She turns on the light and there he is in the middle of her kitchen, looking pleased and defiant; At that moment Theresa knows that her mornings are about to get a lot more hectic. The first puppy has scaled the walls of the pool and more are sure to follow.

This particular morning though, is not where Theresa Cassleman's story as highly reputable dog breeder begins; for that we have to go to March 1996, when she came upon an article in Western Horseman describing a popular working breed of dog, the Australian Shepherd. The article provided the history of the breed and detailed the journey of the family of Ernest and Elaine Hartnagle of Colorado and their famed Las Rocosa Australian Shepherds. Included in the article was a photograph of a cowboy on horseback with his dog sitting behind him in the saddle. Never before had a picture of man and dog captured Theresa's attention as that one did.

Soon after, she and husband Glenn became the proud owners of Pete, a male blue merle. He, however, was destined to be a pet and companion dog, so Theresa's next step was to go directly to the source and contacted Joseph Hartnagle in Kiowa, Colorado. Theresa would acquire two Aussies through the Hartnagle Family.

This began her love affair with the Australian Shepherd; "It is my ideal to not only produce sound working dogs with structural balance and clear rich colors, dogs with focus and intelligence, but especially a dedicated canine companion."

Love of a breed is just the tip of what it takes to be a successful breeder. You don't just put two dogs together, have puppies, sell them, and make money. Casselman is very careful about the breeding process and as with everything else, she doesn't rush. Females are bred at about 3 years of age and only if the medical history reveals no problems such as epilepsy. Males are over 3 years and their pedigree and medical history are also thoroughly examined.

As for making money, Theresa also works from home as a medical transcriptionist. Home is a working ranch where at the time of our interview there were 20 ewes and 35 lambs plus 5 llamas who, as Theresa is a raw food advocate, are part of the food chain. The slight and fit 49 year old Casselman thinks nothing of standing in front of 10 (really big) Belgian draft horses as she corrals them. She is also an avid horsewoman whose current goal is to master hunter jumping.

How she keeps her lifestyle balanced is to her quite simple - she is not in a hurry. When you engage with Theresa you have her attention. Whether she is taking a phone call from one of her two grown children from a previous marriage; Matt, twenty-seven, or twenty-five year old Melissa, emailing a dog owner who has a question, or when one of the adult dogs just needs some one-on-one time, she gives each task her calm and undivided attention.

Getting back to Theresa's morning, she describes it best in this excerpt from the Casselcreek Blog -

"Puppies are born and raised in the kitchen, the hub of the house. There, they can be watched, nurtured, handled, and they in turn become used to the sights and sounds of a busy household.

The puppies have made huge strides the last week. A few have tumbled out of the pool on their own and those who haven't, stand at the edge of the pool and whine and howl so loudly it's not long until we come and plunk the rest of them out. Once they're flopping out of the pool, there's really no point in having it so they've moved up to a 4 x 6 foot matted and paper-lined ex-pen.

My mornings now start with a chorus of puppy squeaks, louder and louder until I drag my tired self out of bed and make an appearance in the kitchen. Then the squeaks and squeals and yips and barks REALLY start. Then Belle joins in, then Newt, always Niki, and Deets with his howl. Sweet Paisley and my #1 man Gracin always wait patiently and quietly, knowing I'll get to them as soon as I can to open their crates and let them outside.

Then back to tend to the puppies. Now that I'm again crating mama Hannah at night, the kids are hungry in the morning so it's a yummy meal of ground chicken or holistic kibble. Next it's time to change their paper and clean their ex-pen so all puppies are let loose in the kitchen, barricaded at the two doorways. These darling little fluffballs sound like a small herd of elephants as they run their "racetrack", making laps around the island, in behind the crates, over the toys, and back around the island. About 40 minutes later, there are usually nine little baby lumps sleeping on the floor."

While their environment is both loving and nurturing, Casselman never forgets what she needs to do to ensure that her carefully chosen owners get the best puppy that she can give them.

On Day 3 of their young lives, she starts the Early Neurologic Stimulation program which will continue until Day 17. At about 3 weeks, each time she goes out to do chores she packs a puppy with her; early socialization is important. In the weeks to come they will get used to the sights, sounds, and smells of this busy working ranch and all it has to offer. Plus there will be car rides and "kids, kids, kids as the little girls from next door will start coming over to play with them."

Around Day 49, she will take the litter into Calgary to visit the ophthalmologist. Each puppy will have a full CERF exam to clear their eyes for any defects; it's paramount for Casselman to know that she's not producing any problems.

She also keeps meticulous weight records and before going to their new homes the puppies will have been to the vet for shots and fecal exams.

When deciding on puppy owners she asks about lifestyle, family structure, plans for puppy, and each owner must agree to enroll in obedience classes. She realizes that the scrutiny goes both ways and encourages owners to check her references and make an appointment to come out and meet the puppies.

The week that a litter goes home is always a tad bittersweet, but she stays in touch with her new owners through emails and an internet group. Casselcreek Aussies are located in Utah, Ontario, BC, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and of course, Alberta.

In the show ring, Casselman is a serious competitor but she has learned to enjoy it. Loving the details involved in working with the different dogs; getting to know them for their strengths and weaknesses, and the ultimate satisfaction of putting the dog together on show day. While she usually goes home with a ribbon, when she doesn't Theresa still feels that she gained something positive from the time spentwith her dogs. Ribbons or not, she knows she is still always taking the best dog home.

The future of Casselcreek Australian Shepherds is now in the paws of Belle, a beautiful little girl from Connecticut. Already she is proving herself a champion but she and Theresa have one big and exciting show ahead of them and that is the upcoming Colorado ASCA Nationals. This will be the first time showing at this level but whatever the outcome, Casselman intends to enjoy the moment and take it all in stride.

One woman's passion started with a dog named Pete who quietly passed away on February 22, 2009, and no matter how many dogs and puppies follow at her heels in the days and years to come, I have the feeling that it is his spirit that she will always see running in the fields of Casselcreek.

For more information and to meet the Casselcreek Australian Shepherds go to:
Casselcreek Website: http://www.casselcreek.com/
Casselcreek Blog: http://casselcreek.blogspot.com/

Editors Note: As I write this article I am privileged to have one of the Casselcreek Australian Shepherds lying beside my desk. Chris and I are the proud parents of Mia, daughter of Casselcreek Hannah's A Keeper