Bailtails has produced Top
(Grade 7) Agility dogs.
and BFA Flyball
Read all about them on Previous
litters page.
My main aim is to breed for Health/Temperament/Speed/Drive
and most of all a Loyal/Loving family pet that fits in well with you and
your life style.
Breeding only occasionally we
aim to produce dogs
that are sound, have a good
temperament with people and are perfectly at home with some type of Working
environment Albeit Agility/Obedience/Working Trials or Sheep Work..
Previous Owners
All previous owners of our
dogs are now our friends and give us regular pictures and updates
on their progress and if
you would like any information about our lines please don't hesitate
to ask for references and
contacts.
Previous Litters
You can also go on their own
pages and read what they have writen about
their dogs themselves.
What i ask of you
Please be prepared as i do
ask for references from people who know you well, I also need to know what
field you intend to work you dog in and what kind of life it will lead.
Bailstails lines need to
respect you and not be dominated by you, so do allow them to get things
right while youngsters, positive handling is a great way to achieve these
results what ever their age, so don't let them learn bad habits,
i'm sure if you can do all
of these things you will have a life time companion.
I do try to choose the right
owners/homes for my dogs off-springs.
What these dogs will offer
you
Pups from this mating should
offer you 110% of themselves as they are highly INTELLIGENT and
come from
strong proven working lines,
they should be very keen and biddable with not too strong an eye.
Inc
x Sassy progeny should have good (proportionate) eye that will not
be too 'focused'...keen enough but not as much as would cause problems
to working at other Disciplines
other
than Sheep work.
Read below for more information
about puppies.
Puppies
should
be
of kindly temperament, be of athletic conformation, black/white or tri-coloured
with coats of medium texture fur, and having semi tipped or prick ears.
Inc
and Sassy have been DNA-CEA tested, Inc is Clear/Normal: Sassy is DNA tested
Carrier (meaning they can never produce CEA/CH affected pups.)....Inc PRA
tested Normal/Clear, Sassy PRA Normal/Clear, they have both been BVA hips
scored and we are very pleased with the results, see above.
What you will get with
your new pup.
Pups
will be reared in the home, well socialized with people and ours/other
dogs, used to all noises inside/outside the house. By use of sound DVD.
Well
traveled from 4 weeks onwards, used to going/traveling in a cage, started
clicker training and part house Trained.
Puppies
will be available to go to their new homes at 8 wk's old:
micro-chipped,
BVA eye-tested at 6weeks old and be Vet-health checked, all puppies will
be
K.C.
or possible duel Registered, you can choose the name you want with Bailstails
affix at start.
All
pups will come with puppy pack, food, toy, progress sheet, 6 weeks free
insurance & 5 generation pedigree.
If
you want one of these pups for sheep work i will need to get it ISDS registered,
please let me
know
when applying for one of my breeding.
Might
be suitable for pet homes
I
usually only consider experienced collie owners who intend to work
their dogs, but might consider an
active
Pet
home so please do ask.
If
you think you may be interested in one of our puppies please bear in mind
that border collies are not for the feint hearted; these dogs are bred
with some aspect of work in mind so will require an active and stimulating
lifestyle.
Great
Temperament Speed/Drive and Willingness to work
If
you feel you can handle a dog with a Great Temperament, Speed/Drive
and Willingness to work
and
want's to please, contact me, Details below.
If
you are interested in putting your name on my puppy list just let me know
by e-mail or phone:
Sue
on Home No.024 76 611958.
My
Mob. 07817497473
Chaz
Mob. 07746570356
E-mail
sue.bailstails@ntlworld.com
Pups
will be suitable for Agility/Obedience/Working Trials/Sheep Work and Active
pet homes only.
Breeding
restrictions
All
puppies are sold with Breeding restrictions, when old enough, will have
the restrictions lifted
if
you decide to breed after they have been given a suitable/satisfactory
Hip score and DNA tested for CEA/CH.
Return
Policy basis.
All
our puppies are sold on the strict understanding that they be returned
if they cannot kept at any stage during their lifetimes, i would never
want any of my pups/dogs ending up in a rescue
centre,
i would rather rehome them myself to a suitable home.
Education for your new pup and
training tips.
Never blame your dog. If it goes it wrong, it is either the fault of
your handling or a fault in your training of the dog. They only want to
get it right. If the information we have trained into them or imparted
to them on the day is wrong, it is our fault NOT theirs.
Always have a plan before you start any training session. Have
a clear idea about what you want to do and what you want to achieve. Never
blame the dog for your inconsistency or poor results. What you see in the
competition ring is normally the direct result of your training approach
and methods.
Invest time into play. It can be play with a toy or just with
you. It's a great bond enforcer as well as a brilliant form of praise.
And remember to drop your shoulders and look disappointed can be as bad
as screaming at your dog so finish every round with a smile.
One golden rule to use in my training is that no matter where
you are in the course, your body language should be reinforcing what you
are saying/instructing the dog to do. If it is not, you cannot blame the
dog for perhaps choosing the wrong obstacle or making an error.
Always teach my dogs to read from verbal commands, and body language
acts as reinforcement, not guidance. I know my dogs are far quicker than
I am, and I want them to be 100% confident that they have my trust and
belief when they are working the course, and making vital decisions based
on my instructions. If they have that confidence, I know they will attack
every element of that course without any doubt.
Make it fun and never blame the dog for your handling and training
mistakes.
If you are sick of finding biscuit crumbs and lumps of frankfurter
in the lining of your pockets, buy a treat bag and fix it to your belt
or waist band. Keeps your clothes clean and stops you smelling like the
dog's dinner!
Be Fair - before criticising your dog remember who taught it!
The next time you get annoyed that your dog has not followed
your instruction and you are ready to accuse it of being naughty, remember
who trained it ? The fault almost certainly lies with you.
Train hard, train every day, learn all possible agility positions
and movements, then train some more! Sort out all your arms and legs, get
them doing the right signal at the right time in the right place, do this
again and again... on your own with an imaginary dog. Then ask your dog
if you are good enough to join him and have fun together!
Learn from your dog in training. When he goes in the 'wrong'
direction, realize that you have cued him incorrectly. You should not withhold
from rewarding the dog when it is the handlers error. How many times does
a sequence go wrong and you go back, change your handling and try again
without rewarding your dog?
This part gives you some basics on the
bringing up of your puppies.
The following exercises are just supposed
to
serve you as helpful hints in the education of your dog. On the book market
there is a lot of literature on the various educational methods that you
and your puppy can make use of. On top of that there are play schools and
imprinting days for dogs that you should give a try and attend with your
puppy. You can learn a whole lot about your dog and his education there.
For the following exercises, the timing, the correct confirmation and proper
repetition of the exercises are most important. In between the single lessons
you should play with your puppy so he will not lose pleasure in learning.
Leading on the leash:
You can get puppies used to leash and
collar early on.
Approximately from the tenth week on
they should know both collar and leash and not struggle against them any
more. Start out with a lightweight collar. When putting it on, take care
that two fingers will fit easily in between the collar and the dog's neck.
At the beginning, do not put the collar on for more than fifteen minutes,
then take it off again. If the puppy tolerates that, you can extend the
time gradually until he is not bothered by the collar any longer. During
the first few exercises you should have a close eye on the little one since
he will try to get rid of the unpleasant thing around his neck. It is a
good idea to combine the exercise with a game in order to distract the
dog's attention so that he will not mind it any longer.Getting used to
the collar is as important as getting used to the leash. As soon as the
puppy is not bothered by the collar any more, start putting on a light
leash and let him run around and play with it for a while. When he is no
longer hassled by the long thing hanging down, take the leash in your hand
and keep playing with the dog. At any rate, avoid straining at the leash
and pulling the puppy along with you because otherwise he will definitely
develop an aversion to being on the leash. Again you should gradually extend
the exercising time. The leash is a good support when you are playing with
the puppy. Whenever you call him you can make him come with a slight pull
on the leash, unless he comes by himself.
Sit:
Stand in front of your dog with a treat
in your hand. Show it to him but do not let him have it. Then lift your
hand over your head to the back. The puppy will most likely sit down. As
he does so, give him the order "Sit!". As soon as the dog sits down, give
him the treat as well as approval of what he did. Then stop the exercise
and play with him. Within a short time, repeat the exercise. After some
exercise the dog will already act according to the verbal order. Then you
can start to extend the sitting time.
Lie down:
This exercise will be most successful
with a treat as well. Show your puppy the treat, but this time, move your
hand towards the ground. The dog will follow you with his nose. As soon
as he starts lying down, give him the order "Lie down!" and when he has
done so let him have the treat. Just like sitting, staying down can be
extended.
Stay:
The order "Stay" is meant to make the
dog stay in the position that you told take up. You have to carry out this
exercise very carefully, because the puppy can quickly get the feeling
of being left alone and get a shock. It would be best to train this in
the presence of an experienced dog trainer or else the dog might show a
unintended but normal reaction.
Heel:
This order tells the dog, that he is
supposed to walk right beside you. Usually the dog walks on his leaders'
left. Start the exercise with making the dog sit on your left. Take the
leash loosely into your hand give him the command "Heel". Walk a few steps
with your dog. If he walks beside you nicely, give him approval of his
action and a treat. Then stop walking and make the dog sit next to you.
In the beginning keep your dog on short leash in order to show him the
position next to you which you want him to keep during this exercise.If
are successful in this, extend the number of steps and loosen the leash
bit by bit to make him learn to walk beside you on the leash without strain.
Again, approval and subsequent play are indeed important.
Staying alone:
Actually dogs should never be left alone
for a longer period. But it is necessary for the dog to learn that being
alone for some time is ok and that you will always be back. Start teaching
him that after having played with your dog for some time or gone for an
ample walk with him. Then the dog will be tired and probably he will even
sleep. Start leaving him alone for short periods of time like five or ten
minutes. Then go to your dog, acknowledge his patience and play with him.
Practise this with your dog once a day. If he is able to stay alone for
that period proceed in extending the time for another ten minutes. Then
play with him and show him that you are satisfied. If the dog starts whining,
ignore his whimpering. As soon as the dog stops wailing, go in and reinforce
him. In no case you should storm in and yell at the dog, as despite the
negative experience of being yelled at, some dogs perceive an unintended
connection as follows: "Whenever I whine, someone comes in and I am no
longer alone." Furthermore, you should see to it that the dog has emptied
his bowels. Anyway, Should there be a puddle or a small pile of muck when
you come back, this is your fault and not the dog's. Clean the spot and
take better care next time. You should never punish the dog, because he
is not able remember what he did. As he sees it, you punish him for the
joy he feels to see you.
History of Border Collies
Initially, the Border Collie comes from
the border counties between Scotland and England.
Very early (ca. 1750) one can find black
and white dogs that are very similar to today's Border. These dogs are
known for their huge herding drive and intelligence. In that region they
were bred for the working sheep.
The first well-known dog that comes up
to the Border was "Old Hemp". He was born in 1893 and comes from farmer
A. Telfer's breed. This strong black and white dog did not need any training
in herding and with ease won every trial.
As a result, the descendants of "Old
Hemp" were much in demand among the shepherds and so spread in the entire
region. Every Border Collie of today can be traced back to that dog.
Today, apart from the British Islands
there are also very many Borders in New Zealand and Australia, since the
sheep population there is also very high. In addition to working cattle,
the Border today has many other tasks, for example in sports for dogs and
as a help to handicapped persons.
What is a Border Collie?
Border Collies have their origin in many
generations of dogs that have been selected according to their capability
to work cattle.
The express "Border" in the name of
the breed arises from the pastureland in the border counties between Scotland
and England. There, the dogs were mostly used for working cattle. "Collie"
is probably deduced from the Celtic word for "useful".
If you watch a Border Collie working,
there are not only the intelligence and elegance to be admired, but in
some way also the masterpiece of the genes that have developed under human
influence.A Border is a dog that works with a master as a replacement for
the pack. A dog with all instincts to round-up and to stalk on the quiet
like a wolf, but also a dog that still accepts the commands of his master
and protects the cattle. A dog with an enormous speed, staying power and
mobility that can quasi think with his paws and walk on a blade of grass.
A dog whose strength of will and whose hypnotising eye can intimidate animals
of multiple heights.
If you have seen all this, you get an
impression of what the Border Collie is able to achieve by the right training
and handling and it soon becomes explicit why two short walks a day will
never be sufficient to meet the needs of this breed.
Many behaviour patterns of the Border
Collie are not bad or abnormal but are just deeply routed in the instincts
of the breed. These behaviours cannot simply be filtered out of the dog,
but have to be brought adequately in train. There have to be found ways
to direct these behaviours into the right channels.
Typical behavioural patterns:
Eyeing:
The term "eying" indicates the fixing
look of the dog which is to set an object in motion. Everything that is
in focus of the dog can elicit eyeing (e.g. shades, lights, cars, animals,
children). Every time the fixed object moves, the dog experiences a confirming
sense of achievement. The dog thinks that he has elicited the movement.
Sometimes the very expectation of such reinforcement is enough for a dog
to fixate the object for a long time.
Chasing:
It is important for a shepherd that a
dog works quickly, e.g. while pursuing sheep that are breaking out. The
drive to chase a breaking out animal naturally also exists in the everyday
life of a dog, which is bothersome and annoying to the "non-shepherd".
This is primarily the case when the dog for lack of occasions passes over
to chasing people, cars or other. From the point of view of the dog, he
is not done with his work as long as the object has not come to a stand.
Eyeing and chasing often take place in repeating procedures.
Working sheep is the basic component
of a working Border Collie. The dog draws the sheep together to bring them
to the desired place more easily. This way they are more compact and easier
to handle for him. Sheep that break out or stay back in the process are
instantly brought back. This is a remnant of the natural techniques of
hunting of the wolf. In everyday life, that happens for example if the
dog encircles the children of the five year old daughter's birthday party
and keeps them together in a corner or when the dog is for a walk with
people and other dogs and again the Border Collie steadily tries to encircle
them.
Gripping:
If a Border Collie catches for a sheep
with his teeth that is called gripping: Gripping can serve to drive as
well as to retain the sheep. You also have to keep this in mind when a
dog "pricks" a walker in the heels who stayed behind "his group".
Dominant and aggressive behavior:
A weak and shy dog would never effectively
work on a flock. The breed was created to drive and direct animals by willpower
and decisiveness alone. Thus, many Border Collies are quite dominant and
go-getting. This has to be considered concerning the schooling and the
organization of the family pack. It often comes about that the Border Collie
only obeys one master and works only for him. He will only rudimentarily
obey other persons in the household. This has to be worked at, so that
the dog will know which position he has inside the ranking of the family
pack. It is up to the owner which position the dog inhabits in the ranking.
In some cases, aggression can lead to substantial problems if it is not
handled right. The reasons for aggression in the Border Collie are very
complex and diverse, e.g. hereditary predisposition, stress, anxiety.
Are you the right person for a
Border Collie "yes or no"?!
Nobody likes to hear that he is not the
adequate owner for a dog or a breed even if he likes them particularly.Unfortunately,
the expectations of the owner and reality of living together are a bit
diverging.
If there are problems with a dog, we
tend to attribute the origin to the dog and not to search for it in ourselves.
A good care for your dog starts with finding the breed that is the aptest
for your individual circumstances of life and your characteristics.
In most cases, the Border Collie
is not the proper dog if:
1. you never had a dog before
2. you don’t have much time for walks
3. you have very young children
4. you are older and not very active
5. you are often out of house and can’t
take the dog with you
But there are also cases where people
succeed in giving their dog a happy life by much dedication, knowledge
and determinedness to deal with the breed. After all, both sides could
have been spared of many letdowns if the above rules had been considered
Apart from these basic matters, the
individual personality is another factor. Border Collies are quick in thinking
and moving and as an owner you have to be capable of foreseeing them even
quicker to be able to control their working drives. You can spare long
marches if you are able to make out the first onset of chasing behavior
and instantly to command "lie down" before the dog is far away in the distance.
So if you can't quickly foresee things, you should be a good walker.
A Border Collie needs a leader, who
can give the dog the feeling that he always does the right thing for the
person because this is what a Border Collie wants to. You have to be able
to be consequent even if it was simpler not to have to be so. You have
to know how to bring out the best in the dog. Someone who does not possess
these character attributes has to laboriously learn them.
Border Collies
Coat colours
Information about the genetic back-ground
of coat colours can be found in Genetics of coat colours and other exterior
properties.
The colour of the eye should be brown
with all coat colours; excepting the merle colours were (partially) blue
eyes are permitted.
Black/white
This is the most common colour. As with
all other colours the preferred pattern has a white blaze that continues
over the top of the head into the white area in the neck, a white end of
the tail, white fore legs up till the elbow and white socks on the hind
legs.
Spottie
Chocolate/white
The black has been replaced by a dark
brown colour. In the USA for example this colour is called red/white, but
to prevent confusion with other reddish colours choclate or brown is a
better description.
Chocolate/white
Red/white (yellow/white)
A lot rarer are red/white or yellow/white
Border Collies. The markings should be the same as with black/white dogs.
A lot of shades of this colour exist with just as many names: blond, cream,
red, yellow. Because of the fact that all eumelanin pigment is surpressed
and the tan pigment of the tricolour is caused by the same (although local)
lack of eumelanin the combination red/white and tricolour is not visible.
Because the colour chocolate brown is
called red in the USA yellow/white is probably a better description for
this colour.
Blue/white
The black colour is diluted and has become
blue-grey. This colour is also called 'Slate' which describes the colour
rather well. The colour is rather rare.
Lilac/white
The chocolate brown colour can be diluted
into a 'lilac' colour.
Sable/white
This colour looks a bit like a dark Red/white,
but is quite different. Sable is actually a pattern where (part of) the
hairs have dark tips (also seen in e.g. shelties and collies).
Tricolour
Tan (brownish) markings along the outside
of the the coloured parts and above the eyes are specific for this pattern.
The width of the markings and the intensity of the colour can vary.
This pattern can be combined with black,
blue, chocolate brown and merle.
Saddle pattern
This pattern looks a bit like the tricolour,
the the tan parts are bigger and has no specific patterns on the head.
The dark colour is limited to a saddle shaped patch on the back.
Blue Merle
This effect is known in many breeds.
The black parts have been replaced by grey and black patterns in many shades.
When both parents are merle part of
the offspring inherits this trait from both sides and become "double merles".
Blue Merle/Red Merle
Very rare. The same effect as with the
Blue Merle, except that the base colour is chocolate brown.
Sable Merle/Red Merle
Although it is genetically possible to
produces a sable merle, it is rather difficult in practice. The pattern
is only visible in the puppy coat. After the dog has his final coat the
Merle pattern is almost impossible to see. To prevent these dogs from being
mated to other merles it is advisable not to mix sable and merle.
Special markings
Some names are used for variations on
the colours (or patterns) described above.
White face
Not a real colour or pattern, but used
for a quite white marking on the head.
White face
They come even whiter; in the extremely
white Border Collie no or hardly any coloured markings are present. The
dog in this picture only has black ears and a black spot on the base of
his tail; he is a perfect illustration for the sw-gene.
Mottled
This pattern consists of freckles in
the white parts of the coat. Can be combined with all coat colours. The
pattern is also called Ticked.
BVA UK hip scoring
System Guideline.
The current UK average
for border collies is 13. This system of scoring varies around the world.
0-4
Exellent
5-10
Good
11-18
Fair
19-25
Borderline.
26-35
Mild Dysplacia.
36-50
Moderate Dysplacia
51-106
Servere Dysplacia.
CEA/CH
Help on CEA/CH
Collie Eye
Anomaly (CEA), also known as Choroidal Hypoplasia (CH), is an inherited
eye disorder which stops the choroid developing normally. Dogs can be examined
at a young age (between 5 and 8 weeks) with an opthalmoscope, and in many
cases CEA can be diagnosed if present. Severe cases can lead to loss of
vision, although rarely result in total blindness.
Research
at Cornell University and at The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
uncovered the disease gene, and the disease causing mutation. The mutation
follows the inherited recessive pattern, i.e. the parents of an affected
offspring must at least carry the mutation themselves (they could also
be affected). Due to the discovery of the gene, a DNA test is possible
to determine not only affected dog, but also carriers of the disease (in
whom the disease will never be present, but who may pass the mutation onto
their offspring). Our Software makes use of the results of this DNA test
to infer probabilities of being affected or carrying the mutation. The
result of dogs whose genotype is known (either through a DNA test or by
being diagnosed affected by a vet) appears with a thick outline in the
genetic propagation diagram. For these dogs, the word Tested appears in
the corresponding CEA field. Probabilities for untested dogs are inferred
automatically and are presented with a thin outline in the genetic propagation
diagram.
The below
table shows the average outcome of all the possible matings:
