are not listed, PLEASE let me know. I am really thankful (and Proud) for each success- yours and mine. Titles earned this year are in italics.

Ch. Acadia’s Crowning Glory
Ch. Heart Lake Acadia Le Roi De Coeur
Ch. Acadia Presence of Mind
Ch. Acadia Prince of Peace
Ch. Acadia’s Peaceful Garden
Acadia Infinite Spirit, CGC, PT, ASCA Herding Started
Acadia Aquilegia, UD, MX, MXJ, RE
Acadia’s One Very Special Puppy, MXP, MJP
Acadia Angus Macphangus, CDX
Acadia’s Warrior Princess, (AKC titles) NAJ, OAJ, AXJ, NA, (TDAA titles) Games 1, (USDAA titles) PK1, PJ1, (ASCA titles) JSN, GSN

Acadia's Hidden Treasure "Cache" and his mother, "Faith"

2011-12-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

I LOVE raising dogs and knowing the family. I think family is important! I just love this picture of mother and son. Cache (on the left) is one of the Rincon x Faith puppies from 2010. He is the littermate to Finn and Xena.

Faith has amazing pigment. It can be difficult to get truly black blacks. A lot of tricolor shelties have red tone- not Faith. She passed on her great black pigment to her son Cache. She also gave him naturally tipped ears, good bone, all in a moderate (reference to size) package. I couldn't have asked for more.

Finn wins Reserve High In Trial on Saturday, and High In Trial on Sunday for 2 HS legs!

2011-11-21T13:13:00.000-08:00

WOW! Kathy emailed to tell me about Finn's first AKC Herding Trial. A Trial includes the Started, Intermediate, and Advanced classes. It takes 3 legs to earn the Herding Started (HS) title and Finn showed them how it was done this past weekend. Kathy said, "Just wanted to let you know that in his first run in Started Sheep at the AKC trial today Finn came in second place with a score of 94. We got Reserve High in Trial. The first place dog had a score of 94 1/2. We did the run in 3 min 15 second. I'm am so pleased !!!! The first picture is with the judge Priscilla Phillips and the second is with Priscilla and Finn and my trainer Sandy Moore.

We go again tomorrow. The weather today was cold, but no snow or rain as predicted. Great day for trialing :)"

On Sunday Kathy said, "Just had to share again :) Today Finn was High in Trial with a first place in started sheep. Our score was 96.5 points. Linda Rorem was the judge. We did it in 3 min 7 sec. It was overcast and snowy in the morning, but got sunny in the afternoon for Finn's run. He needs one more qualifying run for a started title in sheep."

Cache- dreaming of WIT

2011-11-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

The large ribbon in the center is WIT's. He and Cache both belong to Morene Brown and that ribbon is the ASSA National High In Herding Trial ribbon from the 2010 ASSA National- which WIT won. Cache likes to sit on that end of the couch- and I like to pretend that he feels closer to home and his housemate WIT. It is my hope that Cache will grow up to be a Ch/VCX dog, and I am confident that between Morene and I, we can make that happen.

Cache and Xena have a very good weekend

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

(picture of Cache taken at home in our yard)
Cache was Winners Dog on Sunday for his first 2 points. Saturday he was Reserve Winners Dog. That is certainly a nice way to start a show career. This was Cache's first dog show, and it was indoors. I had chosen to set up my grooming space along a wall. I didn't give much thought to the electrical outlet that was way above my head- until Saturday when one of the extension cords that was plugged into it blew up with a loud bang and a flash of light. Someone had plugged in a damaged cord, and had electrical tape around the damaged area, but then plugged a strip into the extension cord and had 3 dryers coming off of it. That was too much for the damaged extension cord and it blew up- right over the crates my dogs were in. I thought, "oh my gosh. I have just ruined Cache forever!" Nope. Luckily we had already shown that day, and the next day he won! It is so nice to have good steady temperaments!

Linda called Sunday night to say that Xena (littermate to Cache) had completed an ASCA jumpers course in 5.84 feet per second- that is SMOKE'N! Good luck keeping up with her Linda! I think it is so cool that Linda competes in so many different agility venues. That is a great way to keep the dogs interested and up on the game. Each venue focuses on a different aspect of the sport. For one venue it is speed, or another it is the ability to call your dog off an obstacle, or another it is the ability to handle from a distance. Each is a good skill and each gives confidence and makes the dogs think.

It is so nice to be able to report on the successes these dogs and their owners are having.

Acadia's Hidden Treasure "Cache" is visiting

2011-10-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is a Rincon x Faith son. He is the littermate to Xena and Finn and he is owned by Morene Brown in Arizona. He has come back to visit with me in Pennsylvania for a few months this winter.

Ch. Acadia' Bright Idea, RA, NA, NAJ (10/17/1998- 6/17/2011) and Ch. Acadia Rock Solid, HT (10/17/1998- 10/6/2011)

2011-10-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today is the birthday of Payson and Rocky, but they were not here with us to celebrate.

Friday, October 7, 2011, we had a memorial service for these brothers and laid them to rest at Acadia. Mary and Martin Smith, their daughter and grandchildren along with Erica Smith (no relation) and her daughter, and Mike and I attended. Rocky had lived with Mary and Martin and their family for the last 7 years and had become a very important part of their family. Each summer he enjoyed going to the beach (pictured above) and he always enjoyed just going for a walk or a ride in the car. Rocky enjoyed Mary's cooking and Mary was happy to cook for him. He passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Payson passed away while I was in training in North Carolina. It was quite a blow to get the phone call from Mike telling me Payson would not be there to greet me when I got home. Mike said that Payson waited until he came home from work, greeting him, then when outside and laid down.

It is Never easy. It doesn't matter if you have one dog or many. The love for each is deep and the bonds that are formed are real. This was not the first service we have had, and it won't be the last, but it is painful and raw every time. Payson and Rocky- we love you and miss you.

Acadia Whatever It Takes, HXAsd, AX, AXJ wins ANOTHER Major and ANOTHER 1st Place win towards the Herding Championship

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

WIT is now just 3 points away from being a Herding Champion (HC). WIT has continued to amaze me with his consistent and steady herding. This dog is not just good, he is GREAT. Since he only goes to one or two trials a year, it is taking a while to get the championship, but when he gets to the trial, he makes the most of it. This is one sheltie that has not had to worry about meeting the requirements (a major and a 1st place win)- he has done that over and over. His next trial is not until Feburary- and then I hope to report a new champion!

Congratulations to his owner Morene Brown and Trainer Sue Bradley
(The Ribbons are from the ASSA National Herding Trail in Tucson when WIT was High In Trial- Sheep and Reserve High In Trial-ducks)

New Champion: Ch Acadia Peaceful Garden

2011-10-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today Eden became the third from the Charlie Brown x Dove litter to finish the AKC championship. She is the littermate to Ch. Cassia and Ch. Manny.

She had some real high points along the way- she won a 5 point major and a Herding Group 1. I am so thrilled by this litter.

She was shown to her championship by Sue Healy in Arizona.

yard solutions to muddy dogs

2011-09-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say this is my yard, but alas, it is not. We have had a lot of rain these past few weeks and Sally sent me these two pictures of her "new yard" with Utley. Utley likes to run along the fence as many shelties do. Of course that creates a dirt path which just gets muddy. They had the sod cut back away from the fence and put in a synthetic mulch. This keeps Utley clean and makes for attractive yard.

The Johnny x Josie puppies

2011-09-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

Josie took the puppies for a walk

2011-09-25T19:26:00.001-07:00

Tucker then and now

2011-09-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

Donna Dugger sent this picture of Tucker- the puppy is Tucker as a baby, and a current picture of him. He is sired by Rincon x Faith and a littermate to Xena and Finn.

Donna reports that he has 2 Q's in Jumpers and one in Touch n' Go. She said he is super fast too.

Thanks for the picture and update Donna.

Grandgables The Acadian wins a 4pt. specialty major

2011-09-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

"Caddy" is his call name. He is one of the Rincon x Allie puppies born this January and is the littermate to Claire. He is now owned by Grandgables shelties and yesterday he won Winners Dog and Best of Winners for his first major. Congratulations to Guy, Mark, and Caddy.

Eden also won a 3 point major bringing her within 1 point of her championship as well. She is in Arizona being shown by Sue Healy.

Rain, Rain, go away, little puppies want to play

2011-09-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

Faith & Josie's puppies above

Pennsylvania was hit be tropical storm Lee and it rained, and rained, and rained. There was so much damage due to flooding, but luckily for us, we are on a hill. Our basement did flood, but it could have been much worse.
The puppies finally got to go outside and enjoy some SUN...

Acadia's One Very Special Puppy, OAP, AJP

2011-08-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

OAP= Open Agility Preferred
AJP= Excellent Agility Jumpers with Weaves"A" preferred

Piper is a littermate to Dove. Heidi had another sheltie named Zoe when she got Piper as a puppy.
This news came from Heidi in July, but I wanted pictures too. So here is what Heidi had to say about Piper (her "doggy extraordinaire!!)

"Who Knew? I started agility as a means to help Zoe overcome her shyness. I had no expectations but to have fun and her success motivated me to attempt an excellent jumpers title. Enter Piper. It was natural to throw her into the agility ring and again i thought it would be nice to see if we could get a Preferred Excellent Standard Title and a Preferred Excellent Jumpers w/ Weaves title. Apparently she had other ideas. So far this year:

March: 1st Place- Novice Standard (2nd Leg) 2nd Place- Novice Standard (3rd Leg- Novice Title)

April: 1st Place- Open Standard (1st Leg) 2nd Place- Open Standard (2nd Leg)
1st place- Excellent Jumpers (1st Leg) 1st Place- Excellent Jumpers (2nd Leg)

May: 2nd Place- Open Standard (3rd Leg- Open Title)
2nd Place- Excellent Jumpers (3rd Leg- Excellent Jumpers Title)

July: 1st Place- Excellent Standard (1st Leg) 1st Place- Excellent Standard (2nd Leg)
1st Place- Excellent Jumpers B (1st Leg) 1st Place Excellent Jumpers B (2nd Leg).

So yes-- we are now working on our Master Excellent Jumpers Preferred Title with only 8 more Q's needed. In my wildest dreams I never would have thought we could get this far or that a Preferred Agility Excellent title would be in our reach. Piper is no speed demon on the course. She's consistent and very focused and think she's going to be dangerous as our team skills improve. But I guess all of this should be expected when the dog comes from an incredible breeder! We get to have more fun in Sept/Oct- will keep you posted on her next milestones!

Love,
Heidi and Piper (doggy extraordinaire!)"

How do you evaluate your puppies?

2011-08-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Although this post is long; it is not the definitive writing on our puppy evaluation.

When do you decide which ones you are going to keep? What age can I get my puppy? When can I come visit the puppies? These are a few of the questions people ask a lot. The answer to the last question is - I only allow people to "come visit" the puppies when it is time to take one home. It is only human nature to "pick a puppy"- and it is the answer to the other questions that will help you understand why I can't run the risk of disappointing people.

Evaluation begins at birth, but the puppies change, and grow, and change... so I just have to observe, until they have grown enough I can start to get "real" information about them.

1st criteria: No obvious Faults

The reason I have litters of puppies is to produce my next "show dog". There is a written Breed Standard for each breed which describes the perfect specimen of that breed (it is this breed standard that judges at dog shows are using to evaluate each dog in the ring). Sometimes when a puppy is born, you know it has an obvious fault that may (will) prevent it from being a show dog. (pictured is Bianca: more than 50% white is a disqualifying fault). Those puppies can go to their new pet homes at 8wks.

Unfortunately for sheltie breeders, the genetic makeup of this breed is rather diffuse. This breed is not very old and a lot of breeds and mixes of breeds make up the sheltie. Genes don't get "diluted"- they get inherited or not (that is very simplistic and not entirely true- but for the purpose of this blog post it is good enough). One example is, as recently as the 1930's collies were cross-bred with the Shetland Sheepdog to cement more of the "collie look"- but it also added "collie size". Our breed standard says that any dog over 16" or under 13" (measured at the point of the shoulder) is to be disqualified from the conformation show ring.

2nd criteria: Measurements

How do you know what the adult height will be when they are babies? Well, sheltie breeders have been dutifully measuring their puppies for years, and growth charts have been developed that are a very helpful guide. They are not perfect, but they do give a breeder a "best guess". We begin measuring our puppies at 6 weeks of age, but we like to see a few measurements to know how they are tracking along the chart. Puppies that are over the charts at 6 and 7 weeks can go to their pet home at 8wks. Puppies that are "in-size" and quality stay longer.

3rd criteria: Testicles (obviously this applies to males only)
Males must have two testicles to be shown. The testicles can be felt as young as 7 weeks, but I don't usually check until around 8 weeks. If a male is nice, and meets the standard, but I can only feel one testicle, I may keep him until 10 weeks of age. If he is really, really nice I might keep him until 12 weeks of age. Testicles have been known to descend as late as 6 months, but I don't want to keep dogs that keep me guessing that long.

4th criteria: Do they have virtues? Do they have a temperament I want to live with?
So maybe they don't have obvious faults, but do they have virtues? I like to photograph them between 6-8wks to get a different perspective on how they look. The picture above of Liz is the type of picture we take. I want to get a sense of overall structure and build. I find these pictures to be very helpful and I usually see them in a different way than I do when they are just playing. With temperament, what I want to live with might be different than what someone else would like to live with in terms of temperament and personality. It is in my best interest, and the best interest of the puppy, to try and ensure that each puppy gets to live the type of life that will make it happy and where it can be successful.

Evaluation is a process. We are constantly evaluating our puppies. We get to see how their reactions to new things change, we get to see how their bodies change. By the time a litter is 8 weeks we usually know a lot and most puppies go to their new homes at that age.

Of the puppies that stay here, there are still things that can render them "pets" and not "show dogs".

6-7 month criteria: Teeth
Did all of their teeth come in straight and are they all there. Sometimes we have puppies available in this age range because of teeth issues.

Statistics say that of "show" breeders, only 1 in 8 shelties ever becomes a champion (that number is different in different breeds). When they are born, they all look like champions, but as the weeks go by- they begin to weed themselves out. By 8 weeks of age I may be down to one or two that I want to keep longer.

Height is always a factor. Pipi is a good example of that. She was tracking up the growth chart just fine- and she was very pretty- so I kept her. She quite growing at 6 months of age and didn't reach 13"- so she can not be shown (and she is still here looking for her forever home!!)
Temperment is also always a factor. Not all dogs want to be "show dogs". It is difficult to win with a dog that doesn't enjoy the shows. It can be done, but it is not as fun for me either. I do this as a hobby and a way to enjoy my time with the dogs. I want them to enjoy it too.
So- the answer is be patient- they are changing and I am observing!!

Dove's puppies

2011-08-20T12:14:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was a busy one

2011-08-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

Friday evening Josie had 4 sable and white babies- 2 girls and 2 boys. Saturday Faith had 1 tricolor girl. Two weeks ago Dove had 1 boy and 1 girl.

Acadia's Declaration wins Best of Breed from the 6-9 puppy class

2011-08-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

"Cute Claire" is how I seem to always be referring to her at the moment. This weekend, two breeder/judges awarded "Cute Claire" Best of Breed on both Friday and Saturday for her first AKC championship points. I didn't show her in the groups as I thought she was too immature to handle the pressure, but on Saturday they had special groups for the Best Puppies of each breed. Since she was Best of Breed, she was automatically best sheltie puppy. She placed 2nd in the Puppy Herding group!! Claire is a Rincon x Allie daughter.
Sunday, Liza won Best of Breed for her first point! That was quite a weekend!

New CDX Acadia Angus Macphangus, CDX

2011-08-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was at a dog show in Bloomsburg, PA when I saw John and Acadia Angus Macphangus (aka, "Gus"). John told me that the week before Gus completed the requirements for the CDX title. I was really looking forward to seeing them in the ring together that day, but unfortunately we were both going to be in our respective rings at about the same time, so I didn't get to see them in action. I hope to be able to see them the next time. Congratulations to John and Gus on a great accomplishment.

Manny's version of the "dog days" of summer

2011-07-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Manny says all a dog needs during the "dog days of summer" is a fan and a chew toy.

New UD Acadia Aquilegia, UD, MX, MXJ, RE

2011-07-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

I just found out about this TODAY- but Amy and Quill completed the UD title on JUNE 26!!!!
Amy reports that his scores were 192 1/2, 198 1/2, and 187 1/2. Amy is such an inspiration- she is 88 years old, and still trains, competes and loves her dogs and life!

In that same email, Amy reported that on July 13th Quill took 4th place in the 12" Jumpers class (agility). 18 competed and 7 Q'd. Quill's time was 34.88 sec. and standard course time (STC) was 46 sec, 149 yards. I am so amazed by this team.

The Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

It officially hit 102 degrees today.

Webster defines "dog day" as...

1. the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere

2. a period of stagnation or inactivity.

It sure has been hot sultry weather, and the air patterns are in a period of stagnation. I know it gets like this every year, but this year I am tired of it. I am proud of the dogs. They are doing well. Dove is expecting, and I can't imagine being pregnant in this weather, but she has not been cranky. Mostly everyone lays low during the day and is playful in the mornings and evenings. I am looking forward to a good rain storm!

Acadia Serenity wins Best of Breed from the 9-12 month puppy class

2011-07-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today Serena beat Merry for Winners Bitch. Merry just needs 1 point, but it didn't happen today. Today was Serena's day and Merry went reserve to her. It is really hot! NOAA offical temp was 100 degrees air temp. Serena was showing her heart out- so- she looked great. I had Cassia entered as a Champion, but she is in season and is just not acting herself- so- again, it was just Serena's day. She beat 1 champion and 1 almost champion- Not bad for my little girl!!

(this is a picture of her at the National. Today's shows were outdoors- in the Heat!!)

New Ch Acadia Prince of Peace

2011-07-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend was HUGE!!!!
On Saturday Manny was winners dog for a 4th major to finish. That same day, at the same show, Merry was Winners Bitch and Best of Winners for a major as well. This brought her within 1 point of finishing.
Today, Acadia Cierra Like A Rock, AXJ, OA, RN, HT, *VC* (Nicky), won his first major. He now has 12 points and just needs 1 more major to finish his championship. Nicky's win is HUGE! He needed a major to achieve the ASSA (American Shetland Sheepdog Association) Versatility Certificate (VC) - DONE! When he wins the next major, he will not only be a Ch., but he will be a Champion/ Versatility Certificate Excellent (or Ch/VCX). His mother, Ch. Sunburst Acadia Here I Come (Carrie), currently has 4 champion offspring. 5 champion offspring will give her the ASSA Register of Merit (ROM) award. Both the Ch/VCX and the ROM are considered Lifetime Achievement Awards with the ASSA. If all of the entered dogs show up at the show next weekend, it will be majors on Saturday and Sunday. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Nicky can win one of those two days to finish!

New Champion: Ch Acadia Presence of Mind

2011-07-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

Cassia won a major today (her third major) to finish her championship. She needed 3 single points to finish and a major is worth between 3-5 points (depending on the size of the entry). Today's major was worth 3 points so she completed the title. She was shown exclusively in the Bred-by-Exhibitor class, and that will earn her an invitation to show at the Eukanuba show this coming January in Florida!!!

Merry is on a Roll!!!

2011-07-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend Acadia Sunburst Merry and Bright (Merry) started off with a bang by winning a major! It is always a relief to win majors. The second day was not a major entry, but she not only went Winners Bitch, she was also BEST OF BREED over one of the countries Top Specials! WOOO HOOO MERRY!! She is now up to 11 points with 1 major. She needs 1 more major and 1 single point (a total of 4 more points) to finish the championship.

Acadia Sunburst Merry and Bright- on her way to her championship

2011-06-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Acadia Sunburst Merry and Bright (Merry) is the daughter of Ch. Sunburst Bright Sunny Day, who in turn is the daughter of Ch. Acadia's Bright Idea, NA,NAJ, RA (Payson) x Ch. Sunburst Acadia Here I Come (Carrie). She is currently being shown by professional handlers, Joel McCarty and Nick Joines. This weekend she was Winners Bitch both Saturday and Sunday bringing her point total to 6 points of the needed 15.

Acadia Infinate Spirit, PT, CGC- video of PT leg

2011-06-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

This video is one of Finn's two legs for the Pre-Trial (PT) herding test. (I recommend watching it twice as it stops to download the first time. Also, click the x in corner of the ad to make it go away). To earn the title a dog must qualify two times under two different judges. Herding is the controlled movement of livestock. The AKC has two "Test" levels, Herding Tested (HT) and Pre-trial tested (PT) and three "Trial" levels, Herding Started (HS), Herding Intermediate (HI) and Herding Excellent (HX). At each level the dog must demonstrate more and more responsibility. At the lower levels, the handler is allowed to move with the sheep and the dog must demonstrate control (stopping and sitting or laying down), must keep the sheep with the handler and not chase them all over, have a change of direction, and finally, must help the handler put the sheep back in a pen in a controlled manner. The sheep must also go through various obstacles with each level. At the PT level, there are two panels. The sheep must go between the fence and the panels in each direction. They are given 10 minutes to complete the course. Finn did the course in 4:53 minutes and maintained control the whole time. He makes this look easy, but I have seen dogs really not ready for this level- and it is ugly!
Now that Finn has mastered this level, he will move on the the HS level. There he will demonstrate more responsibility by going and picking up the sheep and bringing them back to the handler, and then he will have three obstacles the sheep will have to maneuver through.

First AKC herding Title for Acadia Infinite Spirit, PT CGC

2011-06-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Today Finn completed the required two qualifying scores to complete the Pre-trial tested (PT) herding title. Kathy said the judge on Saturday wrote, "Lovely dog- good potential" on his score sheet.

Xena and Finn are littermates. Within one week of eachother they have each completed the entry level titles of the venues they are being training in. I am so proud of both of these puppies and their owners- thank you! for all of the hard work you guys put into these dogs!

First AKC agility title for Acadia's Warrior Princess, NAJ

2011-06-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

WHOO HOO Linda and Xena!! You two are SMOKIN'! These two were the Star of the Trials! Xena had 3 runs each for Standard and Jumpers with weaves. She qualified all three times in Jumpers to complete her first AKC agility title. Not only did she qualify three consecutive times, but she placed 1st in her class TWICE and was 2nd in her class the other time- each class had at least 7 dogs competing, so that is quite a nice win!
Linda says, "I could not be more pleased with her progress. She listens, watches me, and loves to jump."
I am just so excited for these two. Thanks for the great video!

Acadia Peaceful Garden wins a Group 1

2011-06-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today at the Flagstaff Kennel Club show, Eden was Winners Bitch, Best of Winners, Best of Breed and Herding Group 1- shown by Sue Healy. Her brother, Acadia Prince of Peace (Manny), was Winners dog and Best of Winners at a show in VA- shown by Terry Jennings. I wish I had been at a show with Cassia- but alas, I am on a work trip and not at a dog show. I am just blown away with how well these puppies (well- they are 2.5 years old) are doing.

Xena's ASCA jumpers run- For exhibition only

2011-06-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

In order to compete in ASCA agility, you must be 18 months old. Xena is only 16 months old- so she couldn't compete to gain qualifing scores towards a title. HOWEVER... in this run, if she WAS able to officially compete, she would have place 1st !! Her time was 22 seconds- standard course time was 42 seconds.

She ran a second course on this day, but Linda was not able to video that run. Xena's time for her second run was 19 seconds. Have fun keeping up Linda!! :-)

Tucker with Donna-Xena's brother

2011-06-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is the video Linda and Donna took of Tucker. It is so nice to be able to get videos and see the dogs in action. They look so happy. Donna is doing a great job with Tucker and I am really looking forward to reporting about his successes as well. They just look like they really have fun together. Thanks for sending this to me so I could share it.

Linda Hall, Donna Dugger and Tucker

2011-06-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

Linda Hall lives in TX and owns the infamous Xena. This summer she and her family traveled to South Dakota for vacation. Xena's brother, Tucker, lives in South Dakota with Donna. Linda contacted Donna and got to meet Xena's brother. She said the two of them are so similar- Linda just fell in love with Tucker.

I just LOVE the fact that dogs bring people together! I LOVE having a a much larger family- thank you guys- you are the BEST!!!!!!!!!

Herding Group 2 for Acadia Prince of Peace and 5 point major for his sister Acadia Peaceful Garden

2011-05-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend this has been so far!!!! Yesterday I got a call from Sue Healy in Arizona saying that she and Eden won Winners Bitch and Best of Winners for a 5 point major and today Manny won Winners Dog, Best of Winners, Best of Breed and a Herding Group 2 at a show in Virginia. The only thing that could be better would be if I had been at a show winning with Cassia too.
I can not believe how well these three littermates have been doing. I feel like I need to pinch myself!

Finn earns his first herding title

2011-05-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

Acadia Infinite Spirit, CGC (Finn)

Finn and Kathy earned their first herding title- the ASCA Herding Started Title and he even came in 3rd place for his final leg of the title. Finn is really doing well and earns admirers every time he goes to a new place to herd.

Kathy said their trainer Sandy even called people over to watch Finn herding ducks. Sandy said that Finn is a good example of how a dog should treat the ducks (well we know that he DIDN'T get that trait from his great-grandmother Molly!!! But Grampa Show Low also loves his ducks!)

If Kathy can find a reliable person to take some video of Finn herding, we will post it on the YouTube channel. Congratulations Kathy and Finn

2nd UD leg for U-Ch. Linden Acadia Stacked Deck, CDX, HXAd, HIAsd, HSBd, HRD1, HTAD1, Delta Society Pet Partner

2011-05-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Penny and Show Low won 1st Place in the Utility A class for Show Low's second UD leg. He needs one more leg to complete the title.
At age 10, while most dogs are stilling on the couch, Show Low and Penny are still successfully competing.
I look forward to reporting the success of another new title for Penny and Show Low.

Acadia Prince of Peace- aka- Manny

2011-05-08T05:40:00.000-07:00

Acadia Stage Presence at the 2011 ASSA National

2011-05-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Liza represented her father Ch. Grandgables The Frat Boy in the Stud dog class. Mark Houston-McMillan (of Grandgables) is with The Frat Boy at the front.

NATCH, V-NATCH Acadia Paint The Town 8/5/2000- 4/30/2011

2011-04-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today I learned of the passing of Hannah- NATCH, V-NATCH Acadia Paint The Town. Hannah was the daughter of Ch. Acadia Rock Solid, HT and Ch. Zion Acadia Town Heroine, CDX, PT, VCX. She is the sister of Ch. Acadia Another Story, UD, PT, NA, VCX.

Hannah was owned by Sharon Bradshaw and according to Sharon, Hannah was her "heart dog". Sharon didn't get Hannah from me, but rather from a women that I had sold Hannah to for agility. I was quite surprised when I got a phone call about the exchange, but I was so relieved at the efforts of Sharon to contact with me and get everything sorted out.

Hannah loved agility, but she made Sharon really work for the NADAC agility championship (NATCH). She achieved this in 2009 and then achieved the Versatility agility championship (V-NATCH) one week later. Sharon accomplished so much with Hannah and I am very proud of both of them.

Sharon, my heart goes out to you. I am very sorry for your loss.

5 consecutive generations

2011-04-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

The text is tough to read here on the blog. Saturday these will be on http://www.sheltiesonline.com/

Liza and Serena are the 6th consecutive generation of Acadia. Carrie is Anna's mother, who is Genna's mother, who is Dove's mother, who is the mother of both Cassia and Manny. Cassia is Liza's mother. Carrie's mother is a champion- and up to Genna we have 4 consecutive generations of Champion bitches. I am fairly certain that both Cassia and Liza will finish quickly- I need to work on Dove. She has 5 points, but she is not one to "ask for the win"- so she usually goes "reserve". If I can get that done, it would be 7 consecutive generations of Champion bitches- that is VERY impressive in shelties- so it is a good goal.

Acadia Prince of Peace places 2nd in the Open Sable & White Class- 2011 ASSA National

2011-04-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

20 competed in the Open Sable & White (dog) class at the ASSA National. Manny was shown by Terry Jennings and he placed 2nd in this class. The dog that won the class was WD, so Manny got to go back into the ring to compete for Reserve WD. This placement was quite a thrill. Manny has both majors. I look forward to him finishing soon.

Acadia's Peaceful Garden at the 2011 ASSA National

2011-04-26T13:05:00.001-07:00

Therese Walters showed Eden for me. I got to take pictures. Sue Healy, a judge and fellow sheltie breeder, approached me while Eden was in the ring and wanted to know if I would consider selling her. I thought that was a very nice compliment. Eden is now in Arizona with Sue.

Celebrating a Century: Over-view of the ASSA National

2011-04-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

The 2011 ASSA National was in St. Louis, MO. These are pictures of the the entrance to the Purina Center,the head table, the ring, the grooming area, and my grooming area.

Acadia's Crown Prince "Luke"

2011-04-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Luke is pretty even when he is doing nothing. He is sired by Acadia Prince of Peace (both majors) x Ch. Acadia's Crowning Glory

A fast trip to Chicago

2011-04-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I was in Chicago judging sweepstakes. I had a nice entry of 21 puppies. It was fun to go to another part of the country and see some of the dogs I will be seeing at the National. It gave me an opportunity to look at some of the competition.

I stayed with Merrylee and Chet- Nicky's owners. I got in late on Friday and left early on Sunday- not nearly enough time to socialize, but I did get to see a few important (to me) people. Ellen brought Leo to the show for me to see. Leo is Cassia's son and Liza's brother. I was surprised by how much he looks like Cassia. These puppies are 8 months old. It was really nice to see them both.

Penny was there competing in Utility with ShowLow. I was getting so excited because he was qualifing in each exercize- until the VERY LAST ONE!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't belive it!! ALMOST! Penny is a great trainer, I am sure they will accomplish this task- but he is getting older, so the pressure is on.

Merrylee had leased Josie for a litter. She bred Josie to Nicky. I brought her and her daughter home with me. I think I will write about my travel in another post. Traveling with a puppy is a lot of fun- and much more interesting than traveling alone. These pictures are of the puppy (no name yet).

Acadia Prince of Peace wins his second major

2011-04-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

Manny is doing quite well. He is currently being shown by Terry Jennings and I was not there to see either win. I am feeling some withdrawl- I want to be at the shows too. I want to be showing Cassia. The National is coming up the week after next- I am really looking forward to it.

My puppy buyers are the BEST!!

2011-04-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend most of the puppies from the Rincon x Allie litter are going to new homes. I have said it before, but it is still true, the people who buy my puppies are the BEST!!! Today Mike and I spent all day with puppy buyers. I love those interactions. Thank you!

When ever people ask if selling the puppies makes me sad, I always reply no- I love to add joy to peoples' families. My life is enriched by meeting such great people through my dogs- and I know that the dogs enrich their lives as well.

Yes, we still have a puppy available. If you are interested, you have not missed out yet.

Acadia Prince of Peace- aka- Manny wins a major!

2011-03-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah Manny! Manny is the litter brother to Cassia and Eden. He is the 3rd from this litter to be pointed and both he and Cassia have won majors now. That is a great start. This successful litter is sired by Acadia King Charles x Acadia Peace of Mind. Acadia King Charles is the litter brother to Ch. Acadia's Crowning Glory.

Rincon x Allie puppies

2011-03-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

Acadia Presence of Mind (mother) and Acadia Stage Presence (daughter) win again

2011-03-19T19:42:00.001-07:00

Today Cassia, Acadia Presence of Mind, was Winners Bitch and Best of Winners at the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Greater Baltimore's spring specialties. This was her second specialty major and gave her 8 total points out of the needed 15 points. She will not be shown again until the American Shetland Sheepdog Association (The National) show in April.

Cassia's daughter, Liza- Acadia Stage Presence, was Runner-up in Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes is for puppies 6 months to 12 months. There are no points for sweepstakes, but it is a really great place to showcase the puppies and get them trained and ready for "real" competition.

I am very proud of both of these girls.

Copyrighted Photo by Dean Von Pusch- permission to use must be obtained from Dean Von Pusch

I am Quoted!!!!

2011-03-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

I am so excited!!! I JUST NOTICED! that I am the weekly quote on shelties on line http://www.sheltiesonline.com/ I was so excited to see Cassia's ad that I didn't even go on to read the weekly quote- until today- and BONUS!!!!

The quote that was used comes from my website and is my mission statement if you will- I call it "My Commitment" and it is:
"To only use healthy dogs in my breeding program, to adhere to the standard as the measure of quality, and to provide every opportunity to my puppies to make then well adjusted family members."
I work hard to live by this.

Trait Selection and Domestication

2011-03-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

The front cover of this month’s National Geographic pictures a fox and the teaser line, “designing the perfect pet.” The opening paragraph tells the reader of two Russian brothers, Nikolay and Dmitry Belyaev, in the mid-20th century who risked their lives and their careers to continue research on genetics when it has been outlawed by Joseph Stalin. For Nikolay, the price he paid was his life. Dmitry only lost his job as director of the Department of Fur Breeding, but he secretly continued his quest, consumed with the question, how did such a diversity of dogs result from man’s relationship with the wolf?

To study the answer, Dmitry Belyaev chose to reproduce history himself, and he selected the silver fox, a cousin of the dog that had never been domesticated, as his subject. National Geographic outlines his work, the politics, the struggles, the findings, and in an interesting read, lets us know that the answers are far from easy. His work continues in Russia today- 53 years after he obtained his first generation of silver foxes. The answer is; it’s complicated.

Over the generations, the foxes in Belyaev’s study changed more than their attitudes towards humans, they changed their appearance as well. It seems that the genetics in silver foxes linked with ”Tameness” , are also linked with floppy ears and white body spots called piebald. Of course there is more research occurring on the subject of domestication than just the fox project in Russia- Leif Andersson (a fellow Swede!) studies genetics of farm animals. Andersson believes that human selection for “cute” traits were allowed to persists just because humans liked them. These traits, which may have just been random mutations, may have been detrimental to a wild animal and therefore would have been weeded out. He feels that humans have a greater role in selection. Personally, I tend to agree with Andersson. How else can we explain a Pug?

I highly recommend reading this article in full. Click Here to read it. The practical question that I have to answer with each generation is how do I select for the whole package- a sheltie that retains it’s appearance as a sheltie, but “improves” in one area without causing undesirable changes in another. Maybe we breeders and these researchers share some genetic traits that cause us to seek the answers, while the other side of the coin, the “anti-breeders” share a different set of genetic traits. Maybe there is a genetic propensity to understand one’s role in shaping who we are - and it is in direct opposition to those who fear the answers. Maybe genetic research and experimentation is just in my genes.

Cassia on Sheltiesonline

2011-03-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

This ad is currently on http://www.sheltiesonline.com/ They change the ads every week, so next Saturday there will be new ads (and I will have two dogs advertised- any guesses who they might be?)

New Ch Heart Lake Acadia Le Roi De Coeur

2011-02-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

Charlie Finished his Championship today. Yeah!!!! He was shown by Nick and Joel, bred by and co-owned with Tina Bjork.

Heart Lake Acadia Le Roi De Coeur wins a 4 point major!

2011-02-19T16:11:00.000-08:00

Heart Lake Acadia Le Roi De Coeur, "Charlie", is in South Carolina this weekend being shown by professional handlers, Nick Joines and Joel McCarty. Charlie's father is Ch. Gairloch's King Of Hearts and his mother is Ch. Heart Lake Deja Vu. Le Roi De Coeur means in King of Hearts in French. I thought that was clever play on words when I named him.

Charlie has 12pts- 1 major. He needs one more 3pt. major to finish his championship. I co-own Charlie with his breeder, Tina Bjork. This photo was taken by Mike Fine.

12 months old, 1st in a 12 dog class, jumping 12"

2011-02-19T16:02:00.000-08:00

The Rincon X Faith litter turns a year old today. I am having so much fun following the successes of this litter. They are all doing so well. Today Linda called to say that she took Xena to a TDAA- Teacup agility trial. Xena has never done a full course and she had 4 runs today. She Qualified in 2 of the 4. This is not an AKC venue (AKC will not allow dogs to compete until they are 15 months old), and one of the courses had to be run "mute'. In other words, the handler can not talk, clap their hands, click, or any other noise- it is ALL body language!!! Xena Qualified! That demonstrates teamwork!

Xena placed first in the 12" standard class. There were 12 dogs in the class (of all ages). This is a huge accomplishment. Linda celebrated with balloons, cake, and 1 happy dog! The next day Xena followed up with more "Q's" (qualifing scores) and a NEW TITLE!!! The picture above is with Linda Hall and judge Courtney Keys.

Finn (pictured right) wanted to have his picture taken with sheep today, but the snow was too deep to even get the sheep out of the barn. Poor Finn- he loves his sheep.

21 days old

2011-02-17T15:54:00.000-08:00

Happy 13th Birthday to Molly and Valerie!

2011-02-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

Molly- left, Valerie- right. Pictured at age 8
13 years ago today, Ch. Zion Acadia Town Heroine, CDX, PT, VCX (Tucket) gave birth to MACH4 Acadia Color of Passion, HSAds (Molly) and Acadia Sweet Emotion, PT, AX, AXJ (Valerie). Both Molly and Valerie live in Sunny California with my friend Pam. I talked to Pam last night and she said that Valerie wanted to celebrate by going to agility class. Pam said that Valerie is Peter Pan- she will never grow up! Way to be Valerie!

Both of these girls are in the pedigree of the puppies we are raising right now. The puppies are sired by Acadia Sweet Home Arizona, PT (Rincon) - who is a Valerie grandson on the dam's side of the pedigree, and a Molly great-grandson on the sire's side of the pedigree.

Molly, Valerie- tonight I will raise a glass and say a toast to you, "Here is to longevity and continuing quality!"

Happy Birthday Girls!

Acadia Presence of Mind Wins a Specialty Major!

2011-02-13T19:13:00.000-08:00

What an exciting weekend! On Saturday, Acadia Presence of Mind, "Cassia", was Winners Bitch for a 4 point major at the Blue Ridge Shetland Sheepdog Club specialty show under breeder judge Ellen Worthington. Cassia won her class each show and was pulled for consideration in Winners under breeder judge Sandra MacIntosh Feret. Today Cassia's daughter, Acadia Stage Presence, "Liza", won Runner-Up Best in Sweepstakes and then won a HUGE, QUALITY PACKED class today under breeder judge Rick Thompson.

There were a lot of really, really nice shelties being shown this weekend. The judges kept commenting on the quality- so it was even nicer to be recognized with these wins. A lot of people came up me and told me how lovely the girls were, which of course made me so proud.

But Best of All were the wonderful people who helped me make these wins possible. My friend Kristen Bardell, who is not even a "sheltie person", gave up a whole weekend to drive to Virginia to help. Diane Troese and Brenda Fuller, who groomed up Cassia while I was in the ring with Liza- they made Cassia look fabulous! Therese Walters who trimmed Cassia's head last weekend for me in prep for this weekend. Cheryl Pike who showed Cassia in the winners class today when both Cassia and Liza won their classes. Dean and Rita Von Pusch who took FABULOUS pictures of Cassia. Bill and Dawn Phillips who brought New Champion, Glory up from North Carolina so she could come home. Phew! Thank All of You!

12 days old- Rincon x Allie babies

2011-02-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

They were born 1/27/2011. Their eyes had opened around day 10- which is early. They are attempting to get up on their legs- early- watch out for these puppies!

There are 2 sable girls, 2 sable boys, 2 tri boys.

1st UD Leg for U-Ch. Linden Acadia Stacked Deck, CDX, HXAd, HIAds, HSBd

2011-02-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

Penny reported that Show Low won 1st place in Utility at the Chicagoland Shetland Sheepdog Club this past weekend. This was a really great weekend for the Acadia Shelties! Congratulations Penny and Show Low.

New Ch Acadia's Crowning Glory

2011-02-06T17:01:00.000-08:00

Glory won her final major on Friday to finish her Championship!!! Wooo Hooo Glory.

Rincon x Allie puppies are here!

2011-01-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

Allie had a litter of 6 sired by Rincon. There are 4 boys- 2 sables and 2 tricolors, and 2 girls- both sable. All of the puppies were large, fat and healthy. Allie is a great mother. I look forward to getting pictures of them on the blog.

Belle's kids are Calendar Dogs!

2011-01-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Keith gave me the Brown Trout "Shetland Sheepdog" 2011 calendar for Christmas- you know- the wall calendar that you can find in all of the book stores, Hallmark stores and other places that sell calendars! WELL, it turns out that TWO of Belle's kids are "Calendar Dogs" !!!! How COOL is That! Miss October (my birthday month!) is "Sister" and Mr. May is "Bitty". These two are littermates.

Xena doing Weaves with front cross

2011-01-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

Favorite Gifts

2010-12-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

Maisy, a Manny x Glory puppy

My favorite gift is hearing from the families who have Acadia bred shelties. Every year you guys come through and keep in touch. You are the BEST. Thank you, every one.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2010-12-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

Glory is closing in and just needs a major

Today Acadia Infinite Spirit earned his CGC- and Finn herding in June 2010

2010-12-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

Acadia Infinite Spirit, aka- Finn , and Kathy earned the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) award today. Congratulations! Finn was born in Februrary 2010. He is one of the "future stars" and I am already enjoying reporting on his and his sister, Xena's successes.

This video is of Finn herding when he was just 4 1/2 months old. To see more videos of Finn herding, and Xena doing agility, visit our site on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/acadiashelties

Powerful Chewer!

2010-12-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

Toltec, our Rhodesian Ridgeback, is only 11 months old- and still a puppy. He is a powerful chewer and quickly consumes anything "sheltie sized".

The Buster Cube is a great toy that dispenses treats as the dog rolls it around. The one pictured on the right is "sheltie size". Notice the teeth marks. Toltec can pick this whole cube up- and- as you can see- do serious damage. Today I got him a "Ridgeback" size Buster Cube. He can't pick this one up- perfect! He loves this game. He uses his feet a lot- and this cube is perfect for the "kicker" . I have found that shelties don't like the "cube" shape as they are not "kickers". They like to use their noses to "roll" and the cube is just not that good for "rolling". I have a ball that is the same concept. They prefer that. I didn't get it out as I thought that Toltec would find it too easy.

New C-ATCH Champion Acadia Cierra Like A Rock

2010-12-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

The C-ATCH is the CPE (Canine Preformance Events) Agility Trial championship. Nicky is owned by Merrylee and trained in agility by Arlene. Congratualtions!!!!

Phyllis reported that Rain got her first Qualifying agility score- in NADC Tunnelers.

A Good Thanksgiving Weekend- Glory Wins again for 2 more points

2010-11-30T06:11:00.000-08:00

Glory was WB again on Monday for another 2 points bringing her total to 9. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will finish her championship this calendar year.

Acadia's Crowning Glory wins a major

2010-11-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

Today Glory won a major at the Chesapeake Kennel Club under sheltie breeder/judge Mrs. Janet Turnage Nahikian. I am SO THIRLLED! This brings her 1/2 way to the Championship. She now has 7 points, 1 major. She needs 8 more points and 1 more major.

Great Competition Homes: Morene Brown

2010-11-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

L-R, Kaibab, WIT, Mike, Morene, Cache

Morene was my agility training when I lived in Tucson. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher! When I lived in Tucson Morene had a lab, a whippet and a sheltie. At that time I was training Tucket, Valerie and Payson in agility.

In 2000 shortly after I moved to Pennsylvania, Morene called to see if I had a puppy to share with her. I was expecting a litter sired by Payson out of Molly, Valerie's litter sister. There were only two in the litter, and the male had a tail that didn't reach his hock, so I knew that he would not be a show dog. I was able to call Morene and say, "Yes, I have your puppy"- even though he was only a few days old. Morene named him Kaibab.

Morene's fun and clear training helped Kaibab become the first TRIPLE agility champion, all breeds, in the city of Tucson. It takes a very special dog to be able to compete successfully in all three of these venues as they all highlight different skills and abilities of the dogs. It also takes a very special trainer to be able to train for each of these venues. Officially, Kaibab is MACH. NATCH, ADCH Acadia's Candidate, HSAs. The MACH is the AKC agility championship, NATCH is the NADAC agility championship and the ADCH is the USDAA agility championship.

Morene's passion is agility, but due to Kaibab's interest in sheep, Morene met Sue Bradley and allowed Sue to train Kaibab to the Herding Started title on the A course with sheep. The duo of Morene and Sue allow Acadia bred shelties to excel in multiple venues. When Morene called to say she was ready for another puppy, I was ecstatic!

WIT, aka- Acadia What Ever It Takes, HXAsd, AX, AXJ, is sired by Molly's son, Show Low out of Valerie- thereby doubling on Tucket (the mother of both Molly and Valerie). Morene takes her time training a new dog. She is never in a hurry to get titles, but rather waits until she knows the dog is ready and will enjoy the experience too. Knowing she trains this way, I shouldn't have been too surprised when she called to say that WIT had gotten a leg towards the herding EXCELLENT title at his FIRST herding trial, but I was. Again, it was Morene's willingness to allow WIT to train with Sue in herding that enabled WIT to shine in this venue.

I had thought that the accomplishments of Morene and Kiabab were outstanding (and they are!), but I couldn't have imagined the joy of what was to come. WIT not only completed the HX title on both sheep and ducks in three straight attempts, but he was High in Trial at the ASSA National Specialty Herding sheep trial and Reserve High In Trail at the ASSA National Specialty duck trial He has 6 pts (out of 15), the necessary two 1st place wins and the major towards the Herding Championship (HC). I would be willing to bet that WIT will be the first Acadia HC/MACH.

As luck would have it, Morene is sold on Acadia bred shelties. She has two more- Acadia's Microburst, OA, OAJ, Mike, a Canyon x Kiara puppy, whose first agility trial was the ASSA national specialty and he placed first in both Novice Standard and Novice Jumpers with weaves . Morene's youngest, Acadia's Hidden Treasure, Cache, is a Rincon x Faith puppy.

Kaibab turned 10 this year, but he is still competing in agility. His role now is that of "teacher". Kaibab is a very honest dog and will work for anyone. Morene now has Kaibab teaching her students the handling skills needed for some of the more advanced maneuvers. Once the student is clear about their own body language, they can begin to work with their own dogs on the advanced skills with the confidence that at least one of the pairs knows what they are doing.

It takes Great Owners and Great Trainers to make Great Dogs- and I am Thankful to have quite a few of them sharing their lives with Shelties from Acadia.

Thankful for...

2010-11-24T06:57:00.000-08:00

I say this all the time, I love dogs! I am thankful that I can (still) live a life full of dogs. As we experience our “Great Nation” incrementally handing over our rights to freedom and the pursuit of happiness- I can say that Thanksgiving, 2010 – we still have the right to own and breed dogs. For this, I am the most Thankful.
I love to breed dogs, but it is the Great Owners that make breeding dogs so much fun. YOU- are my extended family! I LOVE to see and hear about your successes and disappointments (but mostly successes :-0 )

9 month old Xena is doing 15 obstacles

2010-11-15T19:40:00.000-08:00

Linda Hall called on Sunday to tell me about Xena. Xena is one of the Rincon x Faith puppies and this week she will be 9 months old. If you click on Xena's Label to the right- you will get to see a few videos of her as a young puppy. Linda has been training Xena from the moment she got off the plane- but this past weekend Xena really showed her accelerated training.

Linda went to a NADAC agility trial to compete with her two older dogs. Xena went along for the socialization and experience. One of the nice things about NADAC is there are LOTS of classes to compete in and each one is very different. In AKC there are only 2 classes- Standard, which is jumps, weave poles, tunnels and 3 "contact obstacles", or Jumpers which is just jumps, weave poles and tunnels (no contact obstacles).

At the trail that Linda was at, a class called "Tunnelers"- (because every obstacle is a tunnel) was the last class of the day. Linda stayed to help the club clean up, and when most everyone was gone, she asked if it would be OK to run the course with Xena. They said yes and Xena ran a 15 obstacle course under course time!!!!!!! How GREAT IS THAT!

Linda had to send her from one tunnel to the next, making sure she took the correct entrance, making sure she took the correct TUNNEL! It is not easy to do a course where all obstacles are the same- but it is even harder when the dog can not see you most of the time (because she is inside a TUNNEL!). Changes of course, become more difficult and your signals must be clear and the dog must understand, or they "pop back out" the same way they went into the tunnel. Linda was amazed at the maturity level and work ethic of Xena. True- Xena has work ethic and drive- but it is Linda who is developing the mental mind of this dog and making Xena the working partner she is becoming. Congratulations Linda and Xena- I KNOW we will continue to be reporting GREAT THINGS about you two.

10-20-2010 I just had to post!

2010-10-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

So I missed posting on 10-10-10, but I happen to think today's date is better! 10-20-2010

It's a good thing Lori sent me this really cool picture of Cache (tri in back) and Tryk (sable in front). The legs are exactly the same! What a great picture- perfect timing Lori!

Cache is owned by Morene Brown (owner of WIT, Kiabab and Mike) and Tryk is owned by Lori Grega- both in Tucson, AZ. Cache is from the Rincon x Faith litter and is a littermate to Xena and Finn and Tryk is from the Manny x Glory litter.

New HX for U-Ch. U-CD Linden Acadia Stacked Deck, CDX, HIAsd,HXAd

2010-10-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Penny had a GREAT fall weekend! She and Show Low completed the Herding Excellent title on the A course with Ducks (HXAd). Penny writes, "Yes, it finally happened. An Accomplishment I never thought I would see-all because of this wonderful, devoted, and talented dog! No matter how many times I mess up, he gives his all every time. And a score good for first place, over some Herding Champions in the class!!"

Show Low is WIT's father.

CONGRATULATIONS Penny and Show Low

Acadia Whatever It Takes, HXAsd, AX, AXJ wins a Major towards the Herding Championship

2010-10-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Most of the AKC Championship titles require a dog to defeat other dogs and earn "points" to earn the title. The number of "points" awarded at each trial or show depends on the number of dogs that successfully compete that day at that trial/show. The more dogs defeated in a day, the higher the points. The maximum number of points that can be awarded at any one trial/show is 5.

In order to obtain the Herding Championship, a dog must earn 15 total points, win at least two 1st place wins, and win a major (between 3-5 pts). Remember, majors are a reflection of the number of dogs defeated that day.

WIT placed first, and was also High In Trial, at the ASSA National Specialty Herding trial this past spring. That was his first 1st place win. There were only enough shelties for him to earn 2 pts towards the championship- but it was a necessary 1st place (and- being the National- they were the best shelties from around the country!)

Today WIT competed at an "all breed" (well- all herding breed) Trial and again he placed 1st in the Advanced Class. This time the entry was large enough that he won 4pts towards his Herding Championship. He has now gotten all of the hard parts out of the way and he just needs "points" to get to 15.

Shelties are not known around the Herding circles as being a "power breed" and it can be very difficult for them to win 1st place when competing against Boarder Collies- but WIT has not been told such tales. He IS a powerhouse and he can keep up with the best of them. He will do Whatever It Takes!

Acadia Serenity and ?? at 10wks

2010-10-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

I am keeping two puppies. One is from the Ch. Grandgables The Frat Boy x Acadia Peaceful Garden litter. That puppy's name will be Acadia Serenity, call name "Serena". The other puppy is from the Ch. Grandgables The Frat Boy x Acadia Presence of Mind litter. I would like to use "Presence" in the registared name, but I can't come up with anything I like- and I don't have a call name for her yet.

Cassia's puppies have a spa day

2010-09-05T19:23:00.001-07:00

Cassia has 2 girls and 1 boy. Today they got a bath and blow-dry, their ears done, toe-nails trimmed- the works! They look so cute now!

puppies are almost 6 weeks

2010-09-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

Payson

2010-09-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

Payson has a little bit of a tooth-ache and he is being treated for it. I just love this picture because despite the fact that you can see where his tooth is bothering him, it depicts his beautiful head. He has the smoothest, cleanest head I have felt on a sable. (by the way- for you non-show people, "smooth" and "clean" do not refer to coat length or non-dirtiness- they are what we "show" people say when talking about the bone structure of the skull).

on the lighter side of Life- and death-

2010-08-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

On the lighter side- Eden, who had been bred to Brother (Ch. Grandgables the Frat Boy) was due to deliver the same week that my father died. When my sister called and said, "get home now-" I loaded Eden into the car too. When I got to the hospital, my father was already gone, but I wanted to stay with him a while. Of course the rest of the family had been there for most of the day. About an hour after I arrived my mom was ready to leave, so my sister said, "I will go home with Cadie." To which I said, "as long as you don't mind sitting next to Eden- who is pregnant." The nurse who had been caring for my dad said, "you have a pregnant dog with you?" I said, "yes, and I am thinking that she could deliver tonight." "Well I have never heard THAT one before!" she said. Eden waited until that Wednesday- and had 4 girls.

Her sister, Cassia had also been bred to Brother. She had 2 girls and 1 boy. This picture is of all 7 puppies. As you can see, one of them is a mis-mark. I have never had a white-factored, mis-marked puppy before. She can not be shown in conformation, so she will be available to a pet home.

Dogs like to go on vacation too

2010-08-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

George and Shirley sent this message, "We just had a special travel experience with MacDuff. We decided to escape the heat and humidity in Philadelphia by driving up to Lake Placid, NY late last week......... MacDuff went everywhere with us. Walks along Main Street-watching out for traffic but not upset at vehicles- sitting by our chairs at meals- accepting frequent admiration from other guests, hotel staff and others. He even met a female sheltie (11 yr old) who he liked but kept at a distance. He really disliked a noisy Yorkie, however. He much prefereed people. He even offered a kiss to people that spoke to him with the right measure of adoration, especially ladies. MacDuff continues to be an outstanding friend and companion. We had not anticipated just how much he would enjoy our mountain vacation. He had a great time. "

R.Regner Arvidson 7/30/1929- 7/26/2010

2010-07-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

My Dad passed away this past Monday. Here is a link to his obituary. Yesterday would have been his 81st birthday. I got a balloon and Mike and I went out to one of our pastures and let it go. Then we laid in the grass and watched it until we couldn't see it anymore. It was so peaceful- so quiet. I really enjoyed the visual "letting go".

Our family was lucky. We all got to tell him that we loved him before he died, and he was active and "living" right until the end. I don't think any of us can ask for anything more- except maybe never to have to say, "good bye".

There are so many things I have to say about him, but at the moment I can't. His memorial service will be held Aug. 15th and I hope you will all indulge me by allowing me to write more about him then. Maybe by then I will be able to recount a few memories.

It was just last year that my parents celebrated 50 years of marriage. They took us all to Nantucket- here is a link to the blog post I wrote last year. The picture was taken during that celebration. I hope everyone thinks their parents, siblings, family is really special- I know that I do. I love you, and miss you Dad.

Part of the Village

2010-07-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

The trip to Costa Rica was an organized tour through a company called EF (Education First). They bill themselves as “helping students and teachers with International Travel”. My friend Joan Stone is the Spanish Teacher at Lewistown High School and every other year she takes Spanish students on a trip. She invited me along because she knew I would really enjoy the ecological diversity of Costa Rica. One of my roles on this trip was that of “friend”.

EF offers packaged trips and they lump all of the individual groups from various places in the country together thereby making it possible for small groups such as the 6 of us from Lewistown, and the 3 from Alabama to all have the same complete experience as that of a larger group. Our tour group (of 50 people) ended up with students, teachers, parents (and me) from 5 different schools and 3 different states. We had an assigned tour guide and an assigned bus driver. One of the schools we were traveling with was from State College, PA- which is only ½ hour from Lewistown. That group did a daily blog of the trip http://sc2costarica.blogspot.com/ click on that link to go see more about the adventures of the trip (from a non-dog perspective).

During the first days of the trip when all of the people were getting to know each other, people would ask me, “are you a teacher?”- when I would reply, “no”- they would say, “oh, you are a parent.”- to which I would say, “no- I am part of the village, and I hope I am not the village idiot.” Of course this led to additional conversation. Personally, I do subscribe to “it takes a village to raise a child” and my secondary role on this trip was that of “non-parent, non-teacher adult”. The role of this person in a society is varied and wide, but on this trip it was one in which the authority is not defined, therefore is considered “safe”, and yet, as an adult, is still respected and opinions and permissions are sought. As an adult, there is a small amount of “authority”- and thankfully, our society has not changed so much that even in 2010, this is still true to some degree. My secondary role on this trip was that of “watchful adult”.

In Costa Rica dogs are also still part of the village. A preface:
When I was growing up we had “neighborhood dogs”. These were dogs that belonged to families in our neighborhood, but who were not fenced in or tied up. Two of them stick out in my mind. Pepper, a pure-bred German Shepherd and Zack, a large mix-breed. These two lived across the street from one another and were best friends. They were very friendly, both with people and with other dogs. They would frequently be at the bus stop, or show up while we kids were outside playing (and in those days kids actually had “unscheduled play” where our parents would say, “go outside and play”- and we did). I always gravitated to the dogs of our neighborhood. I would call them over to come play. I would greet them on the street. Kids, dogs-all enjoying the “community” of a neighborhood and a town; for me, those were the “good ol’ days” and something that I genuinely miss today. In keeping with my post titled, “Part of the Village”- I think that dogs and other animals have a lot to teach people. I think that it is very important to have a variety of species as “Part of the village”.

Today, in American Societies, loose dogs are seen as “dangerous”- and people make the assumption that they are “strays” and immediately call the “dog catcher”. Dogs are no longer part of our communities and one of the consequences is that dogs are not properly socialized- to people or other dogs. It is a vicious cycle- dogs are not allowed to be part of the “community” because they might be dangerous, so they are not socialized and learn appropriate behavior, so they respond inappropriately, and are labeled “dangerous”.

Dogs are social creatures. The biggest difference between “domestic” dogs and “wild dogs” (I don’t really mean Feral dogs- I do mean the genus Canis ) is that the social circle of the domestic dog is significantly wider and allows for other species (ie. Humans and often cats).

“Wild dogs” live in packs – a social group that has an established “territory” within which other packs are not welcome! During the “good ol’ days, when dogs were loose in the neighborhood, they didn’t exhibit the strong “territorial behavior” and their social circle was wide and deep. Of course there were exceptions- not every dog was as rosy as I portray, but those dogs were considered “anti-social” and everyone in the neighborhood knew who they were and gave them a wide birth. This included the “social” dogs of the neighborhood who also gave the “anti-social” dogs space.

The behavior of a fenced or tied dog is radically different than that of a loose dog. It was true then, and it is true now. I truly miss dogs in our Society at large and feel that people’s lives and tolerances’ have narrowed as a result of the systematic removal of dogs from the community. I was pleased to find it again on my trip to Costa Rica- but also VERY interested in the view of the teenagers with whom I was traveling.

In Costa Rica dogs also still part of the village.
I love dogs. I think that is obvious, but on my trip to Costa Rica I was reminded of how much American Society has changed when it comes to attitudes towards dogs, and community,-and in my opinion- for the worse. In every town we went to in Costa Rica, there were loose dogs. I wish I had begun photographing them when we were in La Fortuna. La Fortuna is a very pretty town with a large center square. This square is a park like place (may actually even be a park). There were gardens, and benches, and a bandstand. It was in the center of town with the business on the edges facing this town square.

Our tour guide told us this was a “safe town” and that our teenage students could be allowed to explore without adult supervision. All of the adults agreed that the kids needed to stay in groups of 4 or more. During our explorations, Joan and I bumped into students from our bus on many occasions as the town was a fairly small one.

I was pleased to find lots of dogs. They seemed to be allowed everywhere, and the locals didn’t even seem to notice them. I, of course, had to stop to say Hi to all the dogs I could. They would sniff my pants and then follow me. One dog stayed with me for about ½ hour- including following me in a grocery store- no one stopped him- or even seemed to care- except for the other Americans. Two the teachers who were out exploring with me and Joan seemed concerned. They worried aloud that the dog was a stray and was hungry. I thought he was in good weight and seemed healthy. I just thought he was “part of the village”. It turned out I was right. The 4 of us Americans went into another store, dog in tow, and as one of the teachers was wondering about this dog aloud, a person said, “that is my dog”.

In La Fortuna I saw a man standing outside a building with a miniature pincher and a crate with 4 small puppies. I can’t help it- I went over to talk with him. It turned out he was waiting to see a vet. I asked if I could see his puppies and he said yes. They were 23 days old. I picked each up and coo'ed over them. He was very pleased with his puppies. He told me about the mother and the father. These puppies were fat with nice sleek coats, and the mother was calm and in good condition. I enjoyed the interaction and it is one of my happy memories of the trip.

We visited a school outside of Monteverde. The school was grades K-5th grade and only had 26 students. There were also 4 dogs. When we arrived the kids were getting ready for our visit- 10 of the students were preparing for the traditional dance they were going to perform for us, and the other kids were playing on a swing and a jungle gym. The dogs were just snoozing. When we got off of the bus, and took our seats to watch the dance, only one of the dogs came to greet us- the others could have cared less that we were there. Dogs at school- just part of society.

Modern American Attitudes towards Dogs in Society
I began photographing the dogs in Monteverde. Again, they were just “there”, and again, it was the Americans who were the ones who seemed to notice.

It was in Monteverde that I really became aware of the “young Americans” view of loose dogs. Many of the students were concerned that these were “stray dogs” and needed to be “saved.” I did have one conversation with a student that REALLY concerned me about the state of our (American) society. The white dog in the picture had followed a group of our students from the ice cream shop to the bus- a distance of about 400 yards, but around a corner, so not in view of the store from which they came. The student with whom I spoke actually told me that he knew this dog was a stray because it was “covered in feces and mats”- WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Look at these pictures. Do YOU see feces? I was actually petting this dog- and this student’s statement made me VERY concerned about the attitudes of Americans towards dogs.

Another student piped in that this dog was thin. I felt the dog (he felt very good) and then felt the ribs of the teenager who made the comment – he was thinner than the dog. I asked him if he was a stray? Seriously though, every dog the American commented on, it was “oh poor dog- I wish we could take him home. “ I think that people today are missing out on the value role that “village dogs” offer. I think the role of dogs in society is also varied and wide, but mostly they teach us tolerance. In a society that increasing claims to be “more tolerant”- when it comes to animals, it seems to be less tollerant to me.

300th Post ! Safety Tip: How to Handle Heat. And Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today is a hot one. I was going to write about tips for the 4th of July- but I have already done that. Click Here to review that Holiday Tip. Instead, since I just finished reading a newspaper article about a person charged with animal abuse who left a dog in the car causing it to die of heat exposure, I thought I would talk about HEAT.

Air movement, shade, and water are the 3 keys to tolerating a hot day. A day outside may not be as comfortable as one spent in the air conditioning, but if adequate water, shade and air movement are maintained, then it should remain just uncomfortable, but not deadly. Dogs (and people) who are not acclimated to the heat will experience a greater level of discomfort and are more likely to experience heat stress than those who are acclimated to the weather. If you are not acclimated to the heat, then limit your excercise to the morning and evening when the day time temperatures are cooler. If you are going to be spending long days out doors, then it is best to begin the acclimation process by spending time outdoors, but in a rested and relaxed state, not exerting energy. You can gradually build up your periods of exertion mixed with periods of rest- making sure all the while that water is available as needed.

Dogs normally pant to cool their body temperature (they do not sweat), so how will you know when your dog is experiencing excessive heat stress, and not just "being hot". The first step is always observation. Know what is "normal" for your dog (outside). If your dog begins to hyperventilate, it is a sign that they are not able to dissipate enough heat to regulate their body. They should be offered additional water, wet down, and more air flow should be provided. Most of the time this will suffice. If your dog is confused, is weak, or has dry gums, move into an air conditioned area if possible, offer water, and follow the How to cool a Heat Stressed Dog written below. If your dog experiences these symptoms, seek veterinary assistance to confirm that no complication have occurred. The normal temperature for a dog ranges from 100 degrees to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are going to be traveling a lot with your dog, it might be a good idea to pack a thermometer.

As heat stress progresses towards Heat Stroke, the gums will become pale or gray, vomiting, diarrhea, and eventually seizures may result. Temperatures above 105 degrees Fahrenheit is dangerous and can be life threatening. Most dogs won't experience this sort of distress in a normal environment; however Heat Stroke can occur VERY quickly if your dog is left in a car or other closed environment. NEVER, NEVER, EVER leave your dog in a closed vehicle. Vehicles can reach temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit in a short period of time. If you are traveling with your dog, take a spare set of car keys with you. If you need to make a stop for any reason, leave your car running with the air conditioning on (and since your dog will be in a crate- it won't "drive off" or move the shift lever!!!!!). Lock the car keeping the spare keys in your pocket you you can get back in.

How to Cool a Heat Stressed Dog
1. Apply ice or cool packs to the a) "armpits" b) groin area and c) the neck
2. Increase the air movement by fanning, or blowing - or better yet, move to an air conditioned area such as a car or building.
3. Immerse the dog in a tepid (not really cold) water bath, or pour cool water in the armpits, groin area and over the neck.
4. Seek Veterinary assistance.

Let me repeat: Air movement, shade, and water is all that is really needed to be able to be outside all day - even on hot days like today.

Happy (and safe!) 4th of July!

Manny didn't care it was hot today

2010-07-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Finn- a Rincon x Faith puppy

2010-07-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is Finn - portrait taken on 5/18/2010. He is one of the Rincon x Faith puppies. He is a litter brother to Xena and he lives in Nevada. He has been herding with his owner, Kathy. She writes: "Everyone in LA loved him and he's a great traveler. In LA he raced across the big areana to get the sheep. But he stayed at the proper distance applying just enough pressure to group them on the fence and looked back to ask ok now what? So far he works quietly and intently on his own. I will wait to direct him. Jerry (Steward) said to let him try to think on his own and work out what he needs to do. As I said before, Jerry Stewart really liked his strong herding instinct and style. And I couldn't be happier :)

Rincon asking, "what are you writing? Is it about me?"

2010-07-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

I am back from a great trip to Costa Rica. Even though it was a great trip, I am happy to be home. I sat down to get caught up, and Rincon was insistent that I up-date my blog- and- write about him............

17 week old Xena Working on 2 on 2 off

2010-06-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

Mike was not the only one picking the cherries

2010-06-16T19:23:00.001-07:00

Charlie wins Best of Breed

2010-06-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Heart Lake Acadia Le Roi de Coeur "Charlie", now has 8 points of the necessary 15 for his Championship. Yesterday at the Huntingdon Valley Kennel Club he was Winners Dog, Best of Winners and Best of Breed under judge Ms. Arlene Czech. I was thrilled to be able to show him in the Herding Group to represent the Shetland Sheepdog.

This picture of Charlie was taken by Mike Fine with help from Tina Bjork.

New OA, OAJ for Acadia's Microburst- and new *O-OAC, O-OCC , O-HP-O, S-OJC and O-TN-E for Acadia Rumor Has It.

2010-06-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Acadia's Microburst *OA, OAJ*- "Mike" won first place at the ASSA National in Tucson in both Novice standard and Novice Jumpers, and this weekend he completed both open titles (in AKC competition). Congratulations to him and his owner/trainer/handler, Morene Brown.

Acadia Rumor Has It- "Rumor" completed 5 new NADAC agility titles recently- he completed the Outsanding Open Regular (O-OAC), Chances (O-OCC) and Hoopers (O-HP-O). He also completed his Superior Open Jumpers (S-OJC) and Outstanding Elite Tunnelers (O-TN-E).

Not to be out done by these young guys....

NATCH3/ V-NATCH3 Acadia Rally Around The Flag - "Rally" completed his Outstanding Open Hoopers (O-HP-O) and is still working towards his NATCH4 and the Versatility NATCH4.

Rumor and Rally are loved, owned, trained, and handled by Phyllis Sanders.