The color of the eyes is a fairly good indication of temperament. The darker the eye, the better. A good sheepdog will also have some common sense. They can't think but they've got to be able to work things out for themselves, which means they got to have balance and be able to work out which way the sheep are going so they can get the sheep and hold them together. That's got to be bred in them.
Nobody can put that in there.
Mr Noble expressed sadness that the tradition of stockmanship was in decline. Good stockmen are dying out. They don't consider the cost when they don't go and pay good money for a dog because they pay a lot more for motorbikes or Land-Rovers or whatever. A good dog will last someone years longer. The Age Company Ltd 2000.