Hello my name is Arlene I own and breed Border Collies in Canada. I am visiting England in May. I would like to bring home a young adult dog to add to my breeding program. I am in need of some new bloodlines as all my dogs are presently related. I have done some line breeding but we need a virtual out cross to keep the line healthy. All of my dog are from British imports. I have been making some enquires online which is so difficult when you can't see and pet the dog. I would love to buy a 7 week old puppy BUT I don't think this would be practical when I need to know what kind of dog he will be and that his hips, eyes and hearing are normal for breeding purposes, to far to go for a cute pup lots of potential but no guarantee. I want to contact breeders but I don't want to lead anyone on or be a pest. I know three months seems like a long time away but when I don't want to make promises until I see the dog but I don't know how else to do this. I don't want to arrive in England and feel rushed to find a dog. I feel strongly that obtaining a dog is a life long commitment I don't want to be hastie in deciding, I'm not even 100% sure whether I want a male or a female.
I also need to know what the breed average score for Border Collies. We don't use this method for hips in Canada, so I only know the lower the number the better. What would be a fair price to pay for a young dog?
My dogs are all spoiled family pets first and then we do obedience, agility and lots of flyball and a little herding. Any suggestions or ideals would be much appreciated.
Thanks, looking forward to attending the Birmingham Show in May
Arlene Can-Do Border Collies

Hi Arlene and welcome to Champdogs! :) This is definately a great place to start your search. There are some great agility web sites that may lead you to some other contacts too. Unfortunately I can't remember where to find them! Maybe Leigh can post some links for you! Good luck in your search!

Quinn

Welcome Arlene :-)

Have a look at our Border Collie Information. It includes breeder and breed club details. I am sure that someone there will be able to recommend a breeder or litter to you.

Hip scores: 4,115+ Border Collies have been scored in the UK. The range is 0-89.
Breed average is 14, so ideally you need to look at dogs with a score lower that this.
Prices appear to start at £150+

Leigh