Who We Are...

Shepherd's Way is located in northwest Oregon, just south of Portland in the Willamette Valley. We have been involved with English Shepherds since 1991, raising litters on occasion. We do not operate a "kennel" -- our dogs are part of our family, accompanying us throughout the day and keeping watch over us at night (often from the foot of the bed). A look at the "staff" here:

Mary

Shepherd's Way is a byproduct of my love for English Shepherds and concern for their future. In addition to working with my own dogs, I served on the English Shepherd Club Board of Directors for 8 years, including 4 years as President. I am licensed as a herding trial judge by the American Herding Breed Association (AHBA), and bred, owned, and handled the first English Shepherd herding trial champion. My professional background is in preventive medicine (MD, MPH) and nonprofit management.

Dave

Practicing ER doctor, aspiring musician, avid skier, and chief financial backer for Shepherd's Way.

The "Kids"

Katy, Sam, Tom and Anna have filled a variety of important roles over the years -- from puppy wrangling to poetry writing (all dogs should have at least one poem paying tribute to their virtues). Katy and Sam are off to graduate school in the fall of 2012, Tom is an undergraduate engineering student, and Anna is a junior in High School. The dogs have raised them well! (photo on right from 2001)

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What We Do...

My goal in breeding is to conserve the valuable qualities of the breed and contribute thoughtfully to the next generation of English Shepherds. In keeping with this goal and my personal values, my dogs are first and foremost family members and working dogs; my breeding dogs are bred infrequently (2 or 3 times in their life) and only after I have spent a significant amount of time evaluating them as individuals. I generally do not repeat breedings but rather strive to ensure that every litter I produce will make a unique contribution to the breed. All our dogs -- both those we keep and puppies we place with others -- are part of our family and we remain committed to their well-being throughout life.

I strive to work with other breeders who share my values and goals. Breed conservation is a long-term vision, and one that most definitely "takes a village" to achieve. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in working in collaboration with Shepherd's Way and our friends!