Nancy Chichester

Background and Interests


My love of animals started with my Collie, Jerry, who was my childhood best

friend. I have had many canine companions over the years.  I became interested in horseback riding once out of high school and began working.  


This interest led to my education experiences at SUNY Cobleskill which led to my earning  an Associates degree in Horse Husbandry and this led to my  Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Husbandry. 


My husband and I received a pair of bred ewes as a wedding gift.  With our  common interests in farming we ultimately developed a flock of purebred Katahdin Hair Sheep.   Wanting to enhance the health and productivity of our flock, we maintained detailed records and became involved with the National Sheep Improvement Program for which we expanded our data collection to faciliate statistical analyses in the name of improving our flock and the breed.  


As we developed our farm, we worked with  the several of the working and herding breeds including the  Rottweilers, Maremmas, Boarder Collies, and Akbash. We selectively bred these dogs for our own operation and placed some into working homes.


For many years I also operated a dog boarding kennel that exposed me to many more breeds.

I observed varying states of health and temperament. I saw the results of good breeding as well  poor breeding and could see the impact of poor nutrition.  Frequently, I counseled owners on the importance of selecting good food.


My life experiences have helped me develop a keen understanding  of the importance of responsible animal husbandry - to develop the knowledge and understanding  of the breeding, nutrition, care and training of animals.


For some time, I had the Entlebucher in mind as a breed with which I

wanted to work. As we headed into retirement, I sought out a dog that was

a good candidate for both working and showing. I teamed up with Katelyn

Barber and acquired Sherlock from Liberty Run Kennels. We have

progressed through the extensive, but very important, battery of tests to

ascertain Sherlock’s health and genetic background to be sure he was a good

candidate for improving the Entlebucher breed while entering him into the AKC show rings. 


He has shown himself to be a very good example of the breed standard and to be of sound mind with an outstanding/stable temperament.  I seek to match Sherlock to females that also meet the breed standard while adhering to the NEMDA Code of Ethics.  


The small number of Entlebuchers in the United States presents a challenge

for expanding the numbers and genetic diversification of the breed while maintaining these high standards.  The challenge is exacerbated by how widely the breed is dispersed across the country. 


Our goal is to facilitate  breedings that will help maintain / improve the genetics of the breed across the country. To do this, our goal is to encourage and promote the use of chilled / frozen semen as well as natural cover.



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