ASCA Hall of Fame Excellent Kennel
Working Aussie Stockdogs
located in Bryan, Texas
2000s
The year 2000 found us moving back to Texas from Louisiana and taking some good young dogs who had been tested on stock but had not been trained. Possum had whelped what we thought would be her last litter at the end of 1996 by our friends‘ young dog, 45 Ranch Rem's Cody owned by the Burlesons Oklahoma. Cody was a fancy low heeling dog and we bred to get a daughter to keep. That daughter is “Whitney” whose official name is Slash V Bittersweet Frosting.
Slash V Latigo Lacing
When we moved from Louisiana back to Texas in the spring of 2000 Key and Lodi brought with them their last litters, both by WTCH Diamond S Sam PATDs. We would keep two of Key’s puppies; the only black puppy in the litter, Slash V Skipa Star and a red female, Slash V Latigo Lacing. Latigo went to live with our friends George and Jo Kimes and had a brief career in the show ring (with some nice class wins), which she found very boring. Her visit was intended to be temporary, but the attachment between Latigo and Jo’s granddaughter, Shelby, and Latigo’s love of her new home were too much. Latigo had found her forever home. Latigo has made a few visits back here to our place and has produced a couple of lovely litters for us.
Slash V Latigo Lacing
photo by Mike Arnett
Latigo has mde two visits back to the Slash V and produced two litters sired by WTCH Aggieland’s Rocky Top. Two of their sons have made a name for themelves as sires: Slash V Rocky’s High Man “Dually” owned by H Cross and Slash V Little Big CowBoy owned by Origine II in France.
Slash V Bittersweet Frosting
"Whitney"
Whitney was the self appointed guardian of my yard from our sheep and used to lie in wait for them until they almost reached the roses and then take them back to the pasture. This worked beautifully for several months until I guess her fetching instinct came forward and she would turn around and fetch them back to the yard. We started her on cattle and she definitely inherited Cody’s strength on the heels rather than her mother’s strong heading instinct. In the fall of 1999 we would nearly lose her to a "fatal unless treated" fungal disease called Blastomycosis caused by inhalation of spores growing around creeks and ponds. Whitney lost an eye, we spent a lot of money, but saved a wonderful dog. She had her first litter at the age of five so their story will be one of this decade and perhaps into the next. She was my house dog and fit all the criteria I demand: guardian and protective toward strangers, accepting of people when she is told it is okay, and trustworthy with the cats. Witney had 11 wonderful healthy years after the Blastomycosis before the lung damage from it quickly took her life. She left me with two treasures, one from each of her two litters, the first whelped when she was five….Slash V Steel Smoke and Slash V Sweet N Whicket.
Slash V Skipa Star
“Skip”
WTCH Diamond S Sam PATDs x Slash V Bittersweet Frosting,
Black bi, OFA Excellent, whelped 1999
Skip was Latigo’s littermate brother and mate to Whitney. Skip only spent his first three years at the Slash V before he went to live with Tracey McPherson of http://www.c-meaussies.com/ for the rest of his life. He only was sold because we kept his son, Smokey, who was only a couple of years younger than him. Skip went on to sire many amazing dogs and among those were Smokey who was born in 2001 and his full sister Whicket born in 2005. Skip was shipped back to Texas from Iowa for that second litter to happen. Thanks to Skip and Whitney for a decade of wonderful dogs who now live on in their kids and grandkids.
Slash V Steel Smoke
"Smokey"
Slash V Skipa Star x Slash V Bittersweet Frosting,
Male, Blue Merle with White, OFA Good
In the spring of 2002 we had several litters and did not intend to keep any puppies. All three bitches were five and it was the first litter for all of them. I can't claim that I had a "plan" when I was attracted to a blue male puppy the color of smoke. I don't particularly like blue merles and we seldom keep a male. Out of the three litters that smoke colored puppy was the last one to sell. From the beginning he had decided he was "my dog" and each time someone was choosing a puppy I didn't want it to be "the puppy who lived in the water pan". In the end I knew he would stay.
Steve used to kid me that "Smokey" was a silly common name and besides the dog was too pretty to ever be a stockdog. It was when I suggested he start him on the sheep (Steve didn't know I had tried it already) that he had to admit that my "pretty dog with the common name" was pretty darn talented.
Smokey had a strong fetching instinct and that uncanny ability to keep his stock together. He was calm and worked deliberately with some eye. Since we didn't have cattle for a time I took him several places to work. The first time I had him at Russ Ford's, Smokey had been watching Rocky work and the adrenalin was definitely flowing. When he was turned loose in the pen with the calves he was all over them - silent but biting everywhere. oh oh..... That lasted for about a minute or two and then without us doing anything he backed off and quietly drove them around the pen. At first we left him alone and just
him - we were both impressed. Smokey never had a lot of work on cattle but everything he did was positive. No bark and he would hit both ends, showed some eye on the approach, rated his stock = a keeper! I am really happy that the little blue water pan puppy that is the color of smoke stayed at Slash V.
watched him as he would circle around and turn them seeming as comfortable in front as he was behind. Russ, who Smokey had never seen before, stepped in with the stick and started directing
Smokey produced Working Trial Champions, multiple other stockdog titled offspring, Agility winners with multiple titles, as well as a Conformation Champions.
Slash V Sweet and Whicket
Slash V Skipa Star x Slash V Bittersweet Frosting
Born March '05, female blue merle, OFA Good
litters and this was a cross I wanted not only a male from, but a bitch too. I lucked out and both of them were red producers, something they only had a 50-50 chance of being. Her pedigree was unique in that she combined 1/4 Twin Oaks and Windsong, 1/4 Hangin Tree, and 1/2 Slash V with the Slash V being both maternal lines. Whicket was one who got along with all whether it was dogs, cats, or people - a true sweet dog who continued our line using that word "sweet". Whicket bred to Tide and to Titan has produced some of our greatest dogs both as stockdogs and as companions.
Whicket was Smokey's younger sister. She worked quiet and a little stronger on the heads than heels and never worked sheep. Whicket was another laid back, easy going girl (the kind we like). She was a little reserved with strangers (like the Breed Standard says she should be) but was never aggressive toward people. Her mother only had two
Slash V Third Charm
"Seeney"
This was one of the top four bitches we ever had the privilege of breeding and owning. Her sheer natural talent and stock savvy does not come along often, and it was an honor to have her here at the Slash V.
The last litter we had from Young Kate (Zia’s Buckeye Charmer STDcs) toward the end of the previous decade produced some very special dogs. Sired by Lookaway Luke, the daughter we kept would have many of the working traits we admire in her half brother, Iron Will.
We called her Seeney and named her after her mother and grandmother: thus she is Slash V Third Charm. Seeney resembled
lot of attention but would rather just be around us rather than receiving a lot of affection. Kind of like a cat but much more trainable! Seeney lived to her mid teens after contributing some amazing dogs to our program and others.
Seeney’s littermates all went to working homes although we kept her brother, Slash V Jim Dandy for several years. He had a STDc from a couple of trials and then moved to a ranch in Nebraska. "Jimmie" worked very much like his mother, Young Kate, and loved to heel.
The only blue male was sold to Dicky Renn in Maryland to work on his dairy. The way Dicky described this dog it appears he has a style similar to Seeney. This farm dog turned Dicky into a trialer and their accomplishment of WTCH Slash V Luke Cowwalker is the result of this transformation! After a successful trial career including some nice High In Trial wins, Luke worked at home and was trialed by Dicky's daughter.
Seeney was like her mother and grandmother also in her attitude toward people - there were no strangers. Like them, she was independent and did not demand a
her grandmother more than her mother and had more of her grandmother’s working style. She worked quiet, strongest on the head but she would heel cattle low with a very strong fetching instinct on sheep . She had quite a bit of eye and would approach standing stock straight on with confidence.
Slash V Star Charmer
"Star"
Hall of Fame Dam
Slash V Steel Smoke x Slash V Third Charm
Female blue merle, born Feb '05, OFA Good
Star is from a cross that has turned out to be one of those magic ones. Once in awhile it happens that there is just the right nick, and this cross has produced some very amazing dogs. I sometimes think their owners should have their own internet list to share their stories about Sidey, Halo, Bunny, Tex, Sage..... Star was chosen to be a keeper by Steve's wife, Heather, and it was the perfect choice. She was just one of those puppies who did everything right and has never changed. On cattle she is a low heeler who will bite the face, works quiet and loves it. She had never been around children and loves and tolerates everything their daughter, Justyn, does with and to her. If Star was from a magic cross, the cross of Star on Tide is another one. Their puppies are working stock, winning in Agility, and from the reports we get back, are incredible companions and pets. It is turning out that the cross of Tide on Smokey daughters and his sister is one of those that breeders dream of and we first found that out with Star since she is the oldest of the three we have out of Smokey and Seeney.
Below: Star with Justyn, Steve and Heather's little girl. "Star" was Justyn's first word!
Slash V Paper Halo
"Halo"
Slash V Steel Smoke x Slash V Third Charm
red merle female whelped Feb. 200
Halo is a full sister to our Star and Katy as well as full sister to Sidey and Sage who are pictured on the "Bred by Slash V" page. Halo spent the first five years of her life with Robyn Matthews in Canada doing such interesting things as competing on a very successful flyball team, doing agility and disk training, skijoring, attending some sheep clinics, and in general being a wondeful companion. We have been fortunate to have Halo back with us and have found her to be not only a beautiful girl but just plain fun to have around. She is smart, easy to get along with, a super athlete, and talented on stock.
Slash V Buckeye Charm
"Katy"
Slash V Steel Smoke x Slash V Third Charm
red bi female whelped 9/06 OFA Excellent
Katy was Seeney's last puppy, literally, as she was a single pup. She is a full sister to Star as well as full sister to several amazing ranch dogs, and two winning agility dogs. We were fortunate to get exactly what we wanted - one last daughter from this successful cross. Katy is a super athlete and probabably the fastest dog we have and has the quiet style we want on stock. She has offspring winning in Agility, working on ranches, and in companion homes.
Back in 1996 we had bred Key to Dude and in 2001 we had the opportunity to get back a daughter from that breeding, Slash V Cajun Key "Cage."
Slash V Cajun Key
"Cage"
One of the reasons we felt so fortunate to get Cage back is that both of her parents were not only good, but outstanding, real life ranch working dogs. Real serious work is a test that so many dogs do not get and one that is most important to us.
Cage represents the very special maternal line that to me represents the real Slash V dog. There is a straight line right back through every special female of their time starting with her mom Key and then directly to Possum, Paper Doll, Ticki, Red Fudge and to Martin's Josie whelped in the sixties. Two strong doses of Paper Doll and Little Rock on her sire's side just add strength to the qualities that make her a true Slash V dog in personality, looks, and working ability. She is exactly as the Standard states, "reserved with strangers" and "primarily a working dog of strong herding and guardian instincts".
Slash V Patch Pocket
"Pocket"
Slash V Rufus x Slash V Cajun Key (Female, Red Tri)
Pocket is the offspring of Rufus and Cage. Pocket was my "keeper" out of Rufus and Cage's only litter. She also was a "leftover puppy" out of four red tri females in the litter. She has turned out even better than I ever expected and especially with her offspring. She is totally the easiest dog to live with I have ever had, and in that way much like her grandmother, Key. Completely laid back and almost placid until there is something to do and then up for the job. She works quiet, has quite a bit of eye on sheep but not much on cattle. She is untrialed but her littermate brother, WTCH Slash V Han Solo has won many HIT awards including at Nationals and has qualified several times for the National Finals. She is totally comfortable with people. We kept Pocket's son Tide from her first litter by WTCH Slash V Slide Me Six and he is pictured on the present dog page.
Slash V Creole Key
"Cree"
WTCH Aggieland's Rocky Top x Slash V Cajun Key, red merle bitch, born March '06
Cree is strong and silent on cattle and balanced on heads and heels. She is the kind of dog a rancher could take out and work with little or no training. I love that she has the "look" of a Slash V dog which she comes by honestly. Not only was her sire conceived from frozen semen from WTCH Slash V Spirit of Aggieland (whelped 1980) which brings the old dogs up so close, Cree gives us a direct line back from Cage to Key to Possum to Paper Doll to Ticki to Red Fudge. She is the seventh generation of the best females we have bred along with a sire who brings the old dogs up as close as possible.
Each bitch in her maternal line was the very best of what their mother produced and each one has been an outstanding producer. Not bad for a keeper! Unlike her mother, Cree does not have "strong guardian instinct" and pretty much likes everyone she meets. However, the genes are there as they are with most Aussies.
Working with Russ Ford's Kate (Rocky x Hope, who is a Smokey daughter)