Maeve met Fozie Bear O'Donnell when she was about 4 months old. Farmer Carol had taken her to an English Shepherd gathering in hopes of meeting some regional breeders and ES owners that were like minded about the breed that she loved so much and she could begin the research for Maeve's perfect, future mate.
There were a lot of English Shepherds at the gathering but none of the boys really caught the eye of Farmer Carol. Then she spotted a majestic dog that looked OMG-just amazing. He was masculine, handsome and confident as he moved across the lawn, arriving with its family. He had a powerful yet gentle look and really stood out from the crowd; Farmer Carol watched his great movement and mild mannered disposition as he met and reacted to children running and playing, his owners meeting and greeting and the presence of all the other dogs around. FarmerCarol asked the hostess about the dog and the family and learned that the dog was Fozie Bear O'Donnell and that he was indeed an intact male. She hoped that the family would be willing to discuss possible future breeding of their handsome male with Maeve in a year or so. [note: Farmer Carol also obtained information about several other potential mates for Maeve but when she investigated each one of them further--nothing clicked and she just kept returning back to Fozie. Well of course Fozie Bear's owners thought little Maeve was about the cutest thing they had ever laid eyes on and so After much discussion about English Shepherd Lines and History and comparison of pedigrees and discussion of temperaments and brains and all those important considerations, an agreement was made to stay in contact as Maeve matured and continued with her health and joint evaluations. The meeting and the future relationship ended up being quite serendipitous for everyone involved. Fozie was much older than Maeve but they did not know that. They were truly crazy about each other and it wasn't just during courtship rituals. They would roam woods and pastures, patrol property lines, swim in the pond, snuggle at rest and slip into depression for days after parting with each other. 6 years and 5 litters of puppies, produced some of the most beautiful, smart, awesome, talented dogs that FarmerCarol has ever seen. |
Maeve's PedigreeMaeve has always loved being a mother to her pups. She does not try to wean them early and teaches them gently but firmly until the day they leave the farm.
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Fozie Bear's PedigreeFozie was a hero to all he met. A gentle giant who loved to chase deer through the woods, go hiking, hang out with his family and visit Maeve at the Farm.
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Maeve X Fozie Bear Those pups of Maeve and Fozie Bear ended up being quite amazing dogs that are now all around the country in family homes and working on farms and ranches. Their best of the best daughters are the heart and soul of our breeding program and some of the best English Shepherds to be found or seen. Many of these dogs are in the breeding programs of other ES breeders because there is just something great in the mix, there just was not a bad dog in the whole danged bunch.
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