We started out as a mother/daughter team back in 1993. Tera handled the conformation showing and Sheryl did the performance events. Our dogs competed in breed, obedience, agility and herding.  Tera grew up showing in the Jr. Showmanship ring. She has since aged out of Jrs. but has many good memories of those days! Be sure to check out her Jr's page.  Tera is living in Washington state now and no longer showing.  Sheryl no longer competes either, due to health reasons.  However, having competed, we know what qualities we want in an Aussie and breed to produce structurally correct dogs with a lot of drive and working instinct. Check out our Bred By pages to see what Daybreak dogs have been up to.

We believe in doing the best we can for our dogs. That means we don't have more dogs than we can take care of properly. So we will always be a small kennel. That's okay. We don't do a lot of breeding. We've been in Aussies since 1993 and had our 6th litter in 2008. We always felt it WAS important to raise sound, healthy, intelligent and correct dogs. AND to socialize and train them properly. These things take time. So when we have a litter, everything else stops. We devote 100% of our energy to the upbringing of the puppies.

Our dogs are all housedogs. They have a big fenced dog yard where they get plenty of sunshine, fresh air and exercise. They all have jobs to do to keep their minds fit too. This is a breed that thrives on work, be it in the show ring, the agility or obedience ring, or helping with the sheep. Keeping an Aussie's mind active and stimulated is just as important as feeding it's body properly.
One of our primary goals in breeding is to breed healthy dogs. We believe that starts with healthy sires and dams. All of our dogs are fed a prey model raw diet. We are very conservative with vaccinations, doing only what is required by law. Our dogs have been treated homeopathically to restore the natural good health that is their birth right. Vaccines can damage the DNA, cause the production of auto-antibodies and cause inherited vaccinosis and chronic disease. (See our links page and Vaccination Concerns article for more information on this). Unless these issues are addressed homeopathically, each generation gets weaker. We have bred 3 generations of naturally reared dogs on the dam's side. Our goal is to breed genetically sounder dogs with each generation who are true to the breed standard.  We utilize other holistic modalities such as chiropractic also.

We have trained and competed with our dogs in obedience, herding, conformation and agility. We've also done therapy visits to a local nursing home. We are members of the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA).

To keep our dogs healthy, we feed a species appropriate raw prey model diet (SARF). After 20 years of trying various brands of commercial dog food and never being happy with the condition of our dogs, we tried the SARF diet. That was in 1998. We have never looked back and would never consider feeding kibble again. The dogs are glowingly healthy, in superb condition and rarely get sick. Their immune systems are strong now. No more ear infections, skin problems or bad breath. Teeth do not need cleaning anymore yet remain sparkling white. We seldom visit the vet's office. Reducing the number of vaccines, stopping heartworm and flea and tick medications and has helped strengthen their immune systems. For more information on feeding a raw diet, see our Raw Feeding page. For more information on the dangers of vaccinations see our Vaccination Concerns page.

Our puppies are placed in holistic, raw-feeding, minimal or no vacc'ing homes only. We will mentor those who are new to this path. We give life long support to all puppy buyers. Planning a diet, helping you work with your vet on a vaccination protocol, finding a good homeopath, and discovering which alternative treatment modalities are right for your dog are services we provide our puppy buyers. We are always happy to help with any training or behavior concerns you may have too. And most of all, we love getting phone calls and e-mails from our puppy buyers expressing the joy they have found in their new furry family member! To hear the pride and love in someone's voice and to know that the puppy we bred is the cause of that, means so much!

Our kennel is named after our first Aussie, Kira. Kira means "sun" and she truly was a ray of sunshine in our lives. Her memory will always be an inspiration to us. She loved everybody and never met a stranger. With each new dawn comes the promise of great things. She taught us much and those lessons will not be forgotten.

Our dogs are members of our family. They will never be just another number or a means to an end. Our goal is not to breed the most champions, or have the number one show dog in the country. It is to learn and grow together. THE JOY IS IN THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION. Our dogs have taught us much and we are truly grateful for that.

3 generations, Arrow (the grandpa), True (the mama) and the pups; Kelly (now Luna), Teal (now Jacqui), and Tawny (now Austin)!