The Hole In The Head Gang, Wendy Eldredge, Australian Shepherds

Breeder Statement

Breeder Bio

Wendy with Brumby & Sheila (1993)

Breeder Statement

From the moment we brought our first Aussies home, I knew I had found the breed I would devote the rest of my life to promoting and protecting.

My main goal at Flying Carpet is to produce only Aussies which meet the ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America) breed standard. Any pup produced by this kennel is guaranteed to have working instinct, a sound body free of dysplasia and eye anomalies, and a pleasant temperament.

Bear in mind that a pleasant temperament does not guarantee a complacent animal, or one who will be satisfied to lounge about the house. It simply means that the dog will be willing, if not eager, to please, will enjoy the companionship of his owner, other family members, and other pets (common sense is required, however), and will thrive on good work of any sort.
Any Flying Carpet Aussie is well suited to a variety of tasks, whether that be Stockdog, Conformation, Obedience, Agility, or Tracking.

These Aussies are bred to be VERSATILE!

All breeding dogs and bitches are CERF'd regularly and have a hip OFA rating of good or better. Full pedigrees are available on request.

A word of caution. As wonderful as I believe Australian Shepherds to be, they are not the right breed for everyone. The need an enormous amount of regular exercise, and I'm not talking a game of toss in the backyard. They're extremely smart, fast learners, so the owner/handler must be at least as smart...or else trouble will happen. If an Aussies gets bored, he will make up his own games, and very seldom will you enjoy his games as much as he.
They need a job!

If you're interested in an Aussie from my breeding, I will put you through the ringer with a battery of questions, and a contract is required, so be prepared. Every pup produced here is precious to me, and I'll only send them to a home I trust. Should we decide a Flying Carpet Aussie is the one for you, it will be an wonderful experience. You have my word on that.

Wendy Eldredge

Bio

Wendy Barlow-Eldredge

As you might suppose, I've been head over heals about
dogs all my life. From birth, I was surrounded by trained
hunting dogs. My Dad and Granddad kept marvelous bird
dogs, and they took their breeding and training programs
seriously. I never could get it through my head that the
bird dogs weren't for playing with, and I could often be
found in the kennels with them. Fortunately for me, those
dogs were as well socialized as they could get, and were
as gentle as lambs with any of us kids.

Growing up, my "pet" dogs were field bred Cocker Spaniels.
Ishowed as a Junior Handler in AKC conformation with them,
and played around with agility, although in those days agility
certainly wasn't what it is today. I called it canine
steeplechase,and only played around with it in the yard with neighborhood kids,
never dreaming that it would one day
become one of my favorite activities.

After being without a dog for several years, and after a
night of mass break-ins in the neighborhood, my husband
and I decided it was time to get back into dogs. Our breed
selection was fairly narrow. The breed must be smart,
eager to please, with a good temperament. My choices
were a Cocker (go figure) or a Standard Poodle (what was
I thinking?). My husband's only choice was an Australian
Shepherd. I'd never owned a herding breed, but Richard
had fallen in love with them years earlier and convinced me
to expand my horizons. Well, it was the perfect choice.
Their loyalty, drive, and sheer exuberance for life enthralls
me. Now, I simply cannot imagine owning any other breed of
dog.

Copy write 1998
Hole In The Head Gang

Flying Carpet Aussies
All rights reserved

I need this like I need another hole in my head

When in danger or in doubt,
run in circles scream and shout

If you can't be a good example,
then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning.