Starstuff Australian Shepherds

Starstuff's breeding program is based on proven working dogs,
useful in real life ranch and farm situations

The Starstuff breeding program is strongly based on the original dogs of the Hangin Tree Australian Shepherd line.  We are particularly focused on the line breeding of Hangin Tree Dude through the use of his many talented progeny.  Dude has proven to be a top producing sire of talented working Australian Shepherds, both in the arena and in the field.

Our goal is to produce a useful stockdog that can work a variety of livestock types and temperaments in numerous situations.  A dog that has the confidence and power to stand up to balky cattle and then gently move newly weaned lambs.  A dog that possesses strong natural instincts with a desire to please his owner.  This takes an honest, talented dog with a good work ethic and a willingness to work in partnership.  The dog needs to have the drive and endurance to work long, tiring hours while staying focused on the task.  Because of these characteristics, in the right hands, these dogs can also make competent, competitive trial dogs as well as superior sport or performance dogs.

Before breeding, our dogs are screened for the typical health issues that can occur in the Australian Shepherd.  Careful consideration is given to any health (or temperament) issues that may have turned up in the relatives of the dogs in our pedigrees before deciding to cross individuals.  Successfully breeding dogs is an "art and science" as well as a big dose of luck.  So no matter how careful one might be, with the array of desired and undesirable traits to consider, priorities must be made.  Health and working ability are our priorities.  There is no way to be certain that every pup born will be the ultimate stockdog or free of every affliction known to Aussies, but we do our best and stand behind what we produce.