[PyrNet-L] RE:[Pyr-Net]:breeding question/showing

[Harvey Noble <pyrnook@telusplanet.net>]

I have owned only 5 Pyrs, starting in 1981.  I have bought 4 show
prospects. Only two turned out to be show quality,. One of the
show prospects, Stormy, died in my arms in epileptic seizure (it took
him 30 mins to die). I didn't show Jasmine, I was too busy dealing with
life at the time, but I also didn't breed her. I am not a show person, I
don't like being in the show ring. However, I will show, Rosie, my
present show prospect.  When you see you see a dog place in group on
Fri., not even win Breed on Sat., and win Best in Show on Sun., you tend
to take judging and showing with a grain of salt. I go to the show to
meet the Pyr people. I value their opinion on both my dog, and which
judges opinions are worth listening to. I don't believe the world is
perfect, but that doesn't mean something that has flaws- such as
showing, should be dismissed entirely- for if I dismissed everyone I
knew that had a
flaw, I would be pretty lonely and couldn't live with myself. I would
really, like to get Rosie, to a National or Regional specialty- then I
would really get an opinion from the judges and the Pyr people on her
quality.  The opinion, I value most, however is the breeders opinion,
both to as to whether Rosie should be bred and to who. I have been both
careful and fortunate in my choice of breeders. The breeder of BIS,
could and did pick his BIS winner apart- for there hasn't been a perfect
Pyr bred yet. Bandit, my unregistered Pyr, I have because I was Pyrless,
and it was very lonely coming home, and not having a Pyr greet me at the
door.  Bandit's grandparents came out two kennels in the states, kennel
names I knew and respected.  Bandit's grandparents were not registered,
because they were being used as LGD's, and registering and showing them,
would ruin
them.(Not my opinion). Bandit & Rosie had a teenage oops, last summer
and I had my first litter of pups, only 5, fortunately. However, when I
went to sell, I was amazed at the number of unregistered litters of Pyr
pups for sale at $200 a pup. I decided to sell mine for $250 and found
good homes for them all. The thing about last summer was I sat outside
with my guys at Chapter's and drank coffee, so my guys get some
socialization. The thing that bothered me, was the number people that
stopped and talked about the Pyr pups they had recently gotten, but most
had little or no knowledge, about what their dogs were. One had a 3
month old pup, bought
for LGD work and was wondering why it wasn't doing it's job of
protecting a flock of sheep. I do have one thing to say about the
people, whose passion is showing, it's not my passion. You tend to tick
me off, until I meet you, and I come to realize, that your love of breed
far
outweighs your passion for showing. I don't know what to do about dogs
like a 3 month Pyr being expected to guard a flock sheep. I would love
to see
every Pyr bred be an BIS, OTCH, temperament tested, tested on livestock,
X-rayed, DNA tested etc., but it's not going to happen. So I'll have to
rely on my breeder and other Pyr people, as to whether  Rosie should be
bred or not. I wonder sometimes if there is a place in the Pyr world for
some one like myself. I have no intentions of getting another show Pyr,
I don't have room on the bed for the one's I have now. I do love the
breed and would like to make a small contribution to the breed, if Rosie
is judged as being able to make that contribution. But it is the 3 month
old pup and others like him, that I worry most about.
Harvey Noble
Tofield, Alberta
pyrnook@telusplanet.net