About Us
"...mountains breed learned men and shepherds' huts house philosophers."
Giants threaten our dogs - ever-shortening their average life spans, introducing new and heinous genetic problems, decreasing quality of life, and threatening their ability to fit in with 21st century family life.
Breeders often talk about their goals being "health and temperament" with longevity being implied, but it needs to be a holistic approach. While genetic testing can check off several boxes, genetic diversity of the breed also needs to be considered, as well as the effect of what happens when only flashy, bossy show-winners with attitude are bred and the nice, "boring," lower-key but sound family-dog is neutered and sent to a companion home.
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It is important when looking at the aesthetic qualities of a dog to be mindful of how the body works as a whole. Front legs cannot work without the rear legs, and the whole mechanism is connected through the spine and neck. Balance and proportion are the keys to efficient, easy, effortless movement and prevention of injuries, strain, and long-term degenerative issues. If a dog is throwing its head forward while running to bring its rear legs under him, that's not an efficient use of energy, and puts the neck at risk of injury, as well as the back toes that might drag, and the shock that goes straight up the front legs. While all breeds have certain characteristics to their gait, the universal truth is that it should be relatively smooth and easy for the dog to maintain. The most basic locomotion for any bipedal or quadrupedal land-animal is the ability to put one foot in front of the other and walk - so it is of utmost importance to study and be aware of how the body moves to make this happen efficiently as a whole.
As much a part of health as genetic testing, we need to be diligent in analyzing body mechanics, ease of movement, dental and eye structure and other qualities that may not require a vet's expert opinion in detail, but an average farmer of yesteryear could spot as either trouble waiting to happen or quality breeding stock. After all, a dog who has a poor bite may eventually get cavities or have trouble chewing, gum and heart disease, malnutrition and digestion problems and a whole host of issues that lead to a shortened life and reduced quality of life. Let us not forget the importance of the "simple things" when evaluating breeding stock.
A growing concern among shepherding breeds and pure-breeds in general is epilepsy. Idiopathic epilepsy by its definition means we don't know what causes it - it could be the result of duplicated gene mutations, chemistry imbalances, toxins in the environment, tumors, or and any number of other contributors, and unfortunately there is currently no way to preemptively test for epilepsy in a dog or its lines. The best we can do at present is through open communication and thorough documentation of the history of dogs exhibiting epilepsy, and culling any exhibiting signs of inheritance from breeding programs. Since there are no guarantees where epilepsy is concerned, I can't guarantee my breeding programs will be unaffected by it - but I will do my best to keep it out, and I hope to enhance the collective understanding through participation with data-analysis and collection initiatives.
As a community we need to be talking more openly and without shame about health concerns (as well as where dogs have excelled in some way), dogs that have died, and documenting how and why, so that we can analyze trends in genetically linked cancers, heart problems and other causes, or the lines that live a really long time and studying the how and why of those as well. Only through open lines of communication and honest and complete documentation do we have a chance at discovering relationships that can lead to cures, better practices and better odds for our canine friends.
Finally, we need to talk temperament. There are a few schools of thought on temperament - that to breed "low-key" dogs are breeding the sheepdog out of them and turning them into golden retrievers. And yet, it's the working lines that tend to be more even-keeled, because they don't have that diva gene copied repeatedly, and they're not such a Type-A copy-of-a-copy-of-a-copy-of-a perfect-specimen of everything-a-sheepdog-must-be. They are chosen on their ability to get a variety of jobs done as a useful extension of their handler and how easily they fit in with the family during down-time and off-season.
An American sheep dog's first job was to be a help around the family farm. Cinnamon's breeder grew up in the Amish community, and her father's philosophy was "a good dog can be a big help, but a bad dog can make life hard." It was a working dog bred by those simple ideals that made me fall in love with these dogs, and a philosophy I think most people can stand behind.