Charmhill Story
I have been involved with Shetland Sheepdogs for 50 years , in 1975 the very first sheltie obtained was a bitch we named 'Charm ' , whom was purchased as a family pet when my 3 daughters were very young , she was a real character and was much loved .
When moving from New Zealand to Australia to live a few years later in 1979 , a decision was made to obtain another pet sheltie and have had Shelties ever since . By the mid 1980s we decided we might like to show !
My bloodlines today are a mix of the best of Australian, European and UK lines . UK being the Country of Orgin of this beautiful breed .
Over the years 19 Home bred Champions have been shown to their titles , along the way 4 other Shelties have been purchased to compliment bloodlines that have been titled as well .Some of these earlier shelties are on my Past Dogs page .
With limited Showing thru the years with ongoing work and family committments my Sheltie's have had successes under All-Rounder judges as well as Sheltie Specialists .
I have been involved with the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Victoria Inc in various positions for many years and at present having the honour of being the President of the club going into my 10th year .
Please see the Links page for the link to the SSCV .
My Vision ..
I strive to breed that lovely sweet expression that is so alluring in a Sheltie , as much about the Shetland Sheepdog is about breed type with the finer details of head being very important which makes a Sheltie stand out with the beauitful sweet expression . I prefer my bitches to look feminine and dogs to look masculine , with overall balance , grace and elegance , effortless movement and temperment .
The one thing that is paramount to me when selecting puppies is instant appeal of true UK Sheltie breed type , having that beautiful sweet almond eye , natural ears , correct head planes that complete the look finishing with a level topline with good front and rear movement that is balanced .
No Sheltie is perfect but one must always aim high .
Remembering that Shelties were bred to be working dogs herding sheep . For me I have to like what I see when I look at my shelties run and play in my yard . Good Conformation is important , covering the ground effortlessly when moving completes the picture . A confident and happy Temperment . Overall balance which includes everything in preportion including having that correct reach of neck the Sheltie standard calls for . My pet hate is a stuffy looking sheltie as it spoils their overall balance and topine .
As a show dog a Sheltie doesnt have to be a showing fool ( which helps in the show ring for sure ! ) but importantly it needs to be one of Quality .
With the new Techology of DNA , breeding has stepped up a notch in what we must test for and part of this means we have more tools to guide us to help breed a healthy puppy . My Shelties have been DNA tested since 2007 .
I have consistently bred Shelties with results of Genetically Clear CEA/Ch , MDR1, VW3 , recent testing now also includes DM , GBM and DMS , my puppies retained here by myself have the latest DNA tests as youngsters with full profiles done . But have the realistic view that one must look at a lot more than just good DNA and Eye status , good DNA is just the icing on the cake .
Based in the beauitful city of Melbourne , which is a large City on the East Coast in Victoria Australia, Voted most Liveable City in the world for 7th year in a row in 2017 , to 2nd in 2019 and has a population of over 6 million people .
I live on a normal sized house block these days after previously being on acreage , so numbers are kept low. The dogs still enjoy all the romping and playing around the garden , free run on the grass and chasing the birds when they can .
Some pictures below from Autumn to Spring .
Contact Details
Christine at Charmhill KennelsMelbourne, VIC, Australia
Phone : +61397434404
Email : [email protected]