Announcing: Bess/Koda 2010 Puppy Litter

This litter of 10 puppies was born on March 10, 2010. They are a mixture of tri-colored and black/white. Dam is Snowy River’s Bess (a strong pedigreed English Shepherd of the Wilson/Ward/Dunn/Smith/Anderson/Butcher line), and Trail Blazer’s Koda (Purple Ribbon classic old pedigree from the Wilson/Ward/Dunn line). The breeding was chosen to preserve the traditional temperment and working traits known to the classic original breeders of English Shepherds. These puppies will make great farm and family dogs. They are wonderful working dogs, property guardians, good with children, wonderful companions for those with an active lifestyle, and as hiking and trail companions. We are located in Albany, Oregon.

8 week old puppies, as of May 5, 2010

Jessie
Jesse is a wonderful dog and has been a welcome addition to our family. She has a nice temperament, she is extremely patient with the kids and gets along with all the other animals. You can tell that she has some herding instincts. She tries to interact with the cows and llamas but doesn’t really know what to do. She doesn’t chase the chickens but likes to “move” them. I would love to teach her to herd, I think she’d pick it up easily. She is very aware of her surroundings and any changes. One time Bob used the tractor and parked it slightly forward of where it normally sits and had the bucket tipped a bit more. She barked at it. She is protective of her home. She barks at strangers or people she hasn’t seen in a while. She is definitely a more sensitive dog than our golden. Speaking of which, They are the best of friends. They play all the time, they love to wrestle and play chase. She is fast and agile, she’d probably be great at agility. Overall we are really happy with her, she is a great dog!

Freckles

Elena Bess
At one year, her owner says: We are very much enjoying Elena Bess. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. The girls have started taking her to 4-H dog training and aspire to compete in agility with her. She has an incredibly sweet temperament and loves being around the kids and all the animals. She has been the perfect match for us.

Lady Liberty – Libby As a puppy, our evaluation of Libby: She is very calm and collected. She observes and thinks about what is going on around her. Yet she enjoys playing with her siblings. She will make a wonderful dog for someone who wants an easy going puppy.
At one year, her owner says: We are more then happy with our puppy Libby. She is very laid back and friendly with everyone she meets. She gives us lots of joy and love. We think she is the best puppy in the world. (as you can see from the comments we made about her when she was a puppy, we correctly determined that she was the easy-going laid back puppy of the bunch and matched her with the right owner!)

Lily
At one year, her owner says: We’ve owned English Shepherds before. This is the best English Shepherd we’ve owned! I think she’s going to keep us!

Boots At one year, her owner says:

Nana

Jazz At 1 year: We love Jaz, and feel as if she’s been a part of our family for years. Jaz has a very sweet tempermanent. She potty trained easily, and disciplines with a ‘look’ and small change in tone of voice. LOVES to play with other dogs, but also enjoys people. Excellent with children (we have a 3 year old granddaughter). She’s not much for playing ball, fetch or soccer. She is more of a walker, or particularly enjoys ‘chase’ – loves to run with people or other dogs. Fabulous rider in the car. Prefers being around people, but tolerates being by herself while we are at work (although she has access to the garage and a large yard during the day). Enjoys dog toys, but only briefly. Prefers interaction with people. She does need exercise, but not continuously like a border collie. If she has been walked in the evening, she settles down for the remainder of the evening very nicely. In Fall I plan on working with her in a class offered for becoming a Therapy Dog.

Rubin
Rubin is doing well. He went thru some chewing stages (chewing up his bed, for instance) and chewing on my other dog ears a lot, but seems to be settling down. He’s pretty stable and calm when he’s asked to be in his crate. He comes when he’s called, most of the time He’s affectionate and likes to play. Sit and down commands were learned well. He seems to be a happy well adjusted dog and will continue to develop. We are happy that he is a fun dog while not having too high of energy, like the border collie. Our son has taken to Rubin and likes to train and play with him. Rubin never shows any aggression but is a good alarm, watch dog who alerts us to any strange noises or visitors.