About Us
I have been involved with Shetland Sheepdogs for 44 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 17 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 in various positions for many years and at present having the honour of being the President .
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]