Bellaclan was started in 1998 due to my love of obedience trials. My first Border Collie "Comet" was born in 1996 and was 100% working bred. He brought me so much joy that I could not help but be addicted to this wonderful breed, he was what started it all for me! Border Collies are nothing like any other breed, they are, simply put, "Superior By Instinct"TM! If it were not for many special people and mentors, Bellaclan would never be as successful as it is today!
Shortly after getting Comet I started handling for the world renown Pendouglas Great Pyrenees Kennels of Douglas and Penelopy Numbers (my highschool teachers!). At that time Border Collies were not accepted to show in Canada yet!!! Learning from them, I realized what it took to run a successful breeding program. They were so gracious to share their knowledge about genetics, pedigrees, and most importantly bone structure! They are second generation breeders and had much to share. I spent all my afternoons at their kennels training in obedience, show, whelping litters, raising puppies, and helping at their boarding kennel too. I would go over and train right after school and finish my homework there, and yes, being teachers they helped with that too! We traveled to many out of town shows together, finishing too many Champions to count, including multiple group winners, and multi group placers and multi best puppy in show and group winners and even best in specialty and group specialty winners. Thank you Penny for the wonderful gift of knowledge and allowing me to be part of the Pendouglas team!
When I finally made the big step and decided that I wanted to breed I choose to go with show lines, a combination of top dogs from Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, and the UK. Correctly combined I aim to breed a line all my own. I knew how important a foundation is, and I knew how VERY important quality bitches are, and so began my quest for a bitch. She came in the form of "Felicity", Follyhill Felicity Bellaclan who I imported from Dr Darby Lewes of Pensdale, PA USA (Folly Hill's Kennels) in 2004, a daughter of the Australian import BISS Am CH Korella Royal Command ROMF 2XAOM @ WKC. Felicity won a major over group placing specials the one time I talked her into the ring, she never was a fan of the show ring and thus her offspring are where she truly shone! She was bred to "Boomer" Am Grand CH Avatars Boomer of Bayshore RE a son of the top winning Border Collie of all time in North America, MBIS MIBISS Am CH Borderfame Spellbound ROM and a grandson of Am CH Trumagik Tartan Scott ROMX. Thank you Darby for all you help over the years, for mentoring me during my entrance into this breed, and for your kind and patient invaluable guidance.
Deciding that I wanted a dog to show, since being in the show ring is where my heart lies, I had planned to breed Felicity to Australian Import "Thief" Am CH Jenaid Thief Of Hearts CDX ROM, with hopes for a show puppy from the combination. However with Thiefs age, chilled semen might not have made it across to me in Canada and thus his owner offered me one of his son's from his recently born litter. At 9 weeks old, "Parker" Am/Can CH Noteworthy Prophecy In Time HIC CGN HT came to join me in Canada. "The Prophecy" (as he was lovingly labeled in the show ring) and I did more winning then I ever expected a Border Collie would, considering it was a new breed in Canada. He is a multiple group placer in both Canada and the USA, and the first Group One winning Border Collie in Canada, EVER, Parker was #2 in Canada in 2008 and 2009 and the #1 BC Puppy!
Thinking that I should now probably again find a second foundation bitch, and wanting to breed her myself, I imported on lease the lovely "Maddie" Can CH Kesca Made Wild who I later showed in two weekends to her Canadian Championship, from Deanne Veselka of Wildblue Border Collies in Peyton, Colorado USA. I had her bred to Parkers nephew "Diesel" Am CH Made You Look At Powerhouse CGC AOM before she arrived here. Hoping for a girl I ended up with two boys, one of which is "Jackson" Can CH Bellaclan This Is Is HIC HCT-s who is a multi puppy group winner, the #1 BC puppy for 2010, top 10 in 2011, and a multiple group placer!
Back on the prowl for a suitable second foundation bitch, due to the generosity of Deanne once again, she sent Maddie's full litter sister "Ava". Thus Ava, Group Winning Can CH Kesca Pipers Sunet Melody, joined me in Canada where shorty after I finished her title in ONE weekend and with a GROUP ONE , what a dream! Before Ava arrived I had Deanne breed her to her boy "Ty" Am CH Wildblue Eternity, a son of Aust CH Danbeth Fullstop, and from this combination I got a litter that has exceeded my craziest expectations. Cash, Am CH Bellaclan Red Hot Highroller HIC, finished with 4 major wins one of which I showed him to WD at the BCSA Regional Specialty, the same weekend as the Nationals! Viva, UKC CH Bellaclan Queen of Hearts is well on her way to her CH too, and they just barely a year old!
I look very forward to the future and aim to breed the best that I possibly can with health, temperament, and structure as my main priority. Any dogs that are not good enough to breed are spayed/neutered and put into a loving pet homes. I believe in keeping a small amount of dogs as I believe that you do not need quantity to breed quality!
Before breeding all dogs are OFA hip scored, and DNA`d for CEA/CH, CL, TNS, unless normal by parentage already, and must have a passing CERF examination. Pedigree are checked for seizeres and EIC (Exercise Induced Colapse) prior to breeding. I aim to protect and preserve the invaluable lines that the amazing breeders before me have put in my hands and trusted me with, and I am so very willing to share what I know and my lines with anyone serious about showing or getting into this breed, who have the breeds well being at heart!
Bellaclan is located along the beautiful shores of Lake Superior, in Thunder Bay, ON Canada.
Bellaclan has had a dog in the Canadian Top 10 Breed Standings in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 consistently. We have also had the highest amount of top winning dogs in Canada from any one kennel, making us the biggest winning kennel in Canada as of 2011!
Laura K. S. Shaw
bellaclan_bcs@yahoo.ca
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Flag of CANADA Est 1964
"Waved" in Canada as the "Royal Union Flag" AKA the Union Jack since Canada is part of the Commmonwealth Realms under Queen Elizabeth II, along with the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
