Flames litter
Imp. Ruari x Abigail
DOB 04/22/2023
4 puppies: 2 males and 2 females
DOB 04/22/2023
4 puppies: 2 males and 2 females
Sire
Imp. Ruari DMA AS DDSE DDG
"Ruari"
DNA - Optimal Selection Clear
OFA - Excellent hips, Normal thyroid
Dam
OH Red Rose CGCA CGCU ATT VHMA ETD RATN
"Abigail"
DNA - Optimal Selection Clear, Carrier IGS EAOD
OFA - Excellent hips, Normal elbows, Normal eyes
Imp. Ruari DMA AS DDSE DDG
"Ruari"
DNA - Optimal Selection Clear
OFA - Excellent hips, Normal thyroid
Dam
OH Red Rose CGCA CGCU ATT VHMA ETD RATN
"Abigail"
DNA - Optimal Selection Clear, Carrier IGS EAOD
OFA - Excellent hips, Normal elbows, Normal eyes
The Flames were Abbie’s fourth and final litter. Ultimately, I decided on one more litter from her for several reasons. I was hoping for a panel clear prospect from her and all of her past litters have turned into wonderful adults. Additionally, I had several people who adore her and were hoping for Abbie babies. She is also an excellent brood, which is paramount to me in my breeding program and her third litter at 5 years old was her largest despite being a TCI (trans-cervical insemination) with frozen semen. And she’s my heart dog; I don’t want to ever consider a day I won’t have her at my side but knowing I’ll have her descendants for (hopefully) the rest of my life is certainly a comfort, so I was hopeful for a few more good prospects from my heart dog.
I chose their sire Ruari because he brought some of the same qualities to the table that the sire of the RPG litter, Marley, did. For example, he’s an outfield sheepdog bred and trialed in drive away competitions, he comes from a nice working pedigree, and he’s an adaptable and stable dog. Ruari was imported to the United States as an adult dog and has been successful in several different homes and environments. Ruari is living with Jessica of Platinum Border Collies and moved into her large pack without skipping a beat, showcasing a lot of stability and a great temperament. Ru is a proven producer with offspring who excel in a wide variety of venues. He has sired a couple of litters with her which produced pups I really like.
When I met Ruari, he was very affectionate, quiet, and a pleasure to be around. He’s very dog savvy, friendly with strangers, and very focused and task oriented. He is a versatile dog who has been titled and trained in herding, disc, and dock diving–the latter of which he didn’t start until well into his adulthood. He has even been handled by a junior in some of those venues; very impressive for a farmdog! He has nice structure and a smaller stature which both compliment Abigail well.
The pups are not yet one year old (early 2024) but are already showing good signs towards being straight shooters, talented herding dogs, and sport prospects.
I chose their sire Ruari because he brought some of the same qualities to the table that the sire of the RPG litter, Marley, did. For example, he’s an outfield sheepdog bred and trialed in drive away competitions, he comes from a nice working pedigree, and he’s an adaptable and stable dog. Ruari was imported to the United States as an adult dog and has been successful in several different homes and environments. Ruari is living with Jessica of Platinum Border Collies and moved into her large pack without skipping a beat, showcasing a lot of stability and a great temperament. Ru is a proven producer with offspring who excel in a wide variety of venues. He has sired a couple of litters with her which produced pups I really like.
When I met Ruari, he was very affectionate, quiet, and a pleasure to be around. He’s very dog savvy, friendly with strangers, and very focused and task oriented. He is a versatile dog who has been titled and trained in herding, disc, and dock diving–the latter of which he didn’t start until well into his adulthood. He has even been handled by a junior in some of those venues; very impressive for a farmdog! He has nice structure and a smaller stature which both compliment Abigail well.
The pups are not yet one year old (early 2024) but are already showing good signs towards being straight shooters, talented herding dogs, and sport prospects.
In birth order;
Wick - male - kept his name
Flint - male - now Nox
Kindle - female - now Alta
Ember - female - now Figment
Wick - male - kept his name
Flint - male - now Nox
Kindle - female - now Alta
Ember - female - now Figment
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Wick - newborn - 13.1oz
Kindle - newborn - 12.9oz
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Flint - newborn - 11.5oz
Ember - newborn - 13.4oz
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Wick - 2 weeks old - 2lbs 12.0oz
Flint - 2 weeks old - 2lbs 5.2oz
Kindle - 2 weeks old - 2lbs 9.0oz
Ember - 2 weeks old - 2lbs 11.4oz
Wick - 3.5 weeks old - 4lbs
Kindle - 3.5 weeks old - 3lbs 8.6oz
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Flint - 3.5 weeks old - 3lbs 7.2oz
Ember - 3.5 weeks old - 3lbs 8.4oz
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Wick - 4.5 weeks old - 5lbs
Kindle - 4.5 weeks old - 4lbs 9oz
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Flint - 4.5 weeks old - 4lbs 7oz
Ember - 4.5 weeks old - 4lbs 6oz
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Wick - 6 weeks old - 8lbs
Bold, outgoing, forward, affectionate, confident, driven, dominant with other puppies, very sweet with humans. 
Kindle - 6 weeks old - 7.2lbs
Thoughtful, playful, independent, observant, precise, driven, affectionate, confident. |
Flint - 6 weeks old - 7lbs
Cool headed, thoughtful, confident, playful, affectionate, driven, observant, sweet with humans. 
Ember - 6 weeks old - 6.6lbs
Feisty, silly, playful, independent, driven, affectionate, forward, outgoing. |
Wick - 7 weeks old
This week he loves retrieving, rough housing with his siblings, giving his belly for pets, and lying at your feet. 
Kindle - 7 weeks old
This week she loves playing with her mom, training sessions, chewing bones, and being chased by her siblings. 
Wick - 8 weeks old - 12lbs
Wick has been our big boy of the Flames litter. He is an instigator of roughhousing among his littermates but he is such a sweet guy to all the people and dogs he’s met. He loves to be in your lap or just sitting or laying next to you and watching the world go by. He is a very biddable puppy, he loves to learn and deeply enjoys training already. He is very cooperative and has a nice natural retrieve. Wick is also quite the stunner! He has this gorgeous masculine head and he’s put together very well structurally. Right down to his little beauty mark, he is a looker. When the pups were in the transitional phase and just beginning to show me their personalities, I was very drawn to Wick and for several weeks I thought to myself if I were in the market for another male, he would be staying! He was the most forward of the puppies during their earlier weeks and always front and center for new things and social experiences. As they have matured, everyone has balanced out and he isn’t drastically different from his siblings, especially his brother - he has a lot in common with. Wick has begun to show more of a “thinker” personality than that of a “doer” as he has gotten a little older, taking some consideration when met with new challenges and really choosing his handler (me, the handler of all pups) over stimuli in the environment. 
Kindle - 8 weeks old - 10lbs
Kindle, our beautiful little lady. She is a sweet soft hearted girl, thoughtful, cool headed, not a trouble maker. She reminds me the most of her mama, my Abigail. Kindle loves her people and I could see her growing into a dog like Abbie, who takes a moment to consider newcomers before making herself comfortable in your lap. A dog who is very loyal to her person and a real “ride or die,” teammate, partner of a dog. That is 100% who Abigail is for me and Kindle’s mannerisms remind me so much of how Abigail was as a pup. Kindle loves to tug her little heart out, she is brave and enjoys using her environment to her advantage, she is more of a thinker than a doer and she is very herdy already. She sneaks in on her siblings with a lot of style, she watches the goats in their pen from all the way across the yard, and she makes it a real challenge to walk around because she’s right there trying to herd your feet and bring you where she wants you to go. She is a total sweetheart who loves to snuggle, loves to get sweet on the big dogs and give them her belly and follow them around. She really loves her mom—both of the girls follow her religiously when she’s spending time with the litter. She is another nice, balanced, “middle area” pup with so much potential. She loves training, loves to play, is very biddable, and feels like an old soul puppy. |
Flint - 7 weeks old
This week he loves water, offering focus for treats, meeting new things head on, and cuddling people. 
Ember - 7 weeks old
This week she loves tugging, jumping as if you will catch her, giving sweet cuddles, and offering behaviors for treats. 
Flint - 8 weeks old - 10.5lbs
Flint is a self assured, cool headed puppy who in the early days of the pup’s showing their personalities didn’t really stand out to me. He was quiet, calm, observant. As he has grown a little older, he has become very outgoing and charismatic! He loves to be held and cuddled, giving his belly for pets in the lap of any person he meets. He meets new challenges, experiences, people, and dogs head on and standing tall, with his posture showing his confidence. He, as do all of the litter, has very high toy drive and loves to play and tug. He is also showing an affinity for water and loves to get all his feet in the Ruffland crate toppers I use as puppy kiddy pools anytime he needs a drink; you can also find him there digging in the water and just having the greatest time. I would say he is a really nice balance of thinker and doer, leaning towards doer these days. As he has grown and really blossomed into himself, I have totally fallen in love with his temperament. I really enjoy a “middle area” pup with a good head on their shoulders! Flint has really impressive focus for training for such a young guy and I think he has a lot of promise as a potential sport dog. I think he will grow into a dog who is self assured and could even be considered a little dominant. He is surprisingly “doggy” for a puppy, he feels a lot like a dog in a puppy’s body. An old soul, if you will! He enjoys exploring his environment and is very adventurous and courageous. 
Ember - 8 weeks old - 9lbs
Ember is Abigail’s mirror image but she really reminds me most of her half sister, my Vintage. This puppy is very tenacious, high drive, and a bit of a wildling! She has been attempting to offer me a dog catch for a few weeks now, springing up into the air as if I will catch her. A couple of times, I have! She is very adventurous and outgoing, a bold puppy with a lot of push in her. She is small but she is mighty! She’s an angel when you get her in your arms. She gives the sweetest tender love, gazing into your eyes and touching you with her paws. I think she’s going to be a big lover but not too needy! She decided recently that she loves the hose and goes crazy trying to bite the water spray, not giving up even when she’s soaked. So there’s a good chance she will be a little water dog one day! She is more of a busy body than her sister, she loves to learn and is happy to focus for training and engage for play, but she’s also more than happy to be adventuring independently. Ember is a very fun, promising, spitfire little gal who is going to be a force to be reckoned with at sports and a darling companion at home. |
This is the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT). While I find the test to be a little outdated, especially in terminology, it's still a fine tool and it doesn't hurt to do. It always seems to confirm my findings through raising and knowing my litter well.
- Social attraction - This test is done right when the puppy enters the test area and is first met with the tester. The tester calls them over and scores based on what they do. Shows social attraction and reaction to strangers.
- Following - Tester walks and encourages puppy to follow them, scoring their reaction. Another test of sociability and also biddability.
- Restraint - This exercise is when the tester lays the puppy on it's back and holds them there to see how they react. Gives insight to how the pup handles human spacial pressure and being restricted.
- Social "dominance" - But I like to call it Social forgiveness. It's done right after the Restraint exercise and you see if they quickly "forgive" the person for making them uncomfortable. Tester kneels there and strokes the puppy to see what they do. Can show a pup’s level of independence, confidence, sociability, softness, etc.
- Elevation "dominance" - This is another that uses the word dominance in a way I wouldn't typically use it, but the test is holding the puppy elevated just over the ground with both hands, seeing how they react. Another gage of the pup’s reaction to restraint and human pressure as well as body handling.
- Retrieving - This test is tossing a crumpled piece of paper and seeing what they do. Score can give insight to the pup’s toy drive and natural cooperation.
- Touch sensitivity - This one isn't major and is very easily trained to be better. The tester squeezes the webbing between the toes firmly but not hard and scores based on how quickly the pup reacts by pulling away. This is done for 10 seconds or until the pup reacts. Can give some insight to the pup’s ease of body handling/cooperative care.
- Sound sensitivity - Someone on the sidelines of the testing area bangs a spoon on a metal bowl and scores how the puppy reacts. Tests the pup’s reaction, sensitivity and recovery towards loud noises.
- Sight sensitivity - For this test, you have a cloth on a string of some description (like a flirt pole) and jerk it around the floor. All of my puppies seem to pretty much score 1s on this which is anticipated with Border Collies. It means they looked, chased it, and bit and played with it. Another good indication of toy drive, prey drive, visual/movement stimulation.
- Stability - This test item involves the tester unexpectedly opening an umbrella and setting it down, seeing how the puppy reacts. A good gage of the pup’s reaction to and recovery from the unexpected.
Wick temperament test results:
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Flint temperament test results:
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Kindle temperament test results:
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Ember temperament test results:
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Placements...
First puppy placement! Wick
This little (big) guy has been a total lover boy with “his person” from early on. He reminds me a lot of his mother with his devoted nature, especially at a young age! He can be a little softer than some of his siblings and has a sweet little heart. I knew I wanted him to go to someone with a deep love for Abigail who knows her and likes what she brings to the table.
It took me a bit of extra time to place the boys as I really wanted to make sure I had those perfect fits! A lot of thought goes into every placement, but with the Flames being Abbie’s final litter, they feel particularly special and important to me. So when Erynne reached out and told me she was interested in one of the pups, I had a good feeling! We did a phone call to make sure it was a good fit for her goals and sure enough, it really seemed like the perfect match. Plus, Wick is her second Old Hemp pup! Mac kept his litter name (MacIntosh) and Wick is keeping his litter name too. 🥰
Erynne got one of the Apples pups who are nearing their 2nd birthday and Mac has been an awesome family dog, active pet and beginner sport dog. Erynne expressed wanting a little more dog in her next one; more drive, more handler focus, more intensity, and more herding ability! Wick fits that bill perfectly and I’m so happy he gets to go live with such a wonderful human and her amazing family and his new “big bro” Mac, who is actually his genetic nephew! Erynne has loved Abigail since the moment she met her and has told me many times that she always wants to have her descendants in her home. We’ll get to continue to see Wick a lot through out his life which I love and I’m so excited for this match!
Congratulations Erynne and thank you for your friendship, endless support and kindness, and for giving these two lucky boys such an amazing home.
This little (big) guy has been a total lover boy with “his person” from early on. He reminds me a lot of his mother with his devoted nature, especially at a young age! He can be a little softer than some of his siblings and has a sweet little heart. I knew I wanted him to go to someone with a deep love for Abigail who knows her and likes what she brings to the table.
It took me a bit of extra time to place the boys as I really wanted to make sure I had those perfect fits! A lot of thought goes into every placement, but with the Flames being Abbie’s final litter, they feel particularly special and important to me. So when Erynne reached out and told me she was interested in one of the pups, I had a good feeling! We did a phone call to make sure it was a good fit for her goals and sure enough, it really seemed like the perfect match. Plus, Wick is her second Old Hemp pup! Mac kept his litter name (MacIntosh) and Wick is keeping his litter name too. 🥰
Erynne got one of the Apples pups who are nearing their 2nd birthday and Mac has been an awesome family dog, active pet and beginner sport dog. Erynne expressed wanting a little more dog in her next one; more drive, more handler focus, more intensity, and more herding ability! Wick fits that bill perfectly and I’m so happy he gets to go live with such a wonderful human and her amazing family and his new “big bro” Mac, who is actually his genetic nephew! Erynne has loved Abigail since the moment she met her and has told me many times that she always wants to have her descendants in her home. We’ll get to continue to see Wick a lot through out his life which I love and I’m so excited for this match!
Congratulations Erynne and thank you for your friendship, endless support and kindness, and for giving these two lucky boys such an amazing home.
Puppy placement number two! Flint
I interviewed a few people before I settled on the perfect person for Flint, and I am super excited for him and the life he gets to go live! Flint is a special pup, a wonderful “middle of the litter” puppy who has this awesome balanced temperament. He is very driven for both toys and food, he loves training, he loves cuddling up on your lap and giving you sweet eyes. He’s very self assured and should grow into a really confident dog who is a great working partner for whatever thrown at him!
Flint is going to be going to live in Montréal, Canada with his new owner Manon and three new “sisters”, an Aussie and two Border Collies. He will be trying out disc, agility, and enjoying lots of off leash hiking and enrichment. During the interview call with Manon, I was so eager and so pleased with everything she had to say. I loved hearing her input on on the type of breeder experience she is looking for, and the commitment she has to her dogs is amazing. So much of what she said was just exactly what I had hoped to find for this litter — and most of my litters! I could go on and on but ultimately her understanding of the breed, her firm but fair handling style, and what she was looking for in her next dog all lined up perfectly and I couldn’t be happier for Flint! He will be her first working bred dog and her first male dog so she wanted to make sure she could have a good communicative relationship with the breeder, which is what I love to hear because every puppy that is ever raised here holds a piece of my heart always and I love the people who keep me in the loop.
Flint’s new name is Nox, Old Hemp’s Playing With Fire and his new mom is flying in to get him this Thursday! So excited to see all he can accomplish in her hands. Congratulations to Manon and thank you for trusting me to be your next breeder!
I interviewed a few people before I settled on the perfect person for Flint, and I am super excited for him and the life he gets to go live! Flint is a special pup, a wonderful “middle of the litter” puppy who has this awesome balanced temperament. He is very driven for both toys and food, he loves training, he loves cuddling up on your lap and giving you sweet eyes. He’s very self assured and should grow into a really confident dog who is a great working partner for whatever thrown at him!
Flint is going to be going to live in Montréal, Canada with his new owner Manon and three new “sisters”, an Aussie and two Border Collies. He will be trying out disc, agility, and enjoying lots of off leash hiking and enrichment. During the interview call with Manon, I was so eager and so pleased with everything she had to say. I loved hearing her input on on the type of breeder experience she is looking for, and the commitment she has to her dogs is amazing. So much of what she said was just exactly what I had hoped to find for this litter — and most of my litters! I could go on and on but ultimately her understanding of the breed, her firm but fair handling style, and what she was looking for in her next dog all lined up perfectly and I couldn’t be happier for Flint! He will be her first working bred dog and her first male dog so she wanted to make sure she could have a good communicative relationship with the breeder, which is what I love to hear because every puppy that is ever raised here holds a piece of my heart always and I love the people who keep me in the loop.
Flint’s new name is Nox, Old Hemp’s Playing With Fire and his new mom is flying in to get him this Thursday! So excited to see all he can accomplish in her hands. Congratulations to Manon and thank you for trusting me to be your next breeder!
Puppy placement three! Kindle
Kindle has been the Abbie clone in terms of temperament and attitude, she has this old soul vibe about her that I just adore, a very special puppy.
Kindle’s new name is Alta, Old Hemp’s New Perspective. She is going to live with the amazing Ashley and will have Subaru as her big sister! Ashley has been in love with Abigail for a long time now, something about her has always just spoken to Ash and Abbie actually really loves her too. So I am beyond thrilled that I get to place her very own Abbie into her capable hands. I met Ashley through dog training; she came to us for training for their first dog, Holly, who had a lot of serious behavioral issues which were truly no fault of Ashley and her partner. We became fast friends and she has quickly climbed the ranks to best friend status and I appreciate all she does so much. She is an extremely talented and capable dog handler, she has been mastering the art of herding at a rate that blows me away, and just seeing the way she is with dogs - especially mine - always makes me smile and fills me with joy. This little Flame is so lucky to call Ashley her mama. She is brimming with potential and is going to grow up with herding as her primary sport and will dabble in other things and of course learn the trademark Old Hemp/Oliver Dog Training high level obedience with a huge focus on relationship. Ashley was a substantial part of why I chose to breed Abigail a final time, knowing the type of dog she wanted and knowing that I could make that happen. It’s been a beautiful thing to co-parent Subaru with Ash and I am so excited and ready to share Alta with her too.
Thank you for being you and for your never-ending support, encouragement, and friendship. I hope Alta is everything you dreamed of.
Kindle has been the Abbie clone in terms of temperament and attitude, she has this old soul vibe about her that I just adore, a very special puppy.
Kindle’s new name is Alta, Old Hemp’s New Perspective. She is going to live with the amazing Ashley and will have Subaru as her big sister! Ashley has been in love with Abigail for a long time now, something about her has always just spoken to Ash and Abbie actually really loves her too. So I am beyond thrilled that I get to place her very own Abbie into her capable hands. I met Ashley through dog training; she came to us for training for their first dog, Holly, who had a lot of serious behavioral issues which were truly no fault of Ashley and her partner. We became fast friends and she has quickly climbed the ranks to best friend status and I appreciate all she does so much. She is an extremely talented and capable dog handler, she has been mastering the art of herding at a rate that blows me away, and just seeing the way she is with dogs - especially mine - always makes me smile and fills me with joy. This little Flame is so lucky to call Ashley her mama. She is brimming with potential and is going to grow up with herding as her primary sport and will dabble in other things and of course learn the trademark Old Hemp/Oliver Dog Training high level obedience with a huge focus on relationship. Ashley was a substantial part of why I chose to breed Abigail a final time, knowing the type of dog she wanted and knowing that I could make that happen. It’s been a beautiful thing to co-parent Subaru with Ash and I am so excited and ready to share Alta with her too.
Thank you for being you and for your never-ending support, encouragement, and friendship. I hope Alta is everything you dreamed of.
Final puppy placement!
Ember came out looking like a mirror image of her mom but she reminds me a lot of Vintage and I’ve heard that she also shares a lot of similarities with big sister Famous! She is small, sassy, tenacious, sweet, ridiculously cute, funny. Both of the girls in this litter have been so awesome and it was impossible to choose between the two of them. So, I chose to keep… neither?! I know it’s hard to believe, but I won’t be keeping a puppy back this time. Instead, I am placing both of the girls on co-ownerships with my two best friends whom I see very often so I will essentially be sharing their dogs with them! While it’s been a hard choice, letting them go to my dearest friends keeps these girls very close and I have the utmost trust that they will grow into their full potential.
Ember is going to Kayli, who happens to be one of my closest friends literally and figuratively. She lives just 25 minutes from me and works long hours on her workdays, so Ember will be living with me half of the week for the foreseeable future! You can imagine my husband’s face when I told him “No, I’m not keeping one… but one will be here 3-4 days a week and two will be coming back for further education in a few months.” But I couldn’t be happier about it!
Kayli is another client turned amazing friend who also has an affinity for Abigail. She was clear that she wouldn’t be upset if she didn’t get a puppy but I knew she was hoping against hope that she would! Kayli was here every week with the pup’s growing up and got to really experience first hand the whole litter. Her dog Mushu is a classic high drive boy just coming out of adolescence and she’s been making huge strides with him, but I am very excited to provide her with a girl who is going to be all about her mama. Ember’s new name is Figment, Old Hemp’s One Little Spark. Fig is a lucky girl to have a great, talented, committed owner who is going to a variety of sports with a primary focus on herding and agility.
Congratulations Kayli, I hope this little spark is everything you were hoping for. I am so happy to call you my friend and I appreciate you so much. I’m stoked to co-parent little Figgy together!
Ember came out looking like a mirror image of her mom but she reminds me a lot of Vintage and I’ve heard that she also shares a lot of similarities with big sister Famous! She is small, sassy, tenacious, sweet, ridiculously cute, funny. Both of the girls in this litter have been so awesome and it was impossible to choose between the two of them. So, I chose to keep… neither?! I know it’s hard to believe, but I won’t be keeping a puppy back this time. Instead, I am placing both of the girls on co-ownerships with my two best friends whom I see very often so I will essentially be sharing their dogs with them! While it’s been a hard choice, letting them go to my dearest friends keeps these girls very close and I have the utmost trust that they will grow into their full potential.
Ember is going to Kayli, who happens to be one of my closest friends literally and figuratively. She lives just 25 minutes from me and works long hours on her workdays, so Ember will be living with me half of the week for the foreseeable future! You can imagine my husband’s face when I told him “No, I’m not keeping one… but one will be here 3-4 days a week and two will be coming back for further education in a few months.” But I couldn’t be happier about it!
Kayli is another client turned amazing friend who also has an affinity for Abigail. She was clear that she wouldn’t be upset if she didn’t get a puppy but I knew she was hoping against hope that she would! Kayli was here every week with the pup’s growing up and got to really experience first hand the whole litter. Her dog Mushu is a classic high drive boy just coming out of adolescence and she’s been making huge strides with him, but I am very excited to provide her with a girl who is going to be all about her mama. Ember’s new name is Figment, Old Hemp’s One Little Spark. Fig is a lucky girl to have a great, talented, committed owner who is going to a variety of sports with a primary focus on herding and agility.
Congratulations Kayli, I hope this little spark is everything you were hoping for. I am so happy to call you my friend and I appreciate you so much. I’m stoked to co-parent little Figgy together!