"What an ugly little dog," Debbie Mills remembered thinking about the first time she saw an Australian Shepherd. "They looked like hyenas, all speckled up," she said.

Almost 15 years after she first spotted an "Aussie," Mills established Milwin Kennel for the purposes of showing and breeding those speckled canines. And now she considers them anything but ugly–Mills has a knack for raising champions.

It only takes one look around Mills' home and kennel grounds to see how much she appreciates the breed, which, incidentally, does not come from the Land Down Under.

Aussies magnets adorn her refrigerator. Ceramic Aussies of various sizes and colors line her bookshelves. Home-baked treats await consumption inside an Aussie cookie jar.

At first glance, the playpen in the large outbuilding appears well-equipped for a human infant. It is currently the stomping ground of "Chad," the sole remaining puppy from a litter whelped shortly after the contested presidential election. The other two were quickly adopted, but Mills saw something special in this blue merle pup.

Chad's competitive career is still up in the air as Mills waits to see if his mottled nose will darken and his testicles will drop. If they do, she plans to add the youngster to her personal Aussie "family" residing at Milwin.

Mills began her experience with Australian Shepherds in the stock dog category. She got her first Aussie in 1978 and in 1981 one of her bitches gave birth to a litter of stock dogs.

Aussies were developed in the United States to work as herding dogs on ranches. It is possible the breed's name was derived from an ancestor, a Spanish dog that traveled to Australia with Basque Shepherds.

While describing the dogs as "loyal and intelligent," Mills also said that they are "high energy and demanding," qualities that might explain why some animals end up in Aussie Rescue programs or humane shelters. "They can be destructive because they are so smart," Mills said.

Milwin's kennel and grounds are exceptionally clean and the dogs have an expansive fenced area to run. "Some people actually have doggie treadmills," Mills said. Exercise is important, both for the animal's health and for the show judges to detect good muscle tone, she said. The air conditioned kennel house eve sports a couch and television–presumably for Mills.

The dogs begin their show careers at an early age. Mills trains them to enjoy the rigors of the circuit by clipping their nails, bathing and grooming them when they are young. Every Tuesday night, they travel to a "handling class" in Warrenton to learn the ropes of becoming a show dog.

"They love it," Mills said about her traveling dogs. She takes them all over the country, sometimes attending shows every weekend she said. The dogs that aren't off to the show are boarded with a neighbor or Mills' mother.

Before they are ready to compete or change hands, the Aussies must undergo an orthopedic x-ray to rule out hip dysplasia, certification form a veterinary opthmologist stating they are free of hereditary eye problems and DNA testing to certify their pedigrees, Mills said.

Mills' dogs all have lengthy show names. AKC/ASCA CH. Bayshore Tradition of Milwin or "Travis," is a black tri-color Aussie with a respectable string of wins in the ring. Most recently, he won Reserve Winner's Dog at the 2000 USASA National Specialty. AKC/ASCA CH. Davlin Milwin Double Trouble, or "Emmie" is a blue merle who ranked second in the national AKC group standings in 1996–she is Chad's dam. Other Milwin kennel residents are Legend, Myla, and Jill.

"Everything I breed is with a purpose," Mills said. Milwin Kennel usually only produces one or two litters per year and screens potential owners. Aussies generally have six to eight puppies in a litter.

"I could sell a million puppies," Mills mused. "This is not a puppy mill."

Instead she concentrates most of her energy on the breed shows. "There isn't much money to be made showing the dogs," said Mills, a staffing coordinator at Culpeper Regional Hospital. "I'd like to do this all the time, but it wouldn't pay the bills"

"It's more a labor of love," Mills added.

Mills enjoys friendships she makes with other Aussie owners. "Some of my very best friends are my competitors in the ring," she said. She also spends a good deal of time researching pedigrees and learning more about canine reproduction and health. She is also considering branching out into Border Collies.

Mills said she can't share all of her "secrets" for producing top quality show dogs, but offered a few tips.

"Obviously, I don't get dog food from the grocery store," she said. The dogs require an all natural diet with animal protein and fat for their coats. Mills purchases 1, 000 pounds of food every six weeks.

After grooming, the dogs are chalked with a mixture of baby powder and cornstarch. "We hope in the end we'll make this gorgeous dog look like it hasn't been groomed," she said.

Milwin's Aussies are AKC and ASCA registered. Milwin's males are occasionally used as studs for other breeders. For more information, contact Debbie Mills at (540) 923-4239 or visit: http://www.milwinkennel.com.

© 2001 The Madison County Eagle.