ON THE LINE: WHAT IS A BREEDER?
T here’s only one path to success as a breeder and it’smostly uphill, winding across the rocky terrain of commitment in such as way as to get a lot of people lost. We can set goals by the dozens, be blessed with good looks, good dogs and a huge bank account. Wemay hire the best handlers, read all the right books, and travel in the best circles. We can soak up knowledge like a sponge and spew out platitudes by the hour. While this may bring short term satisfaction, there’s only one thing that earns respect from one’s peers and lasting success as a breeder. It’s not elusive, it’s not a mystery. It’s the foundation of every worthwhile seminar, every book on genet- ics, and it’s in my opening sentence. A breeder must commit to ethics and excellence. To omit it from a “breeding pro- gram” explains why so many would-be breeders wander aimlessly from one dead- end to another. AKC records reveal that it takes about five years before most people give up. Only a handful spurn the short cuts, and making a personal resolution to arrive at their destination, begin the climb to high ground. Make no mistake—walking the lofty path of commitment is the exact opposite of having one’s head in the clouds! It means being grounded in unwavering obligation to the breed, to the sport, and most of all, to personal standards of integrity. It means sacrifice to achieve excel- lence. Believe me, it’s not always convenient. That thing called commitment can get in the way just when you think you’ve arrived. Back in the early 90s I wrote a piece for Kennel Review, America’s premier dog magazine. It was reprinted in many other publications and then forgotten but I’ve been asked to share it with this generation of breeders. So for all aspiring breeders in today’s ultra-competitive world, I’m happy to “do it for the dogs.”
by BJ Andrews
What is a Breeder? W ebster’s gives us some interesting definitions: “To nourish, cherish...to generate, engender... to bring up, to nurse and fos- ter,” but more to the point, “to produce by special selection of parents or progenitors.”
“A nyone who puts two animals together for the pur- pose of producing young does most or all of that but here’s the rub: Only a handful of persons involved in the production of companion animals can be said to “produce by special selection of parents or progenitors.” “A Breeder with a capital ‘B’ is one who thirsts for knowledge but never knows it all, one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience, and commitment.
“A Breeder sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpet- ing! A Breeder gives up the dream of a long, luxu- rious cruise in favor of turning that all-important specialty show into this year’s vacation. The Breeder goes without sleep (but never without coffee) while watching anxiously over the birth process, and afterwards, every little sneeze, wiggle, or cry.
28 • T op N otch T oys , D ecember 2019
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