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WHY
BREED???
Breeding
dogs is a venture which should not be embarked upon without full
and proper consideration to the many important facets and requirements
involved.
High
on the list of essentials is TIME. Puppies will need feeding four
or five times a day, and will need someone on hand to monitor the
ambient temperature, whether it is too hot or cold, and to adjust
the temperature of the puppies accordingly. If there is nobody available
to attend to the puppies during the day, please forget about breeding.
The
common concept that pure bred puppies are a means of making money
is, in a reality, a misconception and, alone, not a valid reason
to bring otherwise unwanted dogs into being.
Our
first and foremost consideration should be to “breed to improve
the quality of the breed”
As
members of our State Body we should all be well aware of the Code
of Ethics which all members are required to follow.
Generally
members venture into breeding only after having tasted moderate
success with a pure bred puppy in the show ring. As their dog matures
they are drawn towards continuing their success with progeny of
their young winner. This is acceptable, as they would probably have
obtained their first show dog from a reputable breeder who is able
to guide them through their first breeding experience, just as they
probably guided them through the first show experiences.
Generally
a poor specimen who had failed to earn any consistent success will
also tempt its owner into the breeding experience, in the hope that
something better could be produced if a winning mate were chosen.
Unfortunately this decision will generally lead its breeders down
the path to failure. Although the first Ethic is being followed,
its chance of success is minimal when compared to that of the winning
competitor, who is already a jump ahead in the race for perfection
in competition. When it comes to the question of breeding to improve,
if exhibition of the resultant stock is the reason for breeding,
then breeding from poor or mediocre stock is a mistake.
If
the show ring is not the ultimate aim for the product of your breeding,
then there should be a very clear goal set for achievement.
If
you were breeding for superior retrieving ability, then it would
be patently obvious that the parents of the litter would be chosen
with that end in mind. The Police now have in place their own breeding
program, based upon traits required in the dogs they work, rather
than relying on the hit and miss opportunities previously afforded
them by taking in other people’s cast off dogs for training. Similarly
the Guide Dogs for the Blind and other organisations are now breeding
with a definite goal in mind for achievement.
Without
very clear ideas and goals set for what you wish to achieve in breeding
a litter of ANKC registered puppies, there can be no truly valid
reason for doing so if, within the breeding stock you have under
your control, the ability to produce your aim does not genetically
exist.
Do
you wish only to produce a litter of pedigreed puppies for sale
as pets? If so, there are still very clear guidelines and demands
in the end product, perhaps every bit as stringent as required in
a show dog. It is therefore your responsibility to provide for the
market a dog which is typical of its breed in appearance, which
has a reliable and tractable temperament for simple training, which
will not be requiring veterinary attention as a result of unsoundness
or heritable problems like hip dysplasia, cataracts, or any of a
number of abnormalities which may make the ownership of such a dog
a hardship.
QUITE
SIMPLY THE REASONS FOR BREEDING A LITTER MUST BE CLEARLY PERCEIVED
AND SET DOWN AS GOALS FOR ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO BREEDING ANY LITTER
OF PUPPIES AND THERE SHOULD BE A GOOD CHANCE OF ACHIEVING THESE
GOALS FROM THE STOCK WE USE, BASED ON KNOWN FACTORS. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY
TO ASCERTAIN THAT THESE FACTORS ARE INDEED PRESENT BEFORE EMBARKING
ON A BREEDING VENTURE. THEREFORE WE MUST MAKE AN EFFORT TO EDUCATE
OURSELVES IN ORDER TO SET OUR AIMS AND ACHIEVE THEM.
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