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CADENCE COLLIES BREEDS FINE COLLIES AND ADHERES TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE "AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB" (AKC) AND THE "COLLIE CLUB OF AMERICA" (CCA).
 
WE ADHERE TO ETHICS and would never misrepresent ourselves or our dogs. 
 
AS A BUYER, YOU CAN HAVE COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR CHOICE OF A CADENCE COLLIE.
 
Our line is genetically healthy.  Our Stud has been certified by the "OFA" (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) regarding "hip dysplasia".   Our pups are all examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist, to obtain their "CERF" (Canine Eye Registration Foundation).  Our pups are all sold with "State of NY Certificate of Veterinary Inspection" as well as "Health guarentee" and "contract" so that we can all be assured that the future of each pup that we sell, will be bright.
 
We screen and educate all potential buyers to make sure that they are ready, willing and able to take on the responsibility of raising one of our puppies or dogs. 
 
 
I first started in collies when I was 11 years old (1971). Neither one of my parents, nor virtually any of my relatives or family friends had a dog. In fact, my parents seemed not only absolutely uninterested in allowing any animals in the house, but my father considered that emotional attachments to animals were disdainful. Somehow, I was born into such heritage. The books and movies that I loved for the first decade and a half of my life were always about animals or the relationship between one particular human and an animal. I was a prodigious reader, and after I had polished off the library's fictional section on the topic of animals, I read manuals on the ownership and care of various critters. My first "pets" were spiders and ants which I fed in "the wilds" of the suburbs or kept in jars. Then, I managed to secure a minnow, then a tank of tropical fish. After much petitioning and urging, I was allowed a hamster- and so read all two books available on this creature. I still longed for a dog, and read all about their care and training. Although I was able to train my hamster to "come", I could never get it to "sit"!

Then, I "fell in love" with Duncan. I'm not sure when this happened, We were living in our new house for a short time, when this furry brown dog, with a white ruff, ambled
down the neighbor's front steps. Somehow, at this time, I cannot recall whether this was the same type of dog which was known on the TV screen as "Lassie", or not, I was
only 6 or 7 years old. To me, this was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen. He seemed noble and intelligent and when I heard about certain pranks that he pulled, I respected him even more. Most times, he wandered over out house, looking for me, I hoped. If he was kept inside, I would go to the neighbor's house. One day, I was distraught to hear that he was "very over weight" and
"died of a heart attack".

For several years, I researched the various breeds of dogs, looking for the one which was right for me (and allowed by my family- click on "collie features"). At the same time,
I campaigned bitterly for a dog, but was always refused. I cannot recall any "epiphany", but one day, I knew that the breed for me would always be "the collie". So, I watched every Lassie TV episode and movie and helped myself to Eric Knight, Albert Payson Terune and to other's famous collie stories. I dreamed of the day that I would be able to have my own collie.

The oldest of many children, and a very thoughtful, bright and responsible child, my mother had allowed me as her advisor and helper. My mother did disclose her own childhood desire for a puppy and about the sad two week fate of a puppy that her mother allowed her to keep only in the basement. My relentless pursuits to convince my parents
to allow us a dog, first melted my mother's resistance. She did the research and located a Collie kennel known as "Knightswood" in mid Long Island, where we lived.

Executing a brilliant plan, but not wanting to disobey my father's wishes, my mother called my father at work at his busiest hour. I'm going shopping; would you like a nice pot-roast for dinner...I think the butcher has a sale...That dress your sister had on, last evening looked well on her...I think she said she got it at "A&S"...I was expecting the electrician to come this earlier, that's why we haven't left yet. Anyway, I was waiting for him and it held us up...you know, to fix the outlet...so I'm going to take the kids... (I could envision what my father's face must have looked at on the other side of the line, at
his busy office. I could see first his eyeballs glazing over, then, his eyeballs rolling upwards. Then I could see that he was trying to talk to his patient as he
tried to get my mother off the phone so that he could get on with his work) "Yes, Yes! For this you need a discussion?!" I could imagine him saying, wondering why his brilliant and independent wife would ensnare him in the banalities of a Saturday morning shopping trip.

My father tried to brush my mother's conversation off too soon. She knew that if she did not notify him of her actual intect to purchase a puppy, that he had every
reason to say that the act was subversive and that any pup bought under such false pretenses, would be returned, period. She knew that the timing was right, that she had
to tell him what he did not want to hear. My mother continued: "Well, I thought you should know, that I've been planning a purchase for the kids, being that they have all been so very good lately and have certainly done their "homework" on this topic.  I feel that they are "ready" and we are "prepared"... ."

"Take them! Take them anywhere they deserve to go, but I need to get off the phone!".  Is what I imagined my father saying.

The definitive statement came next: "Great, I've picked out the kennel already. I just wanted to check with you first, to see if it was O.K. with you.  So give us a call before you
leave for home.  Love you, bye".  And my mother hung up the phone before there could be any retaliation, knowing that my father's work at hand would numb him, for the next several hours, from the reality of having just allowed for the aquisition of a puppy.

And that was the start of my life-time with collies.
 
Parents, take note: My collies allowed me, at an early age, and with minimum cost, to learn about responsibility, patience, love, (veterinary) medicine, winning vs losing (obedience and conformation trials), justice, loss, and death.  These are lessons which served me well for the rest of my life.
 
I had a series of collies (sequentially, three) growing up in the suburbs.  Then, when I started my independent life, in a high rise condo which did not allow dogs greater than 15 lbs, I bought a "condo collie", a shetland sheepdog, an "approved" breed, who annoyed the manager by weighing a lean and lively 30lbs.

Years later, we bought our first house with dogs in mind. The yard was the biggest that we could afford in our neighborhood.  We fenced our yard less than a week after we moved in- which was also the same time
that we adopted two retiring grehounds from the race-track. Weeks later, we added our first two blue merle collies.  The collies of my childhood and adolescence were all sables, but I then became fascinated with the blue merle colored collie and ended up with two such males from different "show" kennels.  These were "pet" dogs, that were "AKC" registered, but did not allow us to be competitive in the conformation ring (dog shows).

We all lived peacefully (four dogs, but no children yet) until we met the owners of "Argent Collies" at a South FLorida dog show, back when they were campaigning "Champion Alfenloch the Silver Laser" (Laser).  We met them again when they were showing Laser's progeny, including his son (Champion) "Glenhill Argent Quantum Leap" (Quantum).

These silver-blue merles from "Argent Collies" were gorgeous, large, and very showy.  We inquired about purchasing a "real show dog" and we were offered a pup from "Quantum's" first litter.  The "catch" was that we had to agree to bring the dog to "show puppy class" each week, and to keep the puppy well-groomed and trained at our house, and to transport the pup to the "Argent Collie" mobile home prior to each week-end's dog show. This seemed to be a big commitment in time and money, so I actually needed a little reassurance from my husband, reminding me not deny one of my life-dreams.

So, into this already crowded house came the four month old result of "Quantum's" first litter: "Bali" (now CHampion "Argent Gone Ballistic").  She is tri-color (black white and tan), and my first female collie, and was flown in from Ohio, where she was born.  She acted as the "prankster" beauty queen, having had a great sense of humor, and a devilish streak as a youngster.  Now, a mom herself, she is the laid-back matron.
 
We became the "soccer-moms" of the dog show world, driving an hour each way for puppy-training class and for dog show preparation. We occasionally traveled
to the actual dog show to see her win in the ring, but everything was well handled without us.

I had to pinch myself; a houseful of dogs, including a glamerous winning bitch with a great personality. Yet, I still didn't have a big winning blue male dog. So when my husband heard that a blue merle "Laser" pup
was being reserved for the showring, he put my name on it!   Ironically, we along with Cindi and Jim of "Argent Collies" , watched the two brothers, one tri-colored and one blue" from that litter, play together for hours, discussing the virtures of each, until we made our decision.  We chose the blue merle, and he became "CH Argent Cosmic Blaze" (Blazer).  His brother, "CH Argent Big Bang" (Bambam), also mentioned later in this website,  has been the top pointed rough collie for the past three years (200, 2001, 2002) and has been the top rough collie at the "Westminster Dog Show" in 2001 and 2002.   
 
Although not as "famous" as his brother, Blazer was/is a real showman, and has never lost that quality with us at "Cadence Collies".    As a reminder for those looking for a good stud dog: Blazer is of the same genetic potential as a stud dog, as his littermate, Bambam.
Now, years later, with some excellent fertile foundation stock, our mission is to breed beautiful, affable, show-dog-companion collies.  Our dogs have been successful in the show-ring and have been used as trained "therapy-dogs".
WE WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PASS ON SOME OF THIS SUCCESS TO YOU.