Thought I would be rude commenting on ZipTies thread but yet really wanted to answer the questions posed, such valid questions:
Registries available for information and record keeping on this breed:
.Koolie Club of Australia
.Working Koolie Club
.Aus. Coolie Council
.International GC Society & Registry Aus.branch
.International GC Society & Registry USA branch
They all have a code of ethics and a breed standard (some differ from others), records of dogs and kennels. German Coolies have had a record kept of them in Aus and overseas by the IGCS&R.
They have been bred for working stock, large numbers of sheep or cattle over big arid spaces. Best worker to best worker is how this breed came about existing. They are upright workers and do not "lock on" to stock, very fluid, quiet and confident. Preserving them as "working dogs" is very important to this breeds history, it is what made them so special in the first place. They "back sheep", short cut to gates, fence stuck sheep, splitting up in chutes...they will jump on top of the sheep and run across their backs, the handler then give a "drop" command and dog drops into the herd to push....this is a trait particular to the coolie, and personally this is one of the traits that leads coolies to want to climb things, and explains how they are built to clear 6ft fencing from a stand still.
They have started to catch the eye of sport homes around the world, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Canada, USA, for sports like agility, flyball, rallyo and so much more...but we must not forget about what they were bred for in all of the excitement. And as the breed begins to establish itself overseas I do strongly believe breeders (aus and others) need to be diligent in whom they allow breeding rights to...preservation of their herding instinct, health, history and stable temperament depends on it. The qualities found in working dogs (stock) are what makes these dogs versatile at all the other things people are wanting to use them for.
Breeding rights are NOT just a RIGHT...its a privilege. In my case using my dogs on stock was VERY important to my breeders decision to send me dogs with breeding in the future on the table. In 2007 when we brought our first coolies over we understood we were introducing a new breed to North America and having different lines for a healthy gene pool was crucial and having the right combinations were even more important, basically having a plan for where we were going with this...One of my boys was 8 months, another was 11months, one girl was 4months and only one of my imports was actually 8 weeks when we greeted them at the airport...the check list had to check out first before anyone was going to come overseas...working ability, right lines, right combos, right temperament, right time and more...One of the things I do respect Linds breeder for is his passion for coolies remaining a working breed, and to have proven working parents for breeding.
One of the reason I do not allow breeding contracts (other then being burnt once before) is to monitor that all these important points are being met. There is no need to "shape" this breed anywhere (USA or other), it is perfect just the way it is...if bred for specifics (sport specifics) the breed might not look, act or be the same in 5 to 7 years overseas because in AUs they are 95% of the time bred for stock. There is enough division in this breed that we do not need to add a geographical element to this division. By that I mean if now USA coolie lines look and act differently by loosing their herding ability then now we will have German Coolies, Australian Koolies and American K?Coolies....^sigh
Now I know we must revisit the health testing thing, and honestly from someone who needed these dogs to work the ranch and represent my training abilities, certification has never been a concern for me (even while placing pups over the last 6 years with sport homes), mainly because amongst working ranchers it is just not important. Certification is important to dedicated performance homes more so then us ranchers. So I understand the desire to have these certification for guarantee for their dogs career as a champion...I, myself, had never experienced the passion behind such tests until Chaz, and for the professional goals set by these sport homes it should be important for you when you are investing $1000+ for your next champion. So I think if I do choose to go more seriously into "the niche" of sports I will have to certify my dogs for sure...I am not against dogs being tested, not at all...just never saw the benefit for me...but yes there is benefit for the buyer for sure...and the breed when there is a history of HD and I might continue to take interest in the process as we go...if this breed keeps moving forward in this direction (performance) it might have to be sooner rather then later.
I think what transpired in my welcome thread, other then my caught off guard by the passion behind certification, was my fear that this breed is being “popularized†and impulsively mass imported with the sole purpose of targeting the dog sport performance “market†or “niche†(terms I would never use in my breeding program). I do apologize for my reaction, and my history with Linds and Sara should not have anything to do with any of you.
I truely am wanting to share a different point of view and angle on this amazing breed with people who obviously are interested in learning more. And I hope to be able to do that with you all.