"Rosewyn's Bixby Creek Bridge"

Born:  July 29, 2018
Call Name:  Bixby
Registered Name:  Rosewyn's Bixby Creek Bridge
Registrations:
• Old-Time Scotch Collie Association:  OTSC-F-1240
• Scottish Collie Preservation Society:  SCPS-2018-0238-A*
Microchip: 956000010398325
Height:  21½ inches
Weight: 40 pounds
Color:  Shaded sable & white, White-factored, full collar

*Bixby appears in the SCPS registry as "Rosewyn's Bixby".

DNA
・Multiple Drug Resistance 1 (MDR1) -- CLEAR
・Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) -- CARRIER
・Cyclic Neutropenia (CN) -- CLEAR
・Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) -- CLEAR
・Hyperuricosuria (HUU) -- CLEAR
・Progressive Retinal Atrophy/rcd2 -- CLEAR
・Von Willibrand's Disease ii (VWDii) -- CLEAR
・M Locus -- NON-MERLE
・Dermatomyositis -- Pending

HIPS & ELBOWS
・PennHip | R = .25  L = .29
・OFA | Good

EYES
・Normal-eyed/BCVO Sept 2018

Bixby's clearances are through OFA, Washington State University, Paw Print Genetics, and Embark

CERF Eye Exam.  Bixby was examined on September 10, 2018, at the age of 6 weeks 1 day by our Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. DJ Haeussler, Jr, of Cincinnati, Ohio.  Dr. Haeussler is a member of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Bixby is calm and sweet, and very sensitive, but doesn't demand attention.  Like her sire, she's a thinker and gets occupied with her thoughts, but shifts her attention back to us instantly when asked.  Phenomenal off button.  She is happy to lay close by when there is nothing to do.  She prefers to be near and follows me wherever I go, but at a distance and never in an obnoxious way; she is a welcome presence, and has the spirit of a true helper.

One of the things that truly amazes me about Bixby is her willingness to accept our rules about anything.  When we transitioned our farm cats to spending some of their day inside, Bixby was very happy, calm, and accepting of them in this new context, but wanted to herd them gently to the back door, because in her experience "cats = outside".  It turns out that you can herd cats - at least she can.  But on her second instance of moving them, I told her, "Bixby, don't herd the cats anymore; they belong inside now."  And that was the end of that.  We didn't train her to leave them alone, I only told her twice, and she's never moved them again in the months since.  The same thing happened with rabbits hopping through the farm.  She went from fiercely defending the kingdom to ignoring them when we told her the rabbit was ok and to leave it alone.  I had heard other owners raving about the Scotch Collie's ability to work like this, but I'd never seen it.  It's stunning.

This is just one of the many reasons that we are committed to preserving the Old-Time Scotch Collie.

Bixby is the result of our first litter, an old-fashioned Rough x OTSC outcross.  We named this the “Bridge” litter, as we wanted to bridge the best of these two fantastic worlds.

Bixby is a really interesting mix of her parents.  She’s on the small size at just over 21” at the withers and about 40 pounds.  She has a more old-fashioned head and a thick coat, but it’s that wonderful teflon coat, and moderate in every way.

She has good reach and drive, leaps without effort, and can turn on a dime; it was amazing to see her in action in the sheep pen!  She has the strength and power to move large stock, but is small enough to fit in your pocket; she can be carried easily if the situation requires.

Bixby has down ears, and the traditional larger eye.

Her type lends tremendous help on the farm and is very easy to live with.

Bixby is a joy.  She is quiet, calm, and unobtrusive, and ready to go at a moment’s notice.  She can lay quietly when I'm working on a project, or jump up into my arms a moment later if I ask her to.  She's so biddable and willing; she just wants to be with us and do whatever we’re doing.  She's like one of Cinderella’s little birds that is quietly present and always helpful.

Her heats are easy to manage, though she does get a little grumpy then, which is within the range of normal.

She's very easy to train, and learned our house rules quickly when she came back to us right before her first birthday.

Bixby is a terrific farm dog, and a wonderful friend as well.  We're so happy she's here.