Our Farm Collies: Jasper and Andi

Two years ago our family moved to our little ranch. Once we had the property, it was time to fill it with animals. The very first thing I wanted was a good dog. I was raised on a sheep ranch. Mom raised Border Collies, and those dogs were worth their weight in gold so I knew exactly how much easier a good dog can make life of a farmer or rancher. As I thought about what kind of dog I wanted, I was faced with a problem that I’m sure many others face as well, everything I wanted in a dog couldn’t be found in one breed!

My ideal dog:

• Medium size
• Intelligent
• Obedient and easy to train
• Is always by my side
• Active but not hyper
• Will not wander from his home
• Does not bark unless there is a threat
• Is watchful and protective but never aggressive
• Will not harm my cats, chickens, sheep or horses
• Will play with my children and protect them snakes and other predators
• Can go everywhere with me, from trail rides to soccer games to camping and not be a nuisance

I think it is reasonable to expect to have all of the characteristics I want in one dog. After all, every breed of dog that we currently have was developed from someone’s ideal of what they wanted in a dog. And new breeds are still being created to this day. Hybrids are also becoming very popular. I have no desire to create my own breed though. I would rather have a little piece of history. I found everything that I want in a dog in the Farm Collie. A Farm Collie is an all purpose working dog. It herds, hunts, guards, and is your best friend. Farm Collies are a historic “breed”, one that was at one time the most popular in the US. Farm Collies settled the west with the pioneers. You won’t find Farm Collie in the AKC breed list. Farm Collies don’t have a long list of strict breed standards that must be met. A Farm Collie is a type of dog, and is more strictly judged on how he behaves and what he does than on how he looks. To read all about Farm Collies visit the American Working Farm Collie Association