Tips when searching for breeder and what questions to ask

My Opinion (like noses, I have one,too)

When I spoke with my breeder in the search for my first Sheltie, she asked, "What color are you looking for?" I replied,"It doesn't matter. Dogs aren't accessories." I thought it was a trick question.

I still believe that, but I also know that I personally adore sables -- preferably caramel or reddish -- but I'd also love a blue merle.

If you want agility for fun (versus serious competition as in "my kid's going to the Olympics"), you just want a healthy, well-structured puppy. Look at pictures of the parents and others from their lines. That said, you can have a puppy with the bluest blood in Sheltie-dom and still have problems -- like Bits' arthritis and Beckon's muscular issues. Or the puppy with the perfect athletic build may just think agility sucks. Layla is built perfectly -- lithe, agile, fast -- and if you asked her to run a course, she'd look at you like: "Are you kidding? I might break a nail."

In short, you pays your money, and you takes your chances.

So stick with the color that visually makes your heart melt and go for the healthiest puppy you can find.
 
We have people who want a certain color inquire all the time. We get a sense of how committed to that color they are as well as which sex and start from there on what the person is looking for. As for agility we ask about goals, experience with training and many other factors to help choose the puppy for them. No one chooses their own puppy unless there are more than 1 puppy that we think will work.

Sometimes we may have a black male who fits everything else but is not a blue like they wanted. We offer the puppy if they don't take it they are free to wait for the next litter if no other pups fit the bill. We do not do deposits because we do not want anyone thinking they are guaranteed to get a puppy out of a certain litter. After we approve them, we put them on the waiting list. When the litter is born we let the people on the list know and make sure they are still in the position to get a puppy and then let them know we will contact them if there is a puppy that would work for them. If the color and/or sex of choice is not born we let them know and ask if they want to wait for the next litter. So you can see if a blue male is what you want the wait can be quite long. Yes sometimes people drop out or get a puppy from someone else but we are not concern about the sale but picking the best home for the pup.

I, myself, made a request for a bi blue male from my friends male Grizz. I ended up with a blue merle not a bi blue(even though there were 2 bi blue males in the litter) but he is perfect for me in every way except he could have stayed insize.
 
I wish you good luck in your search. Having just lost my boy, I am also looking for another set of 4 furry feet on the floor.

Like you, I have a preference to a sable, male, preferably. But also like you, I also believe that I have to leave myself open to whatever pup that is a fit.

You will know the dog when you see it. It will just feel right. No matter the colour or sex.
 
Thank you to everyone who has replied! You have no idea how much it means! I had not seen that CHW was a non-showable color. That certainly explains why it is hard to find. I will let the OH know about that. I did not see that in any of the research I've done.

Thank you for explaining the drive between the conformation and performance dogs. I just want to dabble in agility (remind me of this once I get hooked LOL), so, a conformation lined dog is probably where we will stay.

And I was so glad to read the range. It's less than I was expecting, so I am pleased with that, too. Leaves me with extra for even more toys, and goodies LOL.
 
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