Thanks to Koolie forum members, in particular Ellies Mum for the leads. I've gotten to the bottom of the Alby and Jacksy story at last! I spoke with Jim Marshall from Scone, who indeed confirmed he bred the lads dam, Bushy. Now bear with me on this typical bush tale.......this is how Jim tells it......

That dog was mated to a red and tan kelpie bitch called Jenny. From that mating Jim got two pups.A dog called Plucker and an unnamed bitch. Jim said Plucker was an excellent dog, he sold his sister to a mulesing contractor from Barmedman (near Temora). The muleser mated the bitch with a koolie dog and Jim settled for a pup from her. This was Bushy. Now, bushy had four litters while Jim had her. Jim kept a male pup called Shandy who ran 4th in the Australian Cattle Dog championships at Glen Innes last year. Jim sold Bushy fully trained.Bingo, I said to Jim, that's the blokes name alright. Jim said he got Bushy very cheap. He said to me that Bushy was the best working dog he ever had.

I bought my dogs from him. My first Koolie Jacksy (3 and a half y.o. now)was bought at this time. Sire was Beau. That was Bushys second last litter (8 all up). About 18 mths later I got a call from him. Bushy had another litter (same sire) (her last as it turned out), and did I want a pup. Well, Jacksy had turned out great, so temptation got the better of me and I bought Alby. My own brother has a littermate of Jacksy as well.

Anyway, that was that. But then I got curious and ran into him one day and asked where he got Bushy and Beau from. He told me Jim Marshall for Bushy, and the name stuck in my mind, Beau he was sketchy on.

Anyway, it turns out that Jim ran into him around the time of the last Bushy litter and he asked him if he wanted a koolie pup. Jim says that he already knew Bushy of course, but as for Beau, Jim says he told him he was an average sort of paddock and yard dog, probably with some border collie in him. One of my dogs is rough coated, and Bushy is very short, so that makes sense.

Anyway, Jim says he submitted DNA for my dogs half brother Shandy, so I guess if I submit as well it will show a family relationship.I notice my dogs have a bit eye, Jim says that would be right because he breeds a bit of eye in. His personal taste.

So there you have it folks! Thanks again!

wow that is great. i would be stoked if i could trace some of my dogs back like that well done ellie's mum

Great news.

It is nice to know that even though your dogs once didn't have a history and were regarded as unknow bloodlines.

Through the assistant you have found here you have been able to discover your Koolies belong to good sound working lines.

It is nice to have that information and good for you for tracking it down.

I can imagine how excited your are, knowing where your dogs come from. So did you feel like a bit of a detective? Have you drawn up a rough family tree yet?

I have always had cross breeds and hence you don't know where the heck they come from. Ceejay is my first true breed dog, and I was very excited to know that she had Great Grandparents.

Hey Ceejay she also has aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews as well as second and third cousin, nieces and nephews all of whom I have recorded faithfully.

Oh how cool TJ!! Ceejay has a large family tree, wonder if you can see the family resemblence amongst them all. lol. Will have to get that off you one of these days, especially her brothers and sisters so I know when I bump into people that they are Ceejay's brother or sister.

All I know about Izzy is that her mum was a working small cattle dog, and the next door's dark black and tan kelpie (also working property) had his wicked way with her. Izzy was the only one that didn't look like a cattle dog and she was the one no one wanted.

That is so cool. The Koolie forum strikes again.

now that would be interesting to see pic's of his family after thinking for so long that you would not track them down
i have found some koolie's out west that are only 230kms away from were i got Quin from now Quins great grandmother was a drovers bitch it would be so cool if these dogs are related to Quin it would be like tracking history, finding all the missing links.
i am buying one of these pups and will be getting her DNA done in april along with the rest of my guys and yes i am still getting Dance from the coma area

Well, Jim has sent me some pic's of the half brother Shandy working. He mated Bushy with a very good kelpie called Gunna Puddin' (out of Karana Jedda and Yakka Custard). Shandy is blue merle and tan I think. I will put the pic's up when I get photobucket sorted out.

As for the famous Bushy, she is still around the Hunter somwhere I guess. I should have taken a photo when I had the chance. She is an elusive little bugger! Jim Marshall is still snakey on letting her line go.

Well, here are some pics of my dogs half brother Gunna Shandy, out of Bushy the elusive Koolie of the Hunter Valley, and by a kelpie of Jim Marshall's from Scone, Gunna puddin'.

This is one gnarly working dog, eh? My dogs only have to work this hard to be first on the couch!