Breeder's Statement Breeder Bio

~Breeder's Statement~

From the moment we brought our first Aussies home in 1994, 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 epilepsy, 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 and 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.
Flying Carpet Aussies are bred for herding livestock. However, any of our pups will be well suited to a variety of tasks, whether that be Stockdog, Obedience, Agility, or Tracking.

While I am a hobby breeder and have only bred two litters in the years I've owned Aussies, all breeding dogs and bitches are CERF'd regularly and have a hip OFA rating of good or better. Full pedigrees are available here.

A word of caution. As wonderful as I believe Australian Shepherds to be, they are not the right breed for everyone. This is especially true of the working lines of Aussies. Bred mostly from generations of iron-hard, ‘work-or-die’ ranch lines,
a Flying Carpet pup will never grow up to simply be a complacent house pet.
They will have a very strong herding instinct (caution: cats and children included); they will have a very high drive;
they will need an enormous amount of daily exercise; and, most importantly, they will need a job.
Without a job an Aussie from this breeding will get bored and will look for ways to entertain him self and to get your attention. He will destroy your furniture, damage your house, dig up your yard, eat every shoe you own, and then he will go looking for a rug to pee on (or worse) just to get your attention —even if that means getting your angry attention.

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 and references are 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 a wonderful experience. You have my word on that.

Wendy Eldredge

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~Breeder Bio~

Wendy 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.

And I come by my "cowgirl" attitude naturally. My mother's father grew up in Texas and earned his living as a young man on the cattle drives and broke horses and mules to saddle and harness. He taught me to ride and to throw a lasso; although that is a skill I've long since forgotten.

Growing up, my "pet" dogs were field bred Cocker Spaniels. I showed as a Junior Handler in AKC with them, and horsed 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 my husband 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.

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Wendy Barlow Eldredge Canton, GA Wendy@flyingcarpetkennels.com

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.