Shebaa Border Collies Home

I purchased Druid from her in February as an 8 week old pup. I had asked for a male blue merle , I wanted a Deja/Andy pup as I had seen Mirk at trials and liked him a lot .l As it happened when the pups came I had a failing old dog and didn't know if I would be able to take the pup. Terri was very understanding and allowed me to take my time and decide if I would be able to take the pup or not. I did decide to get the pup and he has been one of the best dogs I have had the pleasure of training to date, and I have trained quite a few in 25 years . I compete in sheepdog trial and I expect that he will be ready to trial next spring at a year old. So far his health has been excellent, (Hasn't had his hips or eyes done yet he's only 7 months now), and his temperament is excellent. If I could get another from this same cross in a year I definitely would .

I have had bc's for over 50 years, have bred bc's, and I bought a pup from Terri Florentino this past January. His name is Rob and he is a Meg/Shep pup. Besides being a beautiful dog--- oops, Handsome! dog -- he is a great dog. Terri didn't tell me if you were planning on working the pup you are considering on livestock, or agility, fly ball, obedience or what, but Rob would be dynamite at any of the above. I do herding and that is what I want in a pup. He has a good disposition, he can be dog aggressive but we are working thru that and he will be fine with continued exposure to other dogs. He loves the girls... he doesn't like boys in his face... many bc's are like that. He is one of 6 bc's in our household with two other males, one being intact, and we do not have a problem with him and any of the other dogs. He is great with people! Physically he, so far, has proven to be fine. He has been genetically tested for CEA and found to be normal; he is participating in the ABCA hip study and at 9 months was rated normal with no signs of hip dysplasia. (This study is new. Cornell is trying to develop a genetic test for the early detection of hip dysplasia. It is sponsored by the ABCA with Cornell. Dogs are radiographed and have blood drawn at 8-12 months and again at 24 months.) This coming week, Rob will be going to upstate NY for training. I am sending him to a trainer I have known and trusted for over 20 years. He will be there for 3 months and I will miss the little bugger!! I have great hopes and plans for this dog and I know, from his breeding, working instinct and temperament, that he will live up to my expectations. He is now 13 months old. There is a photo of Rob on my website if you would like to see him www.willowgate.com

I first inquired about Rob thru a mutual friend because of his working lines. I know that Terri "checked me out".... and I would have wondered if she hadn't... before she responded to my email. Terri is a very responsible breeder, does what is best for the dogs and the potential owners, and she cares about her dogs and puppies. I would not hesitate to buy another dog or pup from her.

I met Terri and her family for the first time early this summer at a sheepdog trail in PA. We spent several days together. It was wonderful for me and I know she felt the same. It is difficult to send a pup off (especially a 6 month old pup that you are attached to) to an unknown home (I live in Maine and a third party transported the dog to me in Maine) just on the word of other people even when you trust those people. Terri and her family saw Rob, spent time with him (and me) and were assured that he is in a good home with people who care about him and his best interest.

Again, Terri is a responsible breeder, will tell the truth about her animals, and takes care of them in a responsible way. All lines of bc's can and may have issues. All a responsible breeder can do is try his/her best to select the best possible pair based on genetics, lines, health and disposition. Terri does all of that. Terri is a respected breeder in the working sheep dog world... a difficult hurdle if you do not work the dogs on livestock yourself! As I stated above, I would not hesitate to buy another pup from Terri or her lines! Based on what I have here and what I have seen, I highly recommend Terri as a breeder of border collies.

My wife and I have Jake, a 3 1/2 yr old male merle. He's basically the greatest dog ever. Extremely intelligent (emotionally as well as intellectually) with a great enthusiasm for whatever the day brings. Very obedient, great around kids and other dogs, loves Frisbee, ball, swimming etc.- whatever u can think up. Even watches TV w/ us. Literally. Can't say what he would be like if left alone for long periods tho because I work at home and between the two of us (and his two sets of "grandparents" down the road) he's seldom alone other than his daily nap in his closet/cave downstairs which is where he is now. We feel very fortunate to have found Terri when we were looking- her concern for and love of the breed is obvious. And even tho we weren't sure if it was the "perfect" time to get Jake when we did, it turned out it was.

We have had Emma now for four years, she has brought such enjoyment into our lives. Terri is very careful whom she sells her collies to as she takes much pride and time in raising them. Her dogs are from quality breed and very good temperament. Also very smart and intelligent. I have had the opportunity to be with other border collies that are from Terri's dogs. Emma's two sisters are some I have been with. Each have their own personalities but are wonderful dogs again with good temperament.

We got a puppy from Terri. She took great pains to ensure a good personality match. Of greater importance than that however was the fact that the puppy was very well socialized with other dogs and people. We have another BC that was from another breeder and while she is a great dog she does not relate as well to people as the dog we got from Terri. Canine personalities can vary widely even in the same litter but with Terri's puppies you will the optimal in socialization. The dog she provided for us, Shelby, is the happiest, best socialized dog we have ever had. If you have never had a BC you will be in for a real treat; we will never have another breed. They are so interactive and intuitive and smart and capable of huge vocabularies; just don't bore them so they don't get mischievous! Enclosed is a picture of Shelby.

Karen Murphy

Almost 2 years ago, my husband, Jim and I came to the heartbreaking decision to give up our 3 1/2 year old Border Collie, Buddy. We had gotten Buddy as a puppy and completely adored him. He had exhibited dominant / aggressive behavior, but because we really knew him, we tried to manage it ourselves. Our daughter, Morgan, was born a year after we had first gotten Buddy. After he snapped at her when she was 2 years old, we knew the potential for a bigger problem was greater than not. Terri was willing to take Buddy in, work with him and hoped to eventually place him with another family. Knowing how incredibly devastated my family and I were, Terri very patiently helped us through this process, always encouraged that Buddy's future would be bright, but felt certain that he was not best suited for a family with young children. As time went on, Buddy, whose name was changed to Tulley by the Florentinos, became part of their family. My understanding is that he is thriving beautifully and is in an appropriate environment with his (now not-so-new) family. We are forever grateful! While dealing with our heartache, Terri always encouraged us to seriously consider another dog. She would temperament test him/her and do whatever she could to help us make a good choice. My husband and I were very hesitant to get another dog, because of how emotionally difficult we found our experience with Buddy. In June 2005 Terri let me know of a 2 1/2 year old female Border Collie from one of her previous litters would become available. A family was giving her up because they said she kept running away. We agreed to meet Terri and Raine. We adored Raine immediately and brought her home with us that day. My daughter loved from the start as well and it's been a beautiful friendship ever since. We are so blessed to have Raine with us. To see Morgan able to bond with her best furry friend is such a joy. Terri love for dogs is truly evident in the work she does. I would trust her completely in choosing the right puppy / dog.

Hi Terri,

Was observing Jazz tonight taking a voluntary "time out" during the dogs kitchen activities while I was eating and thought what a good dog...why not send Terri a quick note and again tell her what a neat dog...so here is the note...and message...Jazz is a really good dog, THANKS!!

Doug and Linda Dragoo, Legends Border Collies

Karin Fellers

I was lucky enough to find SheBaa Kennels on the internet when I was looking for my next Border Collie. I wanted a dog that would do agility, hiking, camping and anything else I could think of. This meant I needed a really stable dog that could handle lots of different situations. Terri worked with me to assess what I wanted in a dog and matched me to one of her pups. Terri and Linda did a great job of socializing Kip’s litter before we picked them up and conducted a puppy personality test that was really helpful in choosing a pup from the litter. Kip is incredibly happy, out-going, confident, smart and game to try just about anything. As an added bonus, he wound up being drop dead gorgeous too! He has shown potential for agility and flyball and knows a huge number of tricks. Everywhere I go, people comment on how handsome he is and what a great personality he has. I have stayed in touch with Terri and Linda and they were a great resource for me when I faced challenges with what we fondly called the “tazmanian devil puppy”. We became part of a big Border Collie family when we got Kip and I will definitely look to Terri in the future when I am looking for another dog. Kip is my dog of a lifetime coming at a difficult time in my life and every day he brings me more joy.

As an aside: Kip is an incredibly active and busy guy just like any other Border Collie and without the right outlets could find all kinds of trouble to get into.

I live in Pennsylvania, about 35 miles from Terri, but did not meet her until 2005. Ironically we met through someone who lives in Maine! I had gotten several Border Collies from Lynn Deschambeault, and I’ve known her since 1993. Lynn asked me how far I was from “Lake Ariel”, and if I would look at a pup for her, since she could not make the trip herself from Maine. I agreed and contacted Terri and went to her house to meet this pup. I took a bunch of pictures of the little 5 week old boy to send to Lynn, I played with the puppies and got to meet Terri’s adult dogs. Shortly thereafter, Lynn made arrangements for that pup to get a ride to her home in Maine. At the time that Lynn got herself a new pup, I had gotten myself a new friend. Terri asked to meet my dog “Token” as she was looking for just the right stud dog for Meg’s next breeding. We shared our thoughts on training philosophies, dog behavior and Border Collies in general, and we frequently found ourselves on the same page. We kept in touch and when she decided to use Token for Meg’s breeding in 2006, our friendship became more like ‘extended family’. Once the puppies were born, I spent many hours at Terri’s home. Her entire family – her parents, her husband, her kids, and especially her dogs - made me feel welcome. I got to see first-hand all the time and love that Terri puts into her puppies, as she does with all of her dogs. Health, temperament, socialization and work ethic are all equally important to her, and she strives to always do her best, knowing that breeding is not a perfect science. For her, it’s not a business; it’s a labor of love. Besides being a responsible breeder, Terri is very involved in rescue; many dogs have found new homes through her, thanks to her dedication and caring nature.

As a result of the Meg/Token breeding of 2006, I am now the very proud owner of “Dandy” a/k/a Shebaa’s Pride and Joy. Dandy is a blue merle boy that took my breath away when he was still in the whelping box. However, I loved all the pups, especially the boys; they were all such nice pups and choosing which one to take for myself was an extremely difficult task. Terri helped me keep an open mind and not cloud my judgment by trying to pick a Token Clone. Ultimately I chose Dandy, and he has turned out to be AMAZING. He has many of Token’s qualities, but he’s definitely not a clone, he has many wonderful traits from the Shebaa side of the family…no denying he is related to Deja and Mirk!

At this writing, Dandy is not yet 3 years old, but he has already proven himself as a very talented dog in our chosen careers of Agility and Flyball. He was very young when he started to compete, but I let him progress at his own pace, without pressure. Dandy has totally exceeded my expectations. He is a beautiful effortless jumper, graceful and athletic and fast, focused and driven, and so biddable. This was my first venture into the world of breeding, and I could not be prouder of these puppies, especially my very own Shebaa’s Pride and Joy!

I feel very blessed to have gotten to know Terri and her family, and I will be forever grateful to her for my Dandy.

Hello Terry,

I just came across your name and e-mail address in the Glen Highland farms courtesy listing section (not in the mark

et, adopted another BC from GHF 2 years ago, but I always look!), and figured I would update you on the little black and white puppy we adopted from you one cold November over 5 years ago. We have decided Kimmy is most like a Patterdale terrier mix, but what ever her parentage, she has turned out to be the perfect companion for my daughter, Kayla. Kayla and her "little black dog" have become pretty well known in the agility trial circuit here in the North East! Together, they qualified for the USDAA national championships last fall in PSJ and PGP, but really had a blast trying terrier racing for the first time in Scottsdale. Kayla and Kimmy made AKC news and is featured in their Gazette by being among the first Canine Partners to participate (and Q) in an AKC trial the first weekend in April. The two of them should move up pretty quickly to Excellent- they have been trialing in USDAA'S Plll for some time.

So many people have admired Kimmy over the years- we could have placed a dozen more like her! She is sweet to people, smart, obedient, affectionate, blazing fast when she feels like it, and is most definitely Kayla's protector. She demands respect from other dogs, gets along with her "pack" and chosen visiting canines, but woe to the dog that dares to get in her face...

I don't know if you would remember where the other two pups in the litter ended up, but I would be curious to find out how their lives turned out.

Katherine Dattoma