Tricorn Acres

Our Philosophy At Tricorn Acres

"Keeping an eye on the Aussie's future without losing sight of its past."

For 25 years, our goal has been to maintain the physical and mental soundness of the Australian Shepherd. Physical and mental soundness speak for themselves. The Aussie should be balanced in both physical and mental traits. If he is bred for traits in one extreme or another, then he is not bred with the true Australian Shepherd in mind. The Aussie should be moderate in overall size, coat and bone with the structure to perform as an athlete without tiring too quickly or injuring easily. Although correct in movement and structure, this dog is not always the one to win in the conformation/breed ring (show ring). He is often passed over for those dogs bred more towards trends that emphasize "perfect" earset, flashy white markings, heavy bone and profuse coat that can be popular in that area of competition. Some of these traits are cosmetic in nature and others are just not desirable in a working dog.

Physical soundness means nothing without the mental capabilities to match. The well-bred Aussie is an intelligent, thinking dog with good reasoning abilities. He has the "good sense" to think a situation through and react appropriately. Our goal is to perpetuate those traits. With proper socialization and training, this is a dog who is reliable and stable in temperament. Exaggerated intensity and/or instinct without the good sense to match is just as undesirable in a working dog as the exaggerated physical characteristics.

I subscribe to the ASCA Code of Ethics. I do not and will not physically alter a dog unless for tail length and front and rear dew claw removal as allowed in the ASCA standard and only if it is done as puppies, 2-3 days after birth. After considering the results of health tests and pedigree research, I plan each litter to perpetuate the traits important to the breed while minimizing the occurance of genetic defects. I have puppies only when I can keep one for my breeding program. All prospective homes are carefully screened. I will take back any dog of my breeding at any time during the life of the dog. All pets sold on spay/neuter contracts, with rebate on proof of spay/neuter. All breeding prospects sold on co-ownership terms only and only to breeders who share our philosphy and goals.

Education is central to my philosphy. I spend time talking to people who have their first Aussie and think that she is just so special that she should be bred. I'm often asked to help a breeder research a pedigree to find out more about the ancestors, genetic problems, temperament, etc. Much of the correspondence I receive is about behavior problems. These run the gambit of new owners with training and management problems, to the current rise in issues such as impulse control aggression, anxiety, and noise phobias .

Please contact me if you would like to discuss any of the above, my dogs, future litters, obtaining a puppy etc.

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Please join me in supporting the following endeavors:

USASA Junior Awards Program

USAS Foundation Epilepsy Challenge Fund

The Australian Shepherd Health and Genetics Institute

The Aussie's future is in our hands!
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Before you contact a breeder, please consider Aussie rescue and giving a needy Aussie a forever home.
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Member of the United States Australian Shepherd Association (USASA), the national AKC breed club.

Behavior editor for the Australian Shepherd Journal , the national breed club's magazine.

Maxwell Award winner from the Dog Writers Association of Amercia.

Member of the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) for about 20 years.
The Tricorn kennel name is permanently registered with ASCA;


                                                                     
and Certified Member of the International Association
of Animal Behavior Consultants
.






Private consultations and classes with me are ongoing on at Upper Valley Humane Society.

Join me during the day on Saturdays plus in the evening on Wednesdays and Thursdays
for Puppy, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Skills, Small Dog, Canine Good Citizen and Fun With Agility classes!!

Please contact Robin Stern at 603-448-6888, ext. 123, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm or email training@uvhs.org.


You can see a full UVHS class schedule and course content online at www.uvhs.org.

Thanks for visiting my website. I look forward to talking dogs with you!


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Tricorn Australian Shepherds - AKC reg - ASCA perm reg - Meredith Lunn CDBC - Certified Dog Behavior Consultant
Copyright 2009