About Us
Hello and welcome to Element Border Collies! We are located in Richland, Washington, USA... right in the middle of Eastern Washington wine country. Our goal is to produce Border Collies of exceptional type, temperament, health, and working ability. My name is Ellie Cook and this program is the fruition of almost twenty years of study and hard work.
About Us

Before Element
I have been involved in the dog world since I was ten years old. Beginning with my toy poodle, "Raven," I entered the 4-H dog program and spent several years learning the basics of obedience and junior handling. I then began competing in AKC events with my Belgian Tervuren, "Madison." I was fortunate to be under the guidance of several very experienced and knowledgeable mentors, who helped me learn the finer points of handling, grooming, and structure. I will be forever grateful to these women, my "dog show moms," for taking me--a teenager that didn't even belong to them-- under their wing.
Perhaps my biggest show success came when I purchased my Brittany, "Dante," aka Int'l BIS BISS Multiple-Group Placing Am./Int. CH RJ's The Divine Comedy RN CGC. We were the #1 Brittany junior handling team for several years running, winning quite a few BJH awards and dabbling in performance events. During this time, Dante was also a Top 20 Brittany. Together, we earned many BOB wins, group placements, and a Best in Specialty Show. Over these years, I was fortunate to be able to handle many dogs of various breeds to wins in the conformation ring (not for pay, of course... I was still a junior handler!). I have finished over thirty AKC champions.
However, as I aged out of juniors and moved out on my own, I felt like there was something missing. I still hadn't found "the one," the breed that made my heart go boom. And then I found the Border Collie.
Finding My Focus
Growing up in southern Idaho ranch country, I had met and loved many Border Collies throughout my childhood. I have always thought they were beautiful dogs, and admired their intelligence, versatility, and utilitarian nature. So, when I was newly living on my own, I decided to foster a Border Collie to see if the breed was a good fit for me and my household. "Marley" was everything I hoped he would be. After deciding to pursue Border Collies, I spent several years researching pedigrees and talking to breeders before I even considered buying a puppy.
I ended up getting a show/working cross bitch, "Cedar." She and I went on to earn a myriad of agility titles, a rally title, and a herding title, before she had to be retired early due to health problems. Cedar introduced me to the world of herding, particularly USBCHA-style sheepdog trials. Spending a few years completely immersed in that world allowed me to learn a lot about why Border Collies look, act, and work like they do. Through my connections in the working dog world, I ended up with "Ember," my awesome agility partner and best co-worker ever for my dog training business.
After several years doing only herding and agility, I found that I really missed the conformation ring. When the opportunity to own "Cas" presented itself, I just couldn't turn him down. He has been a fantastic addition to the family, and we have had a lot of fun going to dog shows together. He finished his championship in grand style, with back-to-back supported entry 5-point majors. He has also given me the opportunity to get back to the breeding side of things; it's been so much fun watching his puppies grow and develop.
In 2016, we had the immense luck and fortune to import "Xen" from Speedborders Kennel in Austria. Xen, along with her offspring, represents the clarification of our goals and dreams. In our second generation, I am extremely pleased with the type, temperament, health, and working ability exhibited by Element Border Collies. Although I'm obviously biased, I think the future is looking pretty bright.
I have been involved in the dog world since I was ten years old. Beginning with my toy poodle, "Raven," I entered the 4-H dog program and spent several years learning the basics of obedience and junior handling. I then began competing in AKC events with my Belgian Tervuren, "Madison." I was fortunate to be under the guidance of several very experienced and knowledgeable mentors, who helped me learn the finer points of handling, grooming, and structure. I will be forever grateful to these women, my "dog show moms," for taking me--a teenager that didn't even belong to them-- under their wing.
Perhaps my biggest show success came when I purchased my Brittany, "Dante," aka Int'l BIS BISS Multiple-Group Placing Am./Int. CH RJ's The Divine Comedy RN CGC. We were the #1 Brittany junior handling team for several years running, winning quite a few BJH awards and dabbling in performance events. During this time, Dante was also a Top 20 Brittany. Together, we earned many BOB wins, group placements, and a Best in Specialty Show. Over these years, I was fortunate to be able to handle many dogs of various breeds to wins in the conformation ring (not for pay, of course... I was still a junior handler!). I have finished over thirty AKC champions.
However, as I aged out of juniors and moved out on my own, I felt like there was something missing. I still hadn't found "the one," the breed that made my heart go boom. And then I found the Border Collie.
Finding My Focus
Growing up in southern Idaho ranch country, I had met and loved many Border Collies throughout my childhood. I have always thought they were beautiful dogs, and admired their intelligence, versatility, and utilitarian nature. So, when I was newly living on my own, I decided to foster a Border Collie to see if the breed was a good fit for me and my household. "Marley" was everything I hoped he would be. After deciding to pursue Border Collies, I spent several years researching pedigrees and talking to breeders before I even considered buying a puppy.
I ended up getting a show/working cross bitch, "Cedar." She and I went on to earn a myriad of agility titles, a rally title, and a herding title, before she had to be retired early due to health problems. Cedar introduced me to the world of herding, particularly USBCHA-style sheepdog trials. Spending a few years completely immersed in that world allowed me to learn a lot about why Border Collies look, act, and work like they do. Through my connections in the working dog world, I ended up with "Ember," my awesome agility partner and best co-worker ever for my dog training business.
After several years doing only herding and agility, I found that I really missed the conformation ring. When the opportunity to own "Cas" presented itself, I just couldn't turn him down. He has been a fantastic addition to the family, and we have had a lot of fun going to dog shows together. He finished his championship in grand style, with back-to-back supported entry 5-point majors. He has also given me the opportunity to get back to the breeding side of things; it's been so much fun watching his puppies grow and develop.
In 2016, we had the immense luck and fortune to import "Xen" from Speedborders Kennel in Austria. Xen, along with her offspring, represents the clarification of our goals and dreams. In our second generation, I am extremely pleased with the type, temperament, health, and working ability exhibited by Element Border Collies. Although I'm obviously biased, I think the future is looking pretty bright.