I am originally a horse person, raising, training, and competing on my Arabians. It’s funny how many dog people are former horse people! I got started in border collies with a rescue who stole my heart from the first moment, despite her unusual markings. Samantha was my ‘heart dog’ and she opened a world of new things for me. Together we learned about competitive obedience and dabbled a bit with herding. Thanks to Samantha, I poured my heart into rescue work and have placed over 100 rescues, both mixed breeds and purebred border collies, into loving forever homes.
When it was time to add another border collie to our family, I had a hard time deciding between another rescue or going to a breeder. Since obedience was my main focus, I could have gone either way. But a friend of mine got me interested in conformation and for that I had to go to a breeder. So the search began and I had to go halfway across the country to find what I was looking for in a border collie and a breeder. Joan Fouty, of Quail Creek Ranch in Idaho, is my role model when it comes to being an accessible breeder. She always took the time to answer my questions and never made me feel like I was wasting her time. In fact, I was so pleased with the first dog I got from her (Beckett), I went back a second time for her full sister (Trey)!
After Beckett got her breed championship, we went into the obedience ring and the herding arena, earning titles in both venues. 2009 is the year for Utility. Trey is on a slower timetable, and I’m pointing her towards a herding career. I’m also hoping to finish her in the conformation ring. Of course, she did take some time off to produce a lovely litter of seven puppies in April of 2008.
I am dedicated to producing and promoting the working border collie. I believe that maintaining the herding ability in the breed to be of the utmost importance while also focusing on structure, soundness (both physical as well as mental), temperament, health, and athletic ability.
You can reach me via email at imaginebordercollies@gmail.com
