The Woman Behind the Stories
My name is Karen Lindstrom, and I have lived with Collies and Shelties my entire life.
It started with my grandmother Elsa, who brought home a sable Collie named Duchess to her Minnesota farmhouse in 1962. It continued with my mother Ellen, who raised me surrounded by these graceful, attentive dogs. And it persisted through my own adulthood, first as a devoted owner and later as a breeder.
For eighteen years, I bred Shetland Sheepdogs under the Northwind Shelties banner. I produced champions and beloved family companions, placing puppies across the Midwest with families who still send me photographs and updates. Five years ago, I made the difficult decision to retire from breeding, keeping three of my favorite dogs and dedicating myself to simply loving them.
I live in Rochester, Minnesota, with my husband David of twenty-eight years and our three Shelties: Bonnie (11), Clyde (8), and Rosie (4). My children are grown now - my daughter Sarah is a veterinarian, and my son Michael works in healthcare administration. I have two grandchildren who are learning to love these dogs the way their mother and grandmother did.
Why I Write These Stories
These are not breed guides or training articles. I have written those before, and there are people better qualified than I am to write them now.
These are family stories.
They are stories about loss and love, about traditions that span generations, about the way dogs weave themselves into the fabric of our lives until we cannot imagine the fabric without them. They are stories I have been telling my grandchildren at bedtime, and they deserve to exist somewhere more permanent than memory.
My grandmother kept garden diaries that gradually became dog diaries. My mother kept photograph albums. I write.
I hope these stories resonate with other families who have loved dogs across generations. I hope they comfort people facing the grief of loss. I hope they remind us all that the bond between humans and dogs is something ancient and precious and worth preserving.
Our Family’s Dogs
Since 1962, our family has been home to:
My Grandmother Elsa’s Dogs
- Duchess (Collie, 1962-1977)
- Lady (Collie, 1977-1991)
- Hope (Collie, 1991-2001)
My Mother Ellen’s Dogs
- Mac (Collie, 1983-1996)
- Scout (Collie, 1996-2010)
- Grace (Collie, 2010-present)
My Dogs
- Pepper (Sheltie, 1990-2003)
- Windfall (Sheltie, 1995-2009)
- Whisper (Sheltie, 1998-2012)
- Various Northwind Shelties (1998-2020)
- Bonnie (Sheltie, 2014-present)
- Clyde (Sheltie, 2017-present)
- Rosie (Sheltie, 2021-present)
Each dog has stories. Each dog left something behind. I am trying to capture what I can before the memories fade.
Get in Touch
I love hearing from other Collie and Sheltie families. If you have stories to share, questions to ask, or just want to talk about these remarkable dogs, please reach out.
Thank you for reading.