Heavenbound Farm Australian Shepherd Dogs and
Missouri Foxtrotting Horses
More on Heavenbound's Blue and Cody... and then there were puppies!
Note, this is Chapter 2 of Heavenbound's journey with Australian Shepherds - to read Chapter 1, please click on the link at the end of this chapter.
Cody grew and had her fun digging, chasing cats, and pestering Blue. He seemed happy to have a canine companion. We had to shorten our long walks to keep from exhausting Cody's puppy legs. So we went on more escapades.
When Cody passed a year old and came into heat, Blue bred her. I was so excited. She was a very pampered and watched girl as her belly grew in size. I could feel puppies moving in her as I sat with her in the yard. Finally her birth day came. Out they plunked, one at a time. I watched in fascination as she cleaned and cared for each one.
Everything went as God intended and they all grew fat and playful. Now the "problem" occured. I wanted to keep them all! Each one had its special personality. How could I let even one go? What if I let one go to a home where it wasn't loved like I would love it? This is where husbands are good to step in. Mine said, "We are not keeping all of them." But I had to keep one, at least. That led to "problem" 2 - which one would it be? How will I find homes for the others? Not many people had heard of Australian Shepherds back then. Some horse people had them, but the general public didn't know the breed existed. There was no Internet, no surveys to help choose your next dog breed. We had newspapers. So I advertised and got some phone calls, but everyone's first question was, "What is an Australian Shepherd?" I gathered up the small pile of info I had collected and went to the copy shop, and copied and mailed packets to folks. We only had film cameras, so I'd take pictures of the pups, the mail off the film for developing. By the time I got pictures back, the pups were a week older. So marketing was a struggle. I kept a male blue, Cloud, and my sister got a female blue, Katie. I did eventually place all of them in homes.
I found that other people who like aussies make wonderful friends. I still find that today. People who like aussies have some denominators that bind us together through our dogs.
Cody enjoyed her pups and played with them a lot. Blue tolerated the "little biters" with their incredibly sharp teeth. The wonder of that first litter continues today. The strong pull to keep "just one" also continues.
Watch for Chapter 3, coming soon!
Note, this is Chapter 2 of Heavenbound's journey with Australian Shepherds - to read Chapter 1, please click on the link at the end of this chapter.
Cody grew and had her fun digging, chasing cats, and pestering Blue. He seemed happy to have a canine companion. We had to shorten our long walks to keep from exhausting Cody's puppy legs. So we went on more escapades.
When Cody passed a year old and came into heat, Blue bred her. I was so excited. She was a very pampered and watched girl as her belly grew in size. I could feel puppies moving in her as I sat with her in the yard. Finally her birth day came. Out they plunked, one at a time. I watched in fascination as she cleaned and cared for each one.
Everything went as God intended and they all grew fat and playful. Now the "problem" occured. I wanted to keep them all! Each one had its special personality. How could I let even one go? What if I let one go to a home where it wasn't loved like I would love it? This is where husbands are good to step in. Mine said, "We are not keeping all of them." But I had to keep one, at least. That led to "problem" 2 - which one would it be? How will I find homes for the others? Not many people had heard of Australian Shepherds back then. Some horse people had them, but the general public didn't know the breed existed. There was no Internet, no surveys to help choose your next dog breed. We had newspapers. So I advertised and got some phone calls, but everyone's first question was, "What is an Australian Shepherd?" I gathered up the small pile of info I had collected and went to the copy shop, and copied and mailed packets to folks. We only had film cameras, so I'd take pictures of the pups, the mail off the film for developing. By the time I got pictures back, the pups were a week older. So marketing was a struggle. I kept a male blue, Cloud, and my sister got a female blue, Katie. I did eventually place all of them in homes.
I found that other people who like aussies make wonderful friends. I still find that today. People who like aussies have some denominators that bind us together through our dogs.
Cody enjoyed her pups and played with them a lot. Blue tolerated the "little biters" with their incredibly sharp teeth. The wonder of that first litter continues today. The strong pull to keep "just one" also continues.
Watch for Chapter 3, coming soon!
| How It All Got Started.doc |
Heavenbound Farm has been home to Australian Shepherd dogs since 1973 and Missouri Foxtrotter horses since 1985. We started breeding Aussies in 1978 and they have become a large part of life. They are wonderful companions, silly entertainers, protectors of life and property. Never a day goes by that I am not amazed by somthing new this breed can understand.
They know when sorrow is bearing us under; they join in the giddiness of rolling in a fresh snowfall; they listen for the sound of our truck engine and run to meet us at the door; they see the danger of a horse getting too close to us in the field and get in between to drive him away; they see the opossum and raccoon as thieves of our supplies and protect our goods and gardens; they snuggle in our bed (if allowed) and keep an ear out for danger while we sleep; they guide “our little sheep” away from harm by standing in the gap. How could life be right without our Aussies? What better friend could there be? If you have never experienced an Aussie’s devotion, check them out—a great addition to a family and a wonderful companion if you are single. Fun, adaptable, smart, beautiful. They have it all!
They know when sorrow is bearing us under; they join in the giddiness of rolling in a fresh snowfall; they listen for the sound of our truck engine and run to meet us at the door; they see the danger of a horse getting too close to us in the field and get in between to drive him away; they see the opossum and raccoon as thieves of our supplies and protect our goods and gardens; they snuggle in our bed (if allowed) and keep an ear out for danger while we sleep; they guide “our little sheep” away from harm by standing in the gap. How could life be right without our Aussies? What better friend could there be? If you have never experienced an Aussie’s devotion, check them out—a great addition to a family and a wonderful companion if you are single. Fun, adaptable, smart, beautiful. They have it all!
Missouri Foxtrotting Horses
Heavenbound is also home to Missouri Foxtrotter horses, the pleasure horse of today. Smooth gaited, sensible, lovely to watch and ride. They are good natured and medium sized horses that will return you to the barn less fatigued after a long day in the saddle. More like a big dog than a horse. Come try one out... "To Ride One Is To Own One." See the Missouri Foxtrotting Horses page for more info on Heavenbound's horses for stud and for sale.
