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

[Kshoffman@aol.com]

In a message dated 03/11/2000 10:20:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
clhenke@juno.com writes:

> Kelly........Bingo!  The answer lies at the end of your letter.  They
>  just don't matter as much as your right, to breed, to add to the
>  population, because you are human.  There is nothing I can say to add
>  anything to that thought process.  But at least you said what others
>  would not.

Yes, I firmly believe I have the right and an obligation to produce quality 
specimens of a purebred breed I love dearly for those who are truly deserving 
of owning them. I produce dogs that are healthy and sound of mind and body 
and I place them in the types of homes I feel are up to the commitment and 
challenge of ownership, and on rare occasions, sometimes even the 
reproductive custodianship of this special breed. The bulk of what I produce 
is placed as s/n pets intentionally.

I am proud to be contributing to a positive good image for the breed.  I 
couldn't have been more proud when a dog of my breeding was named Service Dog 
of the Year by the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association for making over 200 
therapy visits in one calendar year. Not even a Best in Show or a National 
Specialty win will ever top that, honestly. I couldn't be happier with those 
owners and their dog, that we found each other by design, nor could I be 
sadder that the husband died years after we met them of complications from a 
bone marrow transplant for leukemia. These people became our friends because 
of that dog. That wonderful dog I bred and helped hand select specifically 
for their needs and goals not only lived up to their high expectations, but 
probably even exceeded them. Our lives are all richer because of our 
association via this dog. Yes, this is more satisfying to me than rescue and 
I am not ashamed to admit it.

This is why I breed dogs. This is what I strive for with each and every dog I 
place. I don't always achieve this same level of success every time, but that 
is always the idea and what I hope to accomplish, and I think I have placed 
my pups/dogs with some of the greatest and most wonderful pet owners in the 
world.  I am so thrilled to have provided them with exactly what they were 
hoping for in a lifelong family companion. I prefer to place my dogs in 
families with children. I feel a healthy, mentally stable, well-socialized 
and well-bred dog is of the utmost importance, especially in a family 
situation.

Please let's not gloss over the fact that the dogs I produce aren't ending up 
unwanted or discarded or in rescue or in shelters, or euthanized -- unless 
for health reasons on extremely rare occasions for the latter, or health 
reasons related to the consequences of old age.  I always have and always 
will take back any one of mine or even any one descended from mine for any 
reason, no questions asked.  I willingly take on that responsibility and 
accountability for owners I may occasionally make a mistake on placing with 
in the first place, or who for whatever reason can no longer keep their dog.

Less than 20% of the puppies my husband and I are responsible for bringing 
into this world have remained reproductively intact for any length of time, 
and only half of those have ever gone on to reproduce.  The rest have all 
either been s/n before placement, or placed on s/n contract up front.  Those 
that are not originally placed on s/n contract either stay here with us, or 
they are placed on co-ownership (with one past exception -- I made one 
mistake, and I will never make that mistake again).  The vast majority of 
those left intact are kept here with us and grown out, perhaps used for 
breeding only once in their lifetime, if at all.  Many that we've grown out 
over the years we decide sometimes as late as 2-3 yrs of age not to use in 
our breeding program, just decide they are not up to our standards of 
excellence for breeding purposes and these are then s/n and placed.  More 
often than not, those we keep that are bred one time or rarely twice are also 
then s/n and placed in suitable and appropriate loving homes or working 
situations.

Is it tough owning and getting attached to a dog or that period of time and 
then placing it?  Of course it is, but I firmly feel this is the most 
responsible way of conducting a serious breeding program with a focus on 
breeding an all-around healthy and mentally stable and pretty pet or working 
dog.  It's also a practical way of maintaining tight control on breeding 
activities, keeping one's "circle" and boundaries relatively small to protect 
the gene pool and to always be conscious and concerned with the potential 
chain of custodianship.

Only a handful out of our program over the years have gone out on 
co-ownership breeding terms (generally for no money) with close friends 
and/or acquaintances we know and trust well. Hence we have pretty much 
control and input over any breeding activities of those animals too, and not 
all of them have gone on to reproduce either. I tend to choose my doggie 
friends and acquaintances very carefully. They have to be folks who I can get 
along with and who have the same or very similar goals and objectives and 
high standards.

I don't make one red cent breeding dogs. Make no mistake about that. Breeding 
is an extremely expensive hobby that has cost me thousands of dollars a year, 
and it is very time consuming and is fraught with lots of heartaches and 
sadness and it is certainly not all peaches and cream. I don't breed often, 
and I don't show all that often compared to many. Not only do I not make a 
profit, I don't even come remotely close to offsetting my expenses via income 
from puppy sales.  I'm not talking about offsetting show expenses, since I 
tend to only show on occasion at specialties and large cluster shows. I'm 
talking about the cost of feeding, maintaining, vetting, and training, and 
the time required to raise and socialize and groom and care for dogs and 
puppies properly.  I generally don't expect to be able to offset my expenses 
for conducting a proper and well-planned breeding program because I only 
breed when I can easily place the pups I don't intend to grow out myself into 
exceptional homes.

If perhaps anyone thinks I'm insensitive and uncaring about dogs, then let me 
tell you about my heartbreaking and gutwrenching parvo incident, when we 
spent $3500 trying to save the lives of 5 puppies (four of which died over 
the 5-day period during which they were being treated) primarily because I 
cared dearly for them and because I have a love and compassion for animals 
and I felt a personal obligation to give them a chance to live. I knew going 
into it that the chances of saving any of them were minimal, but I spent the 
money anyway because I could not stand to see them suffering, and felt I 
should give them every opportunity to pull through this awful illness.  Quite 
honestly, I don't know if I would go that route again should such a horrible 
circumstance ever arise in the future (God forbid) because it was absolutely 
an emotionally and financially taxing experience.

I have here, right now, the surviving pup from that awful parvo disaster. He 
is now over two years old and he is NEUTERED and he is as much loved and 
adored at this point as any of my "show" or "breeding" quality dogs.  He is 
here because I wanted to grow him out and see if his bout with parvo would 
impact on his future health status, to determine if he was a suitable 
candidate for placement.  I did not want to take a chance that his brush with 
death might later result in any health problems and undue heartache on a 
potential new owner. He's small, his growth seems to have been stunted by the 
illness, but at this point he certainly seems to be healthy and hardy and 
mentally well-adjusted. He is *still* here with us because a suitable home 
for him has not materialized.

Euthanasia has never and will never be an option with this dog.  If he stays 
here for the rest of his life, that will be just fine by me.  Oh, and I would 
also like to add that I have not bred/whelped a litter here since that time, 
because I was advised by a veterinarian friend of mine that it would be 
safest to wait 2+ yrs to ensure the virus was no longer present in my 
environment, even considering a thorough disinfecting procedure inside and 
out when the incident occurred. (Presumably brought in by some folks who came 
to look at puppies -- by their own admission had visited a puppy farm earlier 
in the day, which of course they did not mention to me until they were ready 
to walk out the door after visiting.)

Breeding for me is purely a labor of love and dedication to the breed. I 
devote tons of money and tons of time to ensuring the long-term health and 
welfare and a good public image of the breed -- in my own way. Those who feel 
strongly about rescue are entitled to make their contribution to the breed in 
their own way, but it simply is not right IMO to imply that those who don't 
focus solely on rescue, or who don't focus more so on rescue than on breeding 
and placing puppies appropriately, are somehow failing the breed or failing 
dogs in general.  I still do my little part for rescue.  Perhaps it only 
amounts to less than an hour of my time a week, but it is something.

I feel very strongly that I am not contributing to the pet overpopulation 
problem, and I won't be held accountable for those who are by breeding 
irresponsibly or by not assuming full responsibility for the ultimate 
commitment to pet ownership. I am not the least bit ashamed to be breeding 
dogs as I am and I don't feel guilty for not worrying more about what might 
happen to all those unwanted and discarded dogs out there. I'm glad and 
thankful and grateful that others are willing to take the task of rescue on, 
but I think that should be a two-way street -- perhaps the 
pro-rescue/anti-breeding folks ought to be grateful that people like my 
husband and I are willing to take the task of breeding on. If I personally am 
having any impact whatsoever on the pet overpopulation problem it is quite 
conceivably in lessening the burden of unwanted pets on society.

Kelley