Essential guide to the Bearded Collie covers selection, care, behavior, training, the standard, structure and gait, training to herd, showing, judging, genetics, breeding, bloodlines in America and abroad, raising Bearded Collie puppies, whelping, health concerns and much more.
Back by popular demand, this time in a black and white softcover edition! Contains the complete, illustrated how-to information that make this one of our most popular titles. Topics include:
- The Beardie Charisma
- Building a Better Beardie (Genetics)
- Bye Bye Beardie (Selling)
PUBLISHER’S COMMENTS
Reprinted in softcover by popular demand, Beardie Basics and Beyond has been called the “Bearded Collie Bible” by breeders and exhibitors.
Much has happened since we first published Beardie Basics in 1979. I fondly remember the joy we shared when it was released at the 1978 Specialty match, held on the grounds of the elegant Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Entries were few in those days, and Beardies were so new to the show scene that everyone was excited about the breed and how “naturally” they were shown.
Well, many things have changed since then. Beardies are growing in popularity and numbers, they have proven their mark in the Group and Best in Show rings, in herding, in agility, in obedience, and many other realms. No longer a rare, unrecognized breed, neither are they, unfortunately, quite as natural. Barbara Reiseberg, who died suddenly after surgery in 1980, would not be so pleased about the latter. But she would be pleased about the achievements her beloved breed has made during the past eighteen years, and she would be quite proud to see what close friend and co-breeder Jo Parker and others have accomplished with their Beardies, many of which stem from Silverleaf stock.
Since I was never personally involved in the breed, it seems so right that Jo Parker has agreed to revise Beardie Basics and update it for a new generation of Beardie lovers. Jo’s love and knowledge of the breed comes through boldly; her ideals and standards for the breed paralleled Barbara’s, and her expertise as a licensed AKC judge lends credibility.
AUTHORS’ BIO
A longstanding friendship between the authors began in the late 1960s, and together they traveled to Great Britain in 1977 to research the first edition of Beardie Basics and to purchase breeding stock.
The authors’ first book, Sheltie Talk, published in 1967, was conceived because they wanted to give the Sheltie fancier a badly needed source of basic information specific to the breed—information which the authors had difficulty obtaining during their early years as breeders. The book has since become the most widely recommended work on the Shetland Sheepdog.
Barbara Hagen began breeding Shelties in 1961, at the age of fourteen. Over the next sixteen years she bred or owned a dozen champions in Shelties and various other working breeds. In 1970, Barbara married Freedo Rieseberg, who previously had been involved in showing under her kennel name, Silverleaf. They obtained their first Bearded Collies from England in 1973, with the help of international judge Margaret Osborne, and went on to produce numerous champion and ROM Beardies. In April of 1980, Barbara Rieseberg died—a great loss not only to Freedo, but to the Beardie world as well. Silverleaf Kennel has since become inactive.
B.J. McKinney began breeding and showing Shelties in 1966, under the name Kinni Kennels. Her interest in publications dates back to her twelfth year of age when, with camera and pen, she put together her first “book,” a story about a litter of Sheltie puppies. She has been involved in publishing since 1974, and has bred several champion Shetland sheepdogs.
Jo Parker has been a breeder/exhibitor of Bearded Collies since 1974, and is also a licensed AKC judge. Her Parcana kennel has produced many champions, including Best in Show and Group winners, Prior to her involvement with Bearded Collies, she bred Shetland Sheepdogs for nearly thirty years. She is a former President of BCCA, was breed columnist for the AKC Gazette for many years, and has written numerous articles. She holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Alabama.
REVIEWS
“I have looked for YEARS for this book…at any price it would sell.” (Peggy Dougan, Beardie enthusiast)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword to the Third Edition
Foreword by Jennie Osborne, Osmart
Acknowledgements
About the Authors
Chapter 1 The Beardie Charisma
Chapter 2 Ideals and Interpretation
Chapter 3 Moving Out
Chapter 4 Love at First Sight
Chapter 5 The Comforts of Home
Chapter 6 The Beardie Beautiful
Chapter 7 Shaping Up
Chapter 8 In Sickness and In Health
Chapter 9 Beardie Be Good
Chapter 10 Building a Better Beardie
Chapter 11 Color Schemes
Chapter 12 Laying the Foundation
Chapter 13 Planned Parenthood
Chapter 14 The New Generation
Chapter 15 All Beardies Great and Small
Chapter 16 Bye Bye, Beardie
Chapter 17 Showing Off
Chapter 18 The Happy Herder
Chapter 19 Kennels in England, Canada, and the United States
Chapter 20 Judge for Yourself
Chapter 21 Bearded Collie Club of America
Other Sources of Information
Index
