GOLD CREEK RANCH
Puppies
Welcome to our puppy adventure that is waiting for you. Before you decide if you would like a puppy from Gold Creek Ranch Border Collies I would like to introduce you to how we have gotten to this point in our breeding program that is quite different in some ways from most breeders.
I grew up in a family who love animals, all animals. My dad and I purchased guinea pigs when I was 7 and to my dads surprise Junior and Martha had a batch of babies. My breeding life began. We had German Shepherds for most of my childhood and I started breeding them at age 21. My uncle was a horseman and cattleman. After he got out of the Navy when WW2 ended he went to university to become a veterinarian. He introduced me to horseback riding at age 1 and my first word was horse, not mama or daddy.
Besides breeding dogs, I started breeding Egyptian Arabian Horses at 25 and for 45 years I taught horsemanship and learned about watching the interaction within the herd, the parenting practices of the mares and stallions as well as other herd members. Off and on over those years I bred dogs as well however my successful horse breeding kept me from going all out with the dogs over the first 25 years.
What I learned from my horses is not very different from the Border Collie. The Arabian Horse is the smartest, easiest to train, hardy beyond belief as a working cow horse, long distance racer, dressage horse, you name it but also the most sensitive to the human race as they developed somewhat like a Border Collie. They were the most valuable member of the nomad tribes as it was the mares that they rode into both battle to protect them as well as when on their own raids that allowed them to not just survive but thrive. The mares lived in the center of the tent with their foals to ensure not being stolen in raids from other tribes. So the proximity with humans was a part of the their DNA over a 1000 years.
Thanks to Pat Parelli’s Natural Horsemanship program, when I started with the Border Collies I was already using positive reinforcement training. When my sister Kim Moore became certified with Absolute Dogs (AD) I was hooked. Kim has put together a puppy development program for our puppies based upon AD’s programs and others she has found or developed herself. Just recently the head of Absolute Dogs was so impressed with our program that she has asked Kim if they can have her share it with them and perhaps add to their program as well.
We have invested 24 years of educating ourselves to understand the breed from its inception to learning all we can about health, nutrition, breeding practices, and most importantly what the best protocols are for developing our puppies from birth to departure and beyond into the calmest, most confident, sweetest, brilliantly minded, eager to explore and learn and problem solve dogs possible.
We look for homes that will carry on our protocols into the future of the puppies they are blessed with. Love the puppy/dog that is in front of you, understand that they reflect what you have developed them to be. Yes they have inherited over 150 years as a developed breed with the knowledge regarding herding and all that it demands but they also developed living out in the wilderness with one man and sheep and cattle. No matter how hard we professional breeders try and how well done we have prepared our puppies to be the best of the best we have them for about 8 weeks give or take. Our influence from the breeding to the 8 weeks with us only has a lasting effect of 30-35%. However your influence for good or bad is, 65% of what your puppy will be as an adult comes directly from you and how you invest in their mental and physical welfare.
Why? Because the Border Collie came about being with the shepherd, who lived a lonely life with only his dog to not just help with the livestock but as the only family the man had. They sat together watching sheep eat, for hours at a time no need to bother the sheep. When either sheep started wandering from the safe place where they were grazing or if a predator entered the scene, that is when the Border Collie worked to bring calm back from chaos. Then he was rewarded with love and maybe a piece of cheese or bread as they again sat together to watch sheep eat. The brain engagement between the two kept both of them calm and feeling good. There would be some play and some teaching between them as a way to pass the day. The proximity of the two was an unbreakable bond.
Like the Arabian Horse, the bond between man and Border Collie is so strong and the desire to please their person(s) is so deep that aversive methods, so long used by trainers on all domesticated creatures until recent years, aversive can destroy a Border Collies confidence, it’s joy, and it hope with little effort. On a puppy it can permanently damage their sense of self and become a reactive, fearful or angry pup as they grow without help to turn them around. Animals, like young children, do not understand what it is they are being punished for. Trying to “correct” behaviors by pushing your idea of development just pushes the puppy/dog from trusting you. Restoring this heartbreak may never come back to what the puppy/dog once was.
Thus our desire for our owners to put their puppies and the dog it will grow into first, to put in the 15-20 minutes two or three times a day with our Puppy Development program so that they will have the fullness a Border Collie can bring into their lives and yours. If you have already learned reward based development and/or have a certified trainer who would never allow a choke chain, e collar or God forbid a prong collar, we would speak with the trainer and if they are fully in to the reward based methods all is golden. Some talk positive but still approve and use adverse. Be very careful with that. A true educated trainer will NOT support aversive ever unless it is for rattlesnake safety.
I started breeding dogs at age 21 and have bred German Shepherds, Afghan Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, Jack Russells and loved them all, learned so much from all of them but once with a Border Collie my world tilted and there simply is no other dog I could imagine having as my family member as well as a perfect for any job an owner wishes for. Our goal is for our owners and the pups they leave with will also find the immense joy of this wonderful and challenging breed.
Sincerely,
Suzy and Lee Foss
Gold Creek Ranch Border Collies have been sold to wonderful homes across the United States, in Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Our pups have gone on to excel as working ranch dogs, highly competitive dog sports, therapy dogs, and sweet family / companion dogs, etc. Some pups are better suited for specific goals - we work with you to assist in selecting the pup that will be the best match for your plans.
PLEASE NOTE: This website (www.GoldCreekRanchBorderCollies.com) is the ONLY official website of our breeding program! We have been notified of others stealing the website copy from our site word for word (including our names!) and using it on websites they have created for FAKE Border Collie breeding programs leading people to believe they are selling pups of our breeding. Those sites are SCAMS and not in any way associated with our program.
How Much for a Puppy?
Written in part by: Sr. Eduardo Loredo Muller
Translated into English by: Angel Sophia Nogga
Modified for dogs by: Amber French
Let me say a few words to you, yes you, the person who writes an email to simply ask the price. The person who calls and after hearing a price surprisedly states: “I can buy a cheaper pup elsewhere”. I also address you; the person who doesn’t care about papers because I want “just a pet.”
No dog is “just a pet.”
Behind every pure bred puppy/dog is a BREEDER. I’m using capital letters to differentiate a breeder from a pet factory or mill. A reputable breeder does not breed dogs without papers, that does not protect the integrity of the breed. Registration (papers) are records of lineage that document bloodline and allow one to research any possible health issues present in the lineage. When you tell a Breeder you don’t care about papers what you’re really telling them is you couldn’t care less about the health of the puppy you just want the cheapest thing you can find! When you select to buy a puppy from a reputable and quality breeder, this breeder is responsible for the health of every pup ; both dogs owned and every pup they’ve sold for its lifetime. This breeder will skip holidays, miss sleeping, and most of their personal house space has been turned into space for their dogs . The truly passionate breeder who loves what they breed, puts their whole heart and soul into it. Not only in puppies that are sold, but also in each client who owns a piece of their heart and now is a member of their extended family. This does not take into account any puppy/dog who might get sick or need extra help to thrive. Breeders worry about their babies after they leave and will take one back without question.
A breeder will get their hands dirty, often covered in everything accompanied with birthing. Because that’s what life is about...In the middle of birth and death is life. The wheel that keeps turning. A breeder will do tests, echos, xrays, analysis, emergency c sections, vaccinations, register litters, research pedigrees, deworm, as well as microchip their puppies and get them evaluated by specialists.
Last but by no means least, a breeder CHOOSES the family lucky enough to have one of their puppies. Yes, you read that right. A true breeder chooses who they sell to because they are not making money off the sale. There is no compensation that can offset the investment a Breeder has made so they need to be confident its the right fit. Many times saying more no’s then yes... A good Breeder will have different criteria for those wanting to carry on their bloodline, why? Because breeding is not a responsibility to ever be taken lightly, it’s a lifestyle choice set aside for ONLY the few devoted people willing to sacrifice.
Because a dog is never “just a pet” it’s the Breeder’s legacy, a little boy’s best friend, a little girl’s protector, an elderly person’s therapy, a member of the family, someone’s whole world!!!
If interested in learning about purchasing a GCR puppy
please read through the content on this page, then follow these three steps...
PUPPY
POLICY
Read our Puppy Policy for information on how we raise our puppies, pricing and deposit information.
PUPPY QUESTIONNAIRE
Fill out our Puppy Questionnaire. This is where we ask about you and inquire on details of the life the pup would have with you.
EXPECTED
LITTERS
View our Expected Litters page to see current puppies or expected in the near future. We recommend getting on our puppy waiting list.
PUPPY CONTRACT
Once we have connected and you are ready to purchase a puppy, we will get you a Puppy Contract and request a non-refundable deposit.
Border Collie Puppies
INTERESTED IN A PUPPY?
Please read:
Due to the overwhelming number of inquiries we receive, we are only able to respond once a puppy questionnaire has been submitted to us. There is no obligation in filling one out but that is the ONLY way to ensure we will get in touch with you.
We care deeply about our puppies and want to be sure they have every possible chance for success in their new home. Because of this, we have a process where we get to know a little about you, what your plans are for the puppy, and some details about the daily life and care the puppy will have. If you aren't comfortable sharing this information with us, buying a puppy from Gold Creek Ranch Border Collies isn't a good fit for you. If you are comfortable with this, let's get started!
YES, I am interested in a puppy from Gold Creek Ranch
If so, before contacting us please first take the time to carefully
read through all the informational material on our website.
More than 95% of all questions I receive are answered on our website. If, after researching us on the website and you still have questions, then please do give me a call as I love talking about our dogs and it is the best way to get to know each other which sure helps in deciding if we are the folks you trust to provide you with a new family member and work partner and for us to know the same about you.
If, after doing your due diligence on our breeding program you decide you would be interested in purchasing one of our puppies, please be so kind and fill out a Puppy Questionnaire as completely as possible and I will happily give you a call and discuss putting you on the list for upcoming pups.
If, in the meantime, you find a perfect pup from another breeder, would you kindly notify me so I can move someone else up the list. Otherwise, I will contact you when a breeding has happened to check on your interest and if "yes" then again as soon as pups are born and we know what we have.
A note from Suzy Foss
Breeder / Owner, Gold Creek Ranch Border Collies
As a breeder it is a huge responsibility to place our pups in as perfect a home as possible and thus we must spend hours sharing these very important details about these brilliant, gentle creatures. We provide a puppy development program that must be incorporated from day one once in their new home.
From day three after birth our puppies are exposed to Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) that animal behaviorist have recognized as essential to all canines to start their physiological future better prepared for unexpected and sudden changes in their environment.
We provide both a quiet and calm ranch home mixed with weekly, age-appropriate new stimuli. This can mean new people, new environments, new sounds, other dogs and breeds, other animals. Short, fun, calm situations and paying attention to their behaviors. Meeting the needs each puppy has to help deal with the new challenging situations.
Only reward based training. Distracting away from behaviors not desired vs snapping out "NO!," grabbing or smacking.
We want our buyers to emulate what they want from their pup. Love, calmness, joyful play, challenging mind games, confidence, problem solving.
This breed is unique in its brilliance of mind, its work ethic. This breed developed from a shepherd as its only companion and importantly, the shepherds only companion. They would sit together and visit, hours of not much talk or activity as they watched their sheep or cattle graze. A calm and quiet time where gentle hands ran through the dogs coat, a bite of bread and cheese shared, some soft words spoken.
Suddenly some of the flock or herd would break away or maybe just slowly wander off. At that moment the collie is sent off to bring calm back to the chaos. Here is where I disagree with the idea that the dog must be micro managed by the shepherd.
In real life on a large property, be it 20 acres or open range of thousands of acres, the Border Collie is sent out to just easily push the straying animals back into the fold. There are many times when the sheep, and certainly cattle, have either gotten away from the shepherds sight or the stockman has sent them out to graze for the summer and only move them out to pasture in the spring and go find them in the fall to bring them to the homestead for winter.
In these real life situations the Border Collie is sent out all on its own far ahead of the stockmen to find the animals, to gather them and start brining them back and this is all done on its own.
This breed are problem solvers. They use their acute hearing, their dynamic sense of smell, and their ability to calculate the circumference, speed, and timing to go from 35-40 miles an hour on the run to instantly move in a quiet and measured manner so as to not scare and scatter the prey but to calmly and purposefully gather them into a tight and cohesive moving herd toward home. At some point in all of this the stockman (or a group of riders) will assist the dog(s) as needed but it is the dog(s) who can best keep the situation under control.
Yet they surrender their control to the boss, the partner(s) who have given them this job they love and they do it willingly and immediately when the commands via voice, hand, or whistle are given and this is because the Border Collie from birth has been raised with loving care specifically for this or whatever job it has been given. The more the challenge the happier and calmer the dog.
To be a successful dog the Border Collie depends upon a much more interactive relationship with its humans beyond ball and frisbee play. Beyond a 30 minute romp at a dog park or walk around the neighborhood. Brain engagement, learning new things, having quiet time at your feet. Never experiencing harshness.
Only a committed few deserve the unique pleasure of having a Border Collie in their life. It is way beyond a “it’s just a dog.” Frankly every dog deserves the same commitment at the level of their need as they are all more than”just a dog.”
Suzy