Ki a tenyésztő ?! / Who is the Breeder ?!
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In legal terms a “ breeder “ is the person who owns the bitch to be bred from – while, in reality, a “ breeder “ should be much, much more than just a simple “ owner “.
A real “ breeder “ is someone who devotes time and energy to create a new generation of dogs that will be better, more physically perfect and healthier than previous generations. The real breeder works tirelessly towards this aim, for ever educating himself/herself. The real breeder is for ever scouring the antiquarian bookshops, spends many hours surfing the web, analyses pedigrees, visits dog shows and trials near and far, spends days never leaving the side of a new litter… The real breeder plans each litter hoping for “ better, nicer, healthier “ puppies – instead of wishing “ to play families “ ( although the first 8 weeks of the new litter’s life he/she will hardly leave the new family by itself, and should be enjoying every moment of this experience! ). The real breeder does not calculate how to reach the greatest possible financial profit with the least amount of work. To do so is PROPAGATION, not breeding. The rules applying to the breeding of other animals apply to the breeding of dogs too – with one, most important, extra dimension: the breeder, while striving to create better, nicer, healthier dogs, is also creating a FRIEND and COMPANION for the future owners of these animals. This principle of selection guides me when choosing healthy, easy-to-handle, “easy-to-live-with“ dogs to breed from. A breeder should be the fairest judge of the real qualities of his/her dogs, - should never be “blinkered“ in their favour. Hard decisions have to be made when choosing the candidates for breeding. This process, needless to say, should never involve cruelty by killing the dogs deemed not worthy of breeding from. Those animals have to be given a good life – while the breeder also has to make sure these dogs will not be used for future breeding. When a breeder follows all the important guidelines year after year most litters will produce dogs worthy of the highest praise. Even the best breeders, however, can sometimes produce offspring with less than perfect characteristics. These problems have to be acknowledged, and we have to learn from them. The breeder does absolutely everything to provide for his/her dogs. The dogs are given all possible comfort to achieve their best and to feel well. Individual, tiled kennels – that are so often proudly shown off – are not necessary. Plenty of exercise, wide open spaces and the company of humans and other dogs, however, are. The breeder has to select with great care which dog is allowed to mate with the bitch and whom the resulting puppies are sold to. The new owners will define the breeder’s success! The breeder has to keep in touch with the new owners, offering counsel and monitoring each dog’s development. The breeder is responsible for each animal created through the breeder’s selection – would that be a “World Champion“, a dog with bad bite, or were it a dog that ended up in a dogs’ home! A breeder qualifies to be called “ breeder “ after the first litter has been produced, provided all the guidelines were strictly adhered to. The fact is, however, that at least 3-4 litters are necessary to gain enough knowledge and experience – to see the results of all the careful work and personal achievement. Knowledge can be attained, experience can be gained, while “ breeder instinct “ is a highly individual quality that can not be learned - a BREEDER has to be born with it. Luck also has to play its part in the successful breeding process! To aspire to be a good breeder – at least with the breeds I am most familiar with- is an activity to guarantee maximum effort with minimum profit. I would not pass judgement on anybody asking extortionate prices for a puppy, or on someone prepared to sell an adult dog – but I consider it a criminal act when a breeder does not check out rigorously the future owners, or is prepared to offload the rest of the litter or any of the older dogs to anybody, just to be rid of them! A true BREEDER can hardly charge a high enough sum for each of the puppies to make breeding dogs a profitable activity. After all, by the time the puppies are sold the breeder made heavy investments by buying the right stock, by keeping the dogs in a healthy environment, by feeding them well, by paying the vet’s fees and all the health certificates, by taking the dogs to shows, by training the dogs, by entering them in field trials… The list is endless. The true breeder never actually counts the cost – this is not why he/she decided to become a breeder. The true breeder simply follows the path, - a path that is often paved with disappointment and failure. The moment success is achieved the jealousy of other breeders will raise its head, but… There will be moments is the breeder’s life when all the hard work and all the problems turn to triumph and delight. - When a new owner telephones to say how happy they are with their dog, how they always dreamt about having a dog just like it! When a much coveted champion title is awarded in a foreign exhibition! When, having excelled at an international field trial, breeder and dog are standing side by side on the highest platform of the podium, and the National Anthem is played in their honour. When, after years of nerve wrecking effort, one of the dogs earns the title of “ World Champion” – and even the great grand mother if this dog was one’s own breeding… |