BriarOaks Story

BriarOaks wouldn't be here today, if it wasn't for my mom (Yvette of Barramist Collies). She got her first Collie when she was a teenager and she never looked back. She would breed Collies up until 2001, when she took a break and decided to focus on making a family. When I was born in 2006, I already had Collies surrounding me. As I grew up with Collies, I had no clue what I had in store for myself. When I turned 8 years old, I began showing in 4-H with our Blue Merle Smooth Collie Bitch, CH Wild Wind's Barramist Blue Defenderous CGC RA FDC (Alexie). She was bred by Shelley Berstraser and Laura Kling of Wild Wind Collies. She was the best little juniors dog I could ever ask for. We competed in junior showmanship, Rally, obedience, and agility. When I had turned 9 years old, I began showing in AKC. I excelled in showing dogs from there. 

We decided to breed Alexie in 2017 to GCH CH WildWind's Special Forces (Tracer) bred by Shelley Bergstrauser, Laura Kling, and Janet Kaufmann. Owned by Brenna Godlevsky. Getting 4 surviving puppies. One of those puppies being CH Barramist Super Bowl MVP RI CGC FDC HT (Peyton). While Peyton was never bred (Neutered in 2023) he is the best house pet! During Alexie's pregnancy, I needed a juniors dog. Shelley was kind enough to let CH Jereco's WildWind Shoot To Thrill CD PT NA CGC (Tony), stay with us. Tony was also like a dream juniors dog. Did whatever I asked him to, and never worried about bitches in season. Tony just turned 13 years old, on Sept. 7th, 2025. When I was 12 (In 2019), I wanted a juniors dog that I could train myself to be the BEST juniors dog. That's when Shelley offered Dixie. So with half of the money in my savings account, I bought Dixie with the help of my mom. While we couldn't breed Dixie due to an extremely small health issue, so I had trained her to be the absolute dream juniors dog. She was my partner in crime. Dixie had done very well in conformation. She got her Championship, then got her Grand Championship, and then next thing I knew Dixie had her Bronze Grand Championship. Dixie is Multi OH Group winning/placing, Multi Reg. Group Placing OHBIS GCHB CH WildWind's Barramist Dixie Land Delight BCAT CGC HT. Dixie has been retired from the breed ring since 2022, and retired from juniors since 2024.

Since I couldn't breed Dixie, I had decided to start looking for a foundation bitch, because I wanted to start my own kennel. That's when I went to Robin Reed of Creekwood Collies and waited till the perfect puppy came along. After a year and a half of waiting, I came across Raena. A beautiful sable and white bitch. I knew I had to have her. Now that I had my foundation bitch, the long wait was now in session. Waiting till she grew up, got her championship and possibly her grand, then doing all the health testing that is required. That wait is finally almost over. We are excited!

Now a little about why we are doing this. After going to many Collie Nationals and wanting to start my own kennel, I began to study the breed hard. Not just on structure, temperament, or movement. I studied the patriarchies that developed the dogs that we have today. I listened to the breeders that have been doing this for 40+ years, and have had success in the whelping box and in the breed ring. I went over pedigrees over and over, studying that past dogs and bitches that were, and still are vital to the Collie breed. I'm constantly looking a young puppies and seeing what traits their parents have passed down to them. Did the traits stay consistent? Did they go to just one puppy or more than one puppy? Or were any of the traits even passed down from the parents. Constantly learning, studying, thinking, and processing from the time I was 14 years old. My goal here is not to just breed healthy, happy, successful Collies, my main goal is to better the breed. Have better structures for the Collie breed, continue breeding good temperaments, as Collies are supposed to be a "Kid Breed". Breed the absolute healthiest Collies. I do all the necessary health testing required for the breed standard, and I do the health testing that isn't reqiured. Beccause I want to make sure I took all measures to having a healthy dog. Whether it's just a pet, conformation/juniors dog, active working dog, or a performance dog, I want them have a healthy life based on whatever job or thing you have your dog doing. I plan to have different breeds in the future and same goes for them, I will do any and all health testing, necessary or not, to make sure they are 100% safe to reproduce and/or be the healthiest companion.