Retired Females
Why We Retire Our Breeding Dogs?
1. Health & Longevity
Breeding is physically and emotionally demanding. By retiring our dogs after a limited number of litters and appropriate age, we reduce risk of health complications and ensure they can enjoy a long, active life as cherished companions.
2. Emotional Well-being
Our dogs are family members first. Retiring them allows them to fully transition into a relaxed, low-stress life where their only job is to be loved and spoiled. Whether they remain with us or are placed in a carefully selected retirement home, their happiness is our priority.
At Wildcard Cattle Dogs, we believe that responsible breeding extends beyond puppies— it includes honoring and protecting the dogs who make our program possible. Retiring our breeding dogs at the right time is an essential part of our ethical commitment to their lifelong health and happiness.
Here’s why it matters:
3. Breeding for Quality, Not Quantity
We don’t believe in pushing dogs to produce as many puppies as possible. Instead, we breed selectively and purposefully, prioritizing temperament, health, and structure. Ethical breeding means knowing when to stop— and honoring that with grace.
4. Setting a Standard
Retiring dogs responsibly helps set an example in the dog breeding world. We aim to show that you can breed ethically, raise exceptional puppies, and still put the dogs first.
Navy Blue
Call Name: Navy
DOB: 04/01/2019 - Living
Navy was a dog we had high hopes for—athletic, biddable, and striking in every way. We purchased her from a breeder local to us with big dreams of her becoming a cornerstone of our working and breeding program.
From the start, Navy impressed us with her intensity and ability on livestock. She was gritty, driven, and always ready to work—everything we hoped for in a performance Australian Cattle Dog. Unfortunately, despite her talent and promise, Navy did not pass her health testing. She was confirmed to be affected by Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), a degenerative eye condition. After careful consideration, we made the decision to spay her and remove her from our breeding program. She has no offspring.
While she may not have contributed to our future generations, Navy remains an unforgettable part of our journey. She now lives her best life in a loving retirement home in Arizona, where she is free to run, explore, and enjoy each day on her terms. We are grateful she continues to thrive in a home where her spirited nature and big heart are appreciated every single day.
Boydog’s
Gotta Get Ya
Some Lil Ann
Call name: Annie
DOB: May 28, 2016 - Living
Titles: TKN
In the Fall of 2021 we were blessed to purchase Annie from New York. Annie was the total package—healthy, well-bred, and a true joy to live with. Bred by Amanda Francis, Annie came from a long line of conformation champions. Her pedigree is packed with dogs known for their structure, intelligence, and versatility. Annie had an incredibly sweet, social nature that made her a standout not just in our program, but to everyone she met. While many Australian Cattle Dogs can be reserved or aloof with strangers, Annie was the exception—friendly, affectionate, and always ready to engage. Her stable temperament made her easy to live with, trustworthy in public, and an excellent breed ambassador. Health was another area where Annie excelled. She was thoroughly health tested, with results that speak for themselves:
BAER: Bilateral hearing • OFA Hips: Good • OFA Elbows: Normal • OFA Patellas: Normal • OFA Cardiac: Normal • Full Dentition • PRA/PRCD: Obligate B • PLL: Clear • Cystinuria: Clear • Myotonia Congenita: Clear • Degenerative Myelopathy (DM): Clear • RCD4: Carrier (non-affected)
Annie passed on her excellent structure, confident demeanor, and kind heart to her offspring. Her legacy lives on - but sadly not in our program. We whelped one litter with Annie in early 2022 and she had three wonderful female puppies. As we made plans for another breeding the following year we learned that Annie was ready to retire and we honored her. She currently lives in a wonderful retirement home in South Carolina where she is cherished.
Wildcard’s
Halfway
Happy
Call Name: Eleven
DOB: 01/04/2022 - Living
Titles (with us): BCAT, TKA, VHMA, VHMP, LI-I, TL-I, SD-I, UL-I
Some dogs are special—and then there’s Eleven. From the moment she was born (Annie x Swanson), she stood out in every way. Striking in presence, clear in genetics, and extraordinary in temperament, Eleven quickly earned the unofficial title of “too perfect.”
Anyone who meets her agrees: she’s one of a kind. Genetically, Eleven is 100% clear of all known illnesses and diseases affecting the Australian Cattle Dog. Her orthopedic scores exceeded the breed average, reflecting her strong, balanced structure. But what truly sets her apart is her temperament. Social, confident, and endlessly loving—she’s never met a stranger, and she adores children and dogs alike.
Her food, toy, and hunt drives are intense, making her a natural in the performance arena. We were fortunate to have a dedicated local puppy raiser take on her early development, helping shape her solid foundation through the critical first year. Shortly after she returned to us, however, Eleven was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease. It was a curveball we didn’t expect, but thanks to swift veterinary intervention and a proactive plan, she stabilized quickly. As fate would have it, a perfect opportunity arose: a family in Canada with extensive experience managing Addison’s opened their home—and their hearts—to her.
Since then, Eleven has continued to thrive, living life to the fullest. She now competes in nose work, obedience, coursing, dock diving, and more. Her diagnosis hasn’t slowed her down one bit. Eleven is the embodiment of grit, heart, and joy. While she may not be part of our breeding program, she’ll always be part of our legacy. She’s not just a dog we raised—she carries pieces of our hearts wherever she goes
Ace Wild
Call Name: Ace
DOB: 09/24/2016 - Living
Titles: RE, FDC, DCAT, DEA, AM, HDJ, DDB, CGCA, CGCU, TKA, VHMA, LI-I, TL-I, UL-I, SD-I
Certified Therapy Dog
Ace came to us in the fall of 2017 from a local source—rough around the edges, untested, and with more than a few bad habits (including a strong dislike for chickens). What we didn’t know then was that we had just welcomed a dog who would become a true icon in our program—not for breeding, but for the unforgettable role he played in our journey.
Ace is the definition of a dog held together by training and heart. He’s opinionated, sharp, and absolutely not for the faint of heart. Nearly a decade later, we still receive regular messages asking when “Ace puppies” will be available. And the truth is—we’ve thought about it. But ultimately, we made the decision not to breed him. While Ace has shown incredible promise in performance, we chose not to pursue full health testing. He’s highly dog selective and, given too much leash—figuratively or literally—he’s quick to make poor choices. Despite his drive and intensity, Ace also lacks any meaningful herding instinct. These factors combined led us to the responsible choice: honoring his legacy without passing along his more difficult traits.
What Ace does have is a larger-than-life presence. In his first year of dock diving, he placed 6th nationally in the Master Distance division—a feat few could’ve predicted. He tears through CAT tests like a wild animal and dominates any performance ring he enters. To watch him work is to witness raw, unfiltered energy and power in motion.
Ace will never be replicated, and that’s just the way it should be. He is a once-in-a-lifetime dog—flawed, fierce, and unforgettable. A legend not because of perfection, but because of the fire that made him entirely his own.
Our Commitment to Transparency in Breeding
At Wildcard, we believe that transparency is a cornerstone of responsible breeding. Not every dog we raise or bring into our program will go on to become a breeding candidate—and that’s intentional. Each of our dogs is evaluated with care, not just for their health, structure, and working ability, but also for temperament, genetic diversity, and their ability to contribute meaningfully to the breed. Some dogs, while exceptional companions or performance dogs, may not meet the standards we’ve set for our breeding program due to health testing results, temperament considerations, or a lack of desired traits such as herding instinct or social compatibility.
In other cases, even fully health-tested and capable dogs are retired simply because we value keeping our numbers small and our focus sharp. We prioritize quality over quantity, and we’re proud to make hard decisions when they’re in the best interest of the breed and the dogs themselves. Retirement isn’t a failure—it’s a redirection. Many of our retired or non-breeding dogs go on to live full, active lives as sport competitors, working partners, or beloved family members. We honor every dog that’s part of our journey, whether they contribute to future generations or not. Our promise to you: no secrets, no shortcuts—just a commitment to doing what’s right, every step of the way.