Beardie Basics and Beyond: The Complete Guide to Bearded Collies

This is the first book published in the United States to focus solely on the lively and personable Bearded Collie. Written by two of the early importers and Beardie breeders, Beardie Basics and Beyond covers all of the aspects that owners and breeders alike will find useful for many years to come. For those who enjoy the Beardie as a companion, there is basic training, grooming and health care, as well as some history and a note on their charming personality. For herding aficionados, an entire chapter is devoted to locating and training your Beardie to be a working dog.In-depth coverage of conformation, breeding, genetics, coat color inheritance, whelping and care of the puppies will appeal to those who are either already raising Beardies or those who are considering it. The authors have included an informative chapter on the early and influential kennels in the U.S., Canada and England, as well as two interesting aspects of judging the Beardie; the outline and the side gait. The text is complimented with many excellent photographs of Beardies at rest, in the ring, at play or work. A must have for anyone who has fallen in love with the charismatic Beardie!

A longstanding friendship between the authors began in the late 1960’s, and together they traveled to Great Britain in 1977 to research the first edition of Beardie Basics and to purchase breeding stock.

The authors’ first book, Sheltie Talk, published in 1967, was conceived because they wanted to give the Sheltie fancier a badly needed source of basic information specific to the breed —information which the authors had difficulty obtaining during their early years as breeders. The book has since become the most widely recommended work on the Shetland Sheepdog.

Barbara Hagen began breeding Shelties in 1961, at the age of fourteen. Over the next sixteen years she bred or owned a dozen champions in Shelties and various other working breeds. In 1970, Barbara married Freedo Riesberg, who previously had been involved in showing under her kennel name, Silverleaf. They obtained their first Bearded Collies from England in 1973, with the help of international judge Margaret Osborne, and went on to produce numerous champion and ROM Beardies. In April of 1980, Barbara Riesberg died—a great loss not only to Freedo, but to the Beardie world as well. Silverleaf Kennel has since become inactive.

B.J. McKinney began breeding and showing Shelties in 1966, under the name Kinni Kennels. Her interest in publications dates back to her twelfth year of age when, with camera and pen, she put together her first "book," a story about a litter of Sheltie puppies. She has been involved in publishing since 1974, and has bred several champion Shetland sheepdogs.

Jo Parker has been a breeder/exhibitor of Bearded Collies since 1974, and is also a licensed AKC judge. Her Parcana kennel has produced many champions, including Best in Show and Group winners, Prior to her involvement with Bearded Collies, she bred Shetland Sheepdogs for nearly thirty years. She is a former President of BCCA, was breed columnist for the AKC Gazette for many years, and has written numerous articles. She holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Alabama.