Honor the Breeder
Mark Threlfall, Guest Columnist
My first job when I was just 16 years old, living in New Hampshire and still wet behind the ears was as a “kennel boy” in a breeding kennel owned by a great lady, a person I came to respect and admire. She loved her dogs and did her best to produce dogs of quality. Her dogs did a lot of winning and were in demand as puppies and as breeding stock.
As sometimes happens, a problem in the form of a hereditary disease cropped up in her line, and she was faced with a hard choice to make. She could both keep quiet about it and continue to breed dogs, or she could own up to the problem and face the consequences.
She chose the latter. It cost her money, a lot of money, to do what she did. She bought back puppies, paid to have dogs spayed and neutered, took out ads in major dog magazines laying the whole story out in black and white for all to see. She was a woman of means, but it cost her dearly. She then acquired new dogs, started a new breeding program, and though her kennel never regained the position of prominence it once held, she was respected as a true breeder, one who put her own reputation on the line with each litter produced.
I suppose my exposure to someone of such honesty and love of dogs went a long way towards getting me seriously involved in this sport. I learned early on what it means to be a breeder of dogs. I learned that it is the devotion to their breed that gets them up in the morning to face the day’s chores, what sends them to bed after a long day’s work. It’s that love that causes them to worry over their pups. It’s that love that allows them to look in a dog’s eyes and see that something’s not quite right; that maybe they should call the vet.
Breeders have been called the “backbone” of our sport. I think that’s true, but I think it goes deeper than that. They are the backbone and the heart, pure and simple. As long as the heart beats, the spirit lives. If the heart dies, the spirit dies with it. They keep the sport ever striving for health, functionality and quality. Breeders produce the dogs that win the ribbons, the titles and serve their masters for a lifetime. Breeders are the stewards of their breed. They breed to an ideal, and in that pursuit, give us the diversity to seek perfection ourselves. Breeders are devoted to their dogs first, to all other interests second. They’ll miss a family reunion if an event conflicts with it; they’ll whelp a litter under the Christmas tree if need be. They’ll do whatever necessary to ensure that next litter or that next special puppy gets every advantage to reach its potential. They’ll stand behind their puppies, and if you can’t keep yours, for whatever reason, many ask that they simply come back home. They’re good people.
UKC is built on the efforts of breeders. They are the lifeblood of our organization. They are our essence. We are not an organization of professionals. Instead, we are an organization built on the foundation of those most responsible for the creation of our sport, the breeder.Yes, they’re good people. They breed quality. They are not driven by profit; they’re driven by love of the dogs they produce, and they produce the best. Oh, and they produce one more thing, besides quality animals. They produce good dog people who admire and appreciate them for their tireless efforts. I have memories of a great lady in New Hampshire who, thanks to her help and inspiration, I am lucky enough to be here today.
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