My Dogs

Daheim Queani

(El Shamah Max x Gibsons Brook)
One of my best farm and trial dogs. Won State 3Sheep Novice Championship in 2009, and Open class at Dowerin 3Sheep trial (unofficial) in 2010. Has placed in yard/utility trials. Wide casting in the paddock, free moving, not much eye. Works readily in the yards, will back and force. Very keen work dog, good natured, will work for anyone.

Pedigree

 

Boylee Bill

 (Boylee Pepper x Boylee Creamy)
Pedigree

 Boylee Bill is my favourite dog. He's from the same breeding as R's Fred, but with some temperament quirks from puppyhood. Basically, he has a screw just a weeny bit loose. So when R decided that Bill wasn't going to be another Fred, at age 9 months, and he asked me to find him a new home, it was a difficult prospect. Long story short, Bill didn't want to live with anyone but me, so I kept him. For year or two, he was a pleasure to have around the house, dabbled in agility with heaps of enthusiasm and much less grace, learned some cute begging tricks, and attended many sheepdog training clinics where he developed a reputation as an untrainable dog. I had to decide whether to believe in my dog and persist with him as a sheepdog against all advice, or just give up.

So I gave up. And as it turns out, that was the key to success with Bill. He just doesn't do training. Which suits me fine, really.

Bill's major flaws are that he doesn't like confrontation with sheep, and only likes to walk up on them under his own terms. He also likes to keep moving, which works well on some sheep but also requires a level of fitness that he hasn't usually acquired by vegging around the house and gorging on the chook food. He is allergic to the force in a yard dog trial, and has opted out of trialling in that venue, although he works fine in the yards at home.

But Bill also has a great amount of block and cover and a fair degree of sheep sense, has no inherent turn tail and will never let a sheep go over the top of him (at least not unless he's attached to its nose). I don't expect him to win any trials, but he's made a fair number of Open finals, particularly on difficult sheep, and I really love working him. He's great with kids and puppies, and he is the smartest dog I know. He also loves me, which possibly disproves my previous point, but makes me love him even more.

Fly (imp UK)
Pedigree