“Today’s purebred dog breeders may be in the puppy business,
but they’re equally in the people business. LIKE IT OR NOT, EVERY PLACEMENT OF A PUP BRINGS ANOTHER PERSON INTO THE BREEDER’S LIFE.
THIS REALITY CAN BE TRYING AT TIMES, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE LIFE-CHANGING.”
This reality can be trying at times, but it can also be life-changing. Person- ally, some of the joy I’ve experienced as a breeder has come from getting to know the remarkable individuals who’ve come into my life by welcom- ing one of my puppies into theirs. Some of these folks have even become good friends who’ve introduced me to things I might never have otherwise experienced. If not for breeding dogs, I would never know how difficult it is to be a dairy farmer these days. I’d also never appreciate the value of tak- ing a dog into a grammar school class- room filled with kids or onto the set of a television preacher’s syndicated TV show. Breeding purebred dogs has in- troduced me to artists and attorneys, federal employees and retirees, and people who live in high-rise apart- ment houses, converted firehouses and on sail boats. What a pleasure it’s been getting to know them. Breeding dogs has also allowed me to provide puppies for some people who’ve done the same for me in the past. This is es- pecially gratifying since no one is able to save a breed alone. The decision to breed a litter is a shared experience that only preservation breeders, base- ball managers and matchmakers can truly understand.
more heavily on their “gut.” Without an experienced breedmentor to guide them, novice breeders are at risk of making matches that might best be described as a mismatch. These placements are not categorically doomed from the start, but the indi- vidual relationships might be fraught with more than their fair share of challenges along the road to victory. No matter where puppies are placed and with whom they live, the life of the breeder/matchmaker is always in- teresting. As puppies grow, messages are received from owners describing adventures shared and, hopefully, ribbons won. Social media has made it possible to share good news with the world. But bad news can arrive too. Behavioral and medical problems can arise. Young dogs are sometimes struck and killed by cars and “oops” litters still happen in the best of families. However, each report—both positive or negative—better prepares the breeder for the next litter and the challenges and victories that are sure to come. Today’s purebred dog breeders may be in the puppy business, but they’re equally in the people business. Like it or not, every placement of a pup brings another person into the breeder’s life.
the aim of finding local pet homes. Thanks to the miracle of the Inter- net, potential puppy buyers include dog lovers from around the world as well as from around town. However, this global reach can be a double- edged sword. It’s certainly more of a challenge to screen someone long distance and it’s every bit as gut- wrenching—if not more so—to put a puppy on a plane. Only a dog breed- er knows what it feels like to watch that flight to Australia take-off. Sci- ence and selection usually give way to sentiment. Breeders with quite a few litters un- der their belt are able to pull from their experience when placing pup- pies. Years of involvement in the sport have conditioned them to recognize match-ups that are likely to succeed and those that could be riskier. Some potential puppy buyers may be breed- ers themselves, looking to add a dog or bitch to their family of dogs for a specific reason. Others will be reach- ing out to find a dog for the show ring or performance event. Here again, the experienced breeder will have a good idea which puppy is best quali- fied to compete in a particular arena. Less experienced breeders are at a distinct disadvantage and need to rely
58 • T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019
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