How many litters do you have per year?
I do not keep an extensive "string" of dogs. Currently, I have two females and do not envision housing over 4 dogs going forward.
With that said, puppies are few and far between here. For instance, Sioux's first litter is expected on June 13, 2017; she is 5 years old.
It’s preferred that our dogs devote 2 years of work to be fully assessed before determining the decision to procreate. With 2 years of work comes a full understanding of the dog’s capability and a better understanding of a potential mate to calculate the breeding via specific criteria to hopefully create the ultimate.
Moreover, my dogs are employed as their is work to be done daily so a pregnancy results in placing them on maternity leave for 3 months or more.
Though there is a silver lining in this, allowing opportunities for a younger dog to hone its skills and increase its daily mileage and responsibilities, but if a situation arose and I needed the expertise of one that was pregnant I would be in a hard place. So in a sense...it’s a sacrifice to have a litter.
What colors do you breed for?
The color of the dog is irrelevant and has no merit in its utility. Cattle don't care what color the dog is. Some people, unfortunately, do.
You will not find additional charges for different colored eyes or different colored coats here. If you are truly invested in finding a dog that will work for you and your operation it would raise a RED FLAG to stumble upon a "breeder" who charges extra for coat color or eye color and I would strongly advise you to look elsewhere if you have been looking at those who do. Moreover, if they can’t produce multiple videos versus pictures or ribbons, again, look elsewhere. It’s your money…invest it wisely with details and actual evidence (titles and ribbons do not qualify as such) rather than hearsay.
Refer to the link of the 2017 ASCA Finals at the bottom of the page and you will see why (a small percentage of these dogs would be valuable in a ranch setting).
Dogs bred under and carrying the "Bluff Springs" name are bred to function for the job at hand and do so willingly. Any litter bred is done so after thoughtful deliberation in the hopes to express synergy and aspirations to create a consistent litter with similar abilities that they were bred for.
Notably, there is preference among the masses for coat and eye color of the dog and that is unfortunate but understandable for those with ulterior motives who choose to take advantage of the consumer. However, for the sake of a simple analogy... if you prefer khaki to denim; khakis will not help you get your work done any better than when you choose to wear denim...yet, ultimately the skill of the individual whose wearing the clothes will. Same goes for a brown-eyed man vs. a blue-eyed man working the same job. Only skill and will of the individual will get the job done appropriately and efficiently; not the color of his eyes.
Study pedigrees. Request videos. Make your own assessments of ability from those videos. Engage in conversation with the owner(s) of the dog(s) of which you like the "style" of and pursue them. Furthermore, inquire about the personalities the puppies are expressing early on. Moreover, put the qualities that you would like in a dog on paper and compare it to the feedback you get from the breeder and select for intrinsic value in the litter first and phenotypic value last (if you're bent on phenotype) after you've established a sire and dam you desire a puppy from.
If you seek a capable dog and want to capitalize on your investment in a working partner make sure there is plenty of "proof" (videos) there for potential for the pup to express the genetics that should have been realized in the sire and dam and other relatives in their respective pedigrees.
Registration Papers for Bluff Springs dogs?
Buyers will be required to sign an agreement that their Bluff Springs dog will not be registered with the AKC. Nor under no circumstances will ANY dog be registered with a registry as another breed (Example: Miniature Australian Shepherd or North American Shepherd).
Co-ownership for first right of refusal will accompany registration papers
The Prefix "Bluff Springs" must be included in the dog(s) registered name.
Do all dogs need to be in a working home?
It is definitely preferred; considering I breed solely based on working ability. Working Homes will take preference over all others. Regardless, any Aussie needs to be an active part of its owner’s life, and these are not the kind of dog to just stick in the back yard or in a kennel. A good working Aussie is a devoted companion. Many farm and ranch homes have seasonal work, and the dog must be part of daily life during the off season.
What guarantees are offered?
Bluff Springs dogs will be ASCA registered only. Our puppies are sold guaranteed to work livestock, to be free from hip dysplasia, hereditary eye defects, inherited epilepsy, and any other inherited disease that would prevent the dog from working.
All guarantees become null and void if and when the dog is used for breeding. Working style cannot be guaranteed.
Can you train my dog for me?
I will be happy to assist development of the dog by any means possible. I will do anything and everything I can do help in the training process.
I offer a discounted rate of training for dogs of my breeding. 60 day minimum.
Do I own breeding rights to the dog?
All puppies will be marked "not for breeding" on their registration paperwork. Releasing breeding rights is at the discretion of Bluff Springs once the dog has proven consistent working ability via a multitude of videos shared with the Bluff Springs and has earned a hip rating of "OFA Good" or better (eligible for OFA Hip certification @ 24 months old - preliminary HIP scores will not suffice).
Those who do not wish to retain breeding rights will receive Limited registration papers and they will be marked "not for breeding" and no offspring of this dog can be registered. Registration applications for dogs sold on limited registration will be held until proof of spay/neuter is furnished to us. Using limited registration whenever possible is the responsible thing to do for all parties involved to avoid unwanted pregnancies and unwanted puppies.
Why do you limit breeding rights on all puppies?
Simply put…QUALITY vs quantity. Not all dogs should procreate. ONLY THE BEST SHOULD.
Limiting registration is done so as means to protect the thoughtful development of these lines by Bob Vest, Gary Ericsson & others so their dedication and determination to produce consistent and quality dogs is not tarnished.
If you are adamant about breeding…this can be seen one or two ways for you:
1) An incentive for breeding rights to be released to you once you have dedicated yourself to fully developing the dog. It benefits you and it benefits the dog.
2) A challenge and accept the challenge to fully develop the dog.
How do I reserve a puppy?
We take reservations on puppies and honor the deposits in the order they are received. The $300 non-refundable deposit to reserve a puppy will apply to the purchase price. We must have full payment for the puppy by seven weeks of age if the puppy is to be shipped (which we prefer to do at eight to ten weeks) or when the puppy is picked up. Puppies must be picked up by ten weeks of age or the deposit will be forfeited and we reserve the right to resell the puppy.
Deposits
A $300 non-refundable deposit is required to guarantee your reservation for a puppy.
Cashier's Check preferred
Personal Check
Paypal accepted (buyer to pay the 3% processing for PayPal charges to send money through their system)
Do you ship?
* Yes, shipping is available within the United States.
* I do not ship internationally (Those who are overseas and interested in a pup must travel to the U.S. to pick up the puppy and fly back with it)
* Puppies shipped within the will be shipped via: U.S. - United PetSafe and Delta PetsFirst.
Shipping expense to be paid in conjunction with the base price of the puppy:
* Crate
* Health Papers
* Airline Charges
* Estimated shipping expense: $400
If the puppy remains with us over 9 weeks old the buyer will be responsible for:
* A bag of puppy food: $40
* Any vaccines received while under our care/Mileage ($1.00 per mile) to the vet for vaccinations/microchips/etc
*Dewormings
*All expenses will be documented by the Vet
What methods of payment do you accept?
Cashier's Check
* PayPal - if you would like to send a payment through PayPal be aware there is a 3% transaction fee in which the buyer will be responsible for.
* Cash
* Cashier’s Check
Before you purchase:
Before you purchase a dog from Bluff Springs, please consider your ultimate goal with your prospective dog and make every effort to understand what will be required to provide an ideal home for a very loyal working partner:
responsibility of developing the dog
maintenance
time investment
financial needs
overall care
We suggest planning the addition of an a four-legged employee with long term vision and dedication.
Working dogs can be intense; they are active; they are intelligent. Working bred dogs are not great dogs for every home or every potential owner. They require knowledgeable, smart, accepting, patient owners who understand the nature of a working dog. As puppies, and even young adults, they may chew, bite, bark, dig, jump, chase cats...the list is endless. They can be protective of their home and family. They will require much commitment from their owners to fulfill their role within the family and their job.
Viewer Education
The ASCA Finals
Note: The Finals - one is required to earn a specific total of points throughout the trial season to quality for the Finals (anyone can come and compete in the Nationals with no prior points or trial experience)
Supposedly the “best of the breed has to offer are in attendance” (One can count them on one hand) for the Finals since there is a requirement of points to be earned in the trial season for one to be able to compete in the Finals
With that said…this video is not shared to demean but rather to educate the viewer that an “alphabet soup” beside a dog’s name on a pedigree DOES NOT ALWAYS hold as much weight as perceived without a video. Rarely is video shared but rather “ribbons and titles” are instead.
What you’re seeing above is a rarity…and some “TITLED” dogs’ cover are now blown because of video evidence.
Watch for yourself and determine which dogs would work for you or eat at your place.
With that said, do your due diligence in investing in a pup…Video access to most is at the click of a button (and those who don’t have videos to share are a red flag). Request multiple videos and make your own assessment(s). Don’t believe all that is on paper or everything you’re told.
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“Videos don't lie. Humans do.”
“Confidence is silent. Insecurities are loud.”
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Truth/Video Documentation > Perception (titles & ribbons)
Final word: The video is shared for one to make their own assessments. After taking the time to watch the event, there are a number of dogs that are not a strong representation of quality to be representing the breed at the Finals (the trial system is broken and one can gather from research that 80-90% of dogs are pushed through and rewarded for subpar performance. Why? “Everybody gets a trophy mindset”…. To keep those coming out to collect fees to generate revenue; but what I do know? Just an honest farmer/rancher from Alabama.
Additional Questions to ponder
How many of these trialers are retired and have the excessive time to insert themselves in the trials? Why are there not others involved?
How many of these trialers own livestock and are in animal production? Or are the trials their means of being exposed to stock? Why are the farmers/ranchers not involved?
Why are so many dogs “titled” but are unable to effectively move livestock?
Why do so many dogs are that “titled” in the trial system have no videos of their runs? Would it not make sense to be proud of one’s work and provide it to other’s to view to substantiate their dogs’ ability?
Is the current trial system a Pyramid Scheme? Is that why there are so many exhibitionists earning “titles” and allowing them to put those “powerful” acronyms beside their dogs’ names to give a false sense of quality to their dogs in order to assist them in selling as many puppies as they can? Because at the end of the day…the Registry is about REGISTRATIONS = Quantity vs. Quality
“I report… you decide.”
