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Dave, Yvonne, Selena and Will live on a
cow/calf ranch at Chaplin, SK. We were looking to purchase an Old
English Sheepdog after much research into a dog that would fit into
our lifestyle. We contacted Sue Peterson and lucked in to being able
to adopt Eir, who at that time was bred. So as first timers we not
only got the breed of choice but became breeders at the same time.
This experience has been a real eye opener for us.
Eir really adopted us the moment we walked in the door; she went to
Dave and hasn’t left his side since, hence her nickname of Shadow.
She has been an absolutely wonderful dog ever since and a fantastic
mom. After her litter was born we decided that we should adopt Ralph
to breed with Eir. He is a real character; I do believe he thinks he
is a human!
With our first litter we duly had the tail’s docked except for a
couple where their adoptive families agreed not to. I have regretted
the decision to dock ever since. I was not brave enough to go in the
Vet’s room when it was done, Dave was present, I have since watched
the video on the web site. I will not be docking tails at all in
future litters.
Both Ralph and Eir have their tails and it is a vital part of their
personalities. They talk with their tails, it gives them grace and
balance, and Eir’s tail is a great source of fun (a built in toy) for
her pups. I know some people have an issue with hygiene, it has not
been a problem for us, if you owned a Husky, Collie, Springer Spaniel,
etc. all with longer hair and tails, you would not dock their tails
for hygiene. As you can see by the pictures it is part of who they
are.
If anyone is looking for a friendly, affectionate, intelligent, loyal
pet and is prepared to make the commitment required of time and
energy, then this is the dog for you!
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