A little about CHEVREHERD 

Hi, I'd like to tell you a little about myself and how Chevreherd Australian Shepherds came to be. Many of the links go to another site called WorknAussies where there are photos of these great dogs.

I got my first Aussie in 1980. That dog, named "Dogg", was unregistered although I did get him a first step registration with the National Stock Dog Registry. Dogg just convinced me that there was no smarter breed of dog than Australian shepherds. He traveled with me to Maryland and then Iowa and back to Illinois. He got to work stock a few times and was a driving, low heeling cattle dog. Of course, Dogg was special because he got to be my shadow companion. 

Cheshire Better Be was my first ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America) registered aussie. I bred her to Vest's Bell Star Jim and kept two of the pups, eventually leased a third to get a litter and also bought back a fourth puppy I had sold. So, through the 90's I used four of this cross and that is the foundation of "Chevreherd".

Chevreherd was registered as an ASCA kennel in 1982.  We have always appreciated the natural herding instincts in this breed, and their loyalty to person and guardianship of home.  Our aussies are pets first and foremost.  The most beautiful can show in conformation, the most ambitious can be channeled into activities such as obedience, flyball, agility, frisbee, etc.  Some pups have great noses for scenting challenges that can be applied to hunting and tracking.  The dogs I enjoy the most have high working drive; these are the do-anything dogs.  The most important character trait, however, is bidability.  Aussies naturally want to please their owner and this is what makes them highly trainable.  Aussies that are keyed for performance should also be able to easily relax and be calm.  The agile mind and body of the aussie requires training for basic manners as does any dog.  Their intelligence allows them to be very adaptable.

I admired the cattle dog type of aussie in the old Wood's Jay -bred foundation dogs and have used severrral Wood's-type outcrosses and line bred back to my original cross.

You may have gotten the idea I enjoy the working/herding aspect of the breed.

Through the years Chevreherd dogs have done well  in obedience, agility, and flyball, as well as earned some conformation points, aside from the herding trial titles earned.. I have had 3-4 dogs through the years get trained in herding to about open trial level according to ASCA standards.  Most recently I have used the dogs on the farm and we have not been out there competing and getting titles personally.

Chevreherd has puppies available occasionally for sale. Breeding stock get eyes checked yearly and eventually OFA'd. We appreciate those who have gone on to finish obedience titles, agility, etc. with Chevreherd dogs, however, most are farm dogs and family pets. Through the years a pup found a home with someone legally blind and learned the seeing eye trade on its own from the trained dog already there. Currently, Chevreherd Zowie is in a bomb detection program and doing very well. Zowie's aunt, Chevreherd Zena was 2nd place in the 1998 ASCA Cattle Futurity. We truly value the versatility in this breed.

We are now working with grandchildren of Cheshire Better Be and I still see some of her good qualities coming through. Raising good dogs is no easy task, and that is an understatement!

In the pedigrees of my dogs you will come across some names quite often. They include:
Wood's Jay was an old foundation working cattle dog in Colorado from the 1950's.
Incense Cedar of Cheshire had a UD and ATDd, OTDs, and STDc. She and HOF Ch Jones Reddy Teddy; CDX, OTDdsc, SchHA were two of the most well known/popular/promoted Wood's-bred dogs of the late 1970's-early 1980's.
Newman's Blue Sprog; CD, STDsc was a Wood's-type dog of the late 1980's.
Vest's Bell Star Jim was not trialed, but was the link genetically between Bob Vest's well-known Working Trial Champion dogs WTCH Vest's Bell Star Doc and WTCH Vest's Chargin' Belle Starr, and the Vest-bred dogs of the 1990's. Bob has made his living from the dogs for many years now as a well-known dog trainer.
HOF WTCH Ch Windsong's Raisin' Cain CD was also a well-known working dog of the early 1980's. He and Cedar both lived about 15 years, from about 1975-1990.  

Wood's Jay	Incense Cedar of Cheshire UD,ATDd,OTDs,STDc	Jone's Reddy Teddy CDX,OTDdsc, SchHA	Newman's Blue Sprog

WTCH Vest's Bell Star Doc	WTCH Vest's Chargin' Bell Star	HOF WTCH Windsong's Raisin' Cain CD

Most recently, we have found dogs closely line bred on Rowe's Commanche Warrior and thus his sire, Sorensen's Gunsmoke and are thrilled to gain this close link with a distant  past.  These great old cowdog aussies were also known for their longevity of 15 years and more..  Please visit our puppies page. 

Rowe's Commanche Warrior	Sorensen's Gunsmoke

This drawing is my original work.