Welcome to Cottage Farm Aussies!
Meet the Breeders
Welcome to Cottage Farm Aussies! Thank you for visiting our site.
Marcia and Tom
Our love of animals has been prevalent throughout our lives. Growing up around horses, dogs and cats taught us that if we cared for our animals throughout their lifetime they would provide a sense of comfort, loyalty and joy throughout our lifetime. After more than a decade of owning, rescuing and rehoming many Australian Shepherds we decided we wanted to breed our two AKC registered females and set out on a search for the perfect male companion. We wanted a dog that had been breed by a responsible caring Breeder, that was at a minimum five generations out and that had a clear panel of the ten most common genetic defects that Aussies are prone to. We found that dog in Utah at Canyon Creek Aussies. He was a beautiful red merle puppy that we call Rainy, short for Canyon Creek The Rainmaker. We had our first litter early 2019 with our female Cottage Farm Thunder Rose. Rosie had seven beautiful puppies representing each color in the Aussie spectrum. Five years into our program, we have become proven producers of high quality, well socialized puppies that, with the correct nurturing, will become incredible dogs and provide a lifetime of joy and happiness for their owners.David and Erica
We are the breeders behind Cottage Farm Aussies (East), located in Western Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh. Both my husband and I grew up with a variety of pets, everything from dogs and cats to bunnies and lizards, and have always loved animals, especially dogs. Initially, we did a lot of research into the type of dog that would be best suited for us, discussing the pros and cons of several breeds. I was instantly drawn to the beautiful and unique colors that Aussie’s produce. While you cannot deny the beauty, it was also very important to make sure the breed itself was the right fit for our family. After learning more about Australian Shepherd’s and what a great fit they could be for our family we began the search for a breeder. Truthfully, we didn’t know much about what went into a good breeding program initially. After almost being scammed a few times and learning more about what a great breeding program actually entails along the way, we finally found Cottage Farm Aussies. Tom and Marcia’s love and care for their animals was evident in the tremendous efforts they put into their program and we knew instantly we had found the perfect breeder to invest in for our family pets. After having the opportunity to visit their farm and meet the puppies and their parents we ended up coming home with our two gorgeous boys, Finn and Levi. We have loved every second of raising these incredible dogs. Aussies are such a spectacular breed! Everything from their incredible intelligence and adventurous and playful spirit to their velcro tendencies and sweet loving personalities. Over the past several years Tom and Marcia have become very dear friends, the kind of people you feel like you have known forever. We have been blessed by their extensive knowledge, and incredible guidance and mentorship to help expand their amazing breeding program to form Cottage Farm Aussies (East). We are thrilled to be partnered with them on this journey and beyond excited to bless other families with the kind of love and joy these pups have brought to our family and all of our Cottage Farm Aussies families.What Sets Us Apart
We believe what sets us apart from most breeders is the ability for our dogs to truly live their best lives. This is largely in part to our multiple locations. This approach to our breeding program allows all of our dogs to live in our home and amongst the family on a daily basis, versus spending most of their time in a kennel or dog run. We feel this is incredibly important to the overall well-being of our dogs and ultimately has a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of the puppies they produce.
All our female dogs give birth to their litters inside our home, and the puppies spend their first weeks inside the home with our family. We feel an enormous ethical obligation to limit our females to a maximum of 6-7 litters, at which point they are retired. Mom did not ask to be pregnant and the puppies did not ask to be born.
Once they have arrived as the breeder planned, we must take care of them with diligence and sincerity. We as a family work to perfect this task on a daily basis. Genetic health, disposition, conformation and coat color are most important to us. Show ring ability is NOT our focus, but definitely an added bonus! We believe that, as breeders, we have an important responsibility to provide proper socialization and new experiences for puppies, so they are ready for a happy life with their new family.