Delanor Kaikoura 'Kai'

All English Lines
Tri-Coloured, Dog
D.O.B. 31.8.04
Puppy eye tested clear
BAER hearing tested Normal
Genetically Normal for CEA by parentage
Adult eye tested clear from PRA
Hip Score: 3-6
Working C only in Obedience

Available at Stud to approved bitches only

Click here for pedigree (Anadune Website)

Owners comments

Delanor Kaikoura is a strong, confident, handsome outward ranging dog. I have owned a number of strong sheep dogs as rescues with their working ability and drive very definitely directed into picking up sheep at any distance as quickly as possible and working them as asked. Control with these strong dogs can sometimes be difficult as their instincts are always directing them away from you as a handler. Having the chance to mould Kai’s strong instinctive working behaviours inwards from a pup have resulted in him directing all his strong outward working ability towards working for me in obedience competition and wanting to constantly work for me wherever I go! I introduced him onto sheep and have no doubt from the start of his outrun that he would make an excellent sheep dog although obedience work is now his raison d’etre!

Around the house Kai is the perfect companion. He always wants to please and is phenomenally quick to learn. I also have Malamutes and subsequently am well aware that a dog’s intelligence is often directed to problem solving for gain (ie learning to open cupboards with food in or gates outside etc) – Kai’s intelligence is constantly directed towards me and if I am not in the room with him he will settle and wait for me to turn up! He plays with my other dogs with great gusto as long as I am not around – if I am present he only has eyes for me which as you can imagine frustrates the Malamute considerably! His confirmation and health is robust and when doing things at his full, considerable speed and rough housing with my other dogs over twice his body weight, he has never had any injuries or needed veterinary treatment since a pup.

Although strong and confident his desire to please and do the right thing overwhelms his strength of character and he is correspondingly very biddable to work with. He is sensitive to change in tone of voice from me as a handler and is quick to say sorry with his body language if he gets corrected for something he should not be doing. This makes him a pleasure to teach anything to – his attitude makes training a constantly positive experience for me and for him which makes him want to learn more and more – a vicious circle that saw him get to working B/C in open obedience competition before 2 years of age. This progression was his own doing not me forcing the pace and I have constantly been the one playing catch up to his ability.

His temperament towards people and unknown dogs is always friendly – if pushed by other dogs he will stand up for himself but I have never seen any aggression from him toward dog or person. His energy levels are astounding and he will work through all temperature ranges with very little alteration in output over the short term. I am very fortunate to have the pleasure of Kai as a companion and while I cherish all the dogs I have ever shared my life with, Kai easily eclipses all of them in his working ability, drive, speed of learning, accuracy and eagerness to please.