NAME: Kasie McGee
LOCATION: CO
EMAIL: copperridge@gmail.com
URL:

HISTORY
PRIMARY BREED: Border Collies
OTHER BREED 1: Bloodhounds
OTHER BREED 2:
YRS BREEDING PRIMARY: 16
TOT YRS BREEDING: 16
AVG LITTERS A YR: 1
NUM DOGS OWNED: 10
NUM CHAMPIONS BRED: -
NUM PERFORMANCE
TITLED DOGS BRED: 4

SERVICES
STUD SERVICE TO
APPROVED BITCHES: Yes
BOARDING SERVICE: No
GROOMING SERVICE: No
RESCUE SERVICE: No

TRAINING
AGILITY: No
OBEDIENCE: Yes
BEHAVIOR: Yes
COMPANION: Yes
HERDING: No
SECURITY: No
TRACKING: Yes
MANTRAILING: Yes
HANDICAPPED DEAF: Yes
HANDICAPPED BLIND: Yes
HANDICAPPED OTHER: No

About the Breeder:
I have worked with Border Collies all my life; in fact, I do not remember a time when I did not have at least one! From the farm I grew up on, to farm my family had, and now to the show ring, I have always loved living with these dogs. There is nothing they cannot do. While I can understand the point of view that wishes to preserve the Border Collie as strictly a working dog, I think that as Border Collies breeders, owners and trainers, we need to be realistic. The small farms that needed these dogs are becoming fewer and fewer, yet there are more of these dogs every year. I agree; this is a working breed, and should always be provided with a job. However, the job that the dogs must do needs to be redefined. My goal as a breeder is a dog that can work in the pen or pasture, and come into town and give the so-called 'Barbie Collies' a run for their money, too. Saying that a dog with a conformation title MUST be blocked from trying his paw in the trial field is going to create exactly what the decriers are attempting to warn against; the creation of two very different interpretations of the breed. In my dogs, I am trying to merge the best of both worlds; after all, it is said that form follows function. If the dog is not structurally correct, it isn't going to work well in the long term, so should not be bred, period. I could care less about Aussie-type haircoats. Yeah, they look great on the show grounds, but imagine the extra hour of burr-picking and mat combing every day after moving the cattle and sheep around...(I know, I have one of these!)If the haircoat shows up on a dog I find mentally and structurally acceptable, okay. Am I going to breed for it over other traits? No. My primary goal are dogs that are intelligent, biddable, and able to work. To that, they must be structurally sound, my second goal. While I have heard many theories about this or that color dog working abilities or willingness to work, frankly, I believe none of them. I have see white faced dogs move stock just fine, and dark dogs unable to move them at all, and vice versa. I have seen red dogs work beautifully for one stockman, and tell another to talk to the tail. There are simply too many vaiables in getting and teaching a dog to work, that color simply cannot be that important. Do I breed for color? No. If I get an unusually color, will I charge more for that (merle for example)? No. Do I get excited when I see an unusually colored puppy born? You bet, and I get excited about how many boys & girls, their birth weights and all kinds of minutiae that bore others to tears. Do I breed for any of these? No. I want intelligent, structurally sound, intelligent, adaptable and good looking dogs. I believe that if that is the criteria for your breeding stock, and you raise the resulting puppies well, that is what you will get. I do not randomly breed for a litter a year; I have my breedings planned at least 5 years in the future, barring misfortune. I prefer not to breed until someone has expressed an interest, and I do accept deposits on future breedings.