Australian Shepherd History in the Czech Republic and also of our Kennel
History of Australian Shepherds in our country is quite short. I have imported the first representant of Australian Shepherd to our country in January 1995. It was red and white bitch Ch.Vore's Crazy Cassandra. My main hobby was and still is agility. I was looking for some suitable breed for agility. Unfortunatelly at that time was very hard to find any information about Aussies. Internet was not developed as today and also I did not have access to it. I had no idea what are the right question and to what pay attention. I just wanted Australian Shepherd and of course from country of origin - USA. Finally I was "sucesfull" and got Andra. After that I started to discover world of this wonderfull breed. But the problem was that when I found consecutive other breeders in Europe and USA, they were talking about their Aussies but these things did not correspond too much with the dog I had at home. During the time I found out that Andra came from puppy mill. This type of breeder does not care about carefull selection of breeding pair as I do expect. Thanks that fact her hips are evaluated as E grade (the worst grade does not exist in our evaluation). Andra's hips conditions become so bad in January 2002 that was necessary to do resection of one femur head. According to my vet in the future I can expect that also second hip will pass such operation. She is spayed.
I decide that Australian Shepherd is the right breed for me and my first experience will not discourage me. I still prefered agility and to this I adjusted my search for the next Aussie. But at this time I have decided for male because my previous experience with my first dog (sheltie) told me that I bond better with males at work. So I began search for my new Aussie with sence that I already know everything - how to do the right search and what to avoid. How I was naive. Today, when I know "more for several years" again, I still think that I have a lot to learn yet and I realize how I was lucky at that time.
I recalled dog that I have seen in the Netherland and who fully fullfiled my notion how Australian Shepherd should look like from all sides - it was Jack (Ch.War Paint of Imagineer). So I wrote to his breeder - Imagineer kennel in Ohio. I found out that just at this time they have puppies 5 weeks old. Of course I contacted also other breeders but this litter I liked the most. After very intensive e-mail correspondence I got choice between blue-merle and red male. Both were with white markings only. I had decide to visit this breeder personally and if I will like one of them then he will travel back with me. From time of this decision it took me one week and I was sitting in the plane, direction Cleveland in Ohio.
There was an AKC show and agility competition in the Cleveland and both parents were entered there. So I had a chance to see both parents in action, sire in the breed ring and dam in the agility ring. Of course just opportunity to visit AKC event was big experience for me. We drove to the breeder's home in the evening after the show and I was happy that I will see them finally. We arrived late in the evening so I had no chance to be with them too long but at least I saw them both. I admit that I came with heart more inclined towards the blue merle male because I already had one red dog at home. Today I had to laugh to this too because it is the last thing, which interest me on any dog now. Next day, according to my wish, we visited herding clinic as I wanted to learn about herding more because in our country were not available such information. Of course both puppies went with us to allow me to be more familiar with them. I started to think that this blue merle male for which I was trying to find name quickly, will join me on my way home. And he behaved as he is absolutely sure that nothing else can happen. By the way his confidence and faith with himself remained him till today :-)) I had one more day before my departure and it was planned that we will spend it at "home". So I had a lot of time to spend it not only with puppies (at this time there was whole litter yet except one bitch) but also with parents and one grandmother. Just ideal situation. I told to the breeder in the evening that this blue merle male will go with me. There was the last night before my departure. During the flight back I decided that this blue ball which did not want to be in the transport bag so much will be Ricky. I should mention from this way home yet our change of flights in New York where I had to wait several hours for the connection flight. Originally I was planning to go somewhere outside with Ricky but the problem is that surrounding of JFK airport is only concrete and very bussy trafic. So I took Ricky out from the transport bag and put him to the airport laguage wheel (to that part for hand bags) and made a sightseeing trip in the airport buildings. Ricky got a lot of attention i.e. I had last opportunity to practise my English yet.
Ricky was registered in our kennel club Stud Book under number 2.
When I imported Andra I thought that I have to enter myself to the breeding club for rare breeds (KCHMPP) so I became a member. After Ricky's import I started to learn more about organization of Czech cynology and found out that my expectations how the Australian Shepherd should be bred in our country are totaly different from opinion of this club representatives and we are not able to find coincidence.
My experiences with Andra are telling me that is better to bred with preference on the quality and not the quantity. I will not describe or coment all the fights I have done with this club and our kennel club but I was able to achieve at least that Australian Shepherds are also bred in Club for Australian and Belgian Shepherds, which's representatives and most of the members have the same opinion as I do have. I know that this is not ideal situation considering number of Aussies in our country but every potential breeder or owner has posibility of choice which way of breeding is more close to them. This new club has web pages on unfortunatelly only in the Czech language.
During this time, someone told me that somewhere near Prague are people who also have Australian Shepherds and they raise horses. Once I was in this area on agility competition and had decided that I will try to find them. I was sucesfull and just in a minute number of Aussies here multiplied twice. Petra Varhanová became my friend and her black tri bitch Billie imported from Italy was registered in the Stud Book under no.3 on spring of 2002. She has also blue merle male Chief but it was more difficuilt with his registering as he has only ASCA pedigree. But finally he was registered under no.5 in Special Stud Book. Under no.4 was registered his sister Beckie who had after that litter under this rare breeds club. At the time when this litter just born Billie was bred to - mentioned before here - Jack (of course) under our new club (of course).
There were registered other 5 Aussies to the Stud Book (4 imports and 1 younger sister of Chief and Beckie) in 2003. From these imports I have to mention bitch registered under no.22 imported from Canada. This bitch has valuable working pedigree.
Of course among these imports belongs my red tri bitch Trey imported again from USA. I was looking for my foundation bitch more then year and she was imported in February 2003. She is prove that carefull selection of a puppy is worth as well as the last registered Australian Shepherd in our Stud Book red merle male Rusty imported from Las Rocosa kennel in USA. Rusty belongs to my other friend Mariana Weberová. She and her spouse contacted me few years ago to get information about Aussies as they consider to get this breed sometimes in the future. They came back in the beginning of 2002 that they are ready for an Aussie. We started search together and the result was not only Rusty but also our friendship.
I know that at the end of August was imported blue merle puppy-bitch from Germany but she was not registered in the Stud Book yet.
These information are actual to October 26, 2003 as I had available them.
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