Why I Chose Australian Shepherds... and Never Looked Back

People often ask me why I breed Australian Shepherds. The short answer is that I love the breed.

The real answer starts many years before I ever owned one.

I've always been an animal person. I honestly can't remember a time when I wasn't fascinated by genetics, breeding, animal behavior, and how you could make each generation just a little better than the last. Long before Bon Temps Ranch existed, I was the kid who wanted to learn everything I could about dogs.

Growing up, my grandmother raised Chihuahuas. One litter changed everything for me. She was bottle-feeding one tiny puppy, and from the moment I saw him, I was completely in love. He wasn't just my dog. He was my best friend.

Then life happened.

Our family went on a cruise, and while we were gone he was boarded at a veterinary clinic. Because he was so tiny, he slipped through the fencing, made it out to the road, and was hit by a car.

We came home from vacation to that news.

It was devastating.

It was especially devastating because it came not long after my brother had been killed in a car accident. Losing my dog on top of losing my brother felt like more than my young heart knew how to handle.

I remember telling my parents that I couldn't go to sleep without a dog.

My mom did what moms do. She got in the car and drove me to Birmingham, Alabama. We came home with a Pomeranian puppy from a pet store.

When we walked through the door, she told my dad she had put him on the credit card.

My dad looked at her and asked, "The credit card? How much did he cost?"

When she told him, he said, "If he cost that much, where's the other half?"

About six months later, we bought a female Pomeranian from an elderly couple in our hometown who had spent years showing dogs before they retired. They owned Spiller's Pets.. They cared deeply about their dogs and took pride in producing quality puppies.

That pair became the beginning of our small Pomeranian breeding program.

Looking back now, I can see that those years shaped me more than I realized.

By the time I was in high school, I wasn't just helping raise puppies. I was collecting data.

Every year, for the state science fair, I designed a project asking whether birth order affected puppy birth weights. Most teenagers were looking for an easy experiment. I was recording whelping data and analyzing statistics because that's what genuinely interested me.

That curiosity eventually led me to earn both my bachelor's and master's degrees in Animal Science. It led me to work in veterinary medicine before becoming a teacher. Even today, I still find myself studying pedigrees, structure, genetics, health testing, and temperament because I honestly enjoy learning.

Dogs have never been just a hobby for me.

They've always been my passion.

As much as I loved Pomeranians, I always dreamed about showing dogs.

The problem was that I had no idea how to get started.

I went to a small private school. There wasn't a 4-H program. We didn't know anyone involved in conformation or performance events, and my parents had no idea about any of that. There wasn't anyone to mentor me through the process.

So I researched.

And researched.

And researched some more.

Around that same time, I was running competitively in long-distance events and preparing for college. I wanted a larger dog that could be my running partner.

There were a few requirements.

My sister and I were going to live together while I was in college, and she had two rules.

Nothing over fifty pounds.

And nothing that would clear the coffee table with its tail.

I also wanted a dog that was intelligent, biddable, eager to learn, athletic, and capable of working with me instead of constantly challenging me.

Every road led me back to the Australian Shepherd.

After months of researching breeders, I finally found one whose dogs I admired. I placed a deposit on a planned litter and started saving every extra penny.

Literally.

Every time I paid cash for something, every bit of change went into a jar for my puppy.

I waited.

And waited.

Nearly a year passed.

Unfortunately, the breeding never resulted in puppies. The breeder kindly returned my deposit, but after waiting that long, I was crushed.

I had spent so much time researching, planning, and dreaming that I let impatience get the better of me.

Instead of waiting for another carefully planned litter, I bought an Australian Shepherd from a high-volume breeder.

If I could go back would I do things differently? Absolutely.

But I would never trade that dog.

Temperament-wise, he was probably the best dog I've ever owned.

He was the kind of dog that made you fall even more in love with the breed.

I had dreamed of breeding him someday, but his OFA hip evaluation didn't come back the way I had hoped. At the time, I was young and didn't realize that there were situations where evaluations could be repeated.

So, I accepted the results and never bred him.

I also listened when people told me he wasn't show quality.

Looking back now, I wish I had taken him into the ring anyway.

Not because I think he would have become a champion, but because I would have gained experience, and he would have loved every minute of it.

He absolutely came alive around livestock.

Watching him work cattle in herding classes made it obvious that I'd been looking at the wrong venue all along. He wasn't born to stand still in a show ring.

He was born to work.

That lesson stayed with me.

Years later, after much delay on this dream of breeding and dog sports, I bought another Australian Shepherd from an accomplished show breeder to start with.

This dog had the pedigree.  He had the health.  He had the structure.  He had everything needed for the conformation ring.  Except one thing.  He hated showing.

He was gentle, intuitive, and incredibly connected to human emotions. He would have made an outstanding therapy dog, but showing was just not for him.  He did well. He had, I think 9 major reserves to large 4 and 5 point majors with AKC. I stopped showing him at 9 points with one major left. He just didn't like it and he did not show his personality doing it.  As soon as he stepped in that ring, his mood dropped.  And that makes it no fun for dog or person and stressful for both.

Between those two dogs, I learned one of the most valuable lessons of my life.

Every dog is an individual.

Good breeders don't try to force every dog into the same mold.  Some dogs belong in the show ring.  Some belong on a ranch.  Some excel in agility.  Some become incredible therapy dogs.  Some become the best family companions anyone could ask for.

Our job isn't to make dogs fit our dreams.  

It's to recognize what each dog is naturally gifted to do and help them succeed there.  

I also learned another lesson.

Don't let other people decide your dreams.

If I could go back, I'd show that first Aussie anyway. I'd enter the ring.  I'd take the classes. I'd make mistakes. I'd learn.  We would probably have lost a lot. We might never have earned a single point, but he would have loved it, and I'd have loved doing it with him.

We don't breed simply because two dogs are old enough.

Every breeding is planned with purpose. We study pedigrees, health testing, structure, and, just as importantly, temperament. We want Australian Shepherd puppies that can become wonderful family companions while still possessing the intelligence, athleticism, and versatility that made us fall in love with the breed in the first place.

Whether our puppies stay here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, head to another part of the country, become performance dogs, ranch partners, or simply somebody's best friend curled up on the couch, our goal is always the same.

Raise healthy, confident, well-socialized Australian Shepherds that are ready to become part of someone's family.

After more than twenty years with this breed, I still can't imagine raising anything else.

I chose Australian Shepherds because I wanted the perfect running partner.

I stayed because I cant imagine owning better dogs  
.