About Us
Who are we?
We are Carolyn and Joseph Biondi and we live on Long Island, NY. Our border collies are not just our champion show dogs, they are our treasured companions and performance partners. We believe that border collies are happiest when they have a job, so we focus on breeding dogs that are not only beautiful and well-built but also willing and able to compete in performance arenas. Health is paramount. We are proud to have Best in Specialty, Group Winning and High in Trial winning dogs here. Carolyn has been showing our dogs since 1988, over 30 years now. Joseph is also very involved with our dogs, a source of help and encouragement without which our activities could not be possible.
Dog training began in 1987, when Carolyn took her first dog, Tuxedo, to a local obedience class sponsored by the town we lived in. By the following year, they had discovered the shows and began competing in conformation, obedience and junior handling. Tuxedo went on to complete his breed championship as well as a CDX and the team was ranked nationally in jr. show. They qualified for and showed at Westminster Kennel Club two years. Showing the dogs in multiple venues is a tradition that has carried on here ever since.
Schipperkes Coal and Chili Pepper followed in the 90's. Like Tuxedo, they also earned show and performance titles. It was in the mid 90's that AKC began their agility program and border collies joined the Herding Group. Dabbling in agility with the schips, it was natural to notice these beautiful border collies for their work ethic was unmatched. It was decided then to add a border collie to the family.
Devon was our first border collie and she joined us in 2000. She has set the standard here at Tartan Bay and taught us what beauty, balance and biddability is in the border collie. Her beautiful children and grandchildren now fly the flag for Tartan Bay carrying with them the beauty and work ethic that started here with Devon.
Today, Tartan Bay border collies can be found competing in conformation, obedience, agility, rally and herding rings all over the USA. with limited breedings, our dogs have produced champions in herding, conformation, agility and obedience. Additionally, Tartan Bay bred the first Grand Dual Champion in breed history. We are forever indebted to the people with whom we have entrusted our puppies. Your friendship and love for our pups is appreciated more than you will ever know.
Why Tartan Bay?
A Tartan is a cloth worn by members of a clan. The pattern on the cloth is distinctive to the family that wears it. The people who own Tartan Bay dogs are members of our family, each person and each dog representing a thread in our tartan. All of the beautiful colored strands make the pattern worn by our family. On their own, they are just a thread, but together we are stronger, a beautiful distinctive cloth. Bay follows in our name since I have always lived by the bay here on Long Island. So it is a part of us as well.
Health and Breeding Stuff?
Our dogs must meet strict criteria before we will consider them for breeding. We certify hips and elbows with Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and DNA test for CEA, TNS and CL. We also certify that eyes are healthy with CERF exams. In addition to these basic health certifications, we also prove our dogs' workability earning titles in several performance venues. All of our dogs live in our home.
Breeding Goals
We have produced a number of conformation champions so some might assume that we breed "for the conformation ring". Actually, we don't breed border collies for any specific ring. Our breedings are aimed to produce the type of border collie that we like - a well built and balanced border collie that moves with ease and purpose and enjoys any activity that its master chooses. Our breedings are carefully planned and are the result of many hours of research and planning. You may have heard the term "form follows function". We take that a step further believing that "form enhances function". Proper build and structure is an advantage to the border collie in any venue. And if a dog is well-built for work, they should also be appreciated in a conformation ring. We take great pride in the dogs proving this theory with wins in multiple venues including herding, agility, obedience and conformation.
Who do you hang with?
We are proud members of Nutmeg Border Collie Club and Border Collie Society of America. We are also recognized by the American Kennel Club as Breeders of Merit. In 2013, Carolyn recieved the American Kennel Club's Outstanding Sportsmanship Award for her work with the Nutmeg Club's fundraising efforts.
