What is a Breeder??
By Peggy Adamson

A Breeder (with a capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never really knows it all">

What is a Breeder?? By Peggy Adamson A Breeder (with a capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never really knows it all, one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience & commitment. A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting! She gives up the dreams of a long, luxurious cruise in favor of turning that all important Show into this years "vacation". The Breeder goes without sleep (but never without coffee!) in hours spent planning a litter or watching anxiously over the birth process, and afterwards, over every little sneeze, wiggle or cry. The Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the babies have to be fed at eight. She disregards birth fluids and puts mouth to mouth to save a gasping new-born, literally blowing life into a tiny, helpless creature that may be the culmination of a lifetime of dreams. A Breeder’s lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud and noble champions once snoozed. A Breeders hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever so gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet nose. A Breeders back and knees are usually arthritic from stooping, bending, and sitting in the birthing box, but are strong enough to enable the breeder to Show the next choice pup to a Championship. A Breeders shoulders are stooped and often heaped with abuse from competitors, but they're wide enough to support the weight of a thousand defeats and frustrations. A Breeders arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful of puppies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer. A Breeders ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (from being talked about) or strangely shaped (from being pressed against a phone receiver), often deaf to criticism, yet always fine-tuned to the whimper of a sick puppy. A Breeders eyes are blurred from pedigree research and sometimes blind to her own dog's faults, but they are ever so keen to the competitions faults and are always searching for the perfect specimen. A Breeders brain is foggy on faces, but it can recall pedigrees faster than an IBM computer. It's so full of knowledge that sometimes it blows a fuse: it catalogues thousands of good boneings, fine ears, and perfect heads... and buries in the soul the failures and the ones that didn't turn out. The Breeders heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope everlasting... and it's always in the right place ! Oh, yes, there are breeders, and then, there are BREEDERS!!     Here's another good one. Malcolm B. Willis sums up what makes a good breeder in his book - Genetics of the Dog What Makes A Dog Breeder Today, dogs are generally controlled by man, so it is important to define what makes a breeder. In a broad sense it is easy to be a dog breeder. All you need is a bitch, access to a stud dog of the same breed and you are in business. A great many people go through life doing little more than this, they have a bitch or more probably a series of bitches and possibly a stud dog and they mate these at intervals and sell the progeny. Even if one does this for a decade or more, even for a lifetime, one is not a breeder, merely a reproducer of dogs. The dog world is full of reproducers of dogs, some of whom have even achieved a measure of success in producing show winners and champions, but they are not dog breeders. In many countries there are people who churn out litter after litter of a single breed or, more often, in a series of breeds, preferably breeds that are in demand and can command high prices. Such people are little better than puppy farmers and certainly do not merit the term dog breeder in other than a derogatory way. A genuine dog breeder is someone who is avidly interested in dogs in general and a breed(s) in particular and seeks to:       a) learn all he/she can about the breed.       b) buy and live with that breed.       c) breed litters occasionally but always doing so for a purpose, attempting always to improve the           quality of his/her stock.       d) correctly socialize, rear and feed his/her dogs, seeking to ensure that they are integrated into the            household (irrespective of whether they are house or kennel dogs). To this end only such numbers            as can be coped with will be kept.       e) pay considerable attention to the defects and failings in the breed and reduce their incidence by            whatever genetic means are available.       f) sell puppies for fair prices and to ensure as far as is possible that they are sold to good homes and           that there is a follow up service which guarantees help to buyers.        g) operative within a certain code of ethics whether breed club devised or not.        h) ensure that if one of his/her dogs ends up in rescue or unwanted that it is taken back and found a            new home or remains in the breeders home or kennel.       i) to collaborate with other breeders for the general advancement of the breed. This does not prevent          healthy competition with other breeders.       j) put the advancement of the breed above personal glory or power.