In all recorded decades past in America and over
much of the centuries written of dog breeding,
serious dog breeders have always worked diligently
to produce "bloodlines." Americans are still
inclined to fondly refer in slang to their breeding
programs as their " lines." These were typically
direct canine lineages that traced back to one or
more foundation stock of note. These "lines"
remained consecutive as the decades pushed steadily
onward, with breeders adding and removing
characteristics in the same fashion as an artist
adds and removes detail from a masterpiece in
progress. Sometimes that forward momentum came at a
crawl and other times in leaps and bounds, yet
serious fanciers rarely abandoned their "lines." In
actual practice, bloodlines were only rejected when
a deadly defect or perilous plague allowed no other
option. For a few breeders, such disaster spelled
the end of a life's work. The venture was over
insofar as they were concerned. Others found
opportunities to begin again with some related stock
shared by a former pupil or two. The point remains;
dedicated breeders remained intensely loyal to their
original programs.
Each major bloodline presented a differing view of
the standard while all of them offered some
presentable version. Every kennel or "line" did its'
own share of winning and staked-out a firm place in
the annals of canine history. Large or small, each
one made a contribution, of that there can never be
any question or doubt. One could count on those
"lines" inasmuch as they were identifiable types, to
produce dogs that would in turn, produce more dogs
that bore the distinct resemblance of "the line."
There was a notable, positive measure of consistency
both phenotypically and genetically. A common
practice was for the next generation of dog breeders
(the mentored) to take up foundation stock from two
popular "lines" and create, much to their own and
everyone else's great delight, a "new line." Wisely
mentored, talented individuals found ways to bring
out the very best of differing "lines." Such efforts
frequently made fast friends of longtime show
opponents. After all, both lines contributed to a
reawakened success in much the same fashion proud
grandparents are spontaneously united. In a few
cases where the "lines" clashed and the new efforts
failed, each side could blame the other for the
unhappy results. Regardless, a mutually satisfying
proposition resulted however the tossed genetic coin
may have landed. If one cross failed, another was
attempted until success was eventually obtained. The
entire process was accomplished under the watchful
eyes of scrupulous mentors. A successful breeding
program of one's own marked the rite of passage for
the past two centuries of dog breeding in America
until the most recent decades. Tendencies and trends
in dog breeding have suddenly taken a series of
sharp turns. Times have changed, yes, but times
always do change while dog breeding as a hobby is
manifesting an entirely new face.
What shall we entitle this fallacious facade? Nobody
I have the pleasure of knowing at length in dogs is
able to fully grasp this anomaly and accurately
identify it. Is this a transitional phase in dog
breeding or is it the wave of the future rendering
many of us the tail end of an ancient entity that
will cease before our very eyes? The visible
characteristics of this incomprehensibly unorthodox
approach to dog breeding reveals first and foremost
the loss of distinct "lines" as we knew them.
Subsequently and secondarily we note the rapid
decline of clearly identifiable variations within
breeds owing to an apparent lack of resolve to
preserve known lines or even develop new ones for
that matter. Evidently, many of today's trendy
fanciers may view dog breeding as a sort of genetic
'smorgasbord' wherein it really does not matter what
one starts with or ends up with as long as it
produces a winner instantly. What we are witnessing
is the rejection of the proven practice of long term
breeding from a particular line or lines in order to
manifest some version of the breed standard along
with the essential fine-tuning that it has always
necessitated. I have personally noted (along with
many who have arisen from the traditional role of
dog breeding) that no apparent mental concept of the
breed standard seems to be required by this new
generation of dog breeders. In its' place resides
the quaint desire to refrain from producing a show
specimen with any disqualifying faults or other
serious refractions that might prevent winning. If
every critter produced by such breeders and their
typical, entangling alliances is entirely different
in type, temperament and structure from the next,
this is apparently incidental if not amusingly
quirky - rather than appropriately humiliating. This
recent phenomena poses a genuine dilemma for the
mentors currently addressing dog breeders and
doubtless, to our reigning judges.
Much of the murmuring amongst longtime breeders and
judges reflects the rarity of locating two dogs with
remotely equivalent virtues in any given breed, much
less in any class at a dog show today. There appears
neither rhyme nor reason to the breeding techniques
being implemented. One might surmise from the
evidence presented that today's dog breeder expects
to win at each outing with every show prospect
entered. Infinitely worse, far too many are wont to
sell as show prospects all remotely saleable
individuals from each litter produced without regard
to consistency of quality or future prepotency.
Perplexingly overlooked is the simple fact that a
great deal of time has always been expended at home
by serious, ethical dog breeders planning, growing
out and placing the majority of litters who are not
and never will be, show or breeding quality dogs.
That's just the way dog breeding pans out. Only the
best were brought forth for public exhibition. Every
pup a conscientious individual produces doesn't rate
'show prospect' nor should they all be considered as
breeding stock by virtue of the obvious fact that
they share the same illustrious pedigree. This lack
of common sense (or excessive greed, if the truth be
revealed) is one of the primary factors that
engenders severe anxiety for longtime mentors who
are valiantly risking their own reputations to
educate and represent novice breeders, just as their
illustrious predecessors once did.
It has historically been stressed that no individual
can successfully breed a line of dogs without a very
specific breed template in mind. Similarly, ethical
breeders have always been taught to conscientiously
remove from the breeding program all stock that
failed to meet those criteria. This is the
foundational motivation behind judging dogs and the
primary protocol for assessing them in a show ring.
Today's version of novice unfortunately tends to
reveal the stereotypical know-it-all who eagerly
acquires a dozen differing bitches from equally as
many breeders (often worldwide) and pack them right
off to the top winning stud dogs in their breeds.
Such blatantly shortsighted behavior is still
preferable to nauseating scenario B. Consider the
latter case wherein those same bitches are bred to
the most local and convenient stud dog(s) the
breeder can find or pick up inexpensively. The fact
that these naïve newcomers are frequently
financially raped by what should be 'reputable' dog
breeders (especially overseas) is another issue
entirely. Owing to a considerable lack of deep
thinking or just glaring ignorance, countless modern
breeders are more interested in health clearances
than pedigrees and show records than prepotency.
Health clearances are marvelous (we've promoted them
for years ourselves) but they can never substitute
for the intimate knowledge that will reveal exactly
which lines tend to produce which defects. A series
of health clearances achieved by a dog from a line
that has consistently produced those defects is like
a rubber sword. It's not going to protect your
breeding program in the end run. You may be inclined
to disagree with this; but I would rather breed to a
dog from a line I know rarely produces a certain
defect even though my choice may have failed that
test, than the previous candidate. Equally vitally,
an experienced analysis of pedigree quality and
depth is vital to the success of any breeding
program. The inability to wisely apprehend each of
these invaluable tools and utilize them from the
standpoint of experience will render a pedigree
little more than a fancy piece of paper and health
statistics and show records no better than an
interesting collection of facts. Widely available
are wonderful books and new programs designed to
help instruct the breeders of this era but again, I
reiterate and strongly advocate; personal,
individual mentorship has absolutely no substitute.
Only a mentor can personally impart every detail of
an intimate knowledge while role modeling ethical
and conscientious conduct. Successful breedership is
taught not bought!
Herein lies my second key point today. Until a
wannabe breeder develops a specific breed photograph
(hopefully, based upon the breed standard)
internally and makes the choice to honor proven,
worthwhile mentors who will devote themselves to
their pupils success, he will fail to create any
long term impact on his chosen breed. Today's
candidates seem to compose a burgeoning group of
rootless competitors that buy dogs left and right in
each breed and hop right into the ring with them
longing desperately for winners or, at least wins.
Every year they sport new dogs, new lines and a new
look. It causes one to ponder precisely what
happened to last year's models! These people don't
have the groundwork to breed dogs of the merit they
desire. Compare any such individual to another who
is championed by successful mentors and is blessed
with the wisdom and patience to actually heed their
advice. Both individuals will output similar amounts
of time and effort but the former, self-appointed
orphan will nearly always struggle vainly and likely
abandon the effort. Others just switch from breed to
breed, hoping for better "luck." Worse yet, many
become bitter renegades determined to regain their
initial investment one way or another. Perhaps the
impact being sought currently is a different one
than that so admired in previous decades. If the
motivation is simply to "win, win, win!" and
subsequently, "any dog will do you," then our
nation's mentors really ought to step back, take a
deep breath, uncurl their toes and fingers and let
come what may. My assertion has long been, "Big
winds blow over," but perhaps in this case; "Big
wins blow over," would be more apropos. The end
result of each individual's efforts will eventually
become visible in conformation and performance
circles and in the annals of canine history, as it
always has. However, the likelihood of this
fast-food mentality (as applied to dog breeding)
ever producing consistency in type, temperament or
soundness is well beyond the realm of a slim chance
and if it were to gain foothold, we would be forced
to concede that the days of bloodlines and prepotent
producers may be nigh over. These strangely inspired
opportunists will still manage to produce winning
dogs hither and yon but never two and three in the
same litter. Moreover, such dogs will seldom pass on
the characteristics that caused them to win in the
first place. Flash-in-the-pan winners may even
produce healthier pups in the short term owing to
the blessing of outcross vigor but in the long run,
the progress will not be sustained. It takes
generations of working through genetic defects to
breed them out to a very safe distance, if you know
"the line" and what it tends to produce consistently
that is. It also requires generations to breed in
virtues that will reproduce faithfully.
Allow me to relate an incident at this point. It's a
true story so I hope all prospective dog breeders
will sit up and pay attention. When I was a teenager
I worked very hard for a lady who raised German
Shorthairs. One day she informed me we were going to
clean a large kennel owned by a wealthy fancier of
the breed. My mentor warned me to be wary of the
dogs and not speak openly regardless of what I saw.
The elderly fellow who owned the place was no longer
able to manage the operation properly but she also
insisted that he had been "an eccentric" all his
life. In fact, that is what everyone in our area
called this man, "eccentric." Over a period of
decades the patron had built a beautiful,
full-fledged kennel with indoor/outdoor runs on a
lovely parcel of acreage. Inside this brick facility
were special rooms designated to breed, whelp and
rear pups and even space for displaying show and
field trophies. A small home on the property had
been provided for live in kennel help. Large yards
to exercise the dogs were overgrown while previously
well-kempt flowerbeds had withered away. In previous
years they must have supplied a lovely grandeur to
the exterior. Once inside the kennel, all lofty
expectations fell desperately short. The dogs were
as many types as one could ever dread coming across
in any given breed. There were tall ones;
short-legged ones, coarse headed and snipey dogs and
not one that looked remotely like the next. There
were friendly, tail-wagging dogs kenneled next to
neurotic, circle-spinning, crazy dogs that would as
soon bite you as look at you. To tell you the truth,
it was rather nauseating. I had to seriously rethink
the prospect of breeding dogs as a hobby for some
time after we finished cleaning the kennel and
departed. That chaos was the end result of decades
of breeding based upon the incredibly mistaken
premise that "winning is the only thing," and little
else mattered. What cemented the dismal failure in
my young mind was the realization that the rewards
(ribbons and trophies) accumulated over those
decades were rendered utterly trivial and
meaningless by the lack of consistent virtue in
those dogs. This 'breeder's' efforts provided
nothing of value and in some ways, served to set the
breed back locally. He had accumulated a few,
tarnished trophies and wrinkled ribbons but nothing
consequential was accomplished. If one can be
satisfied with so little then I will admit that this
fast-track mindset regarding dog breeding may be of
an extremely limited value.
Here is another case in point for those who feel
personal mentoring should remain a lost art. An
individual whom had migrated from another breed
decided to focus an effort at linebreeding on the
most prepotent stud dog of the past century.
Although himself a dog of many grand virtues, he
possessed equal and grievous faults that he managed
to set into his offspring. His main fault was a
weak, round headpiece featuring a narrow, triangular
shaped muzzle (instead of the broad muzzle required)
with its' accompanying narrow, wry jaw. To a lesser
degree, he was also straight stifled. Without the
meticulous, personal mentoring that should have been
provided in order to point out to this newcomer
those serious deficits, they became quickly
overlooked. As time passed, this confused individual
concluded that the miserable headpiece that came to
characterize that breeding program should be
promoted as a correct feature for the entire breed.
These dogs were widely advertised throughout the
canine world until many judges began to accept this
outlandish conglomeration of faults as an acceptable
version of standard breed type. This tragedy may not
have occurred if just one particularly prodigious
breeder had been properly schooled individually
regarding the correct utilization of the breed
standard and modern bloodlines. A qualified mentor
could have steered this novice around the
immobilizing point of blind ignorance. Those judges
who fail to read and apply breed standards and who
judge by advertisement (familiar faces) alone do
purebred dogs an equal disservice. Very often, a
simple lack of proper tutoring is all it takes to
instill a negative trend into any given breed.
There are invaluable concepts becoming lost to our
recent generation of dog breeders. Either that or
the wrong shaped pegs are being pounded against
their will into the incorrect holes by the
stubbornly ignorant for lack of other suitable
explanation. I cannot personally conclude that the
dog world is so lacking in serious, experienced
mentors as it is deplorably void of dedicated, loyal
students who are determined to 'mind their mentors'
and invest more than their silly, petty funds.
Rather, let them invest something into the Sport of
lasting value such as their time, talent and
devotion. I would cheerfully trade ten thousand of
these ridiculous, "Top-Ten-Syndrome" devotees with
fistfuls of dollars for one modest, respectful and
loyal breed student. Moreover I would prefer one
without a spare penny. Such a prodigy will be far
less wasteful with my precious bloodlines than some
exasperating, bill-folding biped that deliriously
suspects she can magically create a breeding program
from thin air by waving a few bucks in the right
direction. Deluded individuals are further inclined
to believe that currency can induce lost bloodlines
to reappear intact at a moment's notice. I suppose
that our longtime handlers feel equally plagued
standing knee-deep in so many upstart "instant
agents" who collect dogs to exhibit at sundry fees
like garbage men do waste from our sidewalks on a
weekly basis. This miserable misconduct readily
explains what we end up with in our rings each
weekend! Am I suggesting that all modern dog
breeders are hopelessly sidetracked? By no means,
only that peculiar faction that fit neatly into the
trappings of the disclosed package. What if you wish
to succeed as a novice breeder but dread falling
into this pattern? How can you identify the wrong
track if you are on it?
Take the following rudimentary quiz to challenge
yourself:
1. How many bitches does it take to produce a
quality line of dogs?
a. Five (one from each of the top names in your
breed)
b. Ten (the above group plus one from each of
the top breeders in Europe)
c. Thirteen (one can never go wrong with a
baker's dozen!)
d. As many as you can accumulate with the funds
you have or can finance
e. One good one from a reputable line
2. How many puppies in each litter are show
prospects if you have produced a typical litter of
four well-bred pups?
a. Four (they all came from the same parents and
the same pedigree)
b. Three (one is bound to be a pet and you have
one pet home waiting as it turns out)
c. Two (keep the best bitch and the best dog or
the best two pups regardless of consistency)
d. None of them until your mentor has helped you
evaluate which to grow out.
3. What actually constitutes pet quality?
a. A serious genetic defect
b. A breed disqualification
c. A & B combined
d. Bad temperament
e. A, B & D combined
f. A mediocre specimen regardless of pedigree
g. Pet home waiting
4. What actually constitutes a show prospect?
a. No genetic defects
b. No breed disqualifications
c. Showy, outgoing attitude
d. Loud color
e. Good legs this baby can really move out!
f. Pretty face and fabulous coat
g. An outgoing, outstanding breed representative
with a solid pedigree to back it up.
h. Show home waiting
5. What is the difference between a "breeding
quality dog" and a show quality dog?
a. Breed disqualification(s)
b. Good quality, poor temperament
c. Ugly head, sound legs
d. Pretty head, can't move
e. Great dog, lousy pedigree
f. None of the above. There should be no
difference.
6. How many pups per litter do you need to keep to
maintain a bloodline?
a. Half the litter
b. One dog, one bitch...just in case one is
sterile or does not turn out.
c. The two best bitches
d. The whole litter, in case some don't turn out
or are sterile.
e. The one pup that is better than it's quality
parents.
f. How many bloodlines do you intend to work
with at one time???
7. How many litters per year do you need to produce
to maintain your bloodline?
a. Two if it's an easy breed or five if it's a
hard breed to raise live litters out of.
b. Three, in case the first two didn't cut the
mustard
c. As many as possible without sending a red
flag up at AKC
d. Enough to cover all doggy expenses
e. One, if it's well thought out and carefully
evaluated
f. How many bloodlines do you intend to work
with at one time???
8. Why do you need a mentor and why should he or she
help you evaluate your litters initially?
a. You don't, really. Take their good advice or
leave it since it's basically just another
opinion.
b. You only require a mentor long enough to
obtain that quality dog.
c. Anyone who will trust you with his or her
life's work will gratefully help you manage it
properly. An ethical mentor will never
intentionally steer you wrong and will work hard
to see you succeed. Translation: your success is
their success!
d. 'Mentor schmentor!' Anything she can do, I
can do better already.
e. This is my third litter and I'm tired of
growing out puppies. I want something that will
WIN and I mean, NOW!
f. Which mentors do you intend to work with now
that you have all those bloodlines???
9. What is the correct definition of a top quality
litter of pups?
a. None have breed disqualifications
b. None have serious genetic defects
c. None have poor temperaments
d. All are ideally marked
e. Half of the litter finished
f. One pup became a Top Ten ranking show dog (gotta'
repeat this one right away!)
g. The quality of the pups was equally
distributed; the majority finished, the pedigree
was solid, and they created a permanent,
positive impact on the breed
h. Both parents are champions
i. Show homes waiting impatiently with money in
hand.
The correct answer is available in each category.
Moreover, they are overt answers. Did you quickly
arrive at them? If you were regularly drawn to
multiple choices in each category and are confused
at this point you definitely need a good mentor. If
you aren't sure whom to approach in your breed, ask
around at dog shows. (Forget the Internet, you will
merely come out showered with arrows!) Collect
sufficient expert opinions to obtain a consensus. A
quality mentor can document considerably more than a
decade in their breed; will have produced many
champions and one or more notable producers of that
breed. Conscientious mentors carefully monitor the
genetic defects within their lines throughout each
generation and can prove it. Such individuals will
desire to mentor only serious students, so please do
not waste their time and break their hearts if you
do not happen to be one of them. If you aren't in
this hobby for the long haul, please get out now
while the getting is good. Successful dog breeding
is about quality relationships, long-term
investments, a dauntless love for dogs and
conscientious determination. If your ideal hobby is
all about winning and making a big name for yourself
as quickly as possible, you are harboring an
incognito loser mentality and what you really need
is counseling. That's a strong opinion. If you
decide to stay, you will discover many more where
that one came from. However, if you really love a
certain breed of dog and your heart's desire is to
be intimately involved, produce a line of healthy,
happy, sound dogs from proven bloodlines, then by
all means find a good mentor or two and super glue
yourself to them. If you are willing to become a
lifelong student, can take advice humbly and
gratefully from those who are willing to share their
doggy endeavor, you deserve a good mentor. If
respect ranks high in your personal vocabulary and
you weren't born knowing it all, you have the
potential to contribute as a valuable member of
doggy society. Honestly, I cannot recall even one
top breeder I have known that succeeded entirely
alone. One day you may discover that you are a dog
breeder of renown and qualified to mentor students
yourself! You will become absorbed in a worldwide
community of dedicated, ethical, compassionate
people who have embraced you slowly but surely.
One word in admonition; if you are in the process of
being mentored and choose to intentionally thwart
prominent mentors who have taken you under their
wings, the doggy world can become a very cold and
lonely place all of a bloody sudden! (This is by no
means a reference to honest mistakes which all of us
can and do make regularly.) I remember one of the
first individuals who ever mentored my husband and
I. At a club meeting held in our home he hung back
after everyone departed and confided in my ear,
"These new people come in and they want you to help
them get started. You help them and they turn around
and put a knife in your back so you can never trust
them again!" I cringed internally wondering if our
club leader was on drugs or just an overly dramatic
sort of fellow. At the time I thought it was a
rather amusing incident. Years later I came to
appreciate the full impact of his presumably
paranoid statement. Anyone who has been in dogs for
a decade is already mentoring newbies. It just
happens naturally for most of us. At that early
stage the process is rather akin to a teenager
mentoring a toddler. A decade later there is a
further transformation and we become adults leading
teenagers. In each mentoring relationship there is
mutual growth from differing aspects. That is how
this mentoring relationship should progress. It is
at the initial checkpoint that we are noting a
bizarre glitch in the system, if you will. Around
the five-year mark those students who should depart
since they are unwilling to learn anyway, for
various, insidious reasons - don't. Instead, they
tack up their own signs and go into business
thumbing their noses openly at or even more
commonly, behind the backs of their previous
mentors. A few actually resort to destroying the
reputations of their former mentors as a boorishly
pathetic hobby.
Reading every dog breeding and genetics manual ever
manufactured won't cut the mustard when such
independent students actually try to breed litters
from various bloodlines (especially those
ridiculous, tossed-salad combinations thereof.) Half
the time, these mentoring dropouts retain the wrong
pups and let the outstanding prospects go, thus
insuring their own failure. Without proper
mentoring, they are literally lost amidst a world of
pedigrees, canine husbandry and exhibition. Still,
the foolishly proud would rather struggle alone than
face the music and apologize to the honorable
instructors they have grieved. I've watched such
individuals attach strings to every pup they sell in
mortal terror of repeating these dread foibles. A
team of veterinarians will be less successful at
diagnosing the various stages and odd quirks of
those lines than one longtime breed mentor. In
stubborn rebellion, these folks will rely upon any
opinion other than that of a qualified expert. The
number of lives of dogs saved by good mentoring is
impossible to calculate but I would suspect at least
a dozen for each successful mentor. Which is why it
irks me to no end that some veterinarians treat all
dog breeders like dirt bags. Technically, we are on
the same team and it is beyond certain that we've
saved lives their professional education and
training could not. Whether veterinarian and dog
breeder or mentor and student it's all about
functional relationships. Lacking respect, no
relationship will function. Yet daily we witness
supposedly serious students of dog breeding or
handling backstabbing their dedicated mentors!
Mike and I have mentored newcomers to the world of
purebred dogs for the entire duration of our
marriage. I can recall few instances I have been as
emotionally wounded by our own family members as I
have by doggy individuals we chose to mentor.
Perhaps it is human nature to become too controlling
over those we mentor on occasion. We may overprotect
them out of concern that others will misuse them. At
the same time we strive to help them avoid making
terrible mistakes. However, mentoring at this
initially intense level should never extend beyond
the point at which the pupil has actually advanced
into a successful breeding program of his or her
own. There must be a clear distinction between
manipulation and guidance. Yet, release from quality
mentoring can only be unwisely sought with the first
champion produced or in the first five years of
breeding for that matter. The use of poor judgment
by the mentored is never as hard to swallow as utter
disrespect without provocation. Foolish as it will
undoubtedly seem to most of this reading audience, I
sold many outstanding, young show prospects to
complete novices. I remembered how difficult it was
to obtain a quality dog. Equally importantly, I did
not want my dogs in large operations or breeding
kennels, stacked in crates in people's basements or
garages. So I stuck my neck out and took a chance on
novices who kept their dogs at home, primarily as
pets. Each of them made verbal and written promises.
Only a handful lived up to their contractual
agreements. Some of our mentored were extremely
successful (the patient minority) while others
ruined perfectly good dogs. One newbie we sold a
quality pup to continually despaired that the dog
would never reach its' full potential. However,
maturity occurred precisely when I insisted it would
and the dog finished with a flourish. In fact, this
dog continued to collect honors regularly until it
began to win on a national level. This apparently
happy conclusion was completely spoiled a short time
later when I inquired to purchase a pup from the
individual hoping to regain the bloodline that I had
disbursed in order to more freely judge dogs. To my
old fashioned way of thinking I believed my request
would be received as an honor by the grateful
novice, only to be quoted a price nearly twice that
of the original stock with potential strings
attached! In shock over this scandalous misbehavior,
I was then formally advised, "It's only business and
that is the current pricing."
Whoahoahoaaa there, little doggeez! Let’s pause for
a moment and analyze the statement that selling dogs
is ‘strictly business.’ It wasn’t ‘way back’ when
your mentor entrusted you with their foundation
stock! Moreover, if you claim to bear any love for
them whatsoever, dogs are never ‘strictly business.’
If they are, you are not a hobbyist - you are a
profiteer and had better change your “buy from a
breeder” motto to reflect your grasping mentality.
Secondly, no student of a breed in the initial
process of learning should ever charge top dollar
for any puppy because he possesses neither the
experience nor the credibility to back up that price
tag. After you have endured a decade or two and have
produced noteworthy, prepotent dogs that actually
had some influence on your breed and when you are
able to scrupulously manage and predict the general
development of a bloodline as your mentor did, then
and ONLY THEN charge a reflective price. You did not
breed the dogs of note in those pedigrees that you
are basing the outrageous prices upon, nor do you
even remotely grasp the full impact of the innate
faults and virtues harbored within those bloodlines.
No photographs or second-hand rumors will ever
reveal that information to you. Only a trusting,
experienced mentor can offer those breeding
shortcuts and such information will never
intentionally be shared with a fool. Following in
the wise footsteps of my own mentors, I failed to
charge full price for a show prospect until I had
fifteen years under my belt as a breeder. We rarely
placed strings on any dog and only requested
approximately five puppies back in all those years.
We did not ask pick puppy for a stud service in
those days nor ever required litters back on bitches
sold. Our stud dogs, when at public stud, were
offered at fees reflecting the PROVEN value of their
get. There is a point that seems to have been
reached in our modern dog world where hard-nosed
business principles have completely overshadowed
good sense and propriety. There are sufficient dog
profiteers outside the legitimate Fancy; we
certainly don’t desire any on the inside. Many dog
breeders are visibly infected with a self-serving
greed that has eroded their essential respect for
mentors and minimized the true value of purebred
dogs to such a degree that it is reducing an
otherwise fine Sport to a paltry game. The reality
is that the hearts of this generation must change
for gracious, sensible conduct to reemerge in our
world.
In another frustrating case, a sympathetic, longtime
mentor tucked under her wing what could only be
described as an “iffy” candidate for mentoring. This
student came from a most precarious position having
purchased breeding stock from disreputable sources
and selling it over a puppy miller’s network.
However, the student seemed bent upon a course of
integrity and cleared up the negative ties as
requested. The candidate further insisted all
mediocre stock was disbursed and began
health-testing the few quality dogs on the premises.
The mentorship ensued and the pupil was able to
finish a high quality dog of superior pedigree with
the guidance of the breed expert. Naturally, the
mentor was contacted again in order to help select
the appropriate mate. The mentor pored over
pedigrees of available dogs at the request of the
student until an excellent choice emerged. At the
pupil’s further request, the mentor offered herself
as a reference since the stud owner was quite
discriminating. Suddenly in midcourse, the pupil
jumped ship and decided instead to breed to an
untitled dog with an incompatible pedigree. The
motivations were supposedly financial and for the
sake of simplification. A very old, mediocre quality
dog was provided the pupil without charge from a
calculating source that only requested “a puppy back
in return.” The clever, second-rate breeder was
thereby able to seduce the naive student and acquire
stock from a bloodline that was previously
unavailable without investing a penny. Moreover, an
unwanted dog at retirement age was conveniently
disposed of at the same time from a sizeable kennel
operation. When the mentor was informed of this
treachery, she replied calmly and candidly, “If it
were possible to breed high quality dogs
conveniently and cheaply, every dog breeder in
America would be equally successful.” Consequently,
in both cases the mentors severed all ties with
these (sic) ‘serious students’ of their breed.
What other course can ensue when mentors apply full
effort and skill toward the success of individuals
who later proffer the proverbial “knife-in the-back”
treatment? One could wish to label these pupils’
sophomoric actions “poor judgment,” but the greedy
motivations behind them would swiftly nullify those
otherwise inert descriptions. These are but two
examples plucked from among dozens of graceless
incidences mentors around the country are reporting
regularly, obviously increasing the number of
abandoned or dropout students each year. The only
reward any mentor is ever granted for his or her
personal investment is the satisfaction of shaping a
successful and ethical patron for their breed. After
several such devastating experiences in the lives of
longtime mentors, it is little wonder so few will
extend their time and talent to the continually
inquiring newbies vying for their attention. It is
seldom true that the dog world’s finest canine
mentors are, as so commonly characterized, “stuck
up,” but rather that they have simply been burned
emotionally one too many times. If you are a student
of a breed; please don’t confuse emotional
distancing with arrogance since they aren’t remotely
alike. If you would be mentored by one of America’s
renowned Doggites, you may find it necessary to
prove your loyalty to them and their dogs first.
“Bloodlines,” as we once acknowledged them, are fast
disappearing. The remnants of those precious, former
hardwoods are being sold as a commodity to the
highest bidders both here and abroad. In the place
of the elaborate effort that once hallmarked a
lifelong craft one discovers pressed board covered
over with cheap laminates. Is it possible that the
invocation of genetic charting in some fashion has
ended America’s reverence for bloodlines? Or is it
merely the saturation of equal amounts of greed and
egomania on the part of today’s foundationally
disengaged crew of incoming dog breeders that is to
blame? The principles that have long sustained dog
breeding, as applied both intellectually and
instinctively are clearly on the wane. In direct
repercussion, mentoring has become a most precarious
proposition for all who compose the framework of the
Sport of Dogs. Will educating breeders with the
intact blanket approach resolve these issues? We
will be most fortunate if this program can manage a
nip at their fast wilting buds. If public education
could instill ethics and character this program
could be deemed feasible, however, individual
mentoring (like the parenting role that it has
always evoked) remains the only practical, proven
and effective means by which to tackle such
perplexing problems and that process is entirely
dependent upon willing and worthy students. It
occurs to me that in order for a breeder education
program to succeed, there must be a valid mentorship
program firmly in residence. Recruitment for
qualified, mentoring volunteers to act as “big
brothers” to novice breeders will prove absolutely
essential. No family is functional without diligent
parents nor will any breeder educational system
flourish minus experienced, conscientious mentors.
If those prerequisites could be met, it still
remains to be seen whether or not there exists a
sufficient headcount enrolling in breeder education
to salvage the future of an entire nation’s purebred
dog Fancy.
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