This article was written by my daughter Kat. I never realized that from the howls my dogs sang every morning, to my unending participation at dog shows even during extreme weather conditions just to reach the show venues; for the furs on the table and on the couch, and to the engagements I had to absent myself from due to aiding
a bitch in whelping this does sound crazy! Twelve years had passed and I think she understood what I was doing. These experiences in fact, made her a fan that she never knew, either learned or inherited.
Having read what she wrote made my heart smile- not only has she became a protégé whom, I can pass my knowledge to but a legacy to this foundation that I've built.
What is a True Breeder?
By: Marissa Katrina Ty
Most people would think that it’s a lot like being a mother; nurturing your brood, making sure they grow up well and then you see to it that they’re sent off to the right kind of homes, where they’re likely to make another family quite happy. Now, although this perception is just about right—more ideal than anything else, it is but a shadow to which the true purpose of breeding comes in. Breeding, in fact, has more to do with the laws of genetics and heredity and yes, it’s a boring topic to get into so in plainer terms, I think that it’s finding that perfect dog that you can say you’ve spent years—decades trying to develop.
I’ve heard it said that a dog is a living canvas; whereas with paintings or artworks, you may splotch over them or redo them entirely if ever you’ve made a mistake. With dogs, however, it isn’t as easy simply because you are working with living, breathing creatures much like yourself, except they have less brain capacity. To correct any possible mistakes, one must wait months or years and figure out why and how, knowing that this living masterpiece will not live forever and neither will the mediums one uses to obtain it.
And what of those who think differently? After all, the perfect dog to you may not be the perfect dog to another. There is a standard, yes; but breeding is about taking that standard and using it as a guideline for you to create your own. And though the process does sound simple, it’s far from it. For as with every skill learned, one must first start with the basics.
I come home to howls and barks, an orchestra that plays whenever our front door is opened or when the doorbell sounds. And even though most days my head would hurt listening to this, I cannot help but think that it’s got its own beat and rhythm much like the songs we enjoy on the radio. From these thoughts, I head on to ones not as obvious to the senses but are as important as choosing that first dog to start your line.
My mother works on a particular Beagle, brushing its back or checking its pose and such is not the practice of a usual breeder. In fact, this shows the depth of where she has come from to be able to tell whenever a bitch will produce a litter that will look a certain way.
I’ve once or twice asked whether she can really tell what the pups will look like when they get older—Mom, of course, gazing down at them, barely a few weeks old. And she gives me this look that says she probably can, and that’s something not everyone can do. You’re not breeding your dogs to produce a litter, really; you’re breeding them to produce something better. There’s always that goal. And if you don’t know that, then you’re not really breeding to begin with.
Then there’s finding an owner for the little bit of perfection you’ve managed to bring forth. Do you think it’s easy having to part with something you’ve worked so hard to achieve? As a child, we can barely restrain ourselves from whining when we have to share that last chocolate with a sibling or cousin. As teens, we work our way around the conflict and come out looking like we’re keeping something to ourselves for good reason, when we are really trying to be as selfish as humanely possible. As adults, some of us don’t even learn. But for breeders, parting with a puppy they think is absolutely gorgeous—that’s part of life, part of the practice, an achievement in its own right. Because when you let go of that puppy and the owner (with some stroke of luck) manages to do what you’ve been doing—and that is join in with the ‘big boys’ in the actual show ring—, the process becomes a cycle as more often than not the fruits of your labor will come back to you. I’ve seen this happen, believe me. I’ve seen my mother have to part with litters she might’ve intended to keep in the beginning, only in the end having to satisfy herself with knowing that their new owners are bound to take them as far as she would have hoped for them to go. With this hope, you see, comes the chance of finding them again or some of their own offspring in the ring. And as Mom happens to be a dog show judge, seeing the next generation of a line she started becomes an accomplishment far greater than any trophy can bring you.
There are kennels that get far enough to be known. But there are kennels that produce the best lines only to stay hidden away from the rest of the world as well. Why not try to be both? At an earlier year, Mom became known as the owner of the Philippines’ first Hall of Fame Beagle, Philippine Hall of Fame Meadows Fanto. From there, she aspired to do more, bag some more champions and grands; then from there, begin her line. Just as well, it took some time, which was essential for the process, before she got to where she is today. And if you ask me, was any of this planned?
Of course not, I would scoff right back.
Would a person be able to predict becoming a judge after having become a breeder? Can anyone even predict that he or she will become a breeder? Most owners just give up and find other whatnots to spend their lifetime on. You need the real kind passion to do more. And I believe my mother’s that sort of person. Sometimes she makes it look easy. Obviously though, this path has its given set of hardships—maybe even more than the triumphs. What makes it worth it, however, is when the triumphs are remembered. And yes, I happen to know they are. Remember what I said about the living masterpieces? Just as they may only last in a given timeframe, they also leave something behind and that is a lineage which people do not ever forget, provided they reach far enough to paw in that mark of course. |
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