About Us
I am half French, half American and have a degree in Animal Science, with a focus on canine genetics and behavior, from the University of California at Davis.
I have always had animals in my life, growing up surrounded by dogs, cats, horses, birds and an assortment of rodents. My family had herding dogs, mainly Collies, but they were pets and not working dogs. I bought my first dog in 1987, a Cairn Terrier.
I discovered the Australian Shepherd in the late 80s on a working horse and cattle ranch in Northern California. From the moment I saw the beauty and grace of this intelligent breed, I knew that it was the dog for me. I had to wait a little while longer before getting one of my own, as I wanted to be able to have enough free time available for this active breed of dog.
Breeding dogs was always a goal of mine, but being a perfectionist, I wanted to make sure that my studies in genetics, behavior and my idea of the ideal Australian Shepherd according to the breed standard were at a level where I felt that I could make an important contribution to the advancement of the breed.
The kennel name of Redwood Ranch was established in 2009. The name honors the beautiful Redwood Trees native to Northern California where we lived and I studied, as well as the ranches where I first discovered this truly magnificent breed of dog. Although we may be breeders of Australian Shepherds, breeding and showing are not the most important aspect of our kennel. Our dogs are first and foremost beloved members of the family. They live in our house, sleep at the foot of our bed, and share our daily activities and outings with us.
We are an active, outdoor family and this is the perfect multi-purpose breed for our household. We are avid hikers and enjoy recreational herding. Herding allows the dogs to partake in an activity that uses their natural instincts; an outlet that allows us to ensure that the natural herding abilities that this breed was originally created for are still alive and well.
We also participate in recreational agility, obedience, Frisbee and other outdoor activities and train our dogs using purely positive methods, mainly clicker training. We want our dogs to have complete, fulfilling lives and choose activities that will use their physical and mental capacities to the fullest.
- Corine and Ken Graham
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