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WELCOME to Yankee English Shepherds of Oregon. You will notice the navigation bar to the left that defines 3 major areas of interest….Yankee Acres (YankeeAcres.com) about the homestead in general and the various livestock, Yankee Shelties (YankeeShelties.com) and finally, this site, Yankee English Shepherds (YankeeEnglishShepherds.com). I anticipate great things as an English Shepherd breeder in the very near future. |
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Periodically, over the years I have researched breeds other than my beloved shelties to see if there could ever be another dog as suitable as them. While there are many other wonderful, intelligent breeds out there, I always found a part of the temperament that didn’t suit me quite as well as the sheltie. Until I met the English Shepherd. When I first saw the name, I thought, “No, they must mean English SETTER, or Old English SHEEPDOG.” I had never even heard of the breed. After quite a bit of research, I kept thinking, “This dog is too good to be true.” Working a small homestead here in Lebanon, Oregon, it seemed a dog like the English Shepherd would be an asset. So, I took the plunge and purchased a female, just to see how they stacked up to the Shetland Sheepdog. WOW! is all I can say. Where has this dog been all my life??? On a farm, that’s where. Bred to be the farmer’s helper, the all around working dog, this creature can herd, guard, kill vermin, play gently with puppies (or children) promotes order on the homestead, AND, important for me…. is a mellow dog. Unlike the Border collie, which I am in awe of, but could NEVER handle the intensity of that breed, the English Shepherd can chill out when you need it to. And while very intelligent and able to communicate it’s opinion on things, is biddable and I find less headstrong than Aussies I have met. Now, granted this is all one person’s opinion of the other breeds, but I am simply explaining my reaction to the dogs I have met and why I find the English Shepherd so appealing. Then there is the coat. While a sheltie’s coat is it’s crowning glory, an English Shepherd has a Teflon coat. It is shorter than the shelties, less rough in texture, and seems to shed dirt much easier. Grooming is a breeze compared to the sheltie. The English Shepherd’s overall appearance, lends itself to the look of a mixed breed. Hence, many people’s response that it isn’t a breed at all. But the English Shepherd has been recognized by the UKC (United Kennel Club) since 1927. There is a wide range of acceptable looks, from a J curled tail to a naturally bobbed tail (like an Aussie). Colors and markings can vary as well. My 2 foundation stock are a “plain jane” Black and White female with very little white markings and a beautiful Tan and White male. For a full description of the English Shepherd Standard, go to the UKC site: http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/Breeds/EnglishShepherd I am enjoying the UKC venue for showing the English Shepherd, as they are adamant about showing the dog sans foreign substances like chalk, magic marker, hairspray etc.. Cosmetic improvements are limited to having a clean, brushed, well trimmed, well trained dog. Points can be won even if the dog isn’t awarded Winner’s Dog or Winner’s Female position which allows more than one dog per sex to make progress towards it’s Championship title. Professional handlers are not allowed. Which when you think about it, if someone is a professional, in order to get clients, one must have a good history of winning regularly, which intensifies the need to do whatever it takes to win, which in turn, changes how the game is played. And while there are some English Shepherd clubs and breeders who disdain the idea of showing a dog at all, I take the middle road of using it as a means to have a disinterested third party say a dog has sufficient, WELL DEFINED qualities to be bred, but not so important as to change the look and temperament of the dog simply to win a ribbon. Because that is the danger of wanting to win so bad, that you dye a dog’s coat or surgically change it’s look to the current fad, or focus SOOOO much on looks that you lose the temperament and abilities of the dog. The focus of Yankee English Shepherds is to maintain the wonderful biddable nature, the intelligence to do multiple tasks and the variable look within the standard which makes the English Shepherd so wonderful; and to obtain medical clearances for hips, eyes and MDR1 for breeding stock to produce consistently healthy dogs. I look forward to breeding my first litter of ES in 2010. So, enjoy perusing the site, and welcome Yankee’s newest addition, the AWESOME ENGLISH SHEPHERD!!! |
How It Began |
