| Who Are We? |
July 15, 2007
Peace Creek Kennel is located on five acres in the heart of sunny Central Florida, in
Winter Haven. Peace Creek Miniature Australian Shepherds is owned by myself,
Charlotte Upchurch, and four of my grandchildren. I have always owned and bred dogs,
and some very nice ones at that. Many years ago, I used to show my dogs and friends'
dogs in AKC conformation classes. And then.... LIFE happened....I got married, went to
nursing school, raised a family, and ran a contracting business on the side for my
husband. That was the end of my show career...or so I thought. I had always kept as
many dogs around me as possible, and raised a few very nice pups along the way. But the
years passed and the opportunity just never presented itself to get back into showing.
In 1996, two of my granddaughters came to live with me, and in 2002, another
granddaughter and a grandson joined us. I was in a quandary as to how to get these kids
out from in front of the TV and to be more active. They had always loved my dogs, and
would watch me teach a puppy to heel, sit, etc., and decided that they could do that too.
That was when I discovered 4-H and the "Dog Project". And THAT is how our
adventure into the world of Miniature Australian Shepherds began. With the help of my
grandchildren, Caitlyn, Robbyn, Brittani, and Scott (aka " Bubba"), we will continue on
with this adventure indefinitely, hoping to provide them with a life long interest, and a
sense of responsibility to the breed that has given us so much. I have decided that when
my own personal pets (they're getting on up in years now) pass over the Rainbow Bridge,
I will never have another breed of dog other than the Mini Aussie.
Peace Creek Kennel is located on five acres in the heart of sunny Central Florida, in
Winter Haven. Peace Creek Miniature Australian Shepherds is owned by myself,
Charlotte Upchurch, and four of my grandchildren. I have always owned and bred dogs,
and some very nice ones at that. Many years ago, I used to show my dogs and friends'
dogs in AKC conformation classes. And then.... LIFE happened....I got married, went to
nursing school, raised a family, and ran a contracting business on the side for my
husband. That was the end of my show career...or so I thought. I had always kept as
many dogs around me as possible, and raised a few very nice pups along the way. But the
years passed and the opportunity just never presented itself to get back into showing.
In 1996, two of my granddaughters came to live with me, and in 2002, another
granddaughter and a grandson joined us. I was in a quandary as to how to get these kids
out from in front of the TV and to be more active. They had always loved my dogs, and
would watch me teach a puppy to heel, sit, etc., and decided that they could do that too.
That was when I discovered 4-H and the "Dog Project". And THAT is how our
adventure into the world of Miniature Australian Shepherds began. With the help of my
grandchildren, Caitlyn, Robbyn, Brittani, and Scott (aka " Bubba"), we will continue on
with this adventure indefinitely, hoping to provide them with a life long interest, and a
sense of responsibility to the breed that has given us so much. I have decided that when
my own personal pets (they're getting on up in years now) pass over the Rainbow Bridge,
I will never have another breed of dog other than the Mini Aussie.
| What Do We Do? |
| In our quest to find the right dog for the right kid, we have fallen in love with the Mini Australian Shepherd. We would like everyone to have one and know the joy ofsuch a faithful, loyal, and loving companion like we have. Each and every one of them has only one desire.....to please his human. They are so intelligent and easy to train it's almost unbelievable.....and I thought German Shepherds were easy!!!! The Aussies showed me the error of my beliefs. So in the spirit of sharing our Aussies, we are striving to breed beautiful, healthy, happy puppies that adhere to the breed Standard and are affordable enough for most everyone to have a Mini Aussie for their very own pet. We've also added a couple of standard aussies, and occasionally we have a toy size puppy. Some day we hope to enter the conformation ring, as well as obedience and agility. Our own personal pets have free run of the house and yard. The others take turns at being in the house or in the large play yards we've built for them, complete with shade trees, doghouses, and wading pools for the summer heat. All breeding is done with consideration to each dog's and each bitch's strengths and weaknesses, striving to maximize the good points in each, and to follow the breed standard. About 2 weeks before one of our dogs whelps, she moves into the house, has her puppies, and stays in the house until the babies are about 5-6 weeks old..... or when they outgrow the crates and/or exercise pens, Then they're moved out to the puppy pens that have indoor/outdoor runs for protection from the elements, with their moms, until she's ready to wean them. All the puppies are handled constantly from the time they're born until they leave us for their new homes, ensuring that they will be well socialized from day one. The result is happy, self confident puppies. Recently, my oldest daughter, Dee, has joined us and is in charge of the day to day care of the puppies. Another grandson, Victor, has also joined us and is especially interested in the breeding aspect. All the dogs, and especially the puppies, are kept on a strict schedule of worming and vaccinations, and flea control is diligently attended to.....after all.....this is sunny Florida where none of the parasites are ever frozen out. We welcome you to our website....keeping in mind that it's a work in progress. I'm going to wait until the grown dogs are back in full coat before I take their pictures. Take a look around and maybe you'll find your next best friend!!! Charlotte Upchurch Caitlyn Harris Robbyn Harris Brittani Harris Scott Bashore Dee Harris Victor Harris |
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