Breeder Relations

[Will Hahn]

http://www.thedogpress.com/Columns/0811-Defeating-Breeders-Denninger.asp

Dog fanciers who choose to disrespect those that came before them and spurn their knowledge do a disservice to themselves as well as their breed. Many newcomers to the dog fancy are not aware of the time honored ways of the past with true mentoring. They don’t take time to learn about their breed and to begin to become great breeders themselves.

They often fall into the trap of pseudo-mentoring: "buy from me and I will direct you in your breeding program, which will be an extension of mine really...until you get sick of me or I of you, due to you having your own ideas...we break up our relationship...” It may be called a friendship but such a breeder-novice relationship never really was.

At that point the snide comments, name calling and put downs begin. Newcomers with a brain see this, process it, and are disgusted but they are the future breeders who could do great service to dogs. Sadly, many do not have the time or stomach to muck through this.

Just interesting to me. I have the stomach but it's only because of the breed.

wrh

[Jane Hadley]

I tend to agree with these comments.
Its oh so easy to buy a good dog cross it with another good dog and get a corker that wins everything, I guess they get illusions of grandeur and forget their initial dogs were the result of someone elses breeding program.
See that over here regularly.
I have my breed mentor and she is my best buddy, I had to start somewhere, and without her help would never have gotten this far.
I had my own idea's that paid off, but not without help from other people who are far more knowledgable than myself.
One has to go it alone, it makes or it breaks but its nice to know they are there to give advice which is allways greatly apreciated.
I am stuborn sometimes, but admit to going the wrong way if it doesnt work and start again.
Interesting topic
Jane
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[Kathleen Owsley]

Great article!

Thanks for posting!

Kathleen

[Mary Henderson]

Great article and way too true.

'How do you form a cohesive voice for the entire fancy when there is so much divisiveness at the core? I suggest reevaluating your motives and desires carefully. Start a discussion with other breeders. Attempt to reconcile with others in your breed. Agree to disagree but in the process, not to denigrate each other or the age-old crafting of breeding good dogs.'

This paragraph has a message that we all need to attempt.
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[Linda Edwards]

Read it and agree with some of it. And of course, because it is my nature ( ), I disagree with some of it.

Breed mentors are important. Breed "demented mentors" are also out there and should be avoided like the swine flu. "Mentors" should do just that, mentor. Not micromanage new owners, not browbeat new exhibitors, and certainly not try to gain credibility by trashing people who are new to the breed.

Breeders that move forward are good. Breeders that spin in circles do nothing to improve the breed.

For me personally, just me, if I look at what someone is breeding, and it is better than what that person had just a few years back? That is going forward. If that person also does health testing and uses those tests to improve the genetic health of his/her program? That is going forward. And most importantly, if a breeder/mentor is honest about the problems found in their lines, that is real progress.

Linda Edwards
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[Mary Henderson]

Linda,

Your comment about "demented mentors" made me smile.

I've not had a lot of people attempt to mentor me so I believe we need more people sharing their experiences.

Bonnie Short has been my mentor and was the one that started me looking into genetic defects in this breed as well as dog's in general.
I've learned a lot with her guidance.
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Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.

- Harriet Tubman

[Liz Carter]

This is a very thought provoking article and very well worth the read. One point I would emphasize is that the mentoring relationship involves two people: the mentor and the student. As an individual who has been the fortunate recipient of mentoring in our breed, I personally feel that there is a great deal of responsibility on the part of the novice entering a breed to do research, determine personal goals and ideals as well as develop a plan of action. In this way, the novice can seek out a mentor that can best help him or her achieve those goals, even as they develop and change as a result of increased knowledge and experience. The novice also must be flexible and open minded, willing to learn from those individuals they admire and even those they detest, as there are many things to learn which one had not even realized needed contemplation at the start of the journey. At the same time, the novice must be willing to hold on to the goals and ideals that were most important when they entered the breed. It is all too easy to give in to what the article’s author refers to as “pseudo-mentoring.” Be willing to learn from mistakes and move forward. Coming into a breed requires a lot of dedication and hard work, from developing constructive interpersonal relationships to developing the ideal dog. Again, this is from my perspective as someone who has and still does benefit from mentoring. It is very much a two way street.
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