BORDER COLLIES

Alison has been a Border Collie devotee all her life which is not surprising as she comes from Northumbria on the border between England and Scotland. Although collie dogs were used since ancient times a dog called Old Hemp (an almost pure black dog by a tri-colour) is thought to be the foundation sire of the modern Border Collie which is found  throughout the world. This is backed by modern DNA analysis (Clive Dalton in THE NORTHUMBRIAN Feb/ Mar 1999) Born in 1893 Old Hemp had sired 200 pups and many went to New Zealand and then on to Australia and his genes will be found in the Kelpie and Huntaway.

Vic  was a reluctant Border Collie owner but when 100 bullocks, here on agistment,  decided to take off  across a 500 acre paddock he was astonished when Alison’s  5 month old pup McTavishes Bilbo (Billy) took off after them, stopped them and had them trotting back to us quietly.

Some of the ridges and gullies are inaccessible at Kurrajong by vehicle and as we both no longer ride,  we use Border Collies for all our stock work  including drafting in the yards. We have been told that our cattle are particularly quiet. This is due to the docile Devon nature, selective breeding to ensure excellent temperament but in no small part to the way the Border Collies control them.

We tend to breed a dog with light frame and long legs and a short to moderate coat length to suit the local conditions (the dogs can cover many kilometres in a day in extreme temperatures) without overheating the cattle or themselves.  Our dogs are bred from three sheep trial dogs and are therefore tractable and obedient but show great courage when necessary. We do not have time to spend hours training dogs so we need dogs that show natural stock sense. Clearly working sheep needs more training and this style of dog has a very strong casting and heading instinct. Alison was involved with training Borders for the English working trial, obedience and agility trials in the U.K. and was a founding member of the Agility Club of NSW and agility trial judge.

We will have pups ready to leave home in early July.

Ally's Rooster at 6 months of age.