INTRODUCTION

Dogs have always played a huge part in mine and my family's life. I worked as an MOD dog handler for twelve and a half years.

My Grandmother was the first ever trained veterinary nurse around 1917. Her brothers were professional dog handlers in America and one of them worked on films with the original Lassie.

 I bred my first litter of GSD's when I was 18 in 1971, and during the following years I competed in obedience and schutzhund. Tazzie, my long coat GSD gained his Schutzhund BH at 8 years of age with only 4 weeks training, beating the other competitors and gaining a medal at the same time.

Schaefer, another GSD starred for four months in a play - "a Flea In Her Ear" with Jim Broadbent at the old Vic theatre, for which he gained an award. He had 5 days training before taking on the role! (Schaefer, not Jim Broadbent).

 We owned and trained the first dog, a GSD, to reliably detect SEMTEX explosive back in 1987, she died in 2002 aged sixteen and a half years. She also had a spell on stage at the Old Vic theatre.

Sue Ader (Passim) sold me my first Blue Merle Bitch, Passim Sea Breeze, who was my first Border collie explosives search dog.

 My ambition is to breed Blue Merles, which conform to the Border Collie standard, are capable of working and are healthy. A huge task even with black and whites, let alone Merles. I expect I will be trying for many years yet, but at least I feel that I have made some progress, as I hope that my Website confirms.

Most of my borders are explosives search dogs, very highly motivated and have a strong drive to work.

 All are hearing. Eye tested, now DNA tested and Hip Scored.

 So although the Arnpriors Affix is relatively new to Border Collies, it has been around a while.

 Sue Ader, Pam Harris, Tracy Mills and Ross Green, have all made a huge contribution to the quality of my Merles and I would like to thank them all