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Final Litter Update:
We had 6 puppies and 5 of them went to amazing homes! Zoe, a female seal and white pup, is staying on our farm. We will add photos of Zoe soon. We may breed Kenzie again in 2023 or 2024. Let us know if you'd like to be on a waiting list for a pup. Exciting News! Kenzie was bred to HTCH Peaslee's Howell the Good (aka Howie) and had a litter of puppies on May 28, 2022. Updates for this litter can be found on our "Mountaindell Farm" Facebook page. We are grateful to Mary Peaslee of Shepherd's Way for making this match possible. Howie and Kenzie are well suited in temperament and biddability, and we are very excited about this litter! More information about Howie, including his OFA and DNA test results, can be found on Howie's webpage: |
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Mountaindell's Blacksheep Kenzie
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Kenzie is a purebred black and white English Shepherd, born 4/26/2018. Mark and I traveled to Colorado to get her, and she is the best family and farm dog we have had. She loves to chase balls and jump and play with her humans. A farm manager, she is good with chickens and livestock while helping to keep them in line. For example, she has alerted us when a steer escaped his pasture or the goats were in the wrong pen. One of her favorite jobs is guarding the milk room door from Boer goats that shouldn't enter (but think they deserve to get grain like the milkers). She has also protected us from pushy steers and rams. Kenzie is good with our grandchildren and nephew, but can be somewhat aloof to strangers until she accepts them. She is happy, biddable, resilient and fun. She travels with us on our family vacations.
Kenzie has been DNA tested by Embark and is clear for all genetic mutations, except that she is a carrier of Progressive Retinal Atrophy, prcd (PRCD Exon 1). She was tested by OFA at 27 months of age and her hips are rated excellent and elbows are rated good. Kenzie is registered with the English Shepherd Society, #ESC-6311.
We are hoping to breed Kenzie to a suitable English Shepherd early in 2022, with an emphasis on breeding for good temperament and resilience, as well as health.
Kenzie has been DNA tested by Embark and is clear for all genetic mutations, except that she is a carrier of Progressive Retinal Atrophy, prcd (PRCD Exon 1). She was tested by OFA at 27 months of age and her hips are rated excellent and elbows are rated good. Kenzie is registered with the English Shepherd Society, #ESC-6311.
We are hoping to breed Kenzie to a suitable English Shepherd early in 2022, with an emphasis on breeding for good temperament and resilience, as well as health.
English Shepherds
English Shepherds are old-time farm dogs that originated in early America from stock brought from England. They are a landrace registered through the English Shepherd Society or the United Kennel Club. (They are not recognized by the AKC, and most breeders are content to keep it that way.) They form a strong bond with their people and look for ways to help them around the farm. Some of them are good farm managers, helping control livestock on the farm. They can be good at herding and guarding livestock (though they do not live with livestock like Livestock Guardian Dogs). Many excel in vermin eradication. They are also wonderful family dogs who usually enjoy playing with children. Sometimes described "like Border Collies with an Off-Switch", English Shepherds enjoy spending their down time relaxing with family. Unlike Border Collies, they are upright herders and tend to use their bark to move livestock instead of the "eye". They have been bred to be intelligent, biddable, and to work independently. ES are good "rule enforcers" that tell you when something is out of line (often by barking, unless trained to alert in other ways). They need strong direction and a job to keep them busy or they will take matters into their own hands.
