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Contact Information |
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Name |
Location |
Email |
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Shannon
Pollard |
Brookneal,
VA |
jagview@msn.com |
(434) 660-9618 |
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Frequently Asked Questions |
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HOW
MUCH WILL PURCHASING A COLLIE FROM YOU COST?:
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Puppies |
Adults |
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Pets |
Show Prospects |
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$850 |
$1,500+ |
Varies |
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NOTE: ALL PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
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CAN YOU SHIP A COLLIE TO A BUYER?:
Yes, we can ship a dog to a buyer at their expense. In such
cases, the full
purchase price, seller's handling fee for shipping (**see below), the airline
shipping expenses, the cost of a health certificate etc. are due prior to
shipping as well as a crate & two dishes that attach to the crate's door or
money to purchase those.
●●NOTE: If a buyer wishes to have their Collie shipped, there will
also be charge of $200
which is "seller's handling fee" if said dog is shipped from Lynchburg
Regional Airport; other airports which are a greater distance than this are subject to
a $300+ handling
fee. ALL FEES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?:
We are located near the town of
Brookneal, VA & about 30 miles southeast of the city of Lynchburg or 2 hours west of
the city of Richmond. Other cities all of which are about 2 hours are
Roanoke, Raleigh, & Greensboro.
WHAT IS THE BEST AGE
TO GET A COLLIE?:
Any age after 7-8 weeks old is fine.
HOW DO I GET ON YOUR WAITING LIST FOR A COLLIE?:
If you are interested in one of our Collies,
the first step is to fill out our
"Collie Buyer Questionnaire"
& email it to the address provided at the top of the page.
Click
here to see the questionnaire.
You may also call for a phone interview in order to be placed on the waiting
list; call 434-660-9618.
WHAT ADVICE
WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NOVICE JUST STARTING
OUT WITH SHOWING?:
My suggestion is to read the breed standard often & read as many breed
books as you can. Study, study, study!! No one should ever stop
learning!! Go to as many dog shows as possible, study the dogs that you see there,
& talk to breeders and handlers. Go to breed seminars & make an effort to
attend National specialties. The Nationals are the best way to see many dogs from
different bloodlines, all under one roof. Visit the kennels of many breeders &
examine the dogs. Some bloodlines are known for a specific "look."
Don't just limit yourself to getting a dog from a breeder that is local (although you may
be able to find a nice one locally from a reputable show breeder); if the right show prospect for you is across the
country, then go for it!
Once you have
religiously studied the breed standard, have read many breed books/magazines, & have
seen many dogs both in person as well as print, you may begin to visualize in your mind
the ideal Collie as described in the standard. As time goes by, your mental
interpretation of the standard may change; this is a part of learning. If you find that a specific bloodline is noted to have a look that you love,
then try to purchase a show prospect from that breeder. Saying all that, I would
have to add that no matter how beautiful a dog is, if it doesn't have a good temperament
or has health or genetic problems, then the beauty is meaningless. Find out as much as
you can about genetic problems before purchasing a show prospect. Don't be afraid to
ask lots of questions!!
Once
you have purchased a show prospect from a reputable & knowledgeable breeder,
seek their advice about caring for & showing your dog. A reputable breeder
will be there to answer your questions throughout the dog's life, provided you
are a good & willing listener. Many breeders & handlers have a wealth of
information to offer & are happy to share it. A breeder can tell you about
any growth patterns their line may have whereas other bloodlines may not develop
in the exact same way. Realize that Collies are a slow maturing breed with
many not reaching full maturity until 3 or 4 years
of age; a slow maturing Collie often holds its quality well into old
age. I would much rather have a dog who was slow to mature than to have
one who was fully mature early on & did not hold its quality into what should be
its prime. Many people give up on dogs
because they aren't ready to win as puppies; in my opinion this is not a wise thing to
do. DO NOT give up on a young Collie just because it may go through ugly stages
where it's quality is questionable; some dogs go through stages as puppies that they later
come out of. Whether a young Collie's head goes through awkward stages or whether
the body or movement does, any of these things can come back to being good depending on
the bloodline as well as the individual. The main thing is to have PATIENCE while
waiting for a Collie to mature; always remember that the end result is what counts most!
If you
plan to show your own dog as opposed to hiring a professional handler, take the
time to learn how to properly present your dog before you ever walk into the
ring. Take handling classes. Travel to shows with Collie handlers or
offer to assist them at shows. Learn as much as possible. A major part of the proper presentation of Collies is great
grooming whether it is a rough or a smooth. Good grooming comes with a lot of experience & many
owner-handlers or breeders though they've spent years showing (& working hard at it) will never be
able to achieve the optimum results that a good professional handler (or an experienced
breeder-owner-handler) achieves with ease; for example, trimming the rough Collie head is a task
best left to someone who has the 'know-how' to create the ultimate image. Yes,
professional handlers win a lot & many times they have an added advantage over an
owner-handler.....this is often due to the fact that a professional handler works very
hard at what they do on a day-to-day basis & a good one knows how to get the most out
of the dog in the short amount of time they spend in the ring at each show....a
good handler usually has a dog that is well-trained, well-groomed, &
in the proper condition to win; because it is their profession, they often spend more time
working with the dogs, keeping them in great condition than an average owner-handler has
time to spend due to their jobs etc. If you decide to hire a handler, know that
there are good handlers, great handlers, & those who are horrible handlers or
untrustworthy.
When you start
to show, it is important to find out as much as you can about various judges & their
preferences before you enter shows. Again, ask lots of questions. Showing is
expensive & there is no reason to waste money entering under a judge who
wouldn't be good for
your dog.
DO COLLIES MAKE GOOD HOUSE PETS?:
Yes, Collies can make excellent house-pets provided that they
receive adequate exercise & training. For example, we once took a seven year old
Collie that had never had any prior "in house" exposure & made that Collie a
house-pet; despite her age, the dog adjusted immediately to being a house-pet & didn't
have any accidents.
ARE COLLIES GOOD WITH CHILDREN?:
Yes, most Collies are great with children & adore
them.
DO COLLIES GET ALONG
WITH CATS?:
Yes.
However, it is important that puppies regardless of their
breed be exposed to cats while they are still young
so that there will be a better chance of them getting along with cats as adults.
HOW BIG ARE COLLIES?:
The AKC breed standard for Collies, states that males
are 24"-26" high at the shoulders & weigh between 60-75 pounds; Females
are 22"-24" high at the shoulder & weigh between 50-65 pounds.
Of course size sometimes varies from this & some Collies can be smaller or
larger.
WHAT VARIETIES AND
COAT COLORS DO COLLIES COME IN?:
Collies come in two varieties, which are the Rough and Smooth.
Roughs have a long abundant coat; Smooths have a short coat.
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The breed
standard recognizes
four coat colors in Collies: Sable and White, Tri-Color, Blue Merle, and White. |
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Descriptions
of coat colors as quoted from breed standard: |
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SABLE
& WHITE |
"The
"Sable and White: is predominantly sable (a fawn sable color of varying
shades from light gold to dark mahogany) with white markings usually on
the chest, neck, legs, feet, & the tip of the tail.
A blaze may appear on the foreface or
backskull or both." |
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TRI-COLOR |
"The
"Tri-color" is predominantly black, carrying white markings as in a "Sable
and White" and has tan shadings on and about the head and legs." |
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BLUE MERLE |
"The
"Blue Merle" is a mottled or "marbled" color predominantly blue-grey and
black with white markings as in the "Sable and White" and usually has tan
shadings as in the "Tri-color." |
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WHITE |
"The
"White" is predominantly white, preferably with sable, tri-color or blue
merle markings." |
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Click on the
links below for some examples of the various color types in both rough & smooth
coats. We do not breed whites, so unfortunately we don't have any photos of those. |
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ROUGH |
SMOOTH |
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Blue Merle |
Blue
Merle |
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Sable & White |
Sable & White |
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Tri-Color |
Tri-Color |
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Sable Merle |
Sable Merle |
WHAT DIFFERENCE IF ANY IS THERE BETWEEN
ROUGH & SMOOTH COLLIES?:
The absolute
only difference between Rough and Smooth Collies is the coat. Smooths are
ideal for those who want a dog with all of the beauty and intelligence of a Rough, with
less hair. Smooths require much less grooming than Roughs and do not get mats. Both
Roughs and Smooths are great dogs and make excellent pets, show, or performance
dogs.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN ROUGH & SMOOTH GENETICS?:
When a Rough is bred to a Rough, there will always be
all Roughs in the litter because a Rough has two rough genes. A Smooth that has one
rough gene & one smooth gene is rough-factored which means that they can produce Rough
puppies in addition to Smooth puppies. If a Rough is bred to a rough-factored
Smooth, the resulting litter can contain both Roughs & rough-factored Smooths.
If a rough-factored Smooth is bred to another like itself, the resulting litter can
contain Roughs, rough-factored Smooths, & pure-for-smooths. A pure-for-smooth is
a Smooth that has two smooth genes which means that if they are bred, they will always
produce only Smooths no matter what.
HOW MUCH GROOMING DO COLLIES REQUIRE?:
The amount of grooming that a Collie requires can depend on
several factors: the environment in which the Collie lives, whether the dog is
shedding, whether the Collie is a Rough
or a Smooth, & if the Collie is a Rough it can depend on the amount of coat that the
dog has. Naturally, Roughs require more grooming than Smooths do due to the
difference in coat types. A good brushing once a week is needed for most Roughs,
while once every two weeks can be adequate for Smooths not being shown. Nails should be trimmed or
grinded at least once a month, but some dogs' nails grow extremely fast so they may need
to be trimmed more often than that even as often as once a week. If a Collie lives
outside & is exposed to the weather elements, the dog may require more frequent
grooming than a dog who spends most of the time in the house. We recommend only
bathing Collies when you feel the dog needs it.
WHAT TYPE OF
GROOMING SUPPLIES WILL I NEED TO GROOM MY COLLIE? HOW DO I GROOM MY COLLIE?:
A few necessary things are a large Pin
Brush, a soft Slicker Brush, a Comb, A Spray Bottle filled with
water or a combination of water/conditioner, & Pet Nail Clippers or if you prefer you may use a Dremel
Rotary Tool for nails. If you decide on a grinder for your dog's toenails,
never hold it on the nail for more than 5 seconds at a time
because they tend to heat the nail if left longer than that. NOTE: If you do not know how to trim or grind your dog's nails, have
an experienced person do it for you or either have them show you the proper way to trim or
grind nails before you attempt to do it because you can injure your dog if you don't know
what you are doing.
BRUSHING
A ROUGH: *Completely brush through the
entire coat using a slicker brush making sure to get out any mats, tangles, or
loose hair. Brush with a gentle hand as you do not want to rip out coat. *You will next be using a pin brush. Mist the coat with the
spray bottle & rub the water in against the lay of the coat. *Using the
pin brush, brush through the coat in sections misting the coat with water as
needed.
BRUSHING A SMOOTH: Grooming a
Smooth is easier and generally takes less time and effort than on a rough. *As
in the rough, completely brush through the entire coat using a slicker brush.
Next, mist the coat with the spray bottle & rub the water in against the lay of
the coat. Take a pin brush and brush through the coat, misting with the
spray bottle as needed.
HOW CAN I
BE ASSURED MY ROUGH COLLIE WILL
HAVE A GOOD COAT?:
Naturally genetics are a huge factor in the amount
of coat a dog has or will have once he or she reaches
maturity; many Collies are at least 3
years old before they are fully matured. However, aside from genetics there are several other factors that can
have a positive or negative influence on coat.
The the thing
that I consider to be the most important factor in helping a Rough Collie have the most
coat that it can "genetically" have is adequate grooming, which should be done a
minimum of once per week. See section on "grooming" above.
Secondly, I feel that diet definitely influences coat. I think a good
premium food is essential. Some dogs are easier keepers than others &
those are a blessing!! One food may work for one dog, but not another so
it's a matter of trial & error in finding a good food that all of a person's
dogs do well on. I've had to experiment a lot to find foods that
consistently work for each of my dogs (adults & puppies). My adult Collies
& puppies over 6 months old are fed Pro Plan Adult
(Chicken & Rice) or Pro Plan Performance ; puppies under 6 months
old are fed Pro Plan
Performance.
Thirdly,
environment can have an effect on coat.
HOW DO I GET
MY COLLIE'S EARS TO TIP OVER?:
As stated in the breed standard, Collie ears
should be carried about 3/4 erect with about 1/4 of the ear tipping
or breaking forward. There are some
Collies who truly have "natural ears" that do not require any artificial
training; unfortunately, most Collies do require some ear training in order to achieve the
desired tipping. We begin training puppies' ears at six to eight weeks old
& keep the ears over at all times except when the puppy is in the
show ring. We continue to train the ears until the puppy is
about a year old, but some Collies may require
longer ear training depending on the nature of the ear type. There are some Collies'
ears that regardless of the amount of training they have had, will never stay
perfectly tipped for long; this can be frustrating because those types of ears have to be
kept glued or taped at all times.
There are many effective methods of ear training
such as the use of: Japanese Ear Tape, Tear Mender, or Moleskin. Japanese
Ear Tape can be purchased online. Tear Mender can be purchased
at Walgreens, Tractor Supply, or online. It
is a matter of personal preference in choosing the method that works
best for you. For detailed information on how to make your Collie's ears tip,
contact the breeder of your Collie or a Collie handler; there are also several
websites which offer helpful instructions on ear training.
Two simple &
quick methods I have found work well with tipping ears involve using
Japanese Ear Tape or Tear Mender (whichever method is used, it is
important to start with clean & dry ears; if ears have been
previously taped or glued, use an adhesive remover to remove any
remaining residue of tape or glue prior to cleaning the ears with
shampoo or alcohol):
**Method
#1 - Japanese Ear Tape:
Clean out the ears with rubbing alcohol that is applied with a
cotton ball. Allow to dry. Spray a cotton ball with Doc Brannen's Grooming Adhesive
(clear) or Sullivan's Prime Time Adhesive (clear) & rub on
the inside tip and base of both ears; wait a few seconds while the
ears dry. Cut four small squares of tape (two for each ear) &
two pieces of tape about 2" long each. Place a square of
tape at the inside tip of ear & another square at the lower part of
the ear at the base just above the little bump on the ear; repeat
with the other ear. Next, take one of the long pieces of tape & roll it sticky side out.
Place the rolled tape on top of one of the tape squares that are
already in the ear & fold top half of the ear over to the lower part of
the ear at the base just above the little bumps on the ear; repeat
with the other ear.
Hold ears for a few seconds to make sure the tape sticks.
NOTE: For dogs with ears that break too low, tape ears over less
than in half.
**Method
#2 - Tear Mender:
Put a drop or two of Tear Mender on the inside tip of the ear & fold
the ear over to the longer hairs at the lower base of the ear along
the inner edge. Hold ear for approximately one minute while
the Tear Mender dries.
WHAT SHOULD I
FEED MY COLLIE?:
I feed & recommend Pro Plan. My adult Collies & puppies over 6 months
old are fed Pro Plan Adult
(Chicken & Rice) or Pro Plan Performance ; puppies under 6 months
old are fed Pro Plan
Performance.
DO MALES OR FEMALES
MAKE BETTER PETS?:
We feel that both make equally good pets.
DOES COLLIE EYE ANOMALY (CEA)
AFFECT VISION?:
Most Collies have some form of
Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA), but it does not get worse as the dog gets
older and unless severe it rarely affects vision. Even most normal-eyed Collies are
carriers of CEA and will produce it. In fact, most Collies with CEA see no
worse than normal-eyed Collies.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF COLLIES?:
About 10-14 years.
WHAT IS A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER?:
A responsible dog owner is someone who realizes that purchasing a dog is a 12-14
year commitment (sometimes longer). If a person isn't willing to accept or
take on this responsibility, then they should not acquire a dog.
Dogs aren't something that a person can just get rid of because they get tired of it; too
many people seem to have the attitude they they can just "throw away" a dog
whenever they feel like it. People get rid of dogs for the stupidest reasons
sometimes; a responsible owner does not do this. A responsible pet owner provides
their dogs with adequate medical care as well as loving & LIFETIME homes
or if for some reason, they are unable to keep the dog for its entire life, they
find the dog a suitable home.
They never allow their dogs to roam freely where they might be endangered.
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE COLLIE?: Visit the
Collie Club of America
website.
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"This web site is designed and maintained
in it's entirety by Shannon Pollard, owner of Jag-View Collies. All materials
contained on this web site are the sole property of Jag-View Collies and may not be copied
or reproduced for any purpose without written permission of the owner. While the
information on this website is deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed."
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