Vine Hill Farm

This is what our ES do for us. Read this from Tish Toren's Blacksheep website:

Farmdog Traits-  http://www.geocities.com/blacksheephomestead/farmdog.html

If you are reading this page then you are probably on a search for your first ES puppy. One of THE most important factors when aquiring an ES is to know the reputation of the breeder you are about to buy your pup from.

On my 'blog' page http://www.freewebs.com/vinehillfarm/blogfornewpuppyowners.htm you will find numerous comments from the new puppy owners out of our litters here at Vine Hill Farm. I promised myself, as a 'new' breeder that I would post ALL comments, good and bad, from the owners. Although some of the comments are not all positive, they are honest. These are 'unbiased' reports of how our pup is doing in their new home. You will not find comments like these posted on other breeders websites. The reason why I have posted the comments is to be sure YOU are the right type of owner for our pups. Since Clemie's line was bred to control hogs and cattle and Skip's line to tend to cattle as well, our pups have a tendency to be a bit gritty. If you are not a strong-minded person who can train your pup in a positive manner while still maintaining your Alpha role, maybe another breeder's pups or even another 'breed' of dog is what you are looking for?

I am considered fairly 'new' to the world of the ES. I have known ES for almost 3 years. We are not in a hurry to have litters here...lol. Being an ES breeder is not my only 'job' on this farm, albeit it is probably one of the most fun and rewarding jobs here!

Just as the prospective new puppy's pedigree is important when considering your new little addition to your family, so is the breeder's reputation you are buying from. There are many good or 'acceptable' breeders, there are 'excellent' breeders and unfortunetly there are just as many 'poor' breeders. My 'links' page http://www.freewebs.com/vinehillfarm/chekouttheselinks.htm  offers many different ES sites full of information as well ES lists you can join for free. Get on those lists, read the messages being posted by ES owners and breeders, and ASK questions!

It is sad, but true just as with any other breed, there are puppy mills out there and there are breeders breeding back to back investing very little money, time or effort to ensure a healthy litter. You will not find these breeder's names published anywhere, but all 'good' breeders KNOW who they are and will steer you in the right direction.

Know that although ES share many of the same characteristics, working traits and temperments, their 'levels' of performance in one area over another may differ! English Shepherds were bred by farmers to do the work that they needed on their particular farm. If a farmer needed a harder bite to control hogs or beef cattle, he chose the pups that displayed a hard bite tendency. OTOH, if a farmer's main need was a good guardian and predater erradicator, those pups with those tendencies were bred on and the rest culled. So, the pup's bloodlines are an important consideration for what you want your pup to do. However, also keep in mind that the genepool has become somewhat 'diluted' over the years so totally relying on pedigree cannot be your only deciding factor for the pup you choose.

A good breeder knows his/her line. He is also very good at observing his litter and judging behaviors and working tendencies. The JOB your ES will be doing for you is the most important consideration when placing a pup in a new home. Breeders assume a HUGE responsibility when mating their dogs. It is not as simple as the dogs mate, we have a litter of pups and now we sell them!! LOL The breeder spends a great deal of time researching the bloodlines of the sire and dam, then proven working traits, and selecting for or against those traits, as well as the medical history of the dogs. Once the mating has occurred the pregnant bitch receives adequate nutrition including vitamins, veterinary examinations and constant observation of her health. When the litter arrives, each breeder hopes for a safe and healthy delivery without complications. The new pups nurse and with our litter of 10 pups, each one almost weighing a pound, I supplemented their nutrition with two feedings daily of NutraCal, an expensive but highly nutritious formula laden with vitamins and minerals. Each puppy is observed continuously for possible signs of a problem.

Mom continues receiving adequate nutrition for her nursing needs as well as vitamins. As the pups wean, gruel is introduced and the pups soon begin solid food as teeth form. Each of the pups are transported to a veterinarian for an examination. Our pups were fully examined at the age of 6 weeks. Some of our pups received two exams if their departure entailed public transport out of state as it a state law that a health certificate accompany each transit. Usually the pup will need to be seen by the vet within 10 days of transport but one of the airlines requires a 7 day certificate. Some breeders refuse to send a pup on an airplane. It is a personal decision. We did send some of our pups this way. You must really try to get a non-stop flight and if not, then a flight that has a short layover when changing planes. The airlines each differ in their pet transport program. Another alternative to flight is a pet transport company that drives your pet to you. 

Is the 'location' of your pup important to you? Many times, because ES are not that common, you will need to get your pup from several states away!

What about the 'location' of the pup's birth? Does it matter to you if your new pup is born on a farm and spends the first weeks getting to know the sights, sounds and smells of a farm? If your pup will be living on a farm, then it makes sense that you get your puppy from a farm environment as that pup will have 8 weeks of farm noise, smells and animal exposure. If, however, your pup will be promarily living off of a farm, then there are ES breeders that have pups that are born in a residential setting. Although these pups do not get exposed to farm life, they are exposed more to 'city noises' and activity.

Although some ES live in a suburban or 'in town' setting, it is my personal belief that since this IS a "farm dog" the sire, dam and pups should LIVE on a farm. Ask questions of your breeder as some may live in a 'country' setting yet not own ANY farm animals. I am not saying that these breeders are less than adequate. It is MY belief that since these are 'working' dogs and the litter assumed prospective 'working' dogs, then the pups should be exposed to farm life. It just makes sense to me!

 From day one our pups are exposed to farm noises of a generator, chain saw, and other equipment as well as the television. As they became more mobile they were allowed to play outside in the snow. And as the days warmed, the pups spent hours watching the goats and walking amongst our chickens and ducks. They played with the farm cats and chased pond frogs. They had a typical 'farm' upbringing. Because of this, the pups were already 'desentitized' making their transition to another farm easy.

Our ES are indoor/outdoor dogs. Many people ask if it is ok to let your ES live in the barn outdoors. This breed is not a "livestock guardian dog" (LGD) like a Pyrenees that lives with sheep in the pasture. ES are 'people' dogs even though they guard and herd your stock. They like to be with YOU! They bond to you and this is how they work for you, out of their desire to please YOU. We have two ES that stay indoors at night and try to sleep in bed with us..LOL..and one with our mutt chow/terrier that stays outside all night. They stay on our deck and periodically patrol our land throughout the night. We take turns switching the dogs so sometimes Clemie will be inside and Skip outside, or vice versa. Everybody here has a job to do and has to 'earn their keep' !

We play with our pups as well as allow the children to play with them too. They are also taught the beginnings of the basic commands of sit, come, NO!, stay, down, leave it! etc. and unbelievably, with minimal help they paper trained themselves! These dogs are VERY intelligent and learn fast so it was not hard to accomplish these things. Matt and I handle each and every pup many times throughout the day. We also perform what I term 'breeder's tricks' of assimilating a child by grabbing at the pup, making sudden movements and roll them on their backs continuously ensuring they will not be 'green' when going to a family with children. I have two step children ages 5 and 8 and although they do not live here, they come for weekend visits and their 'chore' here is to handle and play with the puppies as much as possible. However, I cannot guarantee that the kids WILL be here when we have a litter, so you will have to ASK me if this is a significant concern.

Socialization: What do you want your pup to tolerate? Our farm is not a 'busy' farm with various people coming and going. Sure, we do have relatives that come and visit. But, we are not a 'commercial' operation here. We are a simple farm family :^) And, as farmer's do, we are pretty much 'homebodies'. Our pups are not transported in a car except for their vet visit, the ride to the plane, or an occasional run to the store.

Because these dogs make excellent companions and family dogs as well as very good guardians, many people desire an ES but do not live 'in the country'. Sometimes a breeder will determine that one or two pups from their litter are less inclined to show herding or hunting traits and have a temperment that would be suitable for a home outside a country setting. When considering a prospective placement for this type of ES pup many factors come into play. Concerns such as the amount of area for play, is there adequate fencing, will your neighbors complain about barking (Yes! This breed does bark!) This is one of the ways they keep predators at bay. Although some ES bark less than others. What type of 'jobs' the pup will have, etc. are all taken in consideration. YOU will also need to have the type of personality best suited for an ES!! You should be a strong minded person, diligent with rules and also someone that loves being outdoors. To live with an ES outside of a farm setting, a person should be active and enjoy things like hiking, biking or camping. This dog has a high energy level but the nice thing about the ES is their 'off switch'. When you are ready to rest they will rest too.

I want to clear up one misconception about the need for an ES to have a 'job' to do. Yes, the job does take care of some of the energy level, but this is not the purpose of a 'job'. Whether this dog will be enrolled in classes, agility, competition herding, or fulfill the needs on a farm, their 'job' is their sense of accomplisment. The English Shepherd works out of desire to PLEASE you, not a prey drive as some farm dogs exhibit. If he does not feel as if he is 'meaningful' or that you 'need' him in your life, he will not build up a confident, positive self esteem. THIS is just as important if not MORE important than any other facet of owning an ES. If your dog is made to feel as if he is never meeting your expectations and he does not have daily accomplishments and your positive rewards, he will fail. He will become unhappy, he will FIND ways of getting your attention and feedback, even if it is negative behavior. A dog without confidence is a fearful dog and fearful dogs can bite! NOW, you are going to have a big problem on your hands. And because my 'rule' is to personally take a pup back that is not in his best placement for his needs or the owner's needs, "I" am going to have a big problem on "MY" hands. This is why we try to screen new owners to the best of our ability! Please, be honest with yourself!

A puppy is not permitted to engage in organized agility until he is 9 mths old and his bones are formed. What are you going to do with this 'farmdog' until then? I do not mean to sound discouraging, but yes, I guess I do. I do not want to place one of our pups in a home where he will be set up for failure and then have to rehome (my pups WILL be returned to me, not a shelter) him after repairing the damage, that is IF he can be rehabilitated! AND, I do not want to see YOU go through the pain and dissappointment that you will surely experience if you love this dog but can't keep him!

Medical-I surely cannot completely cover all that you will need to know when looking for an ES on this page of my website. You must research, read, ask questions and then research some more! The ES is generally a very healthy dog wih very few health issues. The main health problem of the ES as well as other herding breeds, is hip dysplasia. Your breeder should have had either an OFA or PenHip xray done on the sire and dam. This will give a 'score' of each hip and you would preferrably want that score to read less than .50 on each hip. The lower the number, the better the hip. Some people xray elbows. This is not necessary for the ES. There is an eye test that some choose to do but again, this is not a known medical problem with ES. A mutant gene has been found in SOME ES. The strain will cause this dog to be at risk for allergic sensitivities to some drugs. The test is called an MDR1 sensitivity. The results can be normal/normal which is NO mutant gene, or normal/mutant indicating that there IS a mutant gene. There is a list of drugs that the dog may be sensitive to and one of the drugs is Ivermectin, a frequently used farm animal dewormer. If this is what you use, or any of the other drugs listed, then you should not get a pup from a sire or dam that carries the mutant gene. Our dam, Clementine is normal/normal. I have not had the sire tested as of this writing, but it will be done soon. A friend has provided a couple links about MDR1- http://www.busteralert.com/   and here is another important site- http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/genetics.aspx

Those are the medical issues you should ask the breeder. I have tried to cover the important questions to ask a breeder when searching for your pup. Do not be afraid to ask the breeder questions. This will only show the breeder how responsible you are about your pup search. A GOOD breeder will appreciate your inquiries. I have listed the breeders that I have respect for that are excellent with their breeding regime and can be trusted to steer you in the right direction on my 'LINKS' page  http://www.freewebs.com/vinehillfarm/chekouttheselinks.htm Good luck in your search! 

                                                 ENGLISH SHEPHERDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!!! ~Add Your Name!!!