Having been frustrated with breeding of German Shepherds in the mid-80's, I researched on the other Herding Breeds from the Belgian Tervuren to the Groenendael and Collies. Due to budget limitations at that time, I was left to just staring at pictures in dog books and magazines. By 1995, I finally imported my first Belgian Sheepdog, "UZI" - daughter of the 1994 Westminster Best of Breed Winner. It was an opportunity to have met a reputable show breeder. The Daugherties introduced me to their circle of breeder friends whom sold me good dogs to kick start the breed in the country. Bill came down to check out the competition so that they would have an idea of the quality of the dogs they would send in order to establish the breed properly. For a year, out of sheer frustration showing the Belgian Sheepdog under the Working Group, I worked on the separation of the Herding Breeds from the Working Group. Not that my Belgians did not place at the time but it just didn't seem right to place Group 2nd or 3rd under the Working Group with herding dogs. Another problem it posed was the large number of breeds that were entered in the group: (1) the sizes of the dogs in a very confined ring - herding dogs needed ample space for one to see the beauty in their movement and appreciate the agility that are inherent in them. PCCI considered my persistence on the condition that a minimum of 4 herding breeds shown consistently in one year before they grant the separation of the working and herding breeds into 2 groups.
For a year, I pestered friends and associates to show their herding dogs. One by one, they disappear and I, finally gave up. With the circle of reputable show breeders I have made in North America, they referred me to their friends who show other herding breeds aside from the Belgian Sheepdog. They then sent me a pair of Shetland Sheepdogs and a pair of Australian Shepherds of which I knew nothing about. It was only after they have arrived that I started doing my homework and reading up on these breeds. My purpose at the time was, of course, just to have 4 herding breeds constant in the show ring.
The first registered Australian Shepherd in the PCCI's Stud Book is T-K's Cymbals of Cob, officially that is. The first to arrive was Two J's Trumpet of Cob except that his documentations came later. As far as Australian Shepherds are concerned, these two were not the first ones in the country. Former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz imported a pair during the early 90's: a male blue merle and a female black tri-color. Ms. Diaz' male was ASCA registered while the female did not really have any official club registration certificates, just the breeder's pedigree certification. The Australian Shepherd was only accepted in the AKC Miscellaneous Class in 1993. It was only in 1995 that the breed was fully recognized. The Official Breed Club affiliated with AKC is the USASA and not ASCA, therefore, only Aussies registered with USASA were accepted. PCCI is affiliated with AKC and by the way it goes, ASCA registered dogs can not be recognized by PCCI. A PCCI registered dog mated to an only-ASCA registered bitch litter will not be eligible for registration. In short, both clubs do not officially recognize the breeding as purebred. Ms. Diaz have in-bred her Australian Shepherds, sold most of the puppies while others were given away to family, friends and relatives or close relations. Ms. Diaz and her sister continue breeding PCCI unregistered Australian Shepherds from the original pair.
The Australian Shepherd is as American as the hamburgers. It will not be in the limelight after such a time that the breed is fully established. It has a long way to go. Cob's Australian Shepherd Foundation Stock are synonymous to the breed's foundation stock. It will evolve depending as to what breed type Cob pursues down the generations. For an established breed such as the Labrador Retriever, while one is awed by the number of reds or Champions of Records, in a breed like the Australian Shepherd, instead of the usual "CH", what matters is the "FDS". The challenge lies on a very selective breeding program. Needless to say, it is required from any Aussie enthusiasts not to deviate from what was pre-conceived before the breed came to be and safeguard this wonderful breed's traits and characteristics. Backyard breeding or puppy-milling will inevitably ruin the Australian Shepherd especially those banking on the notion that it is "rare". In-breeding will bring out all the recessive genes and inevitably just cause genetic problems later on especially with the merle gene present which is a carrier for the deaf and the blind traits. It was after Trumpet and Cymbals came that I fell in love with the Australian Shepherd breed and began a thorough research on the various possible genetic defects that I may encounter in breeding Australian Shepherds. With a limited gene pool, later down the road, these genes would surface. At this point in time, the gene pool is still large. From various breeds, the Aussie was developed. However, with the absence of serious and dedicated breeders, any breed would be doomed. Those with passion must of course safeguard from unscrupulous and indiscriminate breeders who would ultimately just ruin it in the long run.
Unlike the Belgian Sheepdog, the Australian Shepherd is not so aloof nor is it as possessive. Not that I don't like those traits. It's just easier to handle Aussies. Belgians are not really meant for novice dog owners and on the opposite extreme end, you have the Golden Retrievers, to best describe an Aussie would be a midway between having a Belgian and Golden Retriever. So you kinda get the best of both worlds. Reading about the breed characteristics and traits is nothing compared to actually living with the breed. Our edge at Cob would be the fact that we have different breeds that we live with and are therefore, more experienced in our judgment as to what breed best match the would-be owner. Whereas if I were just a breeder of let's say one particular breed, then my opinions would be biased towards that particular breed. A Pit Bull enthusiast who have never owned any other breed would of course, will always persuade people into believing that it is the best dog breed in the whole wide world even if the inquirer is a frail 65-year old woman. Much as a backyard breeder would of course tell you how they are a dog lover and that's what matters, they don't believe in dog shows or maybe, they have never been to one and don't really understand what the purebred dog sport is all about. So there you go ...
Now, as far a Australian Shepherds, the Cob introduced the PCCI-Registered Purebreds. Officially, there is no other Australian Shepherd Breeder of certified purebred Australian Shepherds in the PCCI Stud Book. Two of Cob's Foundation Stock namely: Love Is Debonair In Black & Love Is Mikki Ruby Gucci were sent to a relative sometime between 1997 from the West Coast to the Philippines. The female was brought to Cob Kennels for a possible mating and was refused. It was in my opinion, to the best of my intentions that the bitch should not be bred at 11 months of age on its first heat. The male was therefore sent right after and a litter was born from the second heat. The puppies were sold without their proper documentations because the official AKC documents have not arrived and PCCI's requirements were not fulfilled yet. We rescued the pair stocked from underneath a tree early 1999 after another litter from the third heat, conditioned them and both have finished their championships. Pedigreewise, theirs is not so impressive as to tracing lineage back to outstanding Aussies in the past.
Aside from the Cob Aussies, there are three other possible lines of unregistered Australian Shepherds. One of which is closely related to our Thornapple stock sold supposedly on limited registration conditions which do not actually apply to PCCI. Without any official documents, how does one pursue a sound breeding program? A word of caution for those so-called-without-papers stock, inevitably, the gene pool will pop up the recessives and breeding dogs from the same litters is definitely not breeding towards the improvement of the breed. Without "the papers", just exactly how do you know that one is not breeding one's dog to a sister or a brother? A dog "without papers" simply means it is not a certified purebred usually of pet and not breeding quality and is better off spayed and neutered. This is what we mean by:
RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP AND THE ETHICS OF BREEDING BETTER DOGS!
Welcome to Awesome Aussies @ www.cobkennels.info!
The pioneer breeder of Australian Shepherds in the country working towards responsible ownership and breeding.
Fellow dog lovers (& divers!) are always welcome in our homes!
Don't forget to leave your paw prints (or bouys) behind!
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