BREEDING THE CHIHUAHUA FOR THE SHOW RING by Virginia (Jenny) Hauber
this probably is not the case and begin again. This is the point whenwe really begin to learn. It is natural to learn only our imme- diate interests. As breeders, we need to broaden our boundaries. A cham- pionship title does not guarantee perfection. We must know and un- derstand our Breed Standard, along with the anatomy of the dog, animal husbandry, and genetics. Once we feel comfortable with these aspects, we can begin our breeding program. It is always good to make it a habit to look at “virtues” first and “faults” last. Fault finders will override the total perspective of their dog, which leaves a lingering impression. Compare the faults to the virtues. Do the virtues outweigh the faults? A true breeder must be willing to take a gamble with Mother Nature and take the worst along with the best. We must realize that each puppy is actually two different beings. We all understand there is no perfect dog, so don’t be in a hurry for that great one. It is far better for a breeder to move slowly toward their goal by collect- ing virtues and discarding faults, and tackling one problem at a time. The “overall” dog must be kept in mind. The best package has the best chance in the show ring. Most of us know that faults are about the construction of the dog and fail- ings aremore about cosmetics. Adog’s construction or “conformation” is the most important part of any animal. If a dog is not constructed properly, it isn’t moving properly and, therefore, cannot do the job it was created for. When you hear of a judge who likes “good movement,” it means they like a well-constructed dog. They go hand in hand.
a bad thing, one must have some real- istic expectations when dealing with possibilities beyond our control. The genetics of dogs can be a huge handi- cap. Humans have 46 chromosomes (23 pairs), versus a dog’s 78 (39 pairs). The arrangement or sequence of the genes of chromosomes is astounding. So, when dealingwith living beings, we are at the mercy of genetics. Awareness of the intricate patters of heredity is a good way to begin to re- alize why traits don’t always fall into predictable patterns. The varying de- gree of dominant and recessive genes, as well as environment, will affect the outcome of your planned breeding. Just ask those who have been success- fully breeding for years and they will tell you of their early idealism and the puppy or puppies they wish they had kept. Their idealism got in the way and set their breeding program back another year or more. To ac- complish one’s goal in one generation is unrealistic. We also need to realize that there is an element of art to dog breeding. Successful breeders have honed their skills by experience, study, and obser- vations. A little intuition doesn’t hurt either. The best genetics in the world can’t predict what will happen when two dogs are mated, no matter how hard we strive for genetic reliability and consistency. Every generation is different. There truly is no set for- mula for success, so sprinkle your ide- alism with a little realism and carve
Photo of WynJyn Isadora, aka ‘IZZY the Iron Dog’ “P eople are creators. But I doubt that many realize this. We are not meant to go out into the world and find flawless things, we are not meant to sit down and have flawless things fall in our laps. But we are creators. We can create a beauti- ful thing out of what we have. The problem with idealistic people is that they see themselves as receivers and instead of creators they end up hunt- ing for the flaw in everything in order to measure it up to their ideals. Now when you see yourself as a creator, you can look at a chunk of marble and see an angel in it. Then you carve until you have set that angel free.” —C. JoyBell C. IDEALISM VS. REALISM We all know that statement, “There is no perfect dog.” If we believe this, why dowe expect to breed our perfect dog? Idealism is the behavior or thought based on a conception of things as they should be, or as one wishes them to be, with a tendency to be imagi- nary or visionary. Whereas, realism is the behavior or thought based on a conception of things as they are, regardless of how one wants them to be, with the tendency to be practical or pragmatic. Many new to the breeding process suf- fer from idealism. Although this is not
until you set your angel free. NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GOOD BREEDING
We all start at the same level, but soon we think we know everything we need to produce our perfect dog. Eventu- ally we have to admit to ourselves that
40 • T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2022
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