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** Good for you, here you have come, here you will learn the right way to go about checking out sellers before you buy. I personally have no puppies to sell.

I have close to 42 years experience loving and working with collies. I am the educational and contact person, the District Director for the Collie Club of America. There is valuable information for you to read about how you should take care making any purchases over the internet under Where to Buy From


****) In life they say, "You get what you pay for so buyer beware." is a classic quote. But that doesn't necessarily mean a $2000.00 puppy is better than a $1,200.00 one either. Or one shipped in from out of town is any better than a local kennel. It just means you have paid more or have bragging rights if that is your true goal. **** I personally recommend buying dogs in person. You should want to meet the seller and see where the dog are raised and most importantly the sire and or dam. I too wish to met the new owners in person. Shipping with health certificate release the seller and it's expensive. I do not ship dogs. (

Collies are reasonably priced and found available between $1,000.00-$1,200.00 with reasonable guarantees on a live animal, wake up you can't guarantee the future. You dog could chew a poisonous plant and have seizures that isn't the fault of the seller or the buyer but.. it's life and or death accidents. I, Mary Catoir do test puppies before you buy, as other seriously minded breeder do. We have to pay for these test. This should help the buyers relax. The price of these test is usually passed on to the buyer. If you don't have these test done before you buy... you can be surprise with problems later. No breeder wants and looks for problems so to protect their adults and puppies they may sell it's important to take advantage of all DNA testing available. The least you can do to protect yourself is:"Do not buy anything without at least a CERF eye check certificate. And a health or vet report with a written contract from the seller." Only the known can be guaranteed. There are only DNA test for several conditions.

(****PER NOTE: read the long article at the bottom of this page by LibbyMiller DVM.; IT SAYS IT ALL)

Good beginnings are important and cherished, especially here at Earthstar but collies are for life. Collies should be consider a member of the family. Even as a working stock animals that cares for your home or your farm need proper love and care. Factory raised dogs in super isolated environment are not well raised puppies no matter what "the government or local establishment" think. To many people makes laws that have never raised a litter. Collies as other dogs need people and to be touched daily and played with and those raised inside the home .. are more well adjusted to their next homes. You have to be a person suited to this, you have to have a love for saving animals to raise them properly. Well enough about me. Have a great day, give you collie a hug from me. Please read on.

Part I
"Acquiring a Puppy Companion or a Show Puppy", by Mary Catoir.

1) Looking for a Herding dog, Pet Companion or show collie.
2) Who to avoid.
3) Fraudulent Advertising
4) Ethics

Part II
"Acquiring a Puppy for Dog Showing" by Mary Catoir
1a)Show prospect
1b)Show prospect defined
2a)Shopping for a Show Dog
3)Who to Avoid ; Fraudulent Advertising and Ethics same as in PART I.


Buy from a Collie Club of America Breeders. This is a club that uses the AKC standard, has a Collie Health Foundation and has a Code Of Ethic, that sellers are asked to follow. Yes, we offer reasonable and sound guarantees.

The serious minded and concerned breeders put more expense into the raising of adults and their puppies. Just because a person shows their dogs doesn't mean they don't want the same things you do. A great temperament and healthy dog. After all Show Dog have to be social too, they interact with many people in crowded show areas and many are also performance dogs. Many when they retire go into therapy training and work with children and more adults.

If you wish to go down the street and buy from your neighbor be sure you are getting what you pay for, not all dogs are pure bred, mix breeds and those without AKC papers are wonderful too, but be sure you understand what is being sold to you. No false advertising claims. Ask questions, how long have they been breeding, who is their Vet?

Don't forget Collie Rescue Groups are located through out the country with dogs looking for second homes, due to many various reason especially in this economy... folks seem to be turning their once loved pets over to foster care and animal shelters. They can't guarantee where or how the dog was raised and they may require a smaller fee for the spaying and neutering may apply. They are vetted and checked out in foster homes before going to new homes. I do not rescue dogs but I do take back any collie from the past that was bred here, when I was breeding for the life of the animal.

There are reasons collies are held for 10-12 weeks at breeder's homes. Don't get a puppy too young, you could be sorry. They interact with their doggie parents and learn some interact behavior, they are socialized by the breeder owner. Most importantly they are watched for signs of any problems that or may appear before 12 weeks of age. This helps know which animal may be suited best for certain jobs, the better herders, the better performers, the softer and easier dispositions. This is for the dog and your protection.

Please CHECK with your Veterinarian or American Kennel Club or The Collie Club of America for a list better breeder that has no stains on their reputation. Be sure to visit their homes. You can't buy Show Quality from Non Show People just because there may be a champion in the pedigree several generations back. Doesn't that make sense folks? Also those that are not currently in club may be missing Health Update and various continued Educational Seminars offered.


*****) TRIED OF READING ALREADY, WHAT A SHAME. The words buyer beware came about for true reasons.
Learn more below, take the time to read before you buy and before you send a non refundable deposit to a total stranger.****(

Also ENJOY the Information about my collies below.

Hello again, Let me tell you about our collies. I am a dog show hobbyist that has taken to occasionally but seriously raising collies the right way. I am a photographer and author. My works are copyrighted and I am published.

"Collies are recognized for their beautiful heads, stylish bodies dripping in coat and alert ears. They are loyal, loving and have fantastic temperament for families with and without children. Collies love people, they want your attention, they want to be with you and in your home."

"Famous last words from those that buy in a hurry, I realized that for the first time having a AKC papers did not mean that a dog was best in pet companion or show material. This also will apply to having a collie with the best temperament from any breeder around the corner, from the newspaper or without visiting the kennel and seeing the adults. We encourage home checks and kennel visits. Please also visit our friends and family page. Don't be shocked but you will have to fill out applications and have checks run on you too. Not everyone that applies will be placed on a waiting list for a future puppy."

PART I
"Acquiring a Pet Companion or a Show Puppy" by Mary Catoir of Earthstar Collies

Part One:

1) "LOOKING FOR A PET COMPANION: Most collies are just great family house dogs. Ill raised collies could have major personality problems. Ask to visit the adults before the puppies are born, check out the temperaments. Temperament issues are usually an inherited fault in the parents or the way they were handled in those first twelve weeks. Think with your brain and not your heart. All collies look pretty and are fluffy. Are they friendly or shy? do they look well fed? Is their environment clean? Are their nails cut and trimmed, is there coat well kept? No fleas or ticks? Living in mud or dirty conditions just brings home hidden diseases in your developing puppies bodies. Buying a puppy to "SAVE IT" from it's surrounding, bad breeder is NOT generous but NOT KIND to the dam of the puppies, WHY ? Why,do I say that? It only promotes the poor Mother (dam)of the puppies will be bred again, and again and again, stay in production for the next, you have done more harm than good. This just reinforces the old aged, People will buy anything and others will sell anything to make a buck". ( sick and sad looking puppies may make your visits to the veterinarian a constant expense. )

PS. "Do your own investigating, be a wise shopper, kennel inspections though home visiting is one way to see the quality and condition of a person's dogs and home environment. Listen clearly to the speaker seller, do they really sound reliable, knowledgeable"? mc

"Do not deal with out of the country dogs unless you fully understand you MAY have hard time trying to return them if you find out too late they are defective. Yes, I am serious if you should end up with something as my friend did from her purchase from outside the US, you MAY have a large expense shipping the dog back, shipping is not refundable with any dog sales, (it's not the seller's fault you didn't understand that), of course if the breeder will even take them." "I will freely admit I lost money on shipping the first time I order a puppy site unseen, the shipping ended up being more than the cost of the puppy. I learned the hard way." Mary Catoir

2) "WHO TO AVOID: I do not promote for the lack of a better term backyard breeders those that do it to supplement their incomes, (other call them puppy miller that bred for sale of pets only). They may be good families who love puppies and do the best they can, but several of them do not met the standards for checking breeding stock and puppies prior to internet fast sales." They don't understand the why and how and or have the money needed to do testing prior to breeding or sale of puppies.

"There is no such thing as puppy breeding stock, think about that folks, use your brain. You have no assurances that a puppy will be capable of breeding as an adult or not have a genetic problem till tested as an adult. *see Health Issue Section of this website.*

Paying more for what some incorrectly call a breeder puppy is a misleading term. A puppy is not even finished growing, how does one guarantee how it will turn out? How can a buyer be so foolish? They are not always healthy or structural sound; collies are famous for being difficult to mate."

"The general public seems to attach a false importance to having a dog that has been shipped to them, as if it make their collie better. What is the hurry? IT only makes it harder to return if found defective. Make sure you have return policy spelled out in contract and who pays for what. Puppies that go blind after a few months is not unusual and it can be prevented / tested for, at a reasonable cost to the seller. IF they cared. A licensed vet is NOT a board certified canine eye ophthalmologist." Mary Catoir"


3) "Fraudulent advertising
is my next pet peeve.
They say education is the key, but if the public doesn't chose to listen or read they can not learn from the mistakes of others." True breeders that love the breed are busy people with their dogs they don't have time to waste with people shopping the cheapest price. Of course if you can't afford the purchase price of a collie, how will you afford others things like quality food, yearly vet check ups. They are picky and don't sell fast. They aren't looking for the fast dollar but excellent homes for their pets. So only after you visit they home, so they know you are seriously interested and worthy of getting one of their puppies. Ask the seller to show you the health check certificates in person, maybe if you are still unsure to give you five people to contact for references of quality and health on previous sales.
"If I said I was a member of the Collie Club of America, it only means I pay dues and am accepted as a members. If I said I was in good standing with the CCA, it means they are not in trouble. You can not be a member of the AKC unless you work for them, you can only use their registry service. If you break one of their registry rules or dog showing rules you can be inspected or fined $. You can be in BAD standing with them, written up in their books, fine $$ dollars and suspended and listed in their AKC Gazzette Magazine. Wording is tricky, it gives the customer a false impression of safety. Understand the difference."

If the ad says they are members of this club or that in any country you can check. Also if you are after a winning show line prospect puppy, know there is a major difference between points systems in different countries. Look it up on their official websites, AKC, CKC and UKC all have their own websites: point systems and compliance committee departments.

"AKC, UKC and Canadian (CKC) breeders, the people themselves can be google ed and their names will appear in dog show catalogs. Verify who you are dealing with. Be careful of those that will not allow you to visit their homes or will not give you their address or phone numbers. What are they afraid of if they have nothing to hide?

Collie Club of America members can be checked by speaking with District Directors from each state. A few ribbons on the wall don't make you a show person any more than someone typing that they are members of certain clubs or organizations." Speaking with the district director from any state will give you a better idea of who is recommended and not.


4) "ETHICS means more than just honesty, it's your action and behavior when no one is looking over your shoulder. They do not hide behind phony email names (and get caught) or make false statements, or harrass those that have clean records. In this world most is done out of sickness and jealousy. Better breeders do not have OPPS unplanned breedings over and over.*************************************************


PART II: "ACQUIRING A PUPPY FOR DOG SHOWING ?" by Mary Catoir
1a/b)"What is a show prospect?
2)What is a show dog?"
3)"Who to avoid?"
1a) "It's not a show puppy, more correctly it's a show prospect"
"Why do I say prospect instead of show dog? Well, the puppy is not finished growing therefore anything can happen or go wrong, not in the sense of death or illness even thou that is an unexpected possibility, but while puppies grow they change and may not turn out just as you hope or the breeder hopes. Height, length, legs, coat, or ears and teeth could go wrong. What is your guarantee after nine months of growth, it better be in writing. The best insurance is to buy a show prospect from a breeder where you can see the winning parents.That have breed both parents and know more about their offsprings would be the ideal. The parents are the molds for the offsprings and even thou you may find a good one from any litter there are not many puppies per litter that will actually ever become show winning collies.

Use your brain unless you are on a waiting list for a show pick the top three puppies from any average litter or large litter will be previously spoken for. You the buyer are the novice when it comes to picking puppies. You are not the experienced person with years of winners in your yard.

Of course all collie puppies are beautiful but for the show ring at eight - twelve weeks you will be choosing on structural qualities, not just cuteness or color markings. Only show winning collies with a multitude of virtues should be bred. Like reproduces like if you are schooled in the principles of phenotype genetic and most will not know the pedigree history well enough to know their genotypes. Many times those fluffy over coated collie may be hiding many structural faults and a breeder that understand this will avoid being fooled and make better and wiser choices. I can't understand people selling breeder puppies (?) are they speaking of cows or chickens ? You are wasting your money if you don't think intelligently; they must be full grown adults for you to honestly evaluate them and make your mating choices."

Also look for breeders that use CERF eye testing, DNA and Optigen Lab to clear their breeding stock from those DNA test that are currently available. 1b) "SHOW PROSPECT defined: A PROSPECT, is just that, a dog that has potential. It is not a sure thing, not guaranteed as a show winning collie. It can only be guaranteed if in writing for no one owns that crystal ball. They are usually one of the first three picks of an average size litter. The ones that the breeder has evaluated to be the best of the litter, not the best marked or the best in this or that but the best that met the AKC and Collie standard at that particular age." mc

2a)"A SHOW COLLIE : A show dog is a dog over nine months of age that is a solid representation of the breed meeting show standards. One that can and is winning already at the show ring. Puppy can be shown starting at six month, no you don't have to wait till full grown to see if your dog's potential is there. But a show dog has finished with most of his growing. The bites are usually set by then.
"The contract involved with a show dogs is entirely different. Most are sold on co ownerships with the original breeder holding all the AKC papers till the dog completes it's championship. The guarantee is also entirely different as there is not way to tell if a dog will be fertile till he is mature has been medical checked. Have you received a written guarantee that is spelled out for life's events. Most purchases are gambles and if so you must accept the dog purchased as is." mc

2b)"SHOPPING FOR A SHOW DOG : When shopping for a show prospect or dog you should read the AKC and Collie standard first; know what you are shopping for and how to protect yourself from lessor quality even thou all make loving pets. You should Apprentice with an established CCA breeder as your mentor if your intention is showing dogs."
"When buying to show; a dog is either a prospect or show dog; they are NOT all the same, neither are the breeder sellers the same.
"I REPEAT buyers think with your heads not your heart, all collies are lovable but don't start your life and end there with a unsound one." If you wish to save a collie, I will gladly put you in touch with collie rescue in your state."


Mary Catoir Collie Club of American District Director for the State of Louisiana for many years.

*******************************************************
3-21-2010 Mary, I want to commend you, applaud you and most of all thank you for doing your very best to breed healthy dogs. See I'm down to one now, Savannah my gorgeous girl. I had to put my beautiful, wonderful, baby boy Magic down yesterday. He had a stroke Friday which left him blind and hardly able to stand or get up. In the end he could not get up and in the hour I left him during the night to get a little sleep when I thought he was ok, he hurt himself and I realized what I had to do because it was apparent he required 24/7 care. We are not positive but we think he had a seizure the week before and hit his head (we noticed his right eye was very bloodshot but thought he got something in it) and we think he developed a blood clot which caused the stroke. Luckily we were home that day but it didn't do any good and he just got worse. I miss my baby boy so much and just wanted to thank you, cause if he had a breeder like you he would still be here with me, where he belongs. I didn't realize I could hurt so bad from losing a dog. So please keep up the great work by breeding wonderful healthy dogs!! Darlene

On 3/21/2010 6:09 PM, Darlene Torres wrote: > Please do post my letter. I am very proud if you, your dogs and your integrity! I want everyone to know the person/breeder you are. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt if you were Magic's breeder he would still be here with me. That dog loved me mire than anything, he was truly MY dog. Gypsy was James', Savannah is belongs to both if us but her personality is so independent. Magic would be looking for me if we were outside and he couldn't see me. I know you understand and I finally understand you statement of losing a piece if yourself. Next opportunity I get to take off I'm coming to visit, I miss you! You taught me so much, don't know if you realize that. You mostly showed me what total devotion to our wonderful extended family is. I love you, take care. > Darlene **************************************************

FOOTNOTE: Veterinarian Speaks Out
by Libby Miller,DVM
“Adorable mixed breeds” get cancer, epilepsy, allergies, heart disease, and orthopedic problems just like purebreds. I see it every day in my veterinary practice but mixed breed dogs aren’t tracked like the purebreds so they have a reputation as “healthier” that is actually undeserved in many cases. “ It is so sad that a lot of folks, including young veterinarians these days, buy into the “hybrid vigor” baloney. The vet schools have been infiltrated by the Animal Rights Extremists, who are teaching them this junk science in order to push their agenda. All animals have a certain amount of genetic load, which is to say there is absolutely no animal without some genetic problem of some sort of another.
Know anyone who wears glasses?
Has allergies? Thyroid problems?
Weak knees?
Flat feet?
A skin condition?
Arthritis?
A gap between their front teeth?

These are all genetic imperfections. No human is genetically “clean.” Neither is any individual of any species on earth. So this idea that dogs should not be bred because they might have a genetic problem, and that breeders are somehow “evil” for breeding them, is ridiculous. Every single individual of every single species has at least a few genetic conditions.

To use PeTA’s logic, all breeding of all kinds (including having human babies) should halt immediately. And to be honest, Ingrid Newkirk (the woman who founded PeTA) does believe exactly that. She thinks that humans should become extinct, along with dogs, cats, etc. This ridiculous scenario is precisely what she would like to see happen. So folks, if that is what you want...if you agree with Ingrid Newkirk’s whacky views, send your hard earned money to PeTA. They will help to ensure you are not able to own a dog or cat or hamster or any other pet in the future. They will see to it that you can’t eat meat or fish or eggs or any type of animal-based nutrition. They will work to shut down places like Sea World, the zoos, etc. so you cannot observe the many wonderful animals on the Earth. Eventually, once they accomplish these things, they may turn their efforts to making it illegal for humans to procreate. If you don’t agree with their extremist views, wise up and start supporting those who truly do love, care for and enjoy interaction with other species here on our little blue planet. The fanciers of the breeds, those you see exhibiting their dogs at Westminster and other dog shows, work very hard to eliminate serious genetic conditions. They screen their breeding stock with every available test. They research pedigrees before breeding into other lines, to check for similar clearances in those animals. They contribute money to research organizations to further the work being done to track down genetic problems. They contribute blood, cell samples, etc. from their own animals to help with DNA and genome studies. They have made great progress so far, and they continue to work hard at it.

Are there unethical breeders? Certainly, there are. Just as in any group of humans, you will find the good and the bad. United States VP Elect Joe Biden, for example, managed to find a not so good one when he got his new German Shepherd puppy. I don’t know who did his research for him, but they obviously didn’t do their homework if they were looking for a responsible breeder. Joe has the right to get his dog from whomever he wishes, but if he was trying to set an example of purchasing from a responsible hobby breeder he went off the track this time. That’s too bad, but it was his choice. Unfortunately, breeders like that may be a lot easier to find because of their high volume and high profile. If you are looking for a nice family pet from a breeder who will be there for you forever, you need to do due diligence. You won’t get that from a pet store. You won’t get that from the guy selling dogs out of his pickup truck in the WalMart parking lot. You won’t get that support from a high-volume breeder, either. Yes, it takes a little more time and effort to find someone who really cares and does all the work to breed the healthiest, happiest puppies possible and then stands behind those puppies. This is a living being that will be part of your family, hopefully, for many years. Isn’t it worth a bit of effort to find a breeder who will be there for you and that puppy forever? And guess what? Shows like Westminster are a very valuable resource for finding breeders who do care and who use the best possible practices, as well as for learning more about the various breeds. Bravo to USA Network for broadcasting the Westminster Kennel Club show all these years. May they enjoy continued success through the ongoing inclusion of such programs. I will be eagerly watching this year’s show!”
Reprinted with author’s permission

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