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Present Dogs
Slash V Skipa Star x Slash V Bittersweet Frosting, (Male, Blue Merle with White) 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 has a strong fetching instinct and that uncanny ability to keep his stock together. He is calm and works deliberate with some eye. Since we didn't have cattle for a time I have took him several places to work. The first time I had him at Russ Ford's, Smokey had watched 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 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 him - we were both impressed. Smokey still hasn't had a lot of work on cattle but everything has been positive. No bark and he will hit both ends, shows some eye on the approach, rates his stock = a keeper! We now have cattle again, and as I have been able to work him with regularity here at home, I am really happy that the little blue water pan puppy that is the color of smoke stayed at Slash V. Smokey has produced a few litters for us and has also been used a few times with outside bitches. We stay in contact with the bitch owners and our puppy buyers and we are happy to report that Smokey appears to be a producer of good real-life stockdogs that are easy to live with and beautiful to boot. We've created a page specifically for Smokey's Offspring so that you can have a look at what he's produced.
Slash V Rufus x Slash V Cajun Key (Female, Red Tri) Pocket is the offspring of Rufus (see retired dogs of 2000 page for Rufus' story) 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 and did us proud at the 2007 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 later on this page.
Slash V Skipa Star x Slash V Bittersweet Frosting, born March '05, female blue merle. Whicket is a very pretty girl and Smokey's younger sister. She works quiet and a little stronger on the heads than heels and has never worked sheep. Whicket is another laid back easy going girl (the kind we like). She is a little reserved with strangers (like the Breed Standard says she should be) but has never been aggressive toward people. Her mother only had two litters and this is a cross I wanted not only a male from, but a bitch too. I lucked out and both of them are red producers, something they only had a 50-50 chance of being. Her pedigree is unique in that she combines 1/4 Twin Oaks and Windsong, 1/4 Hangin Tree, and 1/2 Slash V with the Slash V being both maternal lines. At this writing she has just had one litter and my son, Randy, has a male that we are keeping in the family!
Slash V Steel Smoke x Slash V Third Charm, female blue merle, born Feb '05 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. Star has had two litters, one by AuxArcs War Eagle that produced my son Randy's beloved Chewy, a special dog who we planned to be part of our breeding program who was killed in a tragic accident. Her second litter was by our Slash V Shining Tide. Star is pretty special around here. I should mention her mother is in my opinion one of the top four talented working bitches we have ever owned.
WTCH Aggieland's Rocky Top x Slash V Cajun Key, red merle bitch, born March '06 Cree has turned two years old and has met our criteria for a "keeper". She is OFA Good and works cattle silently and pretty much balanced on heads and heels. 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 will give us a direct line back from Cage to Key to Possum to Paper Doll to Ticki to Red Fudge. She will be 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.
WTCH Slash V Slide Me Six x Slash V Patch Pocket, red bi male, born Feb '06 Tide is one of those dogs with "old eyes" and a very laid-back disposition. He is Steve's dog, picked out special from Pocket's first litter. Although to me he didn't stand out as anything special in the litter, Steve usually has an eye for the good ones, and I think he was right. From the very first time on cattle Tide worked silently and deliberately with a lot of power. He's another fancy low heeler. Steve had specifically told me to hold off starting this young dog but then asked me if I had put him on the cattle...I ran out and tried it and wow! This is one of those dogs who goes in low all the time and LOVES to heel but will bite the head. Tide is a sturdy, stocky male that is about 21 inches tall.
Leftover Puppies??? How many times have I heard that "we don't want the leftover puppy"? Pocket was the "leftover" in her litter and so was Smokey in his. Please read my article "Leftover Puppies" to hear about some pups who grew up to have a major impact on the breed.
For more Slash V dogs, please visit the Litters & Available page and also the Bred by Slash V page.
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| Our Dogs & History | Litters & Available | Slash V News | Bred by Slash V | Just for Fun | My Articles & Stories |
| Training DVD | Stockdog Information | ASCA History | Email Terry | Home | Links |
Steve Winn & Terry Martin 3530 N. FM 1744 Hico, Texas 76457
HOME# 254-785-2047 CELL# 817-408-0721
E-Mail Slashv@htcomp.net
