7 Foundations......

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This article came across our desk and we decided that we had to share it with you.
It is somewhat lengthy, but puts a different and thought-provoking perspective
on the many faces in dog showing.
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          The Seven Foundations of a Succesful Dog Breeder
         The following article by Jonathan Jeffrey Kimes (Pluperfect Kennels,
         Kansas City, Missouri)
         first appeared in the 1996 Cardigan Welsh Corgi handbook. (Thoughts
         For the Dog Breeder)

I - ENJOY YOUR DOGS

         The primary reason anyone becomes involved with dog breeding and showing is a fundamental love of dogs.
         We treasure the companionship, the never failing loyalty, the delight they exude. We love to have
         them on our beds. Their eagerness to face the new day, even when we wake them up at dreadful hours,
         provides us a wonderment that brings back the exuberance of childhood. They forgive us when we lose our
         temper, when we are impatient, when we are far less than they are. They bring out the best of ourselves, they
         nurture the "big" us. Unfortunately, dog breeding and exhibiting can tempt our "little" selves. It can feed a
         fragile ego until it becomes a raging ego. Often, this need to feel we are better than our fellow man is
         expressed in our possessions. We need to have the biggest winner, the producer of the most champions, the
         most champion puppies. We buy, we CO-own, we collect. Soon we have no time for dog pleasures, no time
         to play or rub a grateful belly, no time to stroke a patient brow. Soon we have no room for more dogs; we
         stack them and crate them and store them as though they were baubles that have no meaning but to make us
         feel important. We lose our ability to love. Dog showing and breeding is a great vocation. It is creative and
         challenging and very rewarding. But we must never expect our hobby to take the place of a psychologist's
         work. We must never expect an unhealthy mental state to be cured by self-indulgence. Far too many people
         take to showing and breeding for the wrong reasons. Their houses go to ruin, their bank accounts evaporate,
         their credit hits the skids, their spouses and children are left to survive on their own as the breeder pursues
         their own manifestation of what they perceive to prove their self worth. Being a dog breeder is a huge
         commitment. It means we should assign ourselves the role of lifetime student. It means we will be humbled
         in countless ways and in countless circumstances. It means our lessons will be of the hard knock variety if
         we are to truly learn them. It means frustration, long hours, late nights and early mornings. It means never
         getting to sleep-in again. It means finding friendships - some of which will last for a lifetime and some of
         which will founder, being built on social advantage. It means being quoted and misquoted and having words
         put in your mouth. It means being given ample opportunity to be as "small" as a human being can be. But,
         hopefully, it can provide an opportunity to learn to be "big", to be generous, inquisitive, and adventurous.
         We should never ask ourselves if we are envied or important or successful. Those questions, are meaningless.
         At the end of the day, we should ask ourselves, "Am I proud of the person I've become?" What we must
         always be are dog lovers. We must be their advocates. We must ensure the life of every dog we breed and
         every dog we own is fulfilled and an illustration of humanity at its finest hour. Our vanity must not be stroked
         by having our pictures in a magazine or seeing our name on some ranking system. Our self-worth must come
         from knowing we provide for our dogs a life of love, of pleasure, and of happiness.

II - BREED FOR IMPROVEMENT, NOT WINNERS

         It is easy to become lost in the purpose of breeding quality dogs. For some, the attraction of the bright lights,
         the glamour and the glitz cause them to stray from the path. Developing a bloodline that is well considered
         and that is a positive influence for the breed takes considerable discipline. Too often, the seemingly slow and
         carefully orchestrated effort to improve a breed is crossed up with the immediate desire to breed that one big
         winner and become famous. The breeder's pledge must be to harbor and safeguard the breed. No breed is in
         perfect shape when the breeder happens upon it, and none shall be perfect when they lave. But to leave a
        breed in better shape than it was when you came upon it is the greatest compliment. To improve type,
        movement, temperament and health must be the bottom line for every committed breeder. Such
        accomplishment takes a long- range plan that is carefully thought through. It requires dedication and
        purpose. All too often, we are sidetracked by our desires to breed to the latest big winner, and then to the
        next and the next. Before long the pedigree is a long list of "who's who" that have no relationship to each
        other, other than they found success in the ring. What is key to learn (and to believe) is success in the ring
        is not an automatic indication of the dog's true quality. We all wish one indicated the other but that is too
        easy. It would require the removal of human fallacy to be accomplished! Dogs do not excel for all the
        same reasons. Consequently, you can't simply breed one big winner toanother and produce more big
        winners. Every feature and their nature of inheritance must be studied and understood before you can
        "manage" the inheritance variables. Once you gain this skill, you are on the road to producing a line of
         winners.

III - TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE

         The breeding of fine purebred dogs should be considered the pursuit of perfection - it is not the maintenance
         of it. All dogs have faults, all dogs are less than ideal in some ways and areas. If not, the "ideal" has not been
         well enough conceived. It is very easy to fall into the trap of being defensive about one's own dogs. This
         usually happens because what we assume to be correct is challenged by another as being less so. This
         disharmony causes confusion in our mind and ultimately unhappiness. To right ourselves, we often become
         defensive and try to rid ourselves of that which is causing us the discomfort -namely the opinion that does
         not compliment our own. We must realize that "truth" is the ultimate standard by which our decisions should
         be made. In most cases, a roached back is a roached back, whether we choose to recognize it as such or
         not. Consequently, the best way for us to not be put into a position of being unhappily surprised is to pursue
         knowledge relentlessly to ensure our opinion is as accurate and close to the "truth" as possible. This
         knowledge is gained in many ways, one of which is learning from fellow breeders. We must fight the urge
         to make up our minds about something and refuse to consider another viewpoint. Indeed, we do not make
         decisions based on facts when we are first learning, we are depending upon what we perceive to be the
         expertise of others to provide that for us. If that so-called expertise is, in fact, faulty, our whole knowledge
         base is called into question. And that causes us great anxiety. The best place to sit is in the seat of the
         knowledge seeker. Whenever provided with an opinion that is different than the one you currently hold,
         always seek to understand the viewpoint of the other. Why does the person perceive something differently
         than you." Understanding another's point of view can be the road to greater knowledge, if you shut that door
         and do not entertain the prospect of learning something different than what you think is truth you will never
         actually recognize the truth and you will not succeed in your goal. Quite honestly, you should be more critical
         of your dogs than anyone else could possibly be. That is not to say you should attribute faults to your dogs
         they do not possess, but your evaluation must be as detailed as possible and you must strive to see clearly
         their true faults and virtues. From this comes the map to success.

IV - DEAL WITH OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DEAL WITH YOU

         Sounds a bit like the golden rule that we learn in childhood. Yet it is amazing how many people forget this
         very important axiom. In dealing with others, regardless of the matter, think always of the other person's
         position. I have heard repeatedly, people state how they were burned in a CO-ownership agreement. All
         too often the agreement is geared toward benefiting one part (often the seller) over another. Written
         agreements somehow are tainted as being only needed in a contentious situation. This is the first
         misconception. Not having a written agreement should be the very rare exception, not the reverse.
         Too often, should a worthwhile puppy be produced from one of these undefined arrangements, the fight
         is on for possession. Before contemplating selling a dog on a CO-ownership or leasing it or offering stud
         service for a puppy back, you should think through what exactly you expect and desire from such an
         arrangement. Too often, these business dealings occur in the spur of the moment during a telephone
         conversation, and the deal is struck before either party has really had an opportunity to think it through.
         For some reason, rather than rethinking the situation, we tend to try to follow through on such an
         ill-conceived arrangement only to end up bitter enemies in the end. If people would stop and think about
         the likely end result, they would realize the best possible thing to protect the friendship is to have a written
         understanding. It is very rare a litter is going to have more than one star if any at all. Consequently, it is
         important to understand who is going to own that super puppy, should it appear. People are too willing to
         tear apart relationships should one person seem to benefit a bit more than another. This is too sad and is
         reflective of the self-benefit motivation that all too many find as the driving force for their actions. When
         pressed, it is far better to give than to receive. It is far better to let the other seemingly benefit than to
         destroy a relationship and acquire the reputation of being disreputable and self centered, if for no other
         reason than it makes you grow as a human being, which is probably a fair trade off in the long run.

V - BY GIVING YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE

         Another pitfall breeders often experience is the inability to celebrate other's successes. While certainly we
         feel the route we are taking is the best way to approach that utopian plateau of breed perfection, there are
         actually many routes to that same goal. It takes nothing at all away from our own accomplishments to
         recognize the accomplished efforts of other breeders. This inability and unwillingness to appreciate other's
         efforts usually comes from having made a decision not to breed to certain bloodlines or deal with certain
         persons. When such a kennel then produces a success, it is difficult for us to acknowledge such an
         achievement for we tend to find that inconsistent with our opinion of that particular person or family of
         dogs. It takes quite an honest and secure person to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of others.
         While it is probably good advice to hold our criticisms closer to our chest, recognizing another's
         achievement only brings good things. By being someone who can see the virtues in breeding lines other
         than your own, you gain a reputation of fairness and objectivity that is a very rare pearl in dogdom. You
         may find, over time, your point of view and your philosophies are taken with much greater weight when
         others do not perceive them to have originated in a mind consumed with self-aggrandizement . Thus, by
         doing so you lose nothing and yet you gain so very much.

VI - MAKE USE OF OTHER'S ACHIEVEMENTS

         One of the worst situations a breeder can find her/himself in is to partition themselves off from another
         kennel or bloodline. It is highly unlikely that all improvements toward the perfection of a breed are going
         to come from one single kennel or bloodline. Like flowers in the field, they will spring up in various places.
         The clever breeder is the one who knows how to pick from all the field those who will make the ultimate,
         sublime bouquet. And to do this, you must be able to use the strengths of other kennels and bloodlines.
         Breeders will tend to have certain biases; and quite honestly, there are certain strengths and weaknesses
         in most bloodlines. While you may feel you have achieved the highest ground in certain areas, there will
         doubtless be other areas in which your dogs and bloodlines are less strong than others. Not to recognize
         this fact is to ensure you will plateau quite early in your breeding career. And by that I mean you will
         stabilize and go no further. You must always keep a watchful eye for that very special bloom that will
         enhance your bouquet. It is his sophisticated combining of families without losing the good points of your
         own bloodline that strengthen a kennel and move it forward in breed importance. It takes careful
         consideration, orchestration and pruning to come to fruition.

VII - YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR MORALS

         My last axiom addresses the whole truth of morality. It has many facets and many ways of expressing
         itself. Spreading rumors, the accuracy of which might be doubtful, is one very good example. Selling
         dogs on Co-ownerships as a means to control other breeders is certainly another. Accusing other lines
         of genetic problems while being less than entirely honest about your own is yet another. In all, it goes to
         the very core of who we are. Do we know right from wrong? Do we practice right in all circumstances?
         Dog breeding is not about that one great win or that one great winner, it is about breed improvement
         over time, it is about protecting a breed. Too many people are in search of some kind of sign of their
         self worth and they think they will obtain some special level of respect and honor if they have a big
         winner. Dog breeding is a lifetime's work. It is a continuum which no matter how quickly you want to
         "put yourself on the map", you will ultimately be a reflection of your true character. To wit, you can't fool
         all of the people all of the time. There is no honor in "adjusting" reality to give you the appearance of
         achieving something you do not have. Politicking for wins will not make your dogs any better than they
         are. Faking your dogs will not make them any better than they are. You may think you can fool the world,
         but you will ultimately pay the price. No one wants to be a pretender. And yet, some of the worst
         pretenders are people who seem to be infatuated with spreading rumors about other people and dogs.
         These people live in glass houses and invariably they know it. The breeding of dogs is not about how you
         impress the neighbors, your peers or anyone else. It is the expression of your love of dogs and your
         personal pursuit in creating an art. You cannot lie about the art you create; you cannot lie to yourself.
         While this list, I am quite sure, sounds like a sermon from the mount, it encompasses the many pitfalls that
         we dog breeders face every day. Some of us are equipped to navigate them. We are all tested from time
         to time, even the most educated, psychologically balanced, intelligent and honest amongst us. There are
         times when it feels much better to zing someone who has been hurtful, to control those whom we feel do
         not have the proper motivation, to become the ones who attract the adulation. Only through careful
         thought and well-considered action can we hope to become better people and therefore better dog
         breeders.