A breed will stand or fall according to its breeders-not its loyal fanciers, not its judges and handlers, not its exhibitors and trainers. For the breeder is the only link between the past and the future; only through him/her can the breed stay alive.
Like the sculptor, the painter, the poet, he/she is driven by creative compulsion. But he/she more than any of the others, is caught up in the race against time. The sculptor works in stone; his mistakes can be changed by the chisel. The breeder works with flesh; his mistake may take generations to correct. The sculptor can put his work away and eventually come back to it; the breeder is a captive of his breed and can never really leave it.
Why then does a breeder stay a breeder? The answer is, that of all the activities in the dog sport, he/she alone has the joy of creation and the and the pride of enduring handiwork.
When proud owners bring back a fine animal for him/her to see years after it was sold by him/her as a puppy; he/she notes with a thrill how it has developed in just the way he/she thought it would. While they are happily telling him/her what a marvelous creature this is, he/she is scarcely listening as he/she stares at the dog; for he/she is not only seeing what they are, but so much more.
With mounting excitement, he/she watches that imperious stance, so familiar, that proudly arched neck and the keen steady gaze right out of the past; he/she does not see just ONE handsome dog standing there before him/her, but all of the wonderful ones which went into the making of this one-dogs which he/she loved and knew so well . . . and now sees living again. This is the fascination of the breeder. This is the treasure of eternal youth!
This article is beautifully written by famed Doberman breeder Peggy Adamson, Damasyn Dobermans, and touches the heart of my belief about breeding and showing dogs, It is truly an art, a love, a passion. Those of us who are “bitten” by the bug and show and breed our dogs are truly hooked! We are possessed with the desire to create that perfect beautiful animal that takes your breath away. But we must be careful that in our quest to do so we preserve the STANDARD of the breed and not fall victim to only creating a winning dog or bitch, but one that fits that Standard.
Best,
Jeanne Bertsch
Like the sculptor, the painter, the poet, he/she is driven by creative compulsion. But he/she more than any of the others, is caught up in the race against time. The sculptor works in stone; his mistakes can be changed by the chisel. The breeder works with flesh; his mistake may take generations to correct. The sculptor can put his work away and eventually come back to it; the breeder is a captive of his breed and can never really leave it.
Why then does a breeder stay a breeder? The answer is, that of all the activities in the dog sport, he/she alone has the joy of creation and the and the pride of enduring handiwork.
When proud owners bring back a fine animal for him/her to see years after it was sold by him/her as a puppy; he/she notes with a thrill how it has developed in just the way he/she thought it would. While they are happily telling him/her what a marvelous creature this is, he/she is scarcely listening as he/she stares at the dog; for he/she is not only seeing what they are, but so much more.
With mounting excitement, he/she watches that imperious stance, so familiar, that proudly arched neck and the keen steady gaze right out of the past; he/she does not see just ONE handsome dog standing there before him/her, but all of the wonderful ones which went into the making of this one-dogs which he/she loved and knew so well . . . and now sees living again. This is the fascination of the breeder. This is the treasure of eternal youth!
This article is beautifully written by famed Doberman breeder Peggy Adamson, Damasyn Dobermans, and touches the heart of my belief about breeding and showing dogs, It is truly an art, a love, a passion. Those of us who are “bitten” by the bug and show and breed our dogs are truly hooked! We are possessed with the desire to create that perfect beautiful animal that takes your breath away. But we must be careful that in our quest to do so we preserve the STANDARD of the breed and not fall victim to only creating a winning dog or bitch, but one that fits that Standard.
Best,
Jeanne Bertsch
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