Heathland Collies
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We are a small breeder of AKC registered old fashioned collies, raised in our home, producing only 2
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5404 18th St Boulevard E
Bradenton, FL
34203
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Heathland Collies began in 1974
Heathland Collies began in 1974. Our collies have been registered with AKC since then. It started with a collie named Lassie and a dog named Zeuss. We changed the latter to Laddy. Zeuss chewed his way out of a condominium and was no longer welcome by the condo lords.
I had grown up with collies in the Yorkshire dales. Almost every farmer had a collie in those days. They were not show dogs they were working dogs who loved their work. It was hard work too. Because the weather was very unpredictable the collies often worked out in some pretty awful weather. It could be sunny and then the fog would role in and the rain but those stupid sheep had to be watched and the collies knew their work and did it well. I never saw a collie have a sick day they were alert and full of energy. They ate well too lots of fresh meat and milk. At night they ate supper with the farmers family and slept in front of the fire. They indeed had a good life back then
Now I try to find my collies a home where they will have a fenced yard to play in and where they will be introduced to herding classes or AKC obedience classes or many of the other activities they can be involved in because collies have to be busy. If they are not busy they can become bored and unhappy. If they grow up with children this is wonderful. Children and collies belong together they wear each other out. Collies also make the best nursemaids too watching out for the little ones. I know I had twins and I don’t think they would have survived without the collies. They stopped my two year old daughter from jumping in the pool when she could not swim They watched constantly that they did not get into mischief like climbing a fence or a tree or eating their dog food which both of them tried to do. They were the children’s biggest headache they could get away with nothing but if they were hurt or unhappy the collies were there to lick away the tears and little arms would hold them tight. At night they slept by their bed.
What you may have read of the heroics of collies is all true. We lost a collie while hiking in Zion National Park. Our camper was parked in a parking area not in the campground. I persuaded the ranger to let us stay in the parking lot overnight as I knew Lass would find her way back to us. In the morning she was sleeping by the steps of the camper. This was not the only time I had one walk home. Whooey did not quite make it but he was trying. I had sold him at 9 months against my better judgement. The lady said she had a 6 foot fence and she would take good care of him. The next day she phoned to say he had run away. The 6 ft fence was 4ft with a picnic table beside it. Knowing collies I knew he was trying to make it home. So we went south from the home stopping at every subdivision and asking if anyone had seen a collie. Finally, just before dark we found two little girls who said they had seen “Lassie”. They showed us where. He had come up against a wall he could not find his way around and had dropped down in exhaustion. The children and I called his name. At first he did not respond then it got through to him that we, his family, had come back for him. The children screamed and the dog howled and they all rolled around on the grass it was such a happy reunion. We got him in the car and he scoffed down some water. On the way home we bought him three hamburgers which he also wolfed down. The most hurtful part was he cried all the way home between bites of food and hugs he would almost talk he was so vocal. Whooey never left home again.
