About JoyLee Border Collies
Animals have brought me great joy in my life. Dogs, in particular, have been a wonderful part of my family. I can remember some of my happiest times from the age of seven or eight, romping on our screened porch with our first litter of BCS. Joy is what those moments brought to my life, and why "Joy" is the first part of my kennel name.
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"Lee" is a tribute to the handler who finished my first two champions. He taught me a lot about what it meant to be a true master of animal husbandry. He was the real deal of a “dog whisperer.” The real dog whisperer is all about what is best for the dog and its future. Good breeding practices are a must. Good breeding practices create dogs with sound conformation, good health, and loving temperament. Temperament is the most important of all. After all, temperament is what we live with day to day.
Why Border Collies?
​So you want to know why I decided to breed bcs? It’s a long sappy story, that I will summarize. My family had a cattle farm with registered Herefords. Before that it was a prize winning Jersey herd and a dairy. My dad could not imagine life without cattle. My mom had a similar background. Everything we owned had to have a pedigree and registration papers.
Leon’s Group one win over the number two ranked German Sheperd to finish his AKC championship.
One day we got in the car to drive to the Dallas metro-plex, where I was introduced to my first kennel with more bc puppies than I could imagine. We came home with two gold babies. They were an unrelated pair I named George Washington and Lassie. First grade was learning about George. Lassie was my favorite thing on tv. I was in heaven, and then a few years later a magical thing happened. Puppies.
As they got on their feet I brought them onto our screened porch and enjoyed some of the most wonderful days in my young life. They were smart and sweet. It was a set up that would guide my future. My working career and travel schedule did not allow me to own a dog. After many corporate years, I changed directions and moved to NC. Fate dealt me a blow, and my lovely home became very quiet. A dog was the answer to the quiet. I adopted a lovely bc girl and we became bonded almost at once. It was a beautiful thing. She was six when she came to me and her name was Abby. Several years later as she was slowing down I contacted a breeder for another grown dog.
I was blessed with an amazing gift of the most beautiful and special boy you could imagine. His name was Leon and he had a fan club. The groomer threatened to run away to the circus with him each and every bath. He was a people magnet. After a few years the breeder (now a friend) asked if she could finish his championship and breed him. I jumped at the chance. That precipitated my buying a young girl with a lovely pedigree which complimented his.
Unfortunately, he was getting older and the breeding did not manifest pups. Then a path did materialized to allow my idea of pursuing a small breeding program. In the middle of everything I moved home to
Texas to a house with a huge yard. My mentor coached me long distance through whelping a dog for her. I was off to the races with a proper yard and mentors to answer my questions. I felt I was blessed with what
I needed to attempt my dream. There are always bumps along the way. They challenge your resolve and commitment. But I love my canine family. They give me many days of joy, just like that first litter on the
screen porch.
Now, there are pups on the fenced patio. Its been a magical journey and I feel blessed that so many things have been gifted to me as I needed them. I am sure my Dad and Grandfather are watching
and coaching. And yes, Daddy, they are all registered. I don’t sit in my boxers reading bull pedigree journals like he did but I do read pedigrees. And DNA panels and OFA results. I guess I can’t live without a canine instead of a bovine. They all have four legs and a tail. The apple fell close to the tree. You have to laugh, I know my parents are amused.