In The Beginning
Glendamar Collies was founded in 2006 but the dream behind it has been nurtured since I was a little girl when my dad brought home our first purebred Rough Collie. We always had little housedogs when I was growing up who were loved and adored, but “Sergeant” our collie was special. My dad was the one that found the breeder and bought Sergeant and brought him home. From that moment on I remember my dad fondly recounting stories of his child hood and his special collie dog. And so it was for my siblings and I. First Sergeant and later Lady. Lady was eventually bred and had 4 very beautiful puppies and that was my first experience sitting with collie puppies and being entranced by their little angelic faces. Lady was very dedicated to all of us kids growing up. She would faithfully walk us to the bus for school every morning and she was always waiting for as at the end of the driveway when we got off the bus at the end of the day. She followed us everywhere and even after she was long gone the memory of her still followed us all into our adult lives. Talk about stories a movie could be made from.
After I married, our first collie was a grandson of Lady. I felt so lucky to have a connection to our dear beloved girl. Beau was a wonderful extension of his Grandma and my 4 kids have very fond memories of their childhood collie. In fact they often still rate our current collies against the perfectness of Beau.
In 2005 we were once again looking at getting another Rough Collie and this time it was decided that we would purchase a show and breeding prospect. I began looking for and contacting collie breeders and eventually went for a visit at Karen Fairbairn’s of Glenbracken Collies, a Rough Collie breeder in the area. Karen and I had a wonderful visit and although Karen wasn’t planning any litters at that time she agreed to help me find a puppy and also to mentor me in the breeding and showing of our collies. In 2006 Karen bought a male rough collie puppy from a breeder in West Virginia. I co-owned that puppy with Karen and he came to be known to us as Ch The Meadows Knight To Remember or more affectionately as “Brodie.” Brodie and I went to handling classes with another local breeder “Trudy Taphorn” and when he was about 7 months of age we hit the show ring for the first time. I have never been more nervous in my life. It was rattling but I was not going to back out. Brodie seemed to love every minute. I don’t think he was nervous at all. We entered the ring and just tried to remember everything and low and behold my boy won Best of Breed that first day. I will never forget and was bitten by the bug so to speak.
Later Brodie’s Smooth Collie sister came from another breeder in California. Leslie Hernandez at Classique Collies. Sammy (Am Ch Classique The Meadow’ Tenacious) was her name and she came on lease for my first litter. She had five puppies, 3 of which went on to obtain Championships. My second litter was out of Brodie and Sammy’s mother (Brittney, Am Ch Silvermor The Meadow’s Edge) who came to live with us permanently and still as I write this is here at my feet keeping a watchful eye on me.
I should also mention here that as well as breeding collies we also breed purebred Angus Cattle, which my husband Dave and all of our kids at one time or another have shown. We live on a farm just south of Leduc, Alberta and my husband works off the farm as well selling farm equipment. I’m a Certified Master Groomer and I work full time here at home. Three years ago I started competing as a groomer. In my third year of competition I achieved a second with a Standard Poodle in the poodle class and a first with one of our own Rough Collies in the purebred class. Yeah Collies!!! At the time of writing this our kids are age 22, 20, 18 and 17. A daughter, a son, and then 2 daughters. Keeping up with the kids can still at times be a full time job in itself. Life is full and life is great!
Collies have definitely become a passion in my life. Something that I love sharing with my family and also with others. Whether it be with the many new friends I have made in the show and breeding world or whether it is with someone like you looking for a new family addition. There are so many ways that the Rough and Smooth Collies can add to our lives. They are currently being used in obedience, agility, herding, as service dogs, in scent hurdling, and of course being the ever-faithful companions at our side. Our dogs love to be where ever we are. This is a breed that wants to please and they truly are a joy.
