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I am looking for a border collie breeder in Ca. We are moving out there the end of this month, and in a month or two I will be looking to get one. I am interested in a male only, red or blue merle. If anyone knows of any, please contact me at SilverCivet@yahoo.com

I'd check out www.akc.org and go from there. Also, you may want to find an obedience and/or agility school in your new area and observe for a night. I'm guessing you will see someone with boarder collie who could point you in the right direction.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

Here are some links to help start your search.

http://www.usbcha.com/

http://www.angelfire.com/sd/hicks/breeders.html

http://www.isds.org.uk/news/index.htm

http://members.cox.net/gsdvominsel/eye.htm

A couple of suggestions:
1- Get an ABCA (American Border Collie Association) registered puppy. DO NOT get an AKC registered puppy.
This is incredbly important

2- Try not to pick a puppy or litter based on color. There are some world class (and I mean world class) Border Collies being bred. NONE of them are being bred for color. Border Collies being bred should be selected based on ONE criteria alone - working stock. (There are many other reasons NOT to breed an individual dog. Health issues come to mind.)

People breeding for conformation or agility or therapy dogs or sar dogs or obedience dogs should stop now and pick another breed! A border collie who's parents didn't both work stock - is not a border collie.

The best thing would be to go for a top notch working-bred litter (where both parents work stock) and pick the laziest male puppy available from that litter.

Best of Luck

So sorry to disagree w/ you re a "real Border Collie." I agree completely that a puup should not be chosen by color alone - that'snot a sound basis for a working relationship w/ any dog.
I also believe tht mixing breeds for specific purposes (ie BC's & JRT's for flyball) is not good practice. But as far as anyhing other than a "working BC is not a BC" is snobbery, presumptuous & unfair to BC's in general. I wish AKC had never gotten ahold of BC's for many reasons except 1. I can use AKC to do what my BC loves to do which is obedience. Both of his parents worked sheep- I saw them. But my dog? No interest in sheep or herding at all - we tried. I might suggest that anyone reading this w/ an interest in BC's take a look at a book titles, "The Versatile Border Collie" by Janet E. Larson. One of her dogs ("Magnum" had titles in obedience, herding & a Schutzund III! My BC is absolutely the most wonderful dog I have ever had the honor of working w/ & knowing. And, IMO, the versatility of this brilliant breed is one of its major strong points.
Nancy & Atticus

I think you prove my point by saying both of your dog's parents worked stock and your dog is wonderful.

That was my point.

Going one step further, I'd say PLEASE DON'T BE UNETHICAL AND BREED YOUR DOG- because if it shows no interest in stock it is missing THE ONE THING that is far and away the most important thing in a border collie. Interest in herding stock is THE DEFINITION OF A BORDER COLLIE.

Obedience, flyball, agility, etc...are fun hobbies for people with dogs. They are not however, the way to test the quality of a border collie.

AKC herding trials are not taken seriously by owners of serious herding dogs.

USBCHA is the sanctioning body for sheep and cattledog trials throughout the United States and Canada.

The best Border Collies, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, are bred by breeders who will have nothing to do with AKC.

AKC dogs should be avoided at all costs.

NO- I did not reinforce your point nor advocate your ridiculous attitude re BC's! Again- I suggest you look into the book by Janet Larson,"The versatile Border Collie!" This breed is not justa bunch of work horses that do nothing but herd stock! My point was that bothparents of my BC worked stock- they were trained to. Since he does not herd should he have been put down???
You do this wonderful, intelligent & loving breed a terrible injustice! Do you have any BC's? If so do they live in your house w/ you as companions or are they housed in kennels & only allowed out to work for you? That's just slavery! You obviously have no true insight into the mind of a Border Collie. I truly hope you do NOT have any BC's - or any other slaves!
Nancy & Atticus

Hi again:
I read Larson's book years ago when it was first printed in the late eighties. In fact I know exactly where it sits in my library. It's a nice book.

May I recommend another book?
John Templeton's book:
Working Sheep Dogs; management and training.
Published by Howell 1988
(probably available from amazon)

Border Collies are the intense spectacular dogs they are BECAUSE they were selected for working ability above all else. Any selection process that allows other characteristics to supercede working ability in the selection of breeding stock will result in the loss of the very intensity that tangentially creates dogs capable of so many other endeavours. Unfortunately, destruction of original working ability is the specialty of the AKC.

I read Larsen's book, now if you'll read the website I recommended. You'll see that my opinion about this IS NOT mine alone. It is the opinion of the all the official Border Coliie registrations including the ISDS of Great Britain- (the original registry of these dogs in the UK) and the ABCA which is the official registry of Border Collies in this country.
In fact, the ABCA will REVOKE the registration of any dog that is awarded a conformation (show) championship in any other organization. In other words, the ideas I expressed are not mine alone - they come from the great debate of the 1980s when the AKC wanted to annex the Border Collie when they became mainstream and popular with pet folks like yourself. Are you familiar with that major schism in the Border Collie world? Did you follow it at the time? It was fascinating because it was a metaphor for broader ideas of breeding philosophies and countless tales of sadness as one breed after another was destroyed (or "changed" if you prefer) by dog show people who chose breeding specimens based on conformation criteria rather than complex working abilities.

I bet you can name some of the breeds yourself.

I have nothing against Border Collies doing all the wonderful activities you mention - in fact I love it. The reason they can do all those things is that the complex ability to work stock encompasses so many attributes that it allows the average Border to generalize knowledge and the application of that knowledge.

But the important point to remember is that those activities should never be substituted as the deciding factor in whether a Border should be bred or not. That should be based on working ability. All of us that love the breed OWE it to history to preserve it as a WORKING STOCK DOG.

Here is the link of the official Border Collie Registry in the States:
www.americanbordercollie.org/

enjoy.

Link

P.S. Because a dog works, it does not live a life of slavery. I just finished carrying one of my "slaves" outside and back because she needed to pee. You see she's 18 and while in no serious pain, she has to go to the bathroom four or five times a night and can't manage the porch steps herself. So I carry her. I don't mind your implications that I'm cruel because I disagree with you. I believe you said mean things because you felt insulted for the sake of your dog because I said if it had no interest in stock it shouldn't be bred...but my old friend here is more than a bit peevish in her dotage and is offended that you'd suggest her life's work was not a noble endeavor.

Well, FINALLY you have made yorself clear! And I agree wholeheartely. I have no fondness for the AKC. AsI said, I use it to serve my purpose & not very often. I have seen the BC's in the conformation ring. They look like Aussies w/ tiny little feet. One of the things I enjoy about BC's is they can come in all different shapes, sizes & colors. Yes- I fully understand the arguments against breeding for puroses other than working
whatever that work might end up being cuz even dogs bred from working stock do not necessarily end up beng good at working livestock- my dog is 1 of them. But that doesn't mea they are no good & should be discarded! It just means they should be placed somewhere that that is not expected of them but where they will still have "work" to do be it obedience, agility, whatever. That's exactly what Janet did.
I am glad we finally understand ea. other!
Nancy & Caora Con's Atticus