Cates BorderCollies

01/16/2025

T-Rex
November 24, 2012-January 15, 2025

T-Rex grabbed his favorite tug toy and laid down on his favorite doggy bed downstairs next to where I sit this morning and eating his favorite treat, chicken, and I sat with him for awhile telling him he was a good boy and we even played tug for a minute before he needed to lay back down. I told him he was a good boy and it was okay, he tilted his head, gave me a kiss and wagged his tail like he would always do. He simply fell asleep and when I checked on him moments later he was gone, still holding his favorite toy.

My heart is absolutely broken and shattered. He was my life line and I don’t know how to live without him right now. I owe so much to T-Rex. He is the dog that helped me find my way. He is the dog that really helped me get to where I am at in my career field as a dog trainer and dog groomer. He helped me find things in life to be happy about and enjoy! He brought me friends in the dog community that are now my family.

He brought me a passion and a love for helping people with their mischievous K9’s. He’s helped me help a lot of people create relationships and bonds with their own dogs. He’s inspired people to go out there and run their dogs, compete, and have fun in life. He truly has been the bestest boy.

I love you T-Rex. You’re truly going to be missed. You were a joy and honor to work with and train. I couldn’t have asked for a more loyal friend than you. Your fearless and ferocious heart along with your never ending love and excitement for toys, to work, to play, the water hose, and of course to eat cause we all know you loved your food too, will never be forgotten. We all will remember that I was yours first.

Rest in peace my sweet boy. I miss you already.

You can light a candle for him if you want here.

01/13/2025

“𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙖 𝙙𝙤𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡!“
-𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙚 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙗𝙮

𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙨! 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙜𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬! 𝙄 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙙, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙜𝙨? 𝙉𝙤, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙡! 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨! 𝙄 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙖 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚!

08/21/2024

A Breeder's Hopes

There are a lot of posts out there about how to find a reputable breeder, but not enough is said about what breeders look and hope for in a future puppy owner. The most important point I have to make is this: That for those of us who have invested so much in our chosen breed and our lines, the sale of a puppy is NOT a one-time business transaction, but the beginning of a ten- to fifteen-year relationship between not just dog and owner, but also the breeder and buyer/owner.

I get a lot of short inquiries that go like this: "Is the blue merle male available?" I don't know from this if they want a dog just to hang out on the couch with or one that will hike the Appalachian Trail by their side.

I can't answer which puppy is available before eight weeks because I don't place puppies solely by color and haven't evaluated them yet. I understand having a preference (I have my own), but color is superficial. If I placed puppies that way, I'd be getting a lot of them back later.

Caring breeders know that what matters most is whether the potential home is the right match for that puppy's potential and the owner's goals and lifestyle. The personality and energy level of the puppy matter a hundred times more than its looks. If I place a puppy with someone based solely on color and it ends up being a terrible mismatch as far as the owner's needs vs. the pup's personality, then eventually the novelty of a fuzzy, cute puppy wears off and you have an unhappy owner and an unappreciated dog butting heads.

A caring breeder wants to know you're committed to the dog for its lifetime and will keep in touch with questions, brags about graduation from obedience class, and pictures of your dog along on the family vacation. What you tell me about yourself upon introduction can make all the difference going forward because it lets me know if you are what I, as a breeder, am looking for in a home. It’s more like an interview or a first date rather than a simple business transaction. You are communicating to me what YOU have to offer this puppy.

That future relationship between breeder and buyer is a big part of what makes breeding worthwhile. It can also be what makes it a nightmare if a breeder isn’t selective enough. Breeders need to know you're prepared for and committed to proper training and socialization and that your new puppy will be an integral part of your family for its lifetime. After all, we're letting go of the babies that we've poured sometimes generations of planning into. It's not a decision we take lightly.

In contrast to those window shopping for a specific color, when I get an inquiry that goes into detail about the potential owner's home and family, why they want a Border Collie or this particular litter, what plans they have for a future pup (companion, service animal, running buddy, sport dog, etc.), something about their current or past pets... then I get a much better *feel* for whether they might be a good fit, as well as how good they might be at communicating with me in the future. Those things are what matter to a caring, reputable breeder.

I treasure all the wonderful owners who've come along in my years in Border Collies. Some have become very good friends. But some have also taught me what I don’t want or what isn’t right for this breed or my dogs. Above all, I want to feel that any potential owner will love and adore that dog not for how many "pretty dog" comments they might get in public, but that they will value the loyalty of that dog, the things they did with it, and the relationship they developed with it, just as we all do with any true friend.

Caring breeders don't just fill orders. They pair you up with a lifetime partner.

📸 Ammon’s T-Rex 🦖 🩷

Text shared (edited) from Imagineer Australian Shepherds.

08/20/2024

Here is our June 22nd-23rd barn hunt trial video! I'm hoping for this next trial I will have somebody available to help me video tape ALL of my runs!

CBC's Charlie was entered into his 2nd and 3rd barn hunt trial! He did so good and we even earned our novice barn hunt title!! Way to go Charlie!

08/20/2024

Me and Charlie have been super busy with training for our upcoming September barn hunt trial in Richardson, TX! We are so excited to be advancing to open since he earned his RATN (novice barn hunt title) at our first trial in Richardson on June 22-23rd!

06/27/2024

Charlie at his Monday night agility class! He is coming along beautifully with his training and we hope to compete soon!

06/23/2024

Charlie wrapped up this weekend by getting his RATN title!!

Second run 1 minute 15 seconds, Q, and 2nd place!!

06/23/2024

Charlie is on day 2 of our Barn Hunt competition!

First run 40 seconds, Q, and 1st place!

Way to go my Char Char! 🥰

06/22/2024

Charlie at our second Barn Hunt competition! First run 1 minute 30 seconds, Q, and 3rd place out of 10 dogs!

06/22/2024

Charlie second Barn Hunt competition!

First run 1 minute and 30 seconds, Q, and 3rd place out of 10 dogs!

06/14/2024

We have been enjoying our barn hunt classes with Courtney! Charlie has been doing phenomenal with training classes and I'm eager to put it all to the test next weekend at our barn hunt competition! Wish us lots of luck and tail wags! 🙂

06/06/2024

We are all entered for Charlie's barn hunt competition! We are super excited to start comps again!! :D