About Us…
The Past
Cameron Bearded Collies Permanently Registered is located on just under half an acre an hour outside of Toronto Ontario Canada. We have had show beardies since 1982.
We got involved with bearded collies after the family purchased a beardie for my mother for Christmas after her neardie went to the rainbow bridge. (This is how we learned puppies should never come at Christmas!!!)
This first beardie was to become Am/Can Ch. Applewood’s Lord D’arcy Cameron CDX. He was a son of the UK import Am/Can Ch. Brambledale Boz JW. 29 years later we are still owned by beardies – our only breed.
D’Arcy became an American Canadian champion and we did obedience, agility and flyball in between my high school classes. You can’t just have one beardie, so in 1985 we went searching for a female to be the foundation of our kennel. We found such a puppy with Barbara Blake of Colbara Bearded Collies Permanently Registered and began a lifelong friendship with her. Barbara Blake was one of the founders of the Bearded Collie Club of Canada and was instrumental in having the breed recognized in both Canada and the US. We sorely miss her companionship and advice.
Fiona joined us at Cameron and soon became known as Am/Can Ch. Colbara Fiona Cameron Blue. She was a double Brambledale Boz granddaughter with Davealex lines as well. She was a multiple breed winner in both countries and placed in the group multiple times in Canada. She was an absolutely beautiful blue girl with strong blue pigment and lovely dark blue eyes. She just floated across the rings when she moved, but most of all she had a wonderful temperament. She was my best friend and my confidant. Fiona gave me 3 litters of gorgeous puppies and from that she had 10 Canadian or American champions and received her register of merit (ROM) in both countries.
All the dogs at Cameron today have Fiona’s bloodlines in them
The Present
When I look for a beardie today, be it when I am judging or when I am searching for a stud dog I am first looking for that characteristic long and lean outline. So many of our dogs in North America are square, looking more like an OES. I look for a lovely length of neck blending smoothly into well laid back shoulders with equal angulation in the rear. I like a fair bit of leg under my beardies, rather than the shorter legged look that we were seeing all too frequently a few years ago. I love a nice broad head with dark eye and dark pigment (depending on the beardie colour of course) and I like my boy beardies to look like boys with sufficient bone so that you can tell the difference between the males and females. Health, structure and temperament are paramount at Cameron Beardies, and our sires and dams are tested for hips, eyes and thyroid conditions prior to being bred.
My current beardie BIS Am/Can Ch Cameron’s D’Arque Reflection NJC NGC ROMX is a once in a lifetime dog. By 17 months he was an American Canadian Champion, Winners Dog, Reserve Winners Dog and Select 1 at 3 different Specialty Shows. He was also a Herding Group Winner in both countries.
He was the Bearded Collie Club of Canada’s Top Beardie in 2002, at the tender age of not quite 3. And the only Canadian Grand Champion thus far with real performance titles after his name.
Cole possesses a long lean body, with a nice tight loin, to die for dark eye and pigment lovely front and rear angulation and a gorgeous floating gait. I tend to judge all dogs I see by him these days. At 11 years old we are semi retired from the conformation show ring. He is also a superb producer with many Champion get in both countries. He was just awarded Top Stud Dog honours from the BCCA for 2010 with 6 champion get in that year.
He has a solid working dog temperament with a bit of show off to him. I have kept four of his daughters and will be continuing my line through them.