A new world record price of £7,600 for an unbroken puppy just turned nine-weeks-old were recently recorded at Skipton Auction Mart.
Setting the world record price was Welsh farmer Glynne Jones, of Pentir, near Bangor in Gwynedd, with his 12 March-born pup named Lassie.
The unusually lilac coloured bitch smashed the previous record of £6,100 established at Skipton’s previous online sale in January.
Lassie, described as a lively, confident and healthy pup, is a product of outstanding parents, coming from the first litter of pups by Reiver Gray, bred by well-known shepherdess Emma Gray, now farming on the Isle of Bute.
Lassie’s dam, Graylees Cêt, has been owned and trained by Mr Jones since being purchased as an 8-week-old pup in 2014, to lay a solid foundation for his Pentir Sheepdogs breeding programme.
As well as Lassie, who is from Cêt’s sixth and last litter, the mother has produced a number of ISDS pedigree pups with Tweeddale Jamie, described as an amazing match from the outset.
Mr Jones, a sheep and cattle farmer, farms 100 acres in Pentir nestled in between the Snowdonia mountain ranges and the North Wales coast.
Lassie was his first offering at Skipton: “My aim is to breed top quality working sheepdog pups from the best DNA tested bloodlines in the UK.
"I’m obviously over the moon. Lassie is a dog with everything in my opinion,” he said.
Her new owner is Damian Barson, of Tessleymoor Gundogs, a dog behaviourist and gundog trainer based in Woodplumpton, near Preston.
He is taking an increasing interest in sheep farming, running a flock of Ryelands, with plans to diversify into Herdwicks.
Put in touch with Glynne Jones, Mr Barson said: “I have trained dogs all my life and have my own pack, so I wanted to get the best, a dog with both style and character.
"It was all down to colour and breeding. I just had to have the wee pup, though I do think I went a bit wild!”
